Women’s decisions are often times influenced by the men in their life. Whether it is their husband, father, or an older brother, women sometimes act based on what would please the man in their life most. In the plays Inherit the Wind and A Dolls House, Nora and Rachel exhibit a strong attachment to the men in their life that causes them to lose their true self.
Sometimes women get so caught up in trying to please the men in their life that they lose themselves. In the play Inherit the Wind, when Nora visits Bert in jail and is trying to convince him to give up on the fight she says “Everybody says what you did was bad”(Lawrence and Lee 8). Nora has never once thought herself how she feels about the situation, but yet decides that Bert
…show more content…
Nora shows her resentment towards her father and husband when she says, “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald. That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and Papa have done me a great wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life”(Ibsen). Nora has come to realize that her whole life spent pleasing her men, has stopped her maturation. While acting as a good wife and daughter, she has never grown into the women she thought she should be. Nora succeeds in fighting the human tendency to think egocentrically. In fact, Nora fights off this tendency so well that she completely ignores herself her whole life and focuses only on the men in it. After realizing that she has made nothing of her life, she decides to leave her husband in attempt to find her self. Nora’s transformation throughout the play is very similar to Rachel’s transformation. They both left all the thinking and decision-making in the hands of their men, and after the dilemmas that they both have faced was resolved, they decided to leave their controlling men behind and think for themselves. However, Nora is not just closing the door on her old life, she’s giving way to a future dedicated to making up for lost time. This becomes evident when Vicki Mahaffey …show more content…
This forgiveness does not absolve anyone of blame, but creates a space for future self-realization by refocusing the attention from the past to the present and future (Mahaffey).
Mahaffey is explaining here that Nora is going to forget about the past and focus on her individual thinking in the future. Most women like the men in their life to be in control. However, giving a man to much control could put your own self and personality at risk. In the plays Inherit the Wind and A Dolls House Rachel and Nora let their men control their thinking and beliefs for so long that they lost their true self. It was not until they distance themselves from these men did they attempt to regain themselves and develop their own thoughts and
Throughout history, a woman's role is to be an obedient and respectful wife. Her main obligation is to support, serve, and live for her husband and children. In Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House and Susan Glaspell's Trifles, two different women make a decision to take matters into their own hands by doing what they want to do, no matter what the outcome may be and in spite of what society thinks. These two women come from different homes and lead very different lives yet, these two women share similar situations--both are victims, both are seeking individuality, and initially, both women end up alone. There are many ways that Nora and Mrs. Wright differ. First of all, both come from completely different households. Nora's home is "tastefully [. . .] furnished" and always "pleasant"(917). She lives in a lavish home eating macaroons, drinking champagne, and hosting banquets. Nora often has guests at the house and there are even maids to watch her children. Her husband, Torvald, is often home and has guests over. On the other hand, Mrs. Wright's home is unpleasant, in an "abandoned farmhouse"(977) in a secluded area. Mrs. Wright seldom has company, nor does she have any children. She does not leave the house very often and her husband, Mr. Wright, wants no outside interference. Mr. Wright refuses to get a "party telephone"(978) because he enjoys his "peace and quiet"(978). It is obvious that these two women lead different lives with different types of people, yet they share similar situations that are not so obvious.
In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen wrote a play that showed how one woman, Nora Helmer, stood up to her husband after feeling like she was useless to their marriage and their family. Nora’s husband, Torvald Helmer, was the man of the house and would make every decision for the family, especially for Nora. He supported her financially, but not emotionally. He always took it upon himself to do everything a man was supposed to do at the time, but never let Nora explore herself. He made sure she was kept as just a wife and nothing more. As it was mentioned in the play, Nora was arranged into the marriage by her father. While going through eight years of marriage, she finally felt it was time to find herself as an independent woman in...
to discover and educate herself. She must strive to find her individuality. That the perception of woman is inaccurate is also supported by the role of Torvald. Woman is believed to be subordinate to the domineering husband. Instead of being the strong supporter and protector of his family, Nora's husband is a mean and cowardly man. Worried about his reputation he cares little about his wife's feelings and fails to notice many of her needs. The popular impression of man is discarded in favor of a more realistic view, thus illustrating society's distorted views. Ibsen, through this controversial play, has an impact upon society's view of the subordinate position of women. By describing this role of woman, discussing its effects, and predicting a change in contemporary views, he stressed the importance of woman's realization of this believed inferiority. Woman should no longer be seen as the shadow of man, but a person in herself, with her own triumphs and tragedies. The exploration of Nora reveals that she is dependant upon her husband and displays no independent standing. Her progression of understanding suggests woman's future ability to comprehend their plight. Her state of shocked awareness at the end of the play is representative of the awakening of society to the changing view of the role of woman. "A Doll's House" magnificently illustrates the need f...
Throughout her life Nora had spent her time pleasing the men around her, first her father and then Torvald. As the reality erupted that her marriage to Torvald was loveless and not salvageable, she ignored Torvald's demand that she not leave him. He even made attempts to sway her decision by insinuating they could go on in the house as brother and sister. Her need to be a valued human in society had prevailed over the dependent, frail, creature that once belonged to Torvald. She set out to find her independence in spite of the limitations that society had placed on women. Her displeasure had burned a path beyond her little, secure world and the burden of being a plaything was lifted.
But in the first act Nora shows that she isn’t unaware of her true personality and what was going on at the time. Nora has been defying Torvald in very small ways like when she was eating the macaroons and lying about it. But as the story goes on and all of the drama that goes on through Nora’s life, she starts to realize that the truth makes life easier, but also escalates situations which resulted in her walking out on her family to find her independence as a person in society, and to find out if she can make it in the real world on her own.
Whereas for Nora is trapped in her own predicament and circumstances. She has no power or equality in society, or even in her own marriage and household. She has a financial obligation, the back loan she did behind her husband’s back. To obtain the loan she had forged her father’s signature on the IOU. Nora claims that she can’t claim her own life or live her own life so long as she remains married to her husband. She goes on to say how she feels all her life she’s been played with like a
Unwilling to accept her supposed role in society, Nora wanted to figure out whether women should live under the guidance of men or if they should make decisions based on their own knowledge. Nora could not tolerate abiding by the rules of her male-dominated society. It took much fortitude for Nora to rebel against the views of the majority of people, and to reflect on the information she got herself instead of letting it be determined by another.
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
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
During this time period, there was the stereotypical opinion that women should only be homemakers because they do not have the intellectual capacity to do anything more. The struggle for dominance between Torvald and Krogstad also brings to light Nora’s venture to have purpose. Ibsen uses her to comment on society’s gender roles. For the majority of the play, Nora plays her part as the ideal wife well. However, at times she portrays herself as being more than just a trophy wife. Her conflict with Krogstad reveals how innovative and unselfish she actually is. For instance, she does not spend all the allowance money Torvald gives her. In addition to saving a little of her allowance, she also does odd jobs to earn money. She does all of this in secret to pay off the loan to Krogstad. At first, Nora gives off the impression that she is a “spendthrift” and an airhead, but she proves herself to be a woman of perseverance and determination. The men’s struggle for dominance also reveals her marriage’s flaw. Torvald treats her like a doll he needs to take care of and show off to others. He underestimates her ability, similar to how society doubts that women can do more than just sit still and look pretty. His condescending demeanor towards her ultimately allows her to realize that she needs to leave him in order to be truly independent and live up to her potential. Like all women in society eventually realize,
Throughout Nora’s life, she has been mistreated and viewed as a doll not as a human. “Nora’s father, it transpires, an irresponsible spendthrift, brought her up with no sense of social obligations or serious thought for the morrow, while her husband, finding her a delightful companion like this, did nothing to repair the omission and treated her with a playfulness of a teen not a mother.” (Beerbohm147) As a result, Nora realizes that she has been mistreated and treated unfairly. “Nora, however, protests that she has been treated unfairly in being denied the opportunity to participate in her marriage and in society as an informed adult.” (Gosse219) Torvald and Nora’s father both viewed Nora as if she could not make decisions on her own. “The transformation from her carefree days as a girl to marriage meant no more to her than a change from a small doll’s house to a larger one.” (Salome226) In the play A Doll’s House, Nora is not oblivious to her mistreatment; she soon becomes very much aware of it. Nora states, “I was simply your little songbird, your doll […]” (Ibsen230) Nora has never been taken seriously; not by her father and now not by her husband. They do not take her thoughts or her comments in to any considerations what so...
Nora 's character is a little bit complicated. she is a representative of women in her time and shows how women were thought to be a content with the luxuries of modern society without worrying about men 's outside world. However, Nora proves that this idea is entirely wrong. Nora is not a spendthrift as all people think specially her husband. on the contrary, she has a business awareness and she is mature
A Doll’s House illustrates two types of women. Christine is without a husband and independent at the start of the play whereas Nora is married to Torvald and dependent on him and his position at the bank. Both begin at different ends of the spectrum. In the course of the play their paths cross and by the end of the play each woman is where the other started. It appears that a woman has two choices in society; to be married and dependent on a man or unmarried and struggle in the world because she does not have a man.
...dlike mentality and needs to grow before she can raise her own children. Her defiance of Torvald, when he refuses to let her leave, reflects her epiphany that she isn't obligated to let Torvald dictate her actions. The height of Nora's realization comes when she tells Torvald that her duty to herself is as strong as her duty as a wife and mother. She now sees that she is a human being before she is a wife and mother and she owes herself to explore her personality, ambitions, and beliefs.
Many women in modern society make life altering decisions on a daily basis. Women today have prestigious and powerful careers unlike in earlier eras. It is more common for women to be full time employees than homemakers. In 1879, when Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll's House, there was great controversy over the out come of the play. Nora’s walking out on her husband and children was appalling to many audiences centuries ago. Divorce was unspoken, and a very uncommon occurrence. As years go by, society’s opinions on family situations change. No longer do women have a “housewife” reputation to live by and there are all types of family situations. After many years of emotional neglect, and overwhelming control, Nora finds herself leaving her family. Today, it could be said that Nora’s decision is very rational and well overdue.