Figurative Language In A Doll's House

Later, in Act II, Nora tells Torvald that she would "be a wood nymph and dance for you in the moonlight"(Isben). A wood nymph is a beautiful hummingbird that is graceful in flight, much like Nora wants to be for Torvald when she dances. She wants Torvald to be happy with her, because she knows he is going to find out about the note.

Nora starts off the play essentially as Torvalds toy. She is obedient, she is cute, she rarely goes against his wishes, and she is nothing without her “owner”, Torvald. The reader, however, discovers early on that all is not what it seems to be. Nora is actually a very rebellious woman who enjoys going against Torvald’s wishes. There are scenarios where she does this out of the sheer enjoyment she gets. Nora loves macaroons.

Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is a controversial play focusing on the marriage of Nora and Torvald Helmer. The play is filled with symbols that represent abstract ideas and concepts. These symbols effectively illustrate the inner conflicts that are going on between the characters. Henrik Ibsen’s use of symbolism such as the Christmas tree, the locked mailbox, the Tarantella, Dr. Rank’s calling cards, and the letters allows him to give a powerful portrayal to symbolize aspects of characters and their relationship to each other.

Ibsen brings out a Christmas tree in the beginning, “she leaves the door into the hall open behind her, and a PORTER is seen outside, carrying a Christmas-tree,” (Ibsen). It tells us that the play takes in place during Christmas on a cold day. Behind that meaning, it represents how Nora is treated by Torvald. Ibsen assures the readers that a man, Torvald, expects his woman to look fine and representable to the eye of everyone, since the wife represents how the house looks from the inside. Ibsen “was concerned about the so-called weaker sex,” referring to Nora in this situation (Hassan).

The name of the play itself ‘A Doll’s House’ is symbolic in itself. In the Helmer’s household, as it reflects Nora’s position

Henrick Ibsen in the play, “A Doll’s House” implies that deception of marriage derived from secrets can act as a poison that creates isolation and poses as a threat. Ibsen supports his implication by providing examples through figurative language to express the symbolism of the Tarantella dance and its relation to the characters, Nora and Torvald, and their marriage. The author’s purpose is to express Nora’s violent and aggressive movements during the Tarantella dance caused by anxiety and loathe towards Torvald in order to show that the poison has consumed her and she is trying to rid of it.

In “A Doll’s House”, Torvald and Nora each have a unique role in their marriage. Torvald treats Nora as his little doll, or plaything, while Nora treats him as the man of the house who has the authority to do anything he wants. These ideas form because the society within the play does not allow much freedom for women. According to this society and culture, a women’s role is depicted by the man she is with, the female character’s all exemplify Nora’s assertion that women have to sacrifice a lot more than men. In this play, Nora, Mrs. Linde, and the maid all hold sacrificial roles depicted by the society they

In Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”, the Christmas tree is a centrally important stage property used to symbolize Nora’s duplicity, reflect the disintegration of the facade of the perfect marriage as well as the fate of the Helmer family, and mirror Nora’s self-image. The state of the Christmas tree transitions from a plain fir tree at the beginning of Act I, to a decorated Christmas tree towards the end of Act I, then finally to a dishevelled tree at the beginning of Act II. Such transition in its appearance on-stage symbolises significant changes that happens in the Helmer household over the Christmas season. The decoration of the Christmas tree symbolizes Nora’s duplicity as being both a seemingly compliant housewife, and a tactfully manipulative

Nora is a character who undergoes radical change over the course of the play. Initalay introduced to us in Act One as a playful housewife who is faithful and submissive Nora State “I would never dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to.” (Act 1) This shows some of the gender dynamics of marriages in the 19th century and also assists in portraying Nora’s husband Torvalds hold over her independent thought. Torvald calls Nora by pet names his "little squirrel," his "little lark," and, worst of all, a "featherhead," Nora shows no reaction to this behavior (1.5-1.16). Nora seems quite innocent and childlike in her behavior treating this as terms of endearment rather than insulting due his refusal to treat her as an equal. Her husband Torvald chides her for her reckless indulgences with their finances but little does he know she is carrying a secret. There is tension building between Nora and her husband as it comes to head.There is a clear acknowledgment here that both Nora and Helmer have been blinded by their self-theatricalizing fantasies. Without letting Helmer off the hook, Nora acknowledges that she

Written in the late 19th century, Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House addresses flaws within Norwegian society. Ibsen specifically highlights the symbiotic relationship between social oppression and deception. Many groups within the 19th century Norwegian culture felt social oppression, but women were among the most heavily judged. In this time period, it was illegal for a married woman to be employed, so she was forced to the monotony of home making and child bearing. This law has a central role in the play as Nora struggles to break free from her stagnant lifestyle of following social expectations. Like Nora, many people felt obliged to lie and deceive people to seem as though they were following the rules of society. Ibsen’s negative depiction of social oppression and deception throughout different scenarios within the play contribute to the play’s major themes. Ibsen utilizes Torvald’s study, the masquerade ball, and Nora’s dress change to symbolize and develop the overarching themes of social oppression and deception in A Doll’s House.

Macaroons: nora ! Nora! Please don’t leave me and go… why did she leave me half eaten? what is going to happen of me now!! Torvald detests me, he was always against Nora eating me………why did it have to be me?

The famous play written by playwright Henrik Ibsen has been a prodigious success in the history of 19th century. The play describes the daily life of a middle class family, where man dominance is predominant. Thus, the main theme which is brought out in the play is: marriage as an institution.

Ibsen focuses on setting up the unveiling in the final acts, in that we are introduced to the idea that the truth coming to light is inevitable, and may soon have disastrous effects. Nora is depicted as being an extremely manipulative woman in order to get her way, she is quoted on numerous occasions saying things such as; “I’ll do anything to please you Torvald, I’ll sing for you, dance for you,” and she is portrayed as an uninformed and naïve young lady. The tricks Nora is willing to perform in order to satisfy her husband provide the foundation for the idea that the two are really living an idealistic lifestyle at all, and are really caught up in a web of lies and deception. Ibsen uses a variety of techniques to portray how disguised and fake the marriage is; such as the Christmas tree which is decorated and set up, and the significance given to the clothing of Nora and her Husband. In the case of the Christmas tree, its significance is that it represents exactly what their marriage is. It is covered with decorations, appearing ideal, but has no grounds in the realm of truth. Such is similar in the heavier than normal use of wardrobe throughout the play; when, particularly Nora, is often dressed up attempting to please Torvald, she is merely playing a role. Not only is their relationship riddled with lies, but such lies seem to exist to cover up how little the two truly have in common. While they get along and act

This “doll house” image mainly lies within Nora, the doll of the play. Nora represents the

Ibsen also employs the use of many smaller themes within his play, A Doll House. Respect and reputation, love, lies and deceit, and money are just a few of these smaller themes. Respect and reputation are something that the men of this play are obsessed with. Some of the men have good standing in society and would do anything to keep it. While other men have lost their good name and would go to great lengths to get it back. Even though the play is set in a private home, the reader knows that the public eye is constantly peeking in. Another important theme that Ibsen puts in to this play is love. He uses the