Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's House

Societal appearance and acceptance is an utmost characteristic an average individual tends to underestimate. It may seem as if individual morals go against the social appearance, but in value, individuals perceive a need for an appearance to convey a sense of belonging. Within two diverse yet similarly realist drama's, A Doll’s House and Death of a Salesman societal appearance’s stands above all else. Henrick Ibsen's A Doll's House embarks on the gender fitting and domesticity of the Victorian Era at its worse as Nora Helmer's unrealistic marriage falls within her grasps, leading to rebellion. Arthur Miller, on the other hand, sets forth the "tragedy of the common man" through the tragic hero of Willy Loman and the “American Dream” in

A Doll’s House, or Et Dukkehjem in Norwegian, is playwright Henrik Ibsen’s most widely recognized work to this day. Written in 1879, Ibsen tells the story of a modern drama based off the events happening to a fellow writer, Laura Kieler. As such, the Victorian era and audience being written to are familiar with the separation between men and women. However, this separation is welcomed, even applauded. In Henrik Ibsen’s notes for the contemporary tragedy, he remarks: “A woman cannot be herself in present-day society, which is an exclusively male society with laws written by men, and with prosecutors and judges who judge female behavior from the male point of view.” Thus, A Doll’s House embodies the theme of subjective morality, and calls

Readers of Henrik Ibsen work will notice he tends to incorporate everyday problems into his work. Ibsen use of everyday problem gives audience better insight to better relate to his plays, and reflect upon their own situations which would also make his plays believable. Ibsen would make his endings occasionally open-ended. Ibsen would do this, so audience members could think for themselves. It would be up to the crowd’s own interpretation on how the characters would continue life. In The English Review article “A New World for Women” writer Stephanie Forward claims “Henrik Ibsen’s Plays were staged as part of a privately subsidized feminist experimental project”. Which brings the topic of Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House”. Ibsen’s stage

Kindness should be shown to everyone. Whether this kindness is shown towards a close family member or towards a dislikable classmate, the act of showing kindness allows for happiness to be created among individuals for a more preferable environment. Although this act of kindness can also result in hindering someone’s future as it can shroud the truth in a fog of kindness. Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” shows that when an individual experiences a lack of kindness, it gives the individual the clarity necessary to determine their own destiny.

Henrick Ibsen 's A Doll House chronicles the difficulties of Nora Helmer, a housewife who is hiding a secret from her overbearing husband. In an effort to save her ailing husband 's life, Nora illegally took out a loan by forging her father 's signature on a contract. Nora kept this secret to herself for years and the only other person who knew of the scheme was the man who helped Nora obtain the loan: Nils Krogstad. The trouble for Nora began when Krogstad blackmailed her with this information in the hope of preventing Nora 's husband, who is also Krogstad 's boss, from firing him. Isn 't a man who would instill this type of burden on another person 's life a morally reprehensible human being? In reality, things are not as clear cut,

Life is a play, everyone is a character playing a part putting on different masks so no one knows the true person inside. Dominated women are more likely to wear a mask in order to hide the horrible reality of a dark, oppressive world in which they live. This allows the women to maintain what little self-esteem they have left, while at the same time they are screaming on the inside yearning for freedom. A prime example of such a woman would be, Nora Helmer, in Henrik Ibsen’s play, “A Doll House,” she wears the mask of a submissive, loving, housewife but in reality she only wishes for freedom and independence. Her husband, Torvald is not an abusive man, although, he is controlling and treats her as a child, instead of an equal partner in the marriage. Throughout the play, Nora with the aid of Kristine and Dr. Rank, progresses into a more prevailing role which leads to her ultimate freedom when she leaves her husband and family. Henrik Ibsen created a very complex character with Nora Helmer, in one instance she is a loving, submissive housewife and the other she is a manipulative, dishonest person, where Torvald is controlling, but at the same time, devoted to his family and loves his wife dearly.

In most works of literature, we discover a character that is in a deep state of sleep, not actually asleep but more in a sense of having a naïve sort of life. Characters such as these have no worries, no pestering thoughts; they are truly at rest. But what happens when these character awaken? What makes that sudden impact? Of course, no one simply blinks his or her eyes just to find himself or herself in a higher state of awareness or consciousness. Something has to happen, but what? In Henrik Ibsen play A Doll House that character is Nora Helmer, but surely she didn’t reach a true sense of awakening without the help of her companions Christine, Dr. Rank, and Krogstad.

In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House, Nora transforms from a standard housewife of society to a woman seeking independence. The expectations that society has confine Nora to a strict life in her marriage as she tries to fulfil the roles of mother and wife. Nora discovers that to find her identity, she has to break out of society’s expectations and leave her family behind to start anew. Society standards influence the way people live their lives even in something as personal as marriage and can strip away their sense of identity.

In today’s society, people tend to act as someone they aren’t rather than whom they truly are, a lot like the characters in A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. By understanding everyone’s individuality, communication among others will grow stronger and build greater relationships based on truth. If people actually accepted themselves for who they are as well as others, communication would cease to be a circus production with each person in their specified roles. Yet, this includes the acceptance from society as well rather than the promotion of clichés and what is viewed as “accepted”.

In a patriarchal marriage the male holds control and power of property, moral authority and, social privilege, over women, at least to a large amount. The husband acts and thinks like their wife’s father. This makes the woman attracted to the man. As weird as it may seem, male have always been dominant of women. Women were not able to vote or own property for many years. In some places they had a limit of how many children they could have. It wasn’t until August 1920, that the 19th amendment was added to the US Constitution, allowing women to finally vote. In 1879, Henrik Ibsen wrote the play, “A Doll’s House” and it shows us the way marriage functions during this time, in a patriarchal society. The way the Helmer’s spoke to one another, shows us that their marriage was patriarchal and Nora had no power over anything at all.

By exemplifying the oppressive situation and diminished value of women in the 1800s of Victorian society in the captivating play A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen portrays the life of a woman, whose entire existence is a build of societal guidelines, coming to the realization that her life is a pretense, propelling her into rebellion. Nora, a defiant wife, mother, and daughter of Victorian society, who is reduced to a mere plaything, struggles against the unjust constraints of social conformity, ultimately rejecting her oppressive marriage and life, freeing herself from the norms of society. Throughout the play, Nora rebels against the inequitable constraints of society and her oppressive husband in symbolic ways including, the things she says, her neurotic habits of behavior,

“A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen, was written in such a period of time when women were struggling in search for their identity. His play reflects the position of women in society during the 19th Century, the way they were portrayed, and his belief that women should be given the right to build up their own individuality. Moreover, in this play, men are apparently in the overwhelming position where they are seen to exhibit power in controlling women so that their own identity and societal position may be held, and recognized by the general public. Nora Helmer is the main character in the play who takes on the role of a victim. By employing ideas from sociologists and psychologists, Nora’s struggle for identity, how other’s attitude towards her motivates and drives her to gradually develop her own sense of self can be more fully understood.

The Role of Symbolism in Nora’s Transformation from Repression to Liberation in A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsens’s, A Doll House, details the lives of the Helmers, a seemingly perfect couple. As the story progresses from act to act, it becomes quite obvious that their relationship is everything but perfect. Complications arise quickly when a forged loan by Nora Helmer is brought to her husband Torvald’s attention. The prejudices women experience, particularly, Nora is a definite tone in this play. Henrick Ibsen does a great job at showing both sides of the oppression of women, particularly within the Helmers troubled marriage. Throughout the story the blatant oppression of women can be directly related to why, Nora, simply writing her signature on a document, could cause such a terrible chain of events. Could the time period be the only cause of this oppression? Maybe society is the true nature of this prejudice against women? The possibility of both is great, Ibsen is also very set on exposing and detailing the hardships women of this time experienced.

When pondering the context of the genre tragedy it is common to think of Shakespeare and the stories of love, betrayal, and death which are so commonly portrayed in his work. The play a “A Doll 's House” by Henrik Ibsen is not much different than the classics as it exemplifies the loss and anguish endured while pursuing a principal. The play is a modern tragedy following the painful path of Nora 's self discovery, which comes at the cost of questioning societal norms and family roles. Her tragic plight is masked by the comedic, fun loving behavior she exhibits as a mother,wife, and friend, however, the frustration she feels as an individual grasping for personal knowledge, wins the battle of her consciousness and leads to the somber conclusion of the play: Nora leaves her family.