Student Essay
Social Interactions and Unseen Classification of Others Why are men and women looked upon differently in society when it comes to the household roles? In the play "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen the wife of Torvald Helmer, a well known banker in town, forges a signature to get money lended to her to help "save" her husband Torvald. However the forged signature only leads to misfortune and regret. Because of this Torvald finds his wife incompetent of doing anything without messing it up, much like many men think of their wives in today society. The first evidence of the stereotypical statement that men downgrade women to something less than they really are is in Act 1. In this act Torvald comes home from a long day at work and Norah continually asks him for money, Torvald finds this childish and pleads for her to stop spending the family’s money before they actually have it. He treats her like a child calling her names such as Spendthrift, Skylark and Squirrel. All of his nicknames and views of her are disrespectful and downgrading towards her as a human. She plays it out though acting as if it’s all okay because she can still milk money out of Torvald if she plays her cards correctly. The evidence that Torvald is the man of the house is that he handles finances, and holds the job of the home. He feels that if Norah held the job and handled the finances they’d be in a poor financial situation. She is irresponsible in his eyes and he depicts her as nothing more than a money spender and a child. Torvald has a steady job as the bank manager and intends to keep it that way, however he can’t have Norah getting in the way of his work. She continuesly distracts him for more money to spend on the children and eachother for Christmas but at the time he can’t provide. The evidence that Norah is the woman of the house is that she stays home all day and tends to the children. Every time Torvald is working Norah is handling issues with Krogstad, the children, and Ms. Linde. Norah continues to spend time with her children because she honestly doesn’t have much more to do with her time since Torvald refuses to give her access to a job at the bank and more. She does the groceries, feeds the family, and handles social family issues. That’s what most women do in typical society today. However Norah cannot be trusted because she is a liar and deceiving towards anything Torvald asks her about what she did during the day. Anyways it is shown throughout the story that the typical stereotype that women are downgraded in mens eyes is true. Torvald constantly thinks downly of Norah and treats her as a child with nicknames, and her begging him to lend money for household gifts. Personally I believe that men do actually downgrade women in today’s society it’s apparent in every household I’ve been in. Student Essay
A Responsibility of Utmost Importance A Female’s Duty to Understand Her Identity as Discussed in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House All human beings will one day call their identity into question. Whether it is a result of circumstance, a personal epiphany, or the comments of others, he or she will be forced to evaluate their innermost being and decide if that identity is concrete enough to remain unchanged, even when all worldly possessions and relationships are removed. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen forces the reader to consider what defines a person’s identity and how that identity can be controlled by others. The primary setting of this story is the Helmer household where Torvald and Nora Helmer live as husband and wife. In the male-dominated society of nineteenth century Norway, a female’s identity is defined exclusively by her role as a wife and a mother. As a result, Nora’s self-awareness is purely superficial, and apart from her husband, she retains no sense of individuality. This dearth of self-awareness, combined with the manipulative actions of her husband, leads Nora to an identity crisis. She is an adult woman completely incapable of thinking for herself and expressing her ideas. In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, the author utilizes Nora’s lack of self-understanding to emphasize that it is an individual’s duty to discover his or her identity, challenge the values of society, and remove oneself from oppressive influences. In light of her identity crisis, Nora believes that she has been remiss in her duties by allowing herself to be controlled by others. This is best conveyed when Torvald says, “It’s shocking. This is how you would neglect your most sacred duties.” Nora proceeds to ask Torvald what her most sacred duties are, to which he responds her duties as a wife and mother. She then answers, “I have other duties just as sacred… duties to myself.” In this instance, Nora places her personal obligation to discover her identity above responsibility for her household, which stands in stark contrast to the priorities forced upon her by society. Yet, the majority of the society during this time period does not truly comprehend what defines a person. A human being must possess a sense of self, even when removed from all relationships and obligations. In order to withstand suffering and the passage of time, identity must have a strong foundation based upon moral values. Nora’s previous self was shallow and artificial, because it was defined by her role in Torvald’s home rather than introspective thought and self-understanding. Furthermore, in this example, Nora does not regard self-discovery as a mere desire; she implies that it is a mandatory task. In order to be a functioning and responsible member of society, one must first understand his or her own values. Failure to do so is a disservice to society, because it results in unattained potential. Nora knows nothing of the world around her, aside from what she has been taught, and in doing so, she has failed herself and the community to which she might have contributed. She continues to say, “Before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are.” During this time period women are regarded as objects subject to male dominance. Yet, in reality they are human beings who possess dreams and goals. Ambition does not belong exclusively to men. Many people may agree that as a mother, Nora should place her children above all else. However, a mother’s job is to raise her children to understand the world around them and to make sure they can recognize the difference between right and wrong. If a mother does not have a strong sense of morals and self-understanding she cannot properly do this job. Nora understood that her confused personal identity rendered her useless as a mother, so she left her children in order to seek out self-discovery. She regarded such personal education not as a childish wish, but as a legitimate necessity. In her quest to discover her identity, Nora will be forced to challenge the traditional views forced upon her by society. Indeed, she has already begun to do so by borrowing money without her husband’s consent and abandoning her husband and children. When Nora and Torvald were first married, Krogstad lent her a large sum of money without Torvald’s knowledge in order to finance a trip to Italy. This went against all that she was taught, but Nora expresses extreme pride in her actions, because she believes they saved her husband’s life. As a result of the harsh criticism she receives for taking the loan, Nora begins to question the laws of the community. She says, “I find it impossible to convince myself the law is right. According to it a woman has no right to spare her old dying father, or to save her husband’s life.” Nora does not even truly understand religion, that which is supposed to be the foundation of all morals and beliefs. She says, “When I am away from all this, and am alone, I will look into that matter too. I will see if what the clergyman said is true, or at all events if it is true for me.” This quote shows that Nora recognizes that society has dictated what she believes, and in order to find her identity she must challenge all that she has been taught. Much like a hypothesis cannot be proven without experimentation, one cannot determine if he or she agrees with society until typical views are challenged. Nora continues to say, “I am going to see if I can make out who is right, the world or I.” With newfound determination, Nora sets out to evaluate all that she has ever known, and determine if she agrees with those values. Such values can be challenged by living one’s life against the status quo. Though such an individual will likely face ridicule from society, he or she will possess extreme self-awareness after challenging the opinions of others. Some might argue that the status quo is in place for a reason, and that societal views are far stronger and more ethical than those of an individual. However, if the views of society are truly virtuous in nature, they should be able to withstand all opposition. By questioning the values of those around them, citizens can improve upon their community. Such questions are the only way to truly understand one’s identity. Nora Helmer then realizes that in order to construct personal views and opinions, she must remove herself from authoritarian forces, namely her husband. In a speech of indignation, Nora tells Torald, “You and papa have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life.” Much like a child plays with a doll, both men disciplined Nora to think and act a certain way. Nora attributes her lack of achievement and ambition to this manipulative treatment. By controlling every aspect of Nora’s life, Torvald influenced her innermost thoughts and consequently obstructed her sense of self. He attempts to convince Nora that self-discovery is still possible if she stays with him. He insists that their household dynamic will change, and both the children and Nora will receive the proper education. Nora responds, “I must try and educate myself- you are not the man to help me in that. I must do that for myself.” If she remains under his roof, Nora will continue to be only an object constantly subjected to Torvald’s command. Conversely, by leaving him, Nora will allow herself to discover her true identity and express herself as she chooses. Though it is possible that in the aftermath of her epiphany Nora could receive the education she requires while remaining Torvald’s wife, such an outcome is extremely unlikely. Before Nora married Torvald she was controlled by her father. As a result, she has known nothing but oppression her entire life. The habit of seeking the approval of others is so deeply ingrained in her lifestyle that only complete independence will help Nora discover her identity. Nora’s identity crisis serves as a testament to a person’s duty to discover their identity, question traditional values, and escape manipulative forces. Nora Helmer did not understand her own identity, and in doing so, prevented herself from achieving her full potential. This was a disservice to society, because Nora could have contributed to the community. As an independent woman, she also had the responsibility to question the views of others. Progress, innovation, and true self-awareness can only be achieved when capable individuals refuse to follow lifestyles of conformity. In order to achieve this independent state of mind, Nora was forced to remove herself from Torvald’s control. Only by completely separating herself from such tyrannical male presence will she be able to form her own opinions. By rising above the male figures that seek to control her, Nora can become more than a doll, and discover her true self. |
Student Essay
Marriage or Matrimony? “Honey I’m home!” This is one simple phrase that has so much meaning in the past and now. Gender roles are defined in our society without us even realizing it. It is often perceived that a man has to be strong and work and a woman is only needed to watch over children, cook, and clean. In “A Doll’s House” Torvald and Nora have a stereotypical 19th century relationship. Nora had to follow Torvald’s every command. Henrik Ibsen presents the characters living in a male-dominated society, having an unequal marriage, and being obsessed with the idea of needing a man. The society in A Doll’s House is extremely male dominated. In the play Nora borrows money from Krogstad without permission from a man. This wasn’t allowed in the society because everything women wanted to do had to be with the permission of a man. This connects with a male dominated society because without a man, the women had no rights to do anything. Also, in A Doll’s House Krogstad finds out that Nora forged the signature. This would be illegal now, but in the past it was illegal for the wrong reasons. Nora just desperately needed to borrow money, but having a dying father and husband, she couldn’t get a man’s signature so she had to do what she had to do. This proves my thesis because in the male dominated society women didn’t even have the power to take out loans to save a life. Some people might say that when Nora borrowed money it was illegal. That is true, but it was only illegal due to the fact that she couldn’t get a man’s signature. Borrowing money without a husband’s signature would be perfectly legal in today’s society. This is why the setting in A Doll’s House is male dominated. The marriage in A Doll’s House is unequal in every way. Torvald gets to call the shots on everything in the house. He forbids Nora from eating macaroons. Nora showed her defiance by eating them anyway. But, Nora had to hide the macaroons out of fear of being punished for her actions. This proves that she is afraid of Torvald because he holds all the power in the house. Additionally, Torvald had pet names for Nora who more defined her role as a possession rather than an equal. These pet names included, skylark, squirrel, spendthrift, and child. Nora doesn’t undermined Torvald which proves that they were unequal in freedom of speech and actions. Terry Pratchett once said “The girls were expected to grow up to be somebody's wife. They were also expected to read and write, those being considered soft indoor jobs that were too fiddly for the boys.” This quote applies to the roles in A Doll’s House because Nora was just expected to sit at home and look pretty all day. Some people may say that the pet names are endearing. This is wrong because Torvald uses them when he is insulting her and he doesn’t do them to love. Torvald believes that Nora is a lesser, weaker, creature just because she is female. That is why Nora and Torvald’s marriage is unequal. The women in A Doll’s House are obsessed with the idea of needing a man. This is true in that society because needing a man was very important in that society. An example is when Ms. Linde broke up with Krogstad. She truly loved him but he didn’t have the money that she needed to care for her mother and her two brothers. Ms. Linde needed a man to pay for those expenses because she couldn’t borrow money without a husband and she couldn’t get her own job because businesses wouldn’t hire women back then. Similarly, Nora was obsessed with needing a man. Nora would hope that she could get money to pay off her debts. She was hoping that a rich man would be infatuated with her and then die so he would leave her all of his money. This connects to the thesis because Nora was hoping that a man would love her enough to leave her money. Some people may say that the women had no choice but to get the money from men. This is wrong because they could have worked as maids or nannies instead of just marrying for money and hoping that they could be attractive enough to get money. This is why the women in A Doll’s House act dependent on men. In A Doll’s House the characters live in a society run by men, have unequal marriages, and are dependent on men. In the society the women had no freedom or rights. The marriage between Nora and Torvald was completely dominated by Torvald. Finally, Mrs. Linde and Nora both married money instead of love. A Doll’s house brought up many controversial topics. The most controversial of all were the roles of males and females. Student Essay
Gender Roles in Society Gender has played a huge role in society. Men usually are the dominant ones, and women are usually the ones that stay home and clean, and cook. For example in the book The Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. In the play they show examples of extreme feminism. The play expresses how men make most of the decisions, and money, and women just help out, also women have to ask their husband for everything they do. For example Nora said that her father and Torvald treated her like a doll. Another one is that women would not have anything without there husband, because he supports her for all aspects. Torvald made all the money Nora stayed home and watched the kids. Even though they were married Nora still had to ask him about making any decisions. About money, there kids, what she wore for the day. If they went out in public Torvald made her leave when he wanted to even if she wanted to stay. She didn't have any rights it felt like. She was a prisoner. Even though she was rich and had nurses to help her out with the cooking, and cleaning she wasn't happy. Nora said that her father and Torvald treated her like a doll. She wasn't responsible for anything she did. She felt like that because she had no rights as a women she was not a child anymore, she could not make any decisions for herself, her family, or their money. She was stuck being a doll for her father and Torvald. She said “But our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them. That is what our marriage has been, Torvald.” Nora would have nothing without her husband or a man. She makes no money, she has no work ethic. She has never had to work or do anything for herself, or anyone else. She wouldn't know what to do in the real world. In that time it would be extremely difficult for her to survive. She had no money, and only the clothes on her back. Also she had nowhere to go. It would be very difficult to start all over when you have nothing. It is tough being a women. Men have always been above women. They have always been the dominant ones or they make the money. Most women even nowadays are stay at home mothers and rely on their husband. When you have only ever depended on a man, you let them control you. Because without them you have nothing. |