...Compare and contrast how gender roles are presented in The Importance of Being Earnest and a Doll’s House in light of Ibsen’s statement that “there are two kinds of moral laws, two kinds of conscience, one for men and one quite different, for women.” According to Ibsen’s statement, he states that moral laws are divided into two, one for women and the other for men. He’s claiming that the “moral laws” that society has implanted has double standards. Ibsen and Wilde present gender roles through morality, marriage, food delicacies, dance and wealth. These four factors affect how the characters in both plays are viewed by society. Both writers present the expectations society has for both genders. They highlight the obscurity, the society they lived in, had. This method was to leave the audience questioning about the society they lived in. Ibsen displays the realness of a typical marriage and he doesn’t follow the conventions of a Well-Made play, he presents the hardcore facts of marriage and family life; he does this by giving both genders unequal power, which contradicts the meaning of marriage, “the joining of two equals”. Whereas Wilde switches the gender roles, this method is very effective as it emphasises and reveals clearly how ridiculous the social class behaves. Even though Ibsen uses highly respected jobs to portray the archetype of men, Wilde uses the absence of occupation to concentrate on the other aspects of Victorian life. In the first Act, Ibsen outlines the stereotypical...
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...In the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the story follows Nora Helmer and the life she has with her husband Torvald Helmer, who treats her as if she is his doll. The play was written in 1879 and the play takes place in the same decade. Throughout the whole play, Henrik Ibsen demonstrates the importance that social class had in the nineteenth century. In addition to the importance of social class, Ibsen also reveals the role that people were expected to live up to during the nineteenth century. To express and show how it was during this time, Henrik Ibsen’s play shows how Nora and Torvald struggle to live in a society where you expected to act a certain way to uphold your social standing. The time that the play takes place is when there...
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...Nora is subject to accepting and conforming to her gender roles throughout the play as it was expected to live up to Victorian ideals. This restricted females, especially due to the patriarchal control over the household, which is represented early on in Act 1 in A Doll’s House from the stage directions; “A bell rings in the hall...Enter NORA” ,this shows that the only way to enter her own home is through the access being granted by someone else. This straight away highlights the fact that she has no key to enter her own household, leaving her powerless to make the choice of when she may enter or leave the domestic sphere. This would seem to be a bizarre concept to modern audiences as it can be seen a belittling, whereas normal to a contemporary audience, though this is difficult to generalise. By Ibsen not allowing Nora to have a key could also be interpreted as also being metaphorical, due to having no control because she is Torvalds’s possession with society locking her away from giving her no escape route out. This contrasts to Shaw’s representation of Vivie as you can infer that she has outside knowledge of the real world since she hasn’t been in a ‘doll’s house.’ This is drawn attention to from when she speaks of having been to ‘Chancery Lane’ for a month The main time Nora rejects her traditional gender role would be at the end of the play, when she has a realization, leading to leaving her family. In a sense, the final act of the play is Nora’s awakening, in which...
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...Themes of Doll House The main message of A Doll's House seems to be that a true marriage is a joining of equals. The play centers on the dissolution of a marriage that doesn't meet these standards. At first the Helmers seem happy, but, over the course of the play, the imbalance between them becomes more and more apparent. By the end, the marriage breaks apart due to a complete lack of understanding between them. Together in wedlock, the two are incapable of realizing who they are as individuals. They'll don't know how to act as equals. Nora of A Doll's House has often been painted as one of modern drama's first feminist heroines. Over the course of the play, she breaks away from the domination of her overbearing husband, Torvald. The playwright, Henrik Ibsen, denied that he had intentionally written a feminist play, preferring to think of it as humanist. Still, though, throughout this drama there is constant talk of women, their traditional roles, and price for them of breaking with tradition. The men of A Doll's House are in many ways just as trapped by traditional gender roles as the women (Torvald Helmer being the chief example). The men must be providers. They must bear the burden of supporting the entire household. They must be the infallible kings of their respective castles. By the end of the play these traditional ideas are truly put to the test. When a play is called A Doll's House, chances are that home might be a prevalent theme. Early on in the text, the home is...
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...A Doll’s Transformation: Henrik Ibsen’s feminist heroine in A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, written in 1879, is often considered one of the first feminist plays ever written, exposing, among other social commentary, women’s oppression and subordination through “the anatomy of a marriage where the wife was no more than a legal infant and her husband’s virtual slave” (Fjelde 475). Through one of history’s first female protagonists, Nora, Ibsen challenges the Victorian ideal of a woman’s role in her marriage and in society, painting a bleak picture of living life as a woman at the time. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen explores the sacrificial role of women in society, women’s oppression, and chauvinistic 19th century marriage customs through the life and transformation of his heroine, Nora. One tool Ibsen uses to present his feminist ideals is the theme of the sacrificial role that the play’s female characters must play. Nora has made a huge sacrifice in taking out a loan in secret and working to pay it back without allowing Helmer to find out; she has become a prisoner of her secret and of her necessity to pay off the loan with what little legal rights she possesses as a female in her society. Mrs. Linde, similarly, has made sacrifices as a woman, having found it necessary to abandon her true love and marry a wealthier man. The nanny, Anne-Marie, who proclaims she is a “poor girl “ and insinuates she had no other options, was forced to abandon her child to support...
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...The redefinition of a woman's role in society and the image of the maternal figure through comparison of female characters in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House and Bertold Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children. Henrik Ibsen’s Nora Helmer and Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage present two strongly defined female heroines whose actions not only adversely affect the other characters’ lives but also suggest a fundamental problem with their societies. Both playwrights establish the macroscopic view of society’s turmoil in the microscopic, individual characters of Nora and Mother Courage. Both characters have an indomitable magnetism that, on the one hand, allows them to control others but, on the other, cause them to make desperate choices that reflect a repressive society. In analyzing the figures of Nora in A Doll House and Anna Fierling in Mother Courage and Her Children, it is important to examine the ways in which they interact with their respective societies, specifically how well they play the roles defined for them. For each play, there exist social structures, as well as exigencies of a given period within those structures, which range from being burdensome to downright inimical to the process of being a good mother. In the case of Nora, the perspective is bleak: due to the oppressively, male-dominated society , not only is she in no position to be a provider or protector for her children, but due to the condescending, patronizing attitudes of her father and...
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...Explore the ways in which Ibsen presents romantic relationships in the play “A Doll’s House,” and how this affects your understanding of the play. Compare the ways in which romantic relationships are presented by Wilde in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” and by Ibsen in the play “A Doll’s House,” in light of the opinion that “all Victorian romantic relationships were superficial.” There are strong arguments that suggest that all Victorian romantic relationships were superficial in numerous ways, as presented by Ibsen in the play “A Doll’s House,” and Wilde in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” In Ibsen’s play, all relationships are tainted by the theme of superficiality via the stereotypical roles of the sexes and appearances. In Wilde’s novel, superficiality is similarly portrayed through appearances and art, however more through physical aesthetics, rather than social appearances. A strong example of this idea is the marriage between Nora and Torvald in “A Doll’s House.” A major theme that runs throughout the play, is the idea of performance in marriage. Both Nora and Torvald put on a facade, to present themselves as an ideal husband/wife. One example is Torvald’s shallow role as a stereotypical male following the revelation of Nora’s secret; that she withdrew a loan from Krogstad in order to pay for a trip to heal Torvald’s illness. At the initial exposé he exclaims “you have ruined all my future,” establishing himself as the dominant man, as this expression is...
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...Ibsen’s Play, “A Doll’s House” Henrick Ibsen has outdone himself in his play “A Doll’s House”. Ibsen has refined and fine-tuned the taste and view of his plays with the use of different techniques, among them being Symbolism. Symbolism is among the most common techniques used in drama. Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas and qualities, in an artistic and poetic style. It uses images, and indirect suggestions to express mystical ideas, emotions, suggestions and states of mind. Symbolism adds another layer of meaning to the meaning of script writing. While the clear, obvious meaning lies on the surface, symbolism is mostly hidden from the “front row” and it usually lies deeper than it seems. Ibsen utilizes symbolism in the play “A Doll’s House” with the purpose of revealing a certain character. In Nora’s character, Ibsen says that he used symbolism to develop her character and in the end the character’s qualities were incredibly outstanding that even the critics said it was an outstanding move. The play, “A Doll’s House,” revolves around the life of the two Main characters; TorvaldHelmer and his wife, Nora Helmer. They live in a “Doll looking House”, as it is symbolically represented by Ibsen. The play’ tittle, “A Doll’s House,” also symbolizes that all the people that live in Torvalds residence are “dolls.” Torvald plays with them when he pleases and ignores them when he has work to do or something else in his mind("Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House"). Torvald also...
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...Realism in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Churchill’s Top Girls Nineteen-century Europe held rigid conventionalisms of class division, social order and gender roles. Society hid behind the mask of hypocrisy in an attempt to preserve bourgeoisie’s position of power. In that concern, conceptions of ‘liberty of the spirit’[1] and ‘liberty of thought and of the human condition’[2] came to question. Thus, Henrik Ibsen drew attention to the threat to ideas of freedom and public opinion by giving life to A Doll’s House (1879). He aimed to critique constraints of Victorian society rather than vindicating the rights of women. In that sense, in a speech given in his honour by the Norwegian Women’s Rights League on 26 May 1898 he stresses: ‘Whatever I have written has been without any conscious thought of making propaganda. […] To me it has seemed a problem of humanity in general.’[3] Ibsen clearly states he strove to expose the manipulation of individuals’ liberties as he worked for the human cause. In Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls (1982) the aim of the play is to reveal how the fulfilment of women’s self-realization needs in the personal and social spheres is achieved by compromising humanity and morality. In the end, what ‘The New Woman’ gets is disillusionment and loneliness as she finds herself in a predicament: mother or career woman, sensitive or hardened. In Top Girls what is represented is the price women pay to go up the corporate ladder in a male-dominant world. Thus, I will...
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...For centuries women have fought for their rightful place in society and their God-given rights as humans. In some countries, women are still subjected to harsh, defiling conditions. While fighting for these rights, women characters in short stories, novels, plays, and even poetry were made to beat the odds of normalcy. In some instances, these women were portrayed as heroines. Three perfect examples of women characters before their time are Nora Helmer from A Doll’s House, Antigone from Antigone, and Emily Grierson from “A Rose for Emily.” These sapid characters, Antigone, Emily, and Nora, step from the normal roles as women and fight against all authority, stand up for what they believe in, and break the laws as they fall. To better understand the character, one must first understand the author and the time period in which the story was written. Sophocles wrote many dramatic plays including, Antigone. Sophocles, like many of his characters in his plays, was a hero of sorts. He held many public offices and was a general during the Samian War and the Archidamian War. “Sophocles was a priest of Halon and helped introduce the cult of Asclepius, god of medicine, to Athens” (Gill). He grew up in a town known as Colonus, but he stayed in Athens most of the time (Gill). His play, Antigone, was written in 441 B. C., in Ancient Greece. (Sophocles 1465) . In the dramatic play, Antigone, Antigone undergoes a deadly battle with her uncle, future father-in-law, and king, Creon. Antigone...
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...“Ibsen’s Nora is a perfect vehicle for an exploration of self-determination, as she embodies the repression of women, as well as the suffocating bourgeois life style” A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen portrays a metaphoric life of individuals confined in a “doll’s house”. The text, written by Henrik Ibsen, produces a point of view seen in the society at the time, where women were expected to be the dutiful young wife and mother. Although Ibsen denies that it is a feminist play, many critics believe otherwise. The characterisation of Nora Helmer, the protagonist of the play, becomes a perfect vehicle for an exploration of self-determination as she embodies the repression of women as well as the suffocating bourgeois lifestyle. Her role in the play unravels as she starts off as being a part of an expected duty of women in the society and flourishes into an independent courageous woman. Ibsen portrays this through the use of symbolism, dramatic techniques and language forms. As being the perfect vehicle for self determination, Nora, in the play, disguises her true self. This ultimately shows the repression she endures to meet the expectations of society as well as her husband, Torvald. Society’s outlook on the role of women is for them to be completely devoted, to husband and to family. Nora’s duty is to be adoring, reliant on Torvald and perhaps childlike through her ways of handling money, spending it on useless things such as macaroons. Outwardly, Nora is seen to fulfil her husband’s...
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...Feminism in The Doll’s House & Hedda Gabler To an average reader, at first glance, Henrik Ibsen’s plays Hedda Gabler and A Doll’s House are just an entertaining read. However a more in-depth study of the text shows that throughout A Doll’s House and Hedda Gabler Ibsen makes use of symbols, motifs and circular conclusions to demonstrate the development of two housewives throughout the late 19th century. One of the ways that Ibsen shows this is symbolism. Throughout Hedda Gabler the symbols that Ibsen presents are: the piano that Hedda plays shortly before her death, General Gabler’s two pistols, Tesman’s slippers, the portrait of General Gabler and the manuscript. The latter hangs in Tesman’s drawing room and it symbolizes the constant overlook of General Gabler. It also builds up a complex in Tesman, as the general is the man that Hedda loves and the man that he will never be. The portrait presents Hedda’s domination over Tesman as well, since it is his drawing room and yet it isn’t aunt Julle’s portrait that is hanging there it is Hedda’s fathers. General Gabler’s two pistols are amongst the most important symbols in the play. The two pistols represent, much like the portrait, the General’s power over the family even though he is deceased - this is proven, as it is the pistols that take Hedda’s life and that of her lover - which is also a case of circular conclusion, because Hedda has threatened others with her pistols before, and in Act One of the play Hedda says that at...
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...Throughout A Doll’s House, the use of symbolism is present. Through Torvald’s actions, the reader develops a clear understanding of Nora and Torvald’s relationship and thus developing theme. He treats her as if she is a child, but Nora doesn’t act upon this until the end of the play. This may be due to the constant reminder of her secret bank loan, which affects her attitude and interaction with her husband. Although not typically considered as imagery, stage directions are helpful to the reader as they provide visual information that the reader can use to help set the setting. Without prior knowledge of the play, the title seems odd, but as the story unfolds, the title becomes clearly connected to the plot and theme of the story. Through the...
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...Comparison of Gender Roles Gender roles have always been a part of the daily life throughout the 1900’s, however up until recently this has changed. Women have always wanted to have their own opinion, views and the ability to think and act for themselves. In many of the stories read in class, we see how both men and women have gender roles, and how some want them changed. On the other hand, if they even do. In many stories we have seen the characters struggle with societies views, Janie wants to work and be able to think for herself in Their Eyes Were Watching God. In Trifles, we see that women are considered unimportant, or that they only worry about the little things that seem unimportant, as said by the men in the play. Elisa in The Chrysanthemums also faces gender discrimination, which she wishes to overcome. In the last play we read, A Doll’s House, Nora is subject to gender discrimination as well much along the same terms as the previous stories read. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie just wants to be treated the same as everyone else, meaning the male population. Joe treats her as a lesser person throughout the novel, however she feels she should be able to make her own decisions an example is when she tried to leave Joe, however his remarks were, “ where will you go, who will take you in being married and all leaving your husband.” This is Joe and the male society putting Janie down so she feels powerless, this caused her to stay with Joe and not leave, in addition...
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...Inferior Role of a Married Woman Nora in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Mengdan Shen Theatre and Drama 120 Section 319 Ashley Bellet December 9, 2015 Before the twentieth century’s feminism movement, European females suffered from their unfair and discriminated positions in marriage and in society. In his masterpiece A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen creates Nora, a housewife who is dependent financially and socially on her husband, Helmer. Ibsen uses Nora’s marriage to depict and embody the unequal treatment to females in nineteenth century Europe. As another playwright Ella Hickson reviewed this play and commented on the character of Nora: As we meet her (Nora) in the first two acts she is very much Helmer’s possession. She lives in a house to which she doesn’t have a key for the letter box, she must ask Helmer for any money she needs, she is forced to lie about eating sweets, she must practice dancing when Helmer tells her and she must dress up in the clothes that Helmer likes. These demands, while shrouded in the soft, cooing language of affection, place Nora somewhere between a slave and a child. Hickson 2 Nora is treated as doll and a plaything owned by Helmer, and she is not expected and allowed to make serious decisions for their household. Also, she does not have much independent financial ability in the society as a housewife due to the social codes. Therefore, as an inferior role in the marriage, she is not treated with enough respect and appreciation...
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