It is not without significance that Henrik Ibsen chose to name his socio-critical play A Doll’s House, and not The Doll’s House, nor Doll’s House. Indeed, removing the indefinite article would defeat the purpose of exposing the triviality of this situation and attributing it a universal value. Such is the case for Nora: a young girl living her life as ‘a doll’ in a society fixated on superficial appearances over truth and integrity. However, as the play progresses, such appearances prove to be misleading and false, and reveal themselves to be facades of deception. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen uses a variety of symbols for the purpose of unveiling Nora’s character and depicting social reality.
Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to encapsulate and epitomize …show more content…
In A Doll’s House, Torvald suggests the qualities of conventional Victorian manhood: his thoughts never stray from the world of appearances. That is why he forbids Nora from macaroons, or for that matter, any other food item that could possible deteriorate her physical appearance. Nora is conscious that Torvald will not love her as he does now, “Years from now, when [she is] no longer pretty.” (36) Yet, despite Nora’s claim that she would “never act against [his] wishes,” (27) she disobeys him when she nibbles on macaroons in the very beginning of the play. Not only does she hide, but she also lies. When Torvald later questions her about her errands, asking whether his “little sweet-tooth [has] been indulging herself in town today? […] [taken] a little nibble at a macaroon?” (27) she immediately responds “Certainly not.” Even though lying about macaroons seems harmless and childlike, it hints at their marital problems and foreshadows Nora’s desire to end her struggle with her inner passions that she must conceal within her marriage. Thus, Ibsen uses the macaroons to symbolize the start of Nora’s desire for independence, for sabotaging her beauty by eating macaroons is a rebellious act. Nora craves the forbidden macaroons, like she craves a detached and separated life from her …show more content…
Nora, who was in a state of disillusionment at the beginning of the play, finds out that appearances are not what they seem, and thus questions the true meaning of her marriage. To emancipate and find her way as an independent woman, Nora must leave her prescribed role as a housewife. The depiction of characters in conflict with their everyday lives paints a universal reality that Ibsen wishes to
Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to encapsulate and epitomize …show more content…
In A Doll’s House, Torvald suggests the qualities of conventional Victorian manhood: his thoughts never stray from the world of appearances. That is why he forbids Nora from macaroons, or for that matter, any other food item that could possible deteriorate her physical appearance. Nora is conscious that Torvald will not love her as he does now, “Years from now, when [she is] no longer pretty.” (36) Yet, despite Nora’s claim that she would “never act against [his] wishes,” (27) she disobeys him when she nibbles on macaroons in the very beginning of the play. Not only does she hide, but she also lies. When Torvald later questions her about her errands, asking whether his “little sweet-tooth [has] been indulging herself in town today? […] [taken] a little nibble at a macaroon?” (27) she immediately responds “Certainly not.” Even though lying about macaroons seems harmless and childlike, it hints at their marital problems and foreshadows Nora’s desire to end her struggle with her inner passions that she must conceal within her marriage. Thus, Ibsen uses the macaroons to symbolize the start of Nora’s desire for independence, for sabotaging her beauty by eating macaroons is a rebellious act. Nora craves the forbidden macaroons, like she craves a detached and separated life from her …show more content…
Nora, who was in a state of disillusionment at the beginning of the play, finds out that appearances are not what they seem, and thus questions the true meaning of her marriage. To emancipate and find her way as an independent woman, Nora must leave her prescribed role as a housewife. The depiction of characters in conflict with their everyday lives paints a universal reality that Ibsen wishes to