ipl-logo

A Doll's House Identity

741 Words3 Pages

One of the biggest challenges we face is trying to determine our identity, both now and in the future. Now, we all may not find ourselves at such a young age, but as we mature and develop we each find our niche. A selfish lifestyle is something that falls into the category of finding ourselves and determining our identity. It can manifest itself into many different aspects that can overtake a person’s entire being. In “A Doll’s House”, by Henrik Ibsen, the character who bests represents this lifestyle is Torvald. Readers can see Torvald display his arrogance in the interactions with his wife, his friendships and even in his own life. To help move along this discussion, a brief summary of this play may help. “A Doll’s House” is about a woman …show more content…

The relationship Torvald has with his wife Nora was by no means a perfect one, as no relationship is. The way he talked to her was in such a belittling manner. He spoke this way towards her because he wanted to prove to everyone and himself that he is the man and he is in control of his relationship. During the late 19th century, it was normal to have a man speaking down to his wife. When he and his wife would get into a scuffle or even full blown arguments he was always worried about himself and how the outcome of her actions were going to affect him. It is evident that, the relationship that he has with his friend Dr. Rank seemed to be unreal. He used Dr. Rank to make himself look better. He took advantage of Dr. Rank to show himself what he has and that it is better than what Dr. Rank has. Although, Dr. Rank kept Nora company when Torvald was working all the time, Torvald didn’t think anything of it. In the end Torvald ends up falling in love with Nora, which could have potentially ruined everything Nora had worked so long for with Torvald. Torvald calls Dr. Rank a black cloud because he presents nothing better than what Torvald

Show More
Related

What Is A Literary Argument For A Doll's House

1319 Words | 6 Pages

Literary Argument Paper A Doll House is an 1879 play written by Henrik Ibsen that observes a few evenings within the household of Torvald and Nora Helmer. In A Doll House many different themes of traditional gender roles and marriage are explored throughout the play. Questions are raised on if the ways the events unfold are acceptable. At the end of A Doll House the main character Nora leaves her husband Torvald due to her realization that they are not in love and that she has been living with a stranger all these years.

Read More

A Doll's House Breaking Free Analysis

1418 Words | 6 Pages

After eight years of marriage, what allows Nora to see that she must break free from the “Doll’s House”? “A Doll’s House” is a play written by Henrik Ibsen, set in late nineteenth century where women were expected to uphold social norms of being a submissive wife and a caring mother. In the beginning of the play, Nora is initially portrayed as a naive and obedient “doll” trapped inside of a “Doll’s House”, but towards the end of the play, Nora is able to come to the realisation that she was never happy during her eight years of marriage with Torvald, leading to her leaving Torvald and breaking free from the “Doll’s House”. This essay will explore the different factors which allows Nora to see why she must break free.

Read More

A Doll's House Analytical Essay

1136 Words | 5 Pages

Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen was highly criticized for undeniably demonstrating woman’s issues in the 19th century. While the play doesn’t change setting much at all, Ibsen clearly focuses in on the characterization of three insightful characters: Mrs. Linde, Nora, and Helmer. Mrs. Linde is a minor character; however, that doesn’t alter her effect on the play. She provides the mold for the perfect, idealized wife. Nora, the main character, develops rapidly in the play, and her character is a stark contrast to Mrs. Linde.

Read More

Analysis Of Torvald In A Doll's House

1029 Words | 5 Pages

(Page 2). He spoke to Nora as if he were speaking to a child, not his wife; there was no sense of love between the two characters in their initial introduction to the audience. Personally, I can’t connect to his character but there are some characters in books or that I have actually met that have some of Torvald’s characteristics.

Read More

A Doll's House Gender Roles

1160 Words | 5 Pages

Because of its gaining popularity, women's rights, and in general gender roles, were noticed as a large portion of the issues of society. Consequently, by critiquing gender roles, one finds the faults in society as a whole. In his play, “A Doll’s

Read More

Nora In A Doll's House

1436 Words | 6 Pages

Nora can easily be described as childish and immature through the way she handles adult situations, interacts with her husband, and the way she acts as a selfish mother and wife. One may say that Nora is not childish, but afraid to stick up for herself. Torvald and Nora’s relationship

Read More

Dr Rank In A Doll's House

833 Words | 4 Pages

Dr. Rank is the only person Nora opens up with, “When I sit here together with you like this, completely at ease and open” (Ibsen 908). So perhaps he was wrong to keep such a thing from his friends, but then again perhaps he was more right for Nora than Torvald ever

Read More

A Doll's House Play Analysis

1229 Words | 5 Pages

He rather expects her to be more compliant, loyal and wants her to follow the social and moral rules strictly, like he does. Torvald’s assertion that Nora’s lack of understanding of money matters is the result of her gender (“Nora, my Nora, that is just like a woman”) reveals his prejudiced viewpoint on gender roles. Torvald believes a wife’s role is to beautify the home, not only through proper management of domestic life but also through proper behavior and appearance. He quickly makes it known that appearances are very important to him, and that Nora is like an ornament or trophy that serves to beautify his home and his reputation. He tells Nora that he loves her so much that he has wished in the past that Nora’s life were threatened so that he could risk everything to save her.

Read More

Nora As A Passive Character In A Doll's House

1532 Words | 7 Pages

However, we now see Nora showing a more adult attitude by stating “I’m a human being” in order to get across the fact that she wants to be treated as an equal and that she is done being an object and in particular a doll. Towards the end of the play we see another sense of irony which is the fact that once Nora brings out her true self and sits Torvald down to tell him the truth, he is completely new to this side of Nora and as a result is shocked. However, with Torvald still wearing his costume from the party, this is a reprsentation of the artificial world he lives in whereby `Nora is his doll, but by confronting him, he realizes that she is not the Nora he thought she was, making him realise that his world is a facade, and that just like Nora, he too, is nothing more than a doll in a pretend

Read More

What Is Patriarchal Symbolism In A Doll's House

1464 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout A Doll’s House, Henrick Ibsen gives emphasis to male-controlled symbolism in order to emphasize the standard family structure of the late nineteenth-century. Torvald, the central male character, perfectly depicts the typical male dominance through his actions of control and dominance in the relationship with Nora Helmer. The names he gives her throughout the play: skylark, little squirrel, little spendthrift, etc. shows his looking down to Nora. He gives her no respect and like all typical marriages in nineteenth-century Denmark, he gives Nora no means to have any control in the marriage. The title A Doll’s House in itself generates the whole definition of the play, giving symbolism to Nora and how she is “trapped” in her own home and being ordered by Torvald in everything she says and does.

Read More

A Doll's House Symbolism Analysis

1329 Words | 6 Pages

NORA. No, Torvald, indeed, indeed!”(Ibsen 3). This quote displays how Nora was literally pleading to Torvald that she wasn’t eating the forbidden fruit (the macarons) because she feared getting into a sort of trouble with Torvald, further intensifying the parent and child aspect. Taking the play’s title into perspective: “A Doll’s House” literally, and perfectly describes Nora’s life which is basically a doll’s house. Nora is living under Torvald’s roof and everything she does is decided and controlled by him.

Read More

Metaphors In A Doll's House

1207 Words | 5 Pages

A Doll’s House written by the famous playwright Henrik Ibsen, tells the story of a failing marriage and a woman’s realisation to her role in society. Despite the play being written in a realistic fashion, Ibsen chose to incorporate both metaphors and symbolisms within the play, with symbolisms illustrating the inner conflicts of the main character Nora, and the less prominent metaphors depicting the state in which the characters are in. The use of both symbols and metaphors aide in developing the characters in the play, allowing the audience to further sympathize with the characters created by Henrik Ibsen. What perhaps is the most significant metaphor used throughout the play lies within the title of the play itself, ‘A Doll’s House’. The title introduces the idea that both Nora and Torvald were just in fact dolls in a dollhouse, being played not just by one another, but also by the society of that time.

Read More

Gender Inequality In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

1287 Words | 6 Pages

This play, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, focuses on women, especially in marriage and motherhood. Torvald is a character, who describes inequality between men and women and the women’s role in the society in that era. He believes that it is an important and the only duty of a woman to be a good wife and mother. As an individual, a woman, could not conduct or run a business of her own, she needs to ask her father or husband and they were only considered to be father’s or husband’s property. Women were not allowed to vote and divorce if they were allowed they would carry a heavy social shame and it was only available when both partners agreed.

Read More

Social Class In A Doll's House

958 Words | 4 Pages

Torvald and Nora’s relationship and home can be compared to as a “doll house” because of its perfect characteristics, however it is quite the opposite, with its foundation based on lies and pretend happiness. The stage directions read “A room furnished comfortably and tastefully, but not extravagantly. At the back, a door to the right leads to the entrance-hall, another to the left leads to Helmer’s study. Near the window is a round table, arm-chairs and a small sofa. Engravings on the walls; a cabinet with china and other small objects; a small bookcase with well-bound books” (Ibsen 4).

Read More

A Doll's House As A Tragedy Analysis

1568 Words | 7 Pages

In a sense, the play is a tragedy of the traditional society. It is a tragedy for the society represented by Torvald because that society had been confidently dealing with women in that manner which it regarded as correct and just. Now that a woman has suddenly given it a blow at almost its bases — the religion, traditional values, education, the institution of marriage, and so on — the society is facing a crisis, or a tragedy. If all the women, who are of course treated no better than this, do the same, the whole of the social system would collapse. And the impact would be basically the tragic destruction of the man's basis of happiness.

Read More

More about A Doll's House Identity

Related Topics

Open Document