"A DOLL'S HOUSE" (HENRIK IBSEN).   Term Paper ID:23871 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Play's views on marriage, sexism, gender roles, individuality.... More...

6 Pages / 1350 Words 6 sources, 29 Citations, MLA Format $24.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Play's views on marriage, sexism, gender roles, individuality. Paper Introduction: The View of Marriage in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House In his analysis of the plays of Henrik Ibsen, Janrek Lavrin asserts that the plays A Doll's House and Ghosts made Henrik Ibsen famous and notorious all over Europe (Lavrin 77). The primary uproar over the plays centered around what was viewed as Ibsen's attack on marriage. Lavrin argues, however, that the problems Ibsen was attempting to address in A Doll's House were not the problems caused by marriage in general but rather the problems caused by modern marriage (77). Ibsen's initial idea behind the play that eventually became A Doll's House was for a central female character whose dramatic dilemma would arise from the disparity between her innate sense of right and society's laws (Saari 41). He was primarily concerned with the conflict between what he saw to be two kinds Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. New York: Taplinger, 1978.Boyesen, Hjalmar Hjorth. Her entire sense of self is centeredaround her relationship to him; she is defined solely according to her roleas wife and mother. All that there? The development of Nora as a human being, rather than her developmentas a woman, and the barriers her marriage placed on such development arethe driving forces behind the play. Shefinally realizes that marriage should be the arena in which the difficultbut rich work of self-realization is conducted (Lebowitz 216). The openingscene introduces Torvald and Nora in a playfully affectionate dispute aboutChristmas presents and household expenditures: Torvald: When did my squirrel get in? N.p.: Norwegian UP, 1988.----------------------- 3 Theyhave to conform to the masculine ideal of womanhood rather than to anyideal of their humanity based on their own endowments, temperament, andcharacter (Boyesen 199). 6 of Contemporary Approaches to Ibsen. Her initial hopes that the calamity may be a blessingin disguise if it allows Torvald to demonstrate his love for her byshielding her and taking her crime and its consequences upon himself stilldo not go far enough to address her own humanity. She seems to see with an amazing clarity thatunless she first defines her own humanity she can be nothing to anyoneelse: I believe that, before all else, I'm a human being, no less than you--or anyway, I ought to try to become one. Nora: Just now. This is, undoubtedly, what Ibsen would agree to be the realintention of marriage. Ibsen: The Man and His Work. New York: MacMillan, 1894.Ibsen, Henrik. From his own assertion, Ibsen wasconcerned not with feminism, but with "humanity in general" (Lavrin 79).Saari observes that Ibsen made three major changes in Nora'scharacterization between the first draft of the play and the completedscript (47). As Lavrin states, "hebasks with relish in the halo of his respectability--an unconscioushypocrite" (Lavrin 77). I know the majority thinks you're right, Torvald, and plenty books agree with you, too. The primary uproar over the playscentered around what was viewed as Ibsen's attack on marriage. Because societyhas no other measure by which to judge Nora, Torvald has in essence deniedNora's humanity. Nora exists for Torvald as a doll or a pet (Lavrin 78). And third, which Saari argues to be themost significant, Ibsen changed the orientation and identification ofNora's thoughts and ideals to human rather than feminine (49). Boyesen argues that, as long as women are brought up primarily with aview to pleasing men, their individuality will be sacrificed (199). A new union with Helmer would have to assumethat they had both changed to such an extent that their life together wouldbe a real marriage. Thus, Nora goes forth into the world, breaking the ties of nature andaffection, to test the educational virtue of life and thereby rise intotrue womanhood (Boyesen 21 ). Torvald's initial reaction to discovering Nora's subterfuge in factsaves her. In A Doll's House, Nora's husband is a lawyer by profession and amodel family man as far as appearances go. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. Lavrinargues, however, that the problems Ibsen was attempting to address in ADoll's House were not the problems caused by marriage in general but ratherthe problems caused by modern marriage (77). At the end of the play, Nora realizes she must examine the "truths"that have been instilled into her and which she has unconsciously accepted. His purpose in doing so is to separate himself from whathe views to be a tainted and tainting influence. Thus, outwardly Nora is the ideal wife according to the ideas of theage, a "lark" for her husband and a charming mother to her children. Vol. Ed. In fact, Edvard Beyer argues thatNora's perception of her crime is formed by the feminine valuation of loveas the highest ideal (Beyer 115). The marriage he depicted, however, was hisperception of what marriage had become, given the dominance of the male inmodern society. Consequently, Nora at first can see no reason forliving if she is rejected by Torvald. (Ibsen, Act I).Basically, Torvald scolds Nora with endearing pet names, laughs at what hetakes to be her amusing feminine logic, and treats her as a spoiled child.Hjalmar Boyesen observes a moderation in the dialogue at this stage of theplay that intends to depict the situation as truthfully as possible withoutapproaching caricature, yet recognizing its absurdity (2 1). Do come in, Torvald, and see what I've bought. Sandra Saari argues that in the end, however, Ibsen retained thefemale protagonist but created a play based on the premise that, thoughthey traditionally inhabit different realms of the social and legal world,males and females demonstrate no essential difference in their spiritualmake-up (Saari 42). Has the little spendthrift been out throwing money around again? Bought, you say? He selfishly looks afterhimself by effectively denying Nora's worth as a woman. Nora's suddenawakening to such a truth makes her go away at the end of the play. Consequently, because she knows sheacted out of love, she cannot believe the law would not take such motivesinto consideration (Beyer 115). 3rd ed. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 199 .Saari, Sandra. First, he eliminated Nora's hysterical "female" behavior.Second, he added a rational purpose to her childish behavior toward Torvald(the disruption of her marriage). Ibsen's initial idea behind the play that eventually became A Doll'sHouse was for a central female character whose dramatic dilemma would arisefrom the disparity between her innate sense of right and society's laws(Saari 41). Ed. Nora herself indicts her marriage: "We've never exchanged aserious word on any serious thing" (Ibsen, Act III). She finally sees that she has been wrong about herself as well as aboutHelmer and that she has committed a crime against her own human worth in amarriage based on false premises (Beyer 117). Unfortunately for Nora, she chose to make that loanfrom a rather unscrupulous man whom Torvald detests and intends to firefrom his position at the bank. He further declares her to be unfit forthe education of her children, and he laments his own ill-fortune in beingmarried to her. Lavrin refers to him as "awalking encyclopedia of bourgeois virtues" (Lavrin 77). In order to secure the loan from Krogstad, she forged herfather's signature. She is still hiding, associety has taught her to do, behind her role as wife and mother. Nonetheless, with the feminine logic thatthe examination of initial drafts demonstrate was an issue Ibsen wasconsidering, Nora neither realizes nor appreciates the legal ramificationsof her actions. But I can't go on believing what the majority says, or what's written in books. London: Methuen, 195 .Lebowitz, Naomi. "Female Become Human: Nora Transformed." Vol. The reader, however, senses from the opening sceneof the play that Torvald does not take his wife seriously. This, the reader can presumably interpret, would be arelationship without play-acting between equal and free individuals (Beyer117). Thus, whatever feminist reading one gives the play, Ibsen's statedintention was to address the ethical and spiritual factors without whichmarriage remains a mere "living together" (Lavrin 79). Torvald seems toattempt deliberately and consciously attempt to establish hisrespectability and adherence to middle-class values. Helmer: Can't be disturbed. New York: MacMillan.Lavrin, Janko. When Nora throws off her fancy dress costume and turns to confrontTorvald, she directs a bitter indictment against her father and against himbecause they have treated her like a thing, a toy, a doll. He was primarily concerned with the conflict between what hesaw to be two kinds of moral law and conscience: the feminine, with loveas its highest value, and the masculine, with its social and legalmoorings. Works CitedBeyer, Edvard. Thus, the marriage he portrayed served as a place ofprotection from the demands of self-realization (Lebowitz 216). Thus, he strips from her the only roles in which societywill accept her. A Doll's House. But, throughher indictment of the men who have affected her life, Nora is alsoindicting a society and a manner of marriage that deliberately keeps womenin a state of immaturity in an attempt to privilege the power of the male.To Helmer's remark that she is first of all a wife and a mother, Noraanswers, in contrast, that her first duty is to realize herself as a humanbeing (Lavrin 79). For this reason, she has tobreak away and even leave her children: "The way I am now, I'm no use tothem" (Ibsen, Act III). 2 of Literature of the Western World. This is why the discarding of her costume in the lastscene has a symbolic meaning even her husband recognizes (Lavrin 79). The issue surrounding marriage, therefore, is whetherit serves to accentuate each partner's humanity. Ibsen. A Commentary on the Writings of Henrik Ibsen. Bjorn Hemmer and Vigdis Ystad. Whatthe reader soon learns, however, is that for many years she has struggledand saved in secret to pay back a loan she raised to save her husband'slife (Ibsen, Act I). The View of Marriage in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House In his analysis of the plays of Henrik Ibsen, Janrek Lavrin assertsthat the plays A Doll's House and Ghosts made Henrik Ibsen famous andnotorious all over Europe (Lavrin 77). Ibsen and the Great World. To himself, his wife, and therest of the world he portrays himself to be honest, conscientious, hard-working and fond of his wife and children. I have to think over these things myself and try to understand them (Ibsen, Act III).Her world has crumbled because it was nothing more than "a mere doll-house"in which her husband, her children, and she had been playing at happiness(Beyer 117). He calls her a liar and a hypocrite, a worthy daughter of adishonest father (Ibsen, Act III). NaomiLebowitz, for example, argues that the place of true marriage is one inwhich both members of the partnership come into their own before comingtogether. However, she considers her action to be something towhich she never need give a thought. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.