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Analysis doll's house
The doll's house analysis
Feminist approach on the doll house
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The play A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879, recounts a story of a woman who is struggling to exist within the life she has accustomed herself to. The main character Nora is depicted as a woman that has accepted the way things were being held in her household without questioning the fairness or morals of the situation. Ibsen addresses the roles of woman in society and shines a new light on the concept of feminism in the time period. Nora represents the new light on feminism that was not quite popular during the time period in which Ibsen wrote the play. Nora’s character illustrates a concept that was foreign to most women during the time, and allowed for women to realize that they should be living to their full potential. Ibsen portrays Nora as childlike, tolerant, and loyal throughout the play, defining her true essence and eventually leading her to make a decision that would change the course of her life. Nora’s childlike character is made apparent from the very beginning of the play through her own nature, as well as her actions. When Nora “puts the bag of macaroons into her pocket and wipes her mouth” (928), she acts …show more content…
Because of her character, she failed to see the constraint that Torvald had put on her and failed to see what she was missing out on. As the play progresses, Nora is able to think in a more mature manner and realize the confined state she has been in for so long. Critics viewed her childlike character in a different light. Joan Templeton stated, “she was denounced as an irrational and frivolous narcissist; an abnormal woman” (Templeton 29). Nora’s childlike nature was viewed as the reason she left her behind, instead of the reason she was oblivious to her confinement. Other critics argue that Nora was not childlike because she was “a woman who works hard for years and stints herself without her husband and children” (Dukore
Throughout Act one, Nora’s most noticeable characteristic is her child like personality and her inability to understand the importance of honesty. As the play opens on Christmas Eve Nora comes home with an abundance of extravagant gifts for her family. She also eats some macaroons that she secretly bought that her husband doesn’t allow her to eat. When questioned about the purchase of the dessert by her husband Torvald Helmer, she denies it. Through this act of deception we are able to see that Nora, in denying buying and eating the macaroons is more like a child to her husband. In a normal husband-wife relationship, the wife would have admitted that she did in fact eat them due to the fact that they are on an equal playing field. In this case, Nora was scared to tell him in fear that she will be punished and get in trouble. The deception allows us into Nora’s mind to see that she hasn’t yet understood that if she stand up for herself and says that she did, that with time Torvald will stop treating her like one of his children but instead like the mother and wife that she is. Throughout the first scene yo...
A Doll House, a play written by Henrik Ibsen, published in the year 1879, stirred up much controversy within its time period because it questioned the views of society's social rules and norms. "Throughout most of history... Wifehood and motherhood were regarded as women's most significant professions... The resulting stereotype that 'a woman's place is in the home' has largely determined the ways in which women have expressed themselves" ("Women's History in America"). Ibsen places many hints throughout his play about the roles of women and how they were treated in his time. Nora is perceived as a typical housewife; maintaining the house and raising her children. However, Nora had actually hired a maid to do all of those typical housewife duties for her. Nora was naive, and ambitious. She hid many secrets from her husband. The way women were viewed in this time period formed a kind of barrier that Nora could not overcome. Women should not be discriminated against just because of their gender and within reason they should be able to do what their heart entails.
...ould not be a good mother because many women become bitter and mistreat their children. Some argued that it was actually a sign of strength that Nora made the decision that she made (Galens and Spampinato). This can also be reflected in A Doll House, when Torvald tells Nora that when there is deceit in the home the children are the ones who suffer and “every breath the children take in is filled with the germs of something degenerate (1: 474). Torvald then goes on to blame the mother for all children who go bad in life (1: 476). Then when the nurse tries to bring the children to see Nora she refuses to see them because she has the revelation that she is guilty of deceit and according to her husband’s assertions her children were in danger from her. Nora states “Hurt my children! Poison my home! That’s not true. Never. Never in all the world (1:482,483,485).
Templeton argues that Nora is “voicing the most basic of feminist principles” when she realizes that she has “higher duties” than being a wife or a mother (Templeton 32). Of course, Templeton is referring to Nora’s sense of self and the pride she holds when it comes to the fact that she singlehandedly saved her family, even if she did so illegally. Now, despite Nora being brave enough to take on such a risk, she can be seen as a “child” to several people, including Mrs. Linde because even though she has had to work, she has not worked as hard as other women in the in the play. According to Mrs Linde “a little needle work and such” never hurt anybody (Seagull Reader 193). Seeing Nora through this sort of lens can make her seem rather selfish, and maybe a little naïve, compared to the other
In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House, Nora Helmer represents many feministic ideals of the late eighteen hundreds. The ending is often what the play as a whole is remembered by, due to its shocking nature. Nora, the female lead of the play decides to leave her home suddenly, after a confrontation with her husband Torvald and never returns. Many saw this as a huge decision that was made abruptly, however what they fail to notice are the aspects that motivated Nora from the start of the play. At first, Nora may seem as if she is just a mindless, care free woman who is content with her life. Nevertheless, Nora Helmer is truly a strong willed individual who becomes aware of her underappreciated and overlooked potential. The limitations that society brought upon women of her time, as well as her need to have a real relationship with her husband and children, are the elements that shaped Nora’s motivation to leave her family and doll- like way of life in the end.
The play, A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen was written during the time where society had a major impact and was reflected on the most. During the 19th century, the role of men and women became sharply defined than at any time in history. The role of a woman was staying at home and tending to her children and her husband. Nora Helmer and Torvald Helmer are introduced to be the main characters and the victims of the social pressures that define the perfect man and the perfect woman. Throughout the play, we see the relationship between Nora and Torvald going from childish, to desperation and finally ending with a sense of reality. Torvald and Nora become victims of social pressures that define the perfect man and the perfect women not because of everything that went wrong in their relationship, but because Nora realizes she no longer wants to play “doll” with her husband, the “controller”.
In the beginning of this drama readers are introduced to a woman,Nora, can be taken as a young girl by her immaturity. Author, Kelly King Howes gives a good explanation as to why she may be this way in her article:
Nora is the most important character in the play. Attentions are focused on what she feels and how she interacts with the other players in her doll house. Nora really is nothing more than a doll for most of the play, and gradually we see her gain strength and determination, as well as a realization that in order for her to be truly free she must flee her gilded birdcage. She has been nothing more than a doll most of her life, and she realizes that when she confronts her husband. "I've been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa's doll-child" (Ibsen 1136). She made herself conform to the role that society had cast her into.
Whereas one can see Mrs. Linde as mature and world-weary, one can easily read the character Nora as immature and childlike; one of the first examples of this immaturity and childishness can be found in the first few pages. Nora has come in from a day of shopping and in these excerpts we can see her child-like manner while interacting with her husband, Torvald:
The parenting of Nora is questionable. She does not spend a lot of time with her children in fact in the duration of the play only once did she make time for her two sons playing hide and seek with them. In contrast for not spending time with them, readers witness her buying them gifts for Christmas. These gifts for Christmas are of high quality, in a way, buying their love. Honestly Nora has the looks of an uninterested parent, no time for her children always too busy for them hoping that the gifts she buys will regarded as forgiveness for no attention. Realistically if this happened you could one day see how the inattentive ways of Nora affect the children’s lives. If they are quite disobedient, rude perhaps reckless, all these things can be related back to the
In 1879, a very controversial piece of literature work was premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was a play named A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen was born in 1828 into a well-off family from Norway that later went bankrupt. After a few years of taking trivial job position, he fled to Italy and Germany, where he produced some of his most famous works, including this one. “A Doll House” illustrates the issues of feminism and marriage institution of the 19th century. The main character, Nora Helmer, starts out as a submissive housewife to her husband, Torvald Helmer, who controls her behavior, finance, and eating habit. However, at the end of the play, after realizing that she has been living merely as a doll-wife, Nora
Nora is a dynamic character. When the play begins Nora is viewed and presented as a playful and carefree person. She seems to be more intent on shopping for frivolous things. But, as time goes on it becomes apparent that Nora actually has a certain amount of seriousness in her decisions and actions in dealing with the debt she incurred to save Torvald’s life. Nora’s openness in her friendship with Dr. Rank changes after he professes his affections toward her. Her restraint in dealing with him shows that Nora is a mature and intelligent woman. Nora shows courage, not seen previously, by manipulating her way around Krogstad and his threats to reveal her secret. After feeling betrayed by Torvald, Nora reveals that she is leaving him. Having
But that is not what exactly sets her apart from convention—neither the energy or the initiative she exudes throughout, nor her decision to shatter her notions of marriage and seek independence. Rather, it is the intention or the motivation with which she carries herself throughout the text and more importantly the sub-text of the play that makes her different. Nora, despite her disenchantment and climactic decision, comes across as a less than innocent woman ambivalently portrayed, incredibly adept at manipulation and who does not, in the end, deserve the full sympathy that the thrust of the dominant narrative demands.
The exposition scene sets Nora in a room “furnished comfortably and tastefully with little extravagance” . Ibsen provides a realistic touch to his play and sets the room as a trap for the protagonist. Moreover, the title of the play gives a view about the initial setting in which Nora is placed throughout the development. It shines a light on her restrained influence limited by this enclosed space and sets an extended metaphor of Nora’s doll like function. The author explains her
Nora was the protagonist of the play, who had qualities of a child and was a doll for the men in the playwright. For example as Nora states in the play, “…I’ve been wronged greatly, Torvald-first by Papa, and then by you….He used to call me his doll-child, and he played with me the way I played with my dolls…” (Ibsen 903). This quotation reveals the truth about Nora’s life and marriage at the end of act three of when she was going to leave Torvald and move on. Nora notices how for the men in her life she always was just a doll and child like person whom never got the respect that she deserved as a woman, a wife, or even a mother of three children. She was often labeled as a child-like wife and child-like daughter for her father that often was a barrier for her growth as a woman. Similarly, Maude Mitchell the actor whom played Nora Helmer was successful in revealing the child like qualities of Nora. For me, it was easy to distinguish in the play of who was Nora and who was Mrs. Linde because Maude did a marvelous job in carrying the character of Nora from the playwright onto the stage. For example, when Mrs. Linde came to Nora’s House I found out right away that the character in the blue with blond hair had to be Nora because of her squeaky childlike voice and moves that continued to portray her like a