A Doll’s house by Henrik Ibsen (Essay)
Essay over a dolls house by Henrik Ibsen, which is a play in composition 2 college class book, focus on explaining how one element of the play like character or setting (or 2 related ones, like plot and conflict or character and dialogue) serves to promote the effects the author seeks to achieve, needs pre writing and rough draft.
A Doll’s House is a remarkable work of Henrik Ibsen. It is a realistic drama written by utilizing modern prose. The play depicts an era of around 1879 with Norway as the place of setting. The play is drafted on the belief and conceptions of the older times when marriage was considered an unbreakable bound and wives were supposed to approach husband for every decision.
The play beautifully portrayed the process of realization of the two characters that made them discover the truth beside norms of the time. The protagonist (Nora), struggle towards self realization which is the major conflict of the play. She has been threatened by Krogstad for disclosure of her secret of the loan taken from the bank as an act of sacrifice for her husband. The attitude of her husband after knowing the secret shows the selfish behaviour as a symbol of oppressive nature of the society.
The play has two core characters Torvald Helmer and Nora. The characters support the theme of the play with different element of motifs, symbols and settings etc.
The play depicts the transformation of Nora (wife of Torvald Helmer) into a new identification. Since the beginning of the play author have shown Nora under deep confused thoughts that aroused out of her problem. The lady have lent loan from bank at times of her husband illness to fulfil her financial requirements. She also placed forged signature on the documentation in the course of the process. Her action out of distress because of her husband’s illness and financial constraints for his treatment accused her for rebelliousness, as the females of the time were not allowed for such bold decisions. However, the act was disclosed before his husband who came out to be an austere authority with no mercy for pardon against the action. The very attitude of Dorval Helmer made Nora realize the true grounds of her marriage which came out more to be a social commitment than love.
Therefore, the theme of the play revolves around the loving and willing nature of women, obligations of society and its filial adherence and conflicted sides of appearances. Likewise, the symbols (these include objects, characters, figures or colours) used in the drama are also cultivated with a proficiency to support the theme with the best attributes.
The major symbols utilized in the play include the Christmas tree and the New Year’s Day. The Christmas tree used in the play depicts various meanings the most prominent of which is the status of the lady in house. The Christmas tree symbolises the prominent place and decorative aspect of the lady in the house. By the climax of the drama, Nora finds her position in the house no more than a decorative object used for beautification and adds value to the house and amongst the social circle. Furthermore, a number of parallels are crafted in the play between the two. For example, as Nora instructs the maid to not to show the Christmas tree to kids until it is fully decorated. The sequential flow is also drafted with Nora telling her husband that she is not interested to show her dress to any one until the dance in the evening. Likewise, in the second Act stage of the drama, Nora is shown in a distressed position with deteriorating psychological condition, at the same time the illustration of Christmas tree is drawn as a dishevelled object. Thus, the depiction of the symbol of Christmas tree is carefully crafted to nurture the theme with comprehensible effects. The other element of symbol utilised in the play is that of the New Year’s Day. The main event that supports the core theme of the play takes place of New Year’s Day. It is the day when the couple is enthusiastic for upcoming positive changes in life with Torvald’s new job. This occurrence trailed other excitements for the couple. For example Torvald was happy with enhanced earning power and recognition he expects at work. Likewise, Nora was looking forward for the settling her loan. Therefore, the theme of adherence to social obligations is supported here in with the symbol of New Year’s Day or Christmas Eve. However, unfortunately by the end of the day the excitement went ash with the disclosure of the secret loan taken by Nora from Krogstad. This impression of the symbol supports the unreliable or conflicted appearances of the entities. In the end, the climax is drafted with the exploration of Nora into a new self and her realization of her marriage as a mere pact of social norm. On the other hand, Torvald was also considerate for his altered state and changed life style. Thus, the symbol of New Year’s Day and Christmas Evening marks the theme of new beginning with zealous mode and submission of the two to reality to head towards their new lives and personalities.
Reference;
Ibsen, Henrik. A doll's house. Rome and Amalfi,: Copenhagen , 1879.
