Analysis of Henrik Isbens A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

Act I AnalysisAct I, in the tradition of the well do play in which the first act serves as an exposition, the second an event, and the third an unraveling (though Ibsen diverges from the traditional third act by presenting not an unraveling, but a discussion), establishes the tensions that lard later in the play. Ibsen sets up the Act by first introducing us to the central issue Nora and her relation to the exterior world (Nora entering with her packages). Nora serves as a symbol for women of the time women who were thought to be content with the luxuries of modern society with no thought or care of the world in which they lived. Indeed, there is virtually truth in this (the extent of this is debatable). As the play reveals, Nora does delight in material wealth, having been labeled a spendthrift from an early age. She projects the lieu that money is the severalize to happiness. By presenting this theme of the relationship between women and their surroundings at the beginning, Ib sen indicates to the reader that this is the most basic and important idea at work in the play. However, it is excessively clear that Noras simplistic approach to the world is not entirely her fault. Torvalds treatment of Nora as a small helpless child only contributes to Noras isolation from reality. on the dot as Nora relates to the exterior world primarily through material objects, Torvald relates to Nora as an object to be possessed. The question becomes who is more detached from reality? Though Torvalds attitude pervades every word he speaks to Nora, his objectification of her is most evident in his use of animal imagery. He refers to her as his little lark and squirrelsmall harmless animals. Similarly, Torvald repeatedly calls Nora his little one or little girl, maintaining the approach of a father rather than husband. Nora is fully dependent on Torvald, from money to diet (the macaroons) and, because she is so sheltered, her perception of the world is romanticized. Noras sk ewed vision of the world is most evident in her interactions with Mrs. Linde. Whereas her old school friend is wizened and somber, Nora is impetuous. Her choice to tell Mrs. Linde some her secret seems to be more of a boast of a small child than a thoughtful adult in fact, Nora only reveals her secret after(prenominal) being called a child by Mrs.