Essay about Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House - 1039 Words

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play about a woman who realizes that she is worth more than she has been given credit. Her whole life she was treated like a little doll; too fragile to do anything serious, too frail to be troubled with real business. She was the wife, mother and homemaker. The only things she was perceived as capable of were running the home, raising the children and looking pretty. This was a common stereotype for women in the 1880’s. Women were treated as possessions, not people. Women had a specific role they had to fill. They had to look just so, act just so, raise the children in a certain way, and keep up the house in a perfect way. Many women tried to fill this position of the â€Å"perfect housewife†.†¦show more content†¦At this time, men were the dominant gender. They provided for the family, made important decisions, and were the head of the household. Women were not allowed to even take out a loan without their husband’s approval. A woman without a man was not a true woman. She was just a poor, lost soul who lacked everything necessary of acquiring a husband. The 1870’s were a time when woman leaving her family was unacceptable. Although more and more women were starting to realize that they had greater worth. â€Å"That I no longer believe. I think that before all else I am a human being, just as much as you are--or, at least, I will try to become one. I know that most people agree with you, Torvald, and that they say so in books. But henceforth I cant be satisfied with what most people say, and what is in books. I must think things out for myself and try to get clear about them. . . . I had been living here these eight years with a strange man, and had borne him three children--Oh! I cant bear to think of it--I could tear myself to pieces!. . . . I cant spend the night in a strange mans house.†(Ibsen 1631) Women could go out and get a job and take care of themselves. It still was not even close to being acceptable to leave your family, but women were starting to want more from life. They realized they didn’t NEED a man to live their life happily. They could provide for themselves just fine, but it was easier to have a man to take care of them. There were some women, likeShow MoreRelatedHenrik Ibsens A Dolls House1489 Words   |  6 Pagesmany other types of literature, drama relies on several separate components all working together to tell a story. These components serve to draw an audience in, create a believable situation, and illicit a particular response. The play â€Å"A Doll’s House† by Henrik Ibsen provides an excellent example for analysis, with each component strongly supported. Often the first, and most obvious, component that can be observed when reading drama is the point of view that it is written from. Point of viewRead MoreHenrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House1433 Words   |  6 Pagesindividual 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 dramas, A Doll’s House and Death of a Salesman societal appearance’s stands above all else. Henrick Ibsens A Dolls House embarks on the gender fitting and domesticity of the Victorian Era at its worse as Nora Helmers unrealistic marriage falls within her grasps, leading to rebellion. Arthur Miller, on the other handRead More Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay1050 Words   |  5 PagesHenrik Ibsens A Dolls House Ibsenss play is a modern tragedy which functions on two levels, questioning the established social order of the day and presenting the death of a marriage. Both these events create a great deal of tension, and combined with the language and actions used by the characters, make the play very intense. The main cause of dramatic tension throughout the play is the way that the difference between the real nature of the characters and the roles they are assignedRead MoreHenrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay example1182 Words   |  5 Pages Phylogeny versus misogyny, arguable one of the greatest binary oppositions in a work of literature, is present in Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 Norwegian play A Doll’s House. The title itself suggests a misogynist view, while the work mainly consists of feminist ideology, as Ibsen was a supporter of the female as an independent, rather than a dependent on a male. Nora knew herself that her husband did not fully respect her, and this became a major conflict in the play as Nora progressively became more self-reliantRead MoreThe Masquerade in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay1015 Words   |  5 Pages   Ã‚   In A Doll House, Ibsen presents us with Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife who have lived together for eight years and still dont know each other. This rift in their relationship, caused in part by Torvalds and Noras societally-induced gender roles and also by the naivete of both parties to the fact that they dont truly love one another, expands to a chasm by the end of the play, ultimately causing Nora to leave Helmer. Throughout most of the play, Ibsen continually has his charactersRead More Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay1067 Words   |  5 Pages Marriage is a forever commitment between two individuals to love one another but marriages dont always have the fairytale happy ending. In Henrik Ibsens play A Doll House, Nora and Torvald Helmer learn some things about their marriage that they had not realized before. Nora Helmer discovers Torvald, herself, her marriage, as well as her own identity as a woman. Nora Helmer, the wife of Torvald Helmer, throughout the whole play has been keeping a secret from her husband. A few yearsRead MoreHenrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay657 Words   |  3 PagesWhat comes to mind when the word morals is said? Whose morals should be followed, individual or group? In A Doll House, Ibsen portrays the protagonist, Nora, to follow the morals of her husband, Torvald. Four key aspects that help Nora decide to change her mind and make a decision to leave Torvald. These include the constant change of nicknames, the questioning of her own independence, the questioning of Torvalds love, and the realization that Torvald loves his reputation more then herself.Read MoreEssay on Themes and Symbols in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House1296 Words   |  6 Pagesdoll-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 feel s 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 howRead More Noras Symbolism in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay973 Words   |  4 PagesNoras Symbolism in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House      Ã‚  Ã‚   In every society power is the bringer of fortune and influence. In his play A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen portrays, through the character of Nora, the power women are gaining in patriarchal societies. Nora, who symbolizes all women, exercises her power throughout the entire play. She cleverly manipulates the men around her while, to them, she seems to be staying in her subordinate role. In all three acts of the play Nora controls manyRead MoreThe Theme of Feminism in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay2521 Words   |  11 Pagesand social dependence, and her dependence through her children. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen argues that a dependent woman will be passive and unwilling to speak her mind. She will not try to understand the abstract reality of life, unless it contain to her lifestyle at home. Instead she will let the title of her marriage suppress her. She will lose sight of finding her own independence and instead become a doll living in a house. Nora, the protagonist of the play has all of these qualities Nora’s