The Dead Henrik Ibsen Analysis

This essay will compare two pieces of literature, “The Dead” written by James Joyce and “A Doll’s House” written by Henrik Ibsen. Both of which contain story elements that seem to be common in all types of literature. There are many different story elements but in both stories, there are a few that stand out to me, but one of which I feel spoke strongly to me was the secrets of the women in both “The Dead” and “A Doll’s House”. What I mean by this is in both stories the women held until the end of the stories almost something that their husband did not know of; but someone else did rather than the person they should be closest to. In a dolls house, Nora’s secret was a dangerous one. She had borrowed money from the bank through Krogstad and forged her …show more content…
Helmer tells Nora that Krogstad is a bad man and he “wriggled out of it with lies and trickery” – (Ibsen pg. 1573). He then goes on to say that Krogstad is the worst type of person, the type who wears a mask in front of the people closest to them. Saying this, however, Helmer says he’s not quick to condemn a man but seems harsh in saying “Krogstad wears a mask in front of his own wife and children” similar to the way Nora is now, being she owes Krogstad the money back and her family does not know. Krogstad eventually leaves a letter in their mailbox after losing his job to Mrs. Kristine Linde. This letter tells Torvald everything that has happened with the forging of the signature. The secret is unfolded and Helmer Immediately says that his wife Nora is forbidden from raising her own kids. Nora is shocked and decides to leave considering in the end she only borrowed the money to try to help her husband even know she felt like she was a “doll,” little and delicate and easy to break not only once by her father but by her own