Zakaria Ismaili
Hum 102-007
November 4, 2014
Essay 1 Draft Literal analysis of Nora.
In “A Doll’s House,” Ibsen presents us with the drama of Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife who have been married for eight years and whose lives are controlled by the society in which they live. Their relationship, although seems happy, is flawed by the constraints of social attitudes around them and their perceived gender roles. Ibsen uses stereotypical gender attributes in his characterization of Nora throughout the play. Nora described as a doll: a vapid, passive character with little personality of her own, takes a turn when her personality shifts from the everyday playful, trophy wife …show more content…
Rank. Her imagination is an example of feminine instability. Nora’s flirtation also plays a role, in which she uses it to gain empowerment in a male dominated environment. Related to mental and emotional instability is moral instability, which becomes clear in her habit of lies and deceptions. An example would be Nora lying to smuggle macaroons into the house, eating them secretly and telling Torvald she didn’t eat any. She lies about the macaroons again but this time she accuses Mrs. Linde of bringing the pastries into the house. This is somewhat irrelevant lie is a backdoor to her larger and darker lies about the forgery and the borrowed money from …show more content…
After the dance and after learning of Dr. Rank’s death, Nora talks seriously to Torvald about their life and their marriage. She tells him, “You don’t understand me. And I’ve never understood you either – until tonight.” (Ibsen, 872) Nora is calm and rational in the face of Torvald’s protests in the conversation. Even her decision to leave her husband and her children and to go into the world on her own is a logical, rational, mature decision in the best interests of the entire family. Nora tells Torvald: “I’m a human being, no less than you – or anyway, I ought to try to become one.” (Ibsen, 874) This comment demonstrates that Nora believes that her most important, most principal duties are human duties—not duties defined by her
Hum 102-007
November 4, 2014
Essay 1 Draft Literal analysis of Nora.
In “A Doll’s House,” Ibsen presents us with the drama of Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife who have been married for eight years and whose lives are controlled by the society in which they live. Their relationship, although seems happy, is flawed by the constraints of social attitudes around them and their perceived gender roles. Ibsen uses stereotypical gender attributes in his characterization of Nora throughout the play. Nora described as a doll: a vapid, passive character with little personality of her own, takes a turn when her personality shifts from the everyday playful, trophy wife …show more content…
Rank. Her imagination is an example of feminine instability. Nora’s flirtation also plays a role, in which she uses it to gain empowerment in a male dominated environment. Related to mental and emotional instability is moral instability, which becomes clear in her habit of lies and deceptions. An example would be Nora lying to smuggle macaroons into the house, eating them secretly and telling Torvald she didn’t eat any. She lies about the macaroons again but this time she accuses Mrs. Linde of bringing the pastries into the house. This is somewhat irrelevant lie is a backdoor to her larger and darker lies about the forgery and the borrowed money from …show more content…
After the dance and after learning of Dr. Rank’s death, Nora talks seriously to Torvald about their life and their marriage. She tells him, “You don’t understand me. And I’ve never understood you either – until tonight.” (Ibsen, 872) Nora is calm and rational in the face of Torvald’s protests in the conversation. Even her decision to leave her husband and her children and to go into the world on her own is a logical, rational, mature decision in the best interests of the entire family. Nora tells Torvald: “I’m a human being, no less than you – or anyway, I ought to try to become one.” (Ibsen, 874) This comment demonstrates that Nora believes that her most important, most principal duties are human duties—not duties defined by her