Doll House - 799 Words

In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, a woman named Nora is facing a life altering situation that stands to both ruin her social and private life. In dealing with the potential outcomes of the scenario, Nora comes to find that she has been living a convenient mistruth. Nora’s greatest and most damaging lies are lies she tells to herself. As is seen numerous times throughout the play, Nora hides, withholds, and distorts the truth in order to please everyone around her, including herself. Nora is presented almost immediately as a person of questionable character, wherein the first scene she conceals from Torvald having eaten macaroons. Torvald says to Nora â€Å"Not even a bite at a macaroon?† after suggesting she had been to the confectionaries’†¦show more content†¦This false reality is damaging her ability to be honest, trustworthy and reliable. Nora’s false reality is partially created because she never forms an opinion of her own. Nora is always afraid of having an opinion because it will disrupt or upset her husband. Nora’s life as an adult is stunted because she isn’t her own person. Nora states that â€Å"when I was at home with papa, he told me his opinion about everything, and so I had the same opinions; and if I differed from him I concealed the fact, because he would not have liked it† (III.141) and that â€Å"I was simply transferred from papa’s hands into yours. You arranged everything according to your own taste, and so I got the same tastes as your else I pretended to† (III. 142). Nora is a woman made to be a doll, and she plays the role with lies and misdeeds. Nora again demonstrates the lack of opinion. Nora’s life as a deceptive doll is further showcased by the dangerous decisions she makes. Nora takes out a fraudulent loan against her father’s name because she wants something and cannot have it. Nora realizes the burden her actions can put against her father’s name and she realizes the legal action that can result from fraud. Krogstad, Nora’s lender states â€Å"but did it never occur to you that you were committing a fraud on me?† (II.52). Nora replies that â€Å"I couldn’t take that into account; I didn’t trouble myself about you at all† (II.52). Again, when Nora is presented with an opportunity to make a poor choiceShow MoreRelatedA Dolls House Essay790 Words   |  4 PagesIt has been said that, some people think that it’s holding on that makes one strong; sometimes it’s letting go. In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora’s departure becomes the controversial topic of debate for many rea ders; was Nora Helmer justified in leaving her husband and kids or not? It is argued that both parents are needed for a child to succeed in life and that separation is an act of cowardness. However, several readers also debate that Nora was justified in leaving Torvald and her kids.Read MoreKatherine Mansfield s The Doll s House929 Words   |  4 PagesIn Katherine Mansfield’s â€Å"The Doll’s House† children are like sponges soaking up all the impurities of society. These little girls portray a vast array of feelings determined to be brought about by their varying backgrounds in their young lives. The short story encircles how our society functions; allowing people with power and wealth to overlook the important little details in life. Wealth categorizes how people fit into society throughout this entire short story. Mrs. Hays sent the Burnell sistersRead MoreIndividualism Vs Society, A Doll s House1589 Words   |  7 PagesIndividualism vs Society, â€Å"A Doll’s House† Struggle In the 19th century Victorian society, individuals were expected to follow strict generalized standards for what is considered, acceptable conduct. 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The role of women has been viewed differently throughout different points in history and in different areas. However, many people don t realizeRead MoreSymbolism in A Doll House1501 Words   |  7 Pages456 The Use of Symbolism in A Doll House Author Margaret Trudeau once said, â€Å"I can’t be a rose in any man’s lapel† (â€Å"I Can’t Be†). This quote expresses exactly what was going through many women’s minds during the 1800’s in Norway. Women had let their husbands control their lives for ages before the 1800’s. Soon, they could no longer stand being the rose in their husbands’ lapel. The women of Norway longed for freedom and began to rebel. Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House, displays what women were goingRead MoreA Doll House : A Play From Different Perspectives1557 Words   |  7 PagesSean Walsh Literary Perspectives Research Essay A Doll House: A Play from Different Perspectives When A Doll House was first produced Ibsen successfully shocked and angered many who went to go see it. However if you google A Doll House today you’ll find many article’s praising it for its feminist themes. When looking at reviews for A Doll House after its first production I find no mention of feminism but rather many called it untrue and one even called the third act â€Å"it’s Achilles heel†(AvisRead MoreEssay on Plot and sub plot of A Dolls House1511 Words   |  7 PagesPlot and sub plot of A Dolls House A Dolls House is set in Norway 1879 and is a story of a woman Nora who sees herself as always being treated as a doll in the dolls house. The play shows her deceiving her husband and borrows money without his consent. At this time the play cause much shock and people responded strongly to it. In Act one Nora is returning from Christmas shopping there is then a short scene between her and her husband Torvald. We then immediately get the impression ofRead MoreAnalysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll House995 Words   |  4 Pagesguiding the integration of all these elements belongs to the director. One of the toughest tasks of a director is to reinvigorate a socially important and renowned production while maintaining its original message and composition. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House is a socially important realistic play that portrays the gender dynamics that plagued the nineteenth century and questions the expectations held for women in a household and society. The play is still incredibly influential because the issues it