ipl-logo

Reader Response Theory In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

831 Words4 Pages

The times that we live in heavily influence our understanding of people and the literary characters we get to know of. The Reader Response theory revolves around the central idea that the context any reader resides in, influences the reader 's understanding of and the response to characters. This is the case in 'A Doll 's House ' by Henrik Ibsen too, where, Torvald Helmer, the protagonist 's husband evokes different responses by different readers of the play. While a Victorian Era reader will sympathize with the character of Helmer as he holds a his "dignity" above all, even the woman he "loves", the modern reader of the 21st century is outraged by Helmer 's blatantly sexist remarks about a woman 's "duty." The readers ' receptions of Helmer 's character varies greatly due to the different values they believe in and their social context. Ibsen 's characterization of Helmer highlight …show more content…

The denouement of the play is received differently by both the readers. In act 3, when Nora intrepidly questions Helmer 's perception of her "most sacred duty" towards her "husband and children", she questions the Victorian era reader 's ideals and beliefs as well which leaves the reader infuriated. Moreover, Nora is thought of as unhinged when she "slams" the door, in hopes of transforming from Helmer 's "little songbird" into a "woman." This is not the case with the modern reader who is relieved by Nora 's epiphany as she begins "to realize everything", including the need to become "independent." The modern reader, on the time spectrum, has had the chance to discuss the sexism that prevails in society and the need for feminism; Nora 's courage in going against the pillars of the Victorian era is something the modern reader finds commendable and aspiring. If the play had been performed today, the modern reader would be the one to stand up and whistle during the scene of the slamming of the door, while the Victorian reader 's face would turn pale with shock at Nora

Show More
Related
2342 Words | 10 Pages

Unlike the previous plays witnessed, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife is a play that deliberately tries to alienate the audience throughout the play. It almost would seem as if the play is trying to reference a greater topic or idea, something that the audience is not inherently aware of. The play as a whole invokes an estranged feeling, one that indicates that there is always something missing from the play that would give the audience clarity on what is currently occurring. This contrasts with the mainstream aspects of the play, such as the allusions to modern society or the mentions of modern inventions and phenomenon grounded in the today’s realities. Despite these apparent contrasts, the audience in due time comprehends what was revealed, to be parted with a lingering question on what they truthfully lack or desire in their life.

Read More
1312 Words | 6 Pages

In the play Les Belles Soeurs written by Michael Tremblay, which takes place in Montreal, Quebec during the 1960s, the generation gap causes tension between the younger generation and the older generation. The younger generation goes against traditional values which causes the women to have very different opinions on many aspects in the play. There is constant tension between the women in the play as they all hold different values on a societal and religious level. This is portrayed throughout the play through gender norms, prestige and social status, and the Catholic religion. `

Read More
558 Words | 3 Pages

However both woman had endured abuse and are victims of a male dominated society. Nora the wife of a banker and a mother of three children seem to have it all. Her family lives in a fancy well-furnished home and they seems to well of financially, and her husband loved her very much. However the reader soon find out that he is an egotistical controlling man that sees Nora as an absent minds child.

Read More
1409 Words | 6 Pages

Most critics around the world believe the play led to increase awareness on the need for women’s rights in all continents, on the other hand some critics opine that the play depicted women as inferior creatures and dolls who have no personality of their own. Nora Helmer the main character strives to achieve the perfect concepts of life set by the society and her husband. Nora is trapped in her home where her Torvald has built a wonderful life for his ‘doll wife’. Nora’s transformation comes when she discovers the role in doll house imposed on her by the society and her husband and she is desperate to free herself in order to discover her identity.

Read More
1136 Words | 5 Pages

Nora on the surface seems to be the epitome of a 19th-century wife, but the audience quickly realizes that she defies gender expectations with the forged loan and eventually with her separation from Helmer. Helmer not only fits perfectly into his masculine role but blindly

Read More
859 Words | 4 Pages

Reading response:Extended text: fiction Lord of the flies The book is about a plane crashes causing the only survivors and a group of schoolboys without adult supervision, trapped on a desert island waiting for rescue. Initially, when I read the beginning of the story, the boys have elected Ralph to be the leader and settled some rules to maintain order in the island. At first, I thought this is a children's adventure story where the children had get along and rescued by their teamwork and it ends up happily. In fact, after reading more the middle part of the book, the positive picture of my images had been smashed up, problems getting more and more.

Read More
1238 Words | 5 Pages

A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, it’s a theatrical play that is full of elements related to the aspect of the “typical ideal family household” and the gender’s role. In order to maintain the structure of the play and also the literature composition, the author utilize specific details to enhance and sustain essentials points of the literature. In order to obtain and develop a complete or comprehensive literature analysis of Ibsen’s A Doll House, I made a research to assist what I thought about was Ibsen’s point of view with the theatrical play. The story began with a family portrait during Christmas festivities.

Read More
720 Words | 3 Pages

The roles of men and women are habitually pondered by those in a society; however, to what degree are we to differentiate the roles in which a man and a woman can provide for not only their families, but rather his or her individual selves as well? During the time of the 1800s, women were seen as second-class citizens compared to the “superior” men. In opposition, women began to protest for their rights to break away from social norms. In 1879, a Norwegian playwright named Henrik Ibsen published his most controversial play A Doll's House to display such opposition in the society. Moreover, this play is primarily contentious in the way Ibsen perceives his characters in inhabiting what a man or woman is to be expected to be in their prejudice

Read More
1396 Words | 6 Pages

Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve girl, yet as the play unfolds, we see her as strong, independent woman, willing to make sacrifices for those who she cares about as well as herself. Henrik Ibsen uses symbolism in order to portray Nora’s sovereignty from the strict social guidelines of morality and appearances in 19th century Norway. The Helmer household is portrayed as the ideal and typical family in 19th century Norway. The Helmer’s home represents the standard middle class home, which is described in the stage directions as a “comfortable and tastefully, but not expensively furnished home.”

Read More
614 Words | 3 Pages

The two women further differ in their view of the men in their life. The actions of these two women bring their similarities and differences out for the audience to see. Nora and Kristine are very independent for women in the 1800’s. Kristine is a widow of three years, and has yet to remarry. She touches on this in Act I, while speaking to Nora about being a widow.

Read More
828 Words | 4 Pages

First, Nora is treated like a child by her husband Torvald. Torvald had nicknames for Nora like squirrel or skylark that was often accompanied by demenors like sweet or little. At the end of the play, Nora tells her husband that he treated her like a weak, fragile doll just like her father. Nora’s feelings about Torvald’s attitude is evident in the quote from Nora and Torvald’s conversation ”I was your little songbird just as before- your doll whom henceforth you would take particular care to protect from the world because she was so weak and fragile. ”(Pg.

Read More
759 Words | 4 Pages

Her existential choice seems to be forced upon her by society, but in adopting her husband‘s and society’s language, so often used to contain in control women, she now speaks of her duties towards herself, even sacred ones. In a radical refusal to stick to inherited notions of women’s role in family and society, Nora rejects the other identities available to her, both as a doll and as self-sacrificing wife and mother, and of her husband’s pet names for

Read More
1567 Words | 7 Pages

In 1880s, women in America were trapped by their family because of the culture that they were living in. They loved their family and husband, but meanwhile, they had hard time suffering in same patterns that women in United States always had. With their limited rights, women hoped liberation from their family because they were entirely complaisant to their husband. Therefore, women were in conflicting directions by two compelling forces, their responsibility and pressure. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen uses metaphors of a doll’s house and irony conversation between Nora and Torvald to emphasize reality versus appearance in order to convey that the Victorian Era women were discriminated because of gender and forced to make irrational decision by inequity society.

Read More
1384 Words | 6 Pages

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a play set in 19th century Norway, when women’s rights were restricted and social appearance was more important than equality and true identity. In A Doll’s House, Nora represents 19th century women entrapped by society to fulfill wifely and motherly obligations, unable to articulate or express their own feelings and desires. Ibsen uses Nora’s characterization, developed through her interactions with others as well as her personal deliberations and independent actions, language and structure in order to portray Nora’s movement from dependence to independence, gaining sovereignty from the control of her selfish husband, deceitful marriage and the strict social guidelines of morality in 19th century Norway. Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve, and childlike character; yet, as the play unfolds, she appears to be a strong, independent woman who is willing to make sacrifices for those she cares about as well as herself.

Read More
958 Words | 4 Pages

Ibsen’s play A Doll 's House, written in 1879, examines the importance of social class and the expectations that follow. A Doll’s House tells the story of married couple, Torvald and Nora Helmer who strive to fulfill social expectation. However, the ending is known to be a shock for some, as roles reverse and Nora comes to realize that she has been mistreated like a doll throughout the whole marriage. Throughout A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, doll 's and the dolls house are symbolic of how Nora is a submissive wife controlled and dominated by Torvald, and both are repressed by societal standards.

Read More

More about Reader Response Theory In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

Related Topics

Open Document