Porcelain Nora
The life of Nora is one of turmoil and complication. A mother, a wife, and an obedient lover, she follows her husband dutifully, seemingly only to gain some monetary compensation for all she does for him. Her portrayal, in Ibsen’s original play, “A Doll’s House,” Gilman’s adaptation, “Dollhouse,” and the 2012 Carrie Cracknell short film Nora, Nora manages to be the portrayal of not only the stereotypical submissive wife, but one who gains power as well. Her objectification, infantilization, and regaining of personal identity is shown vividly in all three portrayals, allowing her to become a realistic representation of womanhood, no matter the era.
In the original “A Doll’s House,” Nora’s first impression on the audience is of an obedient, money-loving, childish …show more content…
This change is especially interesting in that the audience can easily identify someone in their life who is as fake and seemingly self-obsessed as Nora. However, the same masqueraded relationship is presented with Nora and her husband, now named Terry. The relationship is still on a monetary basis, but Nora is shrewder and a lot more sexually free than shown within Ibsen’s work, especially around Dr. Pete and Terry. The issue of ownership is still present within the work, shown through Terry’s infantilization and possessive nature toward Nora. After the party nearing the climax of the show, Terry confesses to Nora that “I like watching people watch you. I pretend like I don’t know you. I pretend we're strangers and all these guys want you. But I’m the only one who gets you. I leave with the prize” (Gilman 89). His treatment of ‘No-No’ throughout the play flies from scolding to seducing to borderline abusive to apologetic, placing Nora in a constant guessing game of how Terry really feels about
The life of Nora is one of turmoil and complication. A mother, a wife, and an obedient lover, she follows her husband dutifully, seemingly only to gain some monetary compensation for all she does for him. Her portrayal, in Ibsen’s original play, “A Doll’s House,” Gilman’s adaptation, “Dollhouse,” and the 2012 Carrie Cracknell short film Nora, Nora manages to be the portrayal of not only the stereotypical submissive wife, but one who gains power as well. Her objectification, infantilization, and regaining of personal identity is shown vividly in all three portrayals, allowing her to become a realistic representation of womanhood, no matter the era.
In the original “A Doll’s House,” Nora’s first impression on the audience is of an obedient, money-loving, childish …show more content…
This change is especially interesting in that the audience can easily identify someone in their life who is as fake and seemingly self-obsessed as Nora. However, the same masqueraded relationship is presented with Nora and her husband, now named Terry. The relationship is still on a monetary basis, but Nora is shrewder and a lot more sexually free than shown within Ibsen’s work, especially around Dr. Pete and Terry. The issue of ownership is still present within the work, shown through Terry’s infantilization and possessive nature toward Nora. After the party nearing the climax of the show, Terry confesses to Nora that “I like watching people watch you. I pretend like I don’t know you. I pretend we're strangers and all these guys want you. But I’m the only one who gets you. I leave with the prize” (Gilman 89). His treatment of ‘No-No’ throughout the play flies from scolding to seducing to borderline abusive to apologetic, placing Nora in a constant guessing game of how Terry really feels about