Doll House Essay Research Paper EnglishAnalysisofDramaINTHENAMEOFTHEFATHERANANALYSISOFNORA THE

Doll House Essay, Research Paper

English:.Analysis.of.Drama

IN.THE.NAME.OF.THE.FATHER:

AN.ANALYSIS.OF.NORA, THE MEN IN HER LIFE,

AND.HER.NAVIGATATION.TO INDEPENDENCE

.

The.play,.A.Doll.House,.written.by.Henrik.Ibsen.in.1879,.is.considered.a.

landmark.in.drama.for.its.portrayal.of.realistic.people,.places,.and.situations..Ibsen.

confines.his.story.to.the.middle.class..He.writes.of.a.society.that.is limited.not only.by.its.means.of.livelihood.but.also.its.outlook..Ibsen.portrays.his characters .

as.preoccupied.with.work.and.money, showing a reduction of values.in.and that lack of quality persons with morals..Ibsen.takes.this.realistic.story.and.invests.it.with.

universal.significance..Wrapped.up.in.the.technique.of.this.well.constructed .play, Ibsen.is masterful.in.his.presentation.of.not.only.realism,.but he.holds.a.mirror.up.

to the.society.of his day by.using.the male.figures.as.catalysts.for.Nora’s.ultimate.

knowledge.of.self-actualization..He.accomplishes.this.with.such.precision

that.the.audience.might.not.be.aware.all.the.subtleties.that.are.creating.their

theatrical.experience...

In.A Doll House,.Nora.forges.the.name.of.her.father.and.risks.damaging.her.

husband’s.good.name...Henrik.Ibsen.offers.remarkable.insight.into.the.nineteenth.

century.preoccupation.with.the.family.and.the.role.of.the.father, and what role is projected upon those who are subjugated to him..This.play.takes.up.the.subject.of.

strong.women.and.weak.men within the plot. A.prominent.theme.within.this.drama.

is.the.deterioration.of.the.male,.who is aware.of.his.role.as.a.”father.figure”. This decomposition is observed by the female protagonist (Nora). It is this descent that the role of the father figure is shaped, while creating the.catalyst.for the catharsis

or.change.in.Nora.. .When.the.female.protagonist.challenges.patriarchal.authority,.she.does.so.

by.undermining.in.one.form.or.another.both.the.dominant.male.and.his.family.name. The.following.analysis.focuses.on.Nora’s.ultimate.realization.that.she.must.be.an.

emancipated.person.to.be.her.true.self..Her.navigation.through.the.elements.of.

crises.are.focused.through.the.father-figures.in.her.life..The.journey.towards.her.

self-actualization.and.rising.freedom.can be found.within.her.relationships.with.

the.men.in.her.life..This.ultimately.identifies.the.relevant.thematic.elements.

that.are.pivotal.for.Nora.s.character.development.from a vapid child posing as what ever will get her through the day into a inquisitive woman. Nora develops her potential as a true mature person with the experience and knowledge that she has a longer journey ahead of her.

A Doll House.makes extensive use.of.the.father’s.name,.and.the.

father figure..Ibsen.subtly.unravels.the.family.as.a.male.dominated.society.almost.

fatally.preoccupied.with.its.own.masculine.image while trapping those who would believe in the myth..A Doll House.utilizes.the.father.as.a.complex.metaphor.

for.a.larger.social.problem.which.constrains.both.men.and.women..Nora’s.persona.

and.her.developing.maturity.are.completely.controlled.and.motivated.by,.

her.father.s.name,.Torvald,.and.Dr..Rank:.the father-figures.in.her.life..

. .The.opening.scenes.of.A Doll House.focus.on.Torvald.and.Nora.Helmer.

preparing.for.Christmas.with.the.children..The.family’s.economic.problems.establish

Nora.s pending conflict,.along.with.Torvald’s.position.of.authority. This.comes.

both from his economic dominance and.from.his.(and.Nora’s).belief.in.his.

superiority..He.rules.Nora.and.his.children.like.a.parody.of.a.God..He.creates.and

subjugates.through.the.animal.names,.”lark,”.and.”squirrel,” when he addresses Nora. For example:

Is that my little lark twittering out there. / Is that my squirrel rummaging around. / …the little lark.s wings mustn’t droop.

(I.154-55)

By addressing Nora in such a derogatory manner Torvald is lessening her humanity. Nora, in turn, as part of her daily persona mirrors his impression of her by self fulfilling prophecy. She acts like the animal he has assigned her. She speaks quickly and perky like a lark or is running around hiding things like a squirrel preparing for winter.

Through.the.visit.of.friend.Mrs..Linde,.we.discover.that.Nora.had.to.save.a.

very.sick.Torvald.by.borrowing.money.and.by.working.two.exclusively.masculine.

activities.usually.forbidden.to.women..Assumption.of.these tasks.automatically.

undermine.Torvald’s.authority..The.plot.unfolds.into two.parallel.stories,.

both.of.them.hinging.on.strong.or.”masculine”.women.and.weak, .feminine,”.

men..(Paradoxically,.the.only.potentially.strong.male.is.Dr..Rank,.family.friend.

and.secret.admirer.of.Nora,.who.is.dying.)

. The.flaw.within.this.patriarchal.framework.becomes.apparent.when.Nora.

discovers that.she.has.no.legitimate.name.of.her.own..She.can.use.neither.

her.married.name.nor.her.maiden.name.to.borrow.money. She finds that she cannot.appropriate.her.father’s.name..In.other.words,.as.a.married.woman.she.

has.neither.authority.nor.identi

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