A Doll’s House and The Cherry Orchard

Nora is introduced as a housewife who believes the true meaning of marriage revolving around obedience. She demonstrates the true definition of a respectful daughter, a faithful and obedient wife, and a dependable mother. It wasn’t unusual for Torvald to throw his weight around towards Nora. He attempts to limit her macaroon intake “Hasn’t nibbled some pastry,” (Ibsen 788) she replies, “You know I could never think of going against you” (Ibsen 788). In the eyes of Nora, he is considered a confident, powerful, and successful businessman since he is receiving a promotion as a bank manager after the New Year. Torvald’s sense of marriage can be summed up that he is the king of the castle “This is the way it should be my darling Nora. What-ever comes, you’ll see: when it really counts, I have strength and courage enough as a man to take the whole weight myself” (Ibsen 814). Torvald’s view is she is just a “doll” in his doll house. To him, it was important to stress there was no such thing as equality in their partnership, he

Henrik Ibsen uses several different stylistic devices in A Doll’s House. The author’s choice of writing this piece as a play is to emphasize interactions between various

Torvald would never have thought she were capable of it, since during that era it was unrealistic of women to leave their houses but rather put up with the difficulties they faced. Ibsen highlights society's domineering outlooks of marriage and the interactions of two people naïvely pretending to be in love. Throughout the play Ibsen reveals the fragile attributes of his characters to help enhance the play-like nature of their relationship, the role of women, and Nora's course of self-discovery.

Torvald was ill and the only thing that could save him would be time spent away from the cold. Nora never tells Torvald about this loan because he doesn’t believe in borrowing. Toward the end of the play when Torvald finds out about the loan, his true colors come out and Nora finally gets to see what her husband is really like. This is what really causes Nora to leave her family and to try to find who she really is. This situation also causes Torvald to change a little as well. Near the end when Torvald finds out about the loan, he gets angry with Nora. Once he learns that she is going to leave him and the children, he begins to change his ways a little and starts treating her with a little more respect. He hopes this will make Nora stay, but she already has her mind set and finally has control for once in her life.

Nora begins to take offence to the words of Torvald. He refers to her as his most “prized possession”, and continues to say that he often imagines her as though she is his mistress, and she is a temptress. Nora continues to get offended, telling Torvald she doesn’t want any of this. Nora begins

ruined my whole future.?(Ibsen 916). Torvald has no compassion for her. He does not care that she took out the loan to save his life. Torvald just wants to order Nora around. His love is not true, but it is an angry petty obsession.

The character of Nora goes through the dramatic transformation of a kind and loving housewife, to a desperate and bewildered woman, whom will ultimately leave her husband and everything she has known. Ibsen uses both the characters of Torvald and Nora to represent the tones and beliefs of 19th century society. By doing this, Ibsen effectively creates a dramatic argument that continues to this day; that of feminism.

People bring their downfalls upon themselves. Do certain habitually practice leave them wondering what wrong they did? Torvald from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Madame Ranevsky from Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard are left to start afresh at the end of the plays after they neglected a key element in their lives. Torvald toys with Nora, his wife, fulfilling only his wants and only his needs and abases her; never considering her his equal. The fallacious choice Madame Ranevsky makes concerning her home and family leads them to destitution and separation. Ibsen shows Torvald as being an egotistical man who decides to mend his ways after his neglected wife leaves him while Chekhov shows Madame Ranevsky neglect as never effecting

A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen is the story of one woman’s struggle to free herself

Ibsen reveals that despite her interactions with her husband, Helmer is well indebted to the actions of his wife, who unbeknown to him, are responsible for saving his life. Nora is elated at the fact that she is able to finally disclose her secret to someone, she then proceeds to declare that she has no need to reveal this to her husband as Torvald is already so devoted and so smitten by her current beauty. It is Nora’s false belief in the power she has over her husband, that when it is shown to be misplaced, she reaches the extreme of deciding to leave for ever. The theme of power and control in the text is not merely demonstrated by one character over another, but also by society over the actions of Krogstad and Torvald in particular.

Ibsen uses Torvald’s study to symbolize male dominance and superiority in order to connect to the theme of social oppression towards women. The first scene develops this symbol through Nora and Torvald conversation in the study. Nora enters his study to ask for spending money, but she must perform childish tricks as payment.

Last of all, Ibsen shows women’s desire from Nora. At first, she seemed completely happy. But as the story reaches climax, the relationship between Nora and Krogstad revealed and Torvald finds about all the things Nora lied to him. During this phase, Nora hoped and Mrs. Linde also hoped for a miracle to happen but it didn’t. To state it correctly, the miracle didn’t happen in the right time. When Torvald started to understand her and tries to take her in again, her true self awakens. In the last part of Act III, Nora says to Torvald, “You and I both would have to transform ourselves to the point that— Oh, Torvald, I’ve stopped believing in miracle,” (Page 1079) After she awakens to her true self, she finds her real desire and what her real self will do. She decides to leave Torvald and her children.

In “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen was created during 1800s time period. This play helps shine a light on the gender roles of the 1800s while also creating a twist that was uncommon for this period. During this time period, women were left home to oversee the domestic duties, while men went to commuted to work (Hughes). Men were seen as physically superior but morally inferior to women; which is also portrayed within this book (Hughes). This play marks the beginning of Henrik Ibsen’s realist period, which he explored the ordinary lives of small-town people (Kirszner and Mandell 881). This “modern tragedy” helped make Ibsen famous internationally because of the real-life story it captured (Kirszner and Mandell 882). Henrik Ibsen uses an array of literary devices to help keep the reader captivated from beginning to end. Three of the most prominent literary devices used by Henrik Ibsen are symbolism, foreshadowing, and an array of themes. These literary devices help transform a basic play into a complex story of lies and deception.

“I’ve been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa’a doll-child” (Ibsen 1491). Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House tells a story of scandal and deceit set in the Victorian era. Nora Helmer is married to Torvald Helmer and she feels more like his toy than his wife. Nora had to have Torvald to be able to do anything, because of when she lived. Nora borrows money behind her husband’s back (which is illegal at this time) and tries to cover up everything she has done. Ibsen employs the use of many themes and symbols in his A Doll House to show the reader just how Nora was a doll-child who evolved into a doll-wife.

This quote helps Ibsen make statement that women need to be mature and independent before having a family of their own. Nora, ultimately, ends up packing her bags and leaving her loved ones behind to become her own independent woman. Nora states, “ I can no longer content myself with what people say, or with what is found in books. I must think over things for myself and get to understand them”(885). Nora leaving her family to start this process of maturing and gain independence begins to take hold. At the end of the play Ibsen again emphasizes that Nora as she is now she is not the wife for Torvald or a mother to her children (Ibsen 887). She says, “ Good-bye, Torvald. I won’t see the little ones. I know they are in better hands than mine. As I am now, I can be no use to them” (Ibsen 887). This, once again, a statement that women need to mature and be independent before they are ready for a family of their own. Nora is a prime example of this as she leaves her husband and children behind to begin this process.