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A Doll's House Analytical Essay

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Everyone tries to be something they are not. People act smart when they really struggle with their math homework. People act confident when they really are insecure about their looks. People will constantly put up appearances; it is human nature to make everything appear better than it truly is. In the play, A Doll's House, the main character, Nora, is able to put up a front to outsiders that she is living the perfect life, however, in reality her life is in turmoil. The title of the play is a perfect representation of the theme of the play itself because, like a dollhouse, the family in the play is not a perfect as they appear. During this time period, the women in society were expected to be doting housewives, fully obedient to their husbands and not …show more content…

She even borrowed money without his permission, a forbidden act during this time period. Nora attempted to make everything look perfect and fake when truly her house was in turmoil and distress. With her husband infirmed and her money supply dwindling, Nora did what she thought she had to do in order to keep her family afloat. This shows that, like a toy dollhouse, Nora attempted to make her house look perfect from the outside, when really the inside was in shambles. 2 In addition to the Helmer's monetary struggles, Nora always tried to make it appear to others that her life was perfect and she had no worries, but in reality Nora and Torvald's relationship was strained. He was constantly putting her down and making her feel like a child. Although the time period suggests that men were superior to women, many husbands of the era still respected their wives' opinions. However, Torvald continuously undermined Nora's intelligence by calling her pet names and sending her off to do heinous chores around the house. The title further shows that appearances do not always reveal what is going on

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