Annabell Lackner, Grade 11
UWCEA Arusha
A Doll’s house by Henrik Ibsen touched the 19th century’s society to the quick and caused controversy on many levels. The three-act play which is, even though denied by the author, seen as a masterpiece of early feminist literature, revolves around the main character Nora’s development towards independence in Victorian society, scrutinising gender roles and beauty standards. All of this is packed in a heavily symbolic melodrama which agitated audiences then and now. Even though the experts are in dispute about the significance the play has as a social commentary, Ibsen succeeded in creating an iconic statement with the open ending.
The play succeeds without doubt in shocking masses, mainly because of the dominant theme of individuals against society. Nora Helmer, a 19th century wife and mother of three, is the central character in the play and the ingenue, a naive young woman, is a caricature of the stereotypical female of the time. Her “most sacred duties” are those of a housewife, which is responsible for entertaining her children as well as her husband. Torvald expects perfection from his wife as he believes himself to deserve nothing else than that. Nora is an object of desire and possession in his eyes, since he believes that “All this wonderful beauty that’s mine, mine alone, all mine”, which emphasises the inferior role that the main character plays in her everyday life. Her identity is entirely dependent on her husband and the expectations of the public, leaving no space for individual needs or interests. However, the audience can also experience Nora’s transition from a submissive wife to an independent woman wishing to find her freedom. This plot twist occurs in the third act of the play when Npora reveals in the anagnorisis that she wishes to think for herself and that she no longer cares what people are saying. “My duty towards myself”, as “first and foremost a human being” is now more important than the role that society imposed on her. Through this innovative and modern idea, the playwright introduces a completely new perspective on the social structures of 19th century society.
Moreover, Ibsen’s drama is heavily symbolic, supporting the core themes with strong allegories. The stage directions at the beginning of the first act for instance suggest the symbolic importance of doors in demonstrating the claustrophobic atmosphere that Nora experiences in her home as well as internally. The many doors make the apartment seem like a cage in which she can see the outside world but not interact with it. Even though this alludes to the internalised oppression in her marriage, the iconic final door slam shows the significance of her actions towards a new beginning. Also, Trovald’s habit to call her with bird names signifies his felt ownership over his “poor, helpless, bewildered little creature.” The repetition of nicknames like “my little songbird/skylark/squirrel” make her interiorise the feeling of inferiority and eventually reinforce the way in which she represents herself to her husband. However, the circumstances of the Helmer’s marriage is also reflected in symbols like the Christmas tree which is a reflection and parallelism of Nora’s mental state. Its transient appearance throughout the play accompanies the woman’s character development. While it is initially associated with excitement and the family’s happiness, the tree is described as “stripped and dishevelled, its candles burned to their sockets” when her deeds are unmasked by Krogstad and the perfect facade of the Helmer household starts to shatter.
All of this surely adds to the sensationalism typical for a melodrama, nevertheless, the climatic ending that dissolves the gradually built up tense plot, was often consulted by experts to argue that A Doll’s House can be classified as a modern tragedy. Nonetheless, complications arise when the end is regarded from the view of Nora. As the term “tragedy” already implies, the story typically ends with a catastrophe. Referring to the theme of individuals and society, it is indeed undesirable and tragic from society's point of view, when a woman decays “madness” and breaks out her sacred duties. On the other hand, for Nora the end is a new beginning and a chance to win her freedom rather than her ruin. Therefore, although traditional Shakespearean elements of tragedy like the “fall of a heroine” and the restlessly developing tension, the play can only be seen as a tragedy for a patriarchal society through the perspective of Torvald.
In conclusion it can be said that interpretations of the play vary greatly and critics do not even agree on the seemingly most iconic elements of the drama. While the door slam and Nora’s escape are seen as revolutionary by some, many were so outraged and were reluctant to the introduced ideas.
The play succeeds without doubt in shocking masses, mainly because of the dominant theme of individuals against society. Nora Helmer, a 19th century wife and mother of three, is the central character in the play and the ingenue, a naive young woman, is a caricature of the stereotypical female of the time. Her “most sacred duties” are those of a housewife, which is responsible for entertaining her children as well as her husband. Torvald expects perfection from his wife as he believes himself to deserve nothing else than that. Nora is an object of desire and possession in his eyes, since he believes that “All this wonderful beauty that’s mine, mine alone, all mine”, which emphasises the inferior role that the main character plays in her everyday life. Her identity is entirely dependent on her husband and the expectations of the public, leaving no space for individual needs or interests. However, the audience can also experience Nora’s transition from a submissive wife to an independent woman wishing to find her freedom. This plot twist occurs in the third act of the play when Npora reveals in the anagnorisis that she wishes to think for herself and that she no longer cares what people are saying. “My duty towards myself”, as “first and foremost a human being” is now more important than the role that society imposed on her. Through this innovative and modern idea, the playwright introduces a completely new perspective on the social structures of 19th century society.
Moreover, Ibsen’s drama is heavily symbolic, supporting the core themes with strong allegories. The stage directions at the beginning of the first act for instance suggest the symbolic importance of doors in demonstrating the claustrophobic atmosphere that Nora experiences in her home as well as internally. The many doors make the apartment seem like a cage in which she can see the outside world but not interact with it. Even though this alludes to the internalised oppression in her marriage, the iconic final door slam shows the significance of her actions towards a new beginning. Also, Trovald’s habit to call her with bird names signifies his felt ownership over his “poor, helpless, bewildered little creature.” The repetition of nicknames like “my little songbird/skylark/squirrel” make her interiorise the feeling of inferiority and eventually reinforce the way in which she represents herself to her husband. However, the circumstances of the Helmer’s marriage is also reflected in symbols like the Christmas tree which is a reflection and parallelism of Nora’s mental state. Its transient appearance throughout the play accompanies the woman’s character development. While it is initially associated with excitement and the family’s happiness, the tree is described as “stripped and dishevelled, its candles burned to their sockets” when her deeds are unmasked by Krogstad and the perfect facade of the Helmer household starts to shatter.
All of this surely adds to the sensationalism typical for a melodrama, nevertheless, the climatic ending that dissolves the gradually built up tense plot, was often consulted by experts to argue that A Doll’s House can be classified as a modern tragedy. Nonetheless, complications arise when the end is regarded from the view of Nora. As the term “tragedy” already implies, the story typically ends with a catastrophe. Referring to the theme of individuals and society, it is indeed undesirable and tragic from society's point of view, when a woman decays “madness” and breaks out her sacred duties. On the other hand, for Nora the end is a new beginning and a chance to win her freedom rather than her ruin. Therefore, although traditional Shakespearean elements of tragedy like the “fall of a heroine” and the restlessly developing tension, the play can only be seen as a tragedy for a patriarchal society through the perspective of Torvald.
In conclusion it can be said that interpretations of the play vary greatly and critics do not even agree on the seemingly most iconic elements of the drama. While the door slam and Nora’s escape are seen as revolutionary by some, many were so outraged and were reluctant to the introduced ideas.
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