A Dolls House: Nora Essay -- A Dolls House Essays

ANANALYSISOFNORA, THE MEN IN HER LIFE,ANDHERNAVIGATATIONTO INDEPENDENCE     Theplay,ADollHouse,writtenbyHenrikIbsenin1879,isconsideredalandmarkindramaforits im psycheationofrealisticpeople,places,andsituations.Ibsenconfineshisstorytothemiddleclass.He compilesofasocietythatis limitednot onlybyitsmeansoflivelihoodbut as well asitsoutlook.Ibsenportrayshis characters aspreoccupiedwithworkandm one(a)y, showing a reduction of valuesinand that lack of quality persons with morals.Ibsentakesthisrealisticstoryandinvestsitwithuniversalsignificance.Wrappedupinthetechniqueofthiswellconstructed play, Ibsenis masterfulinhispresentationofnotonlyrealism,but heholdsamirrorupto thesocietyof his daylight byusingthe malefiguresascatalystsforNorasultimateknowledgeofself-actualization.Heaccomplishesthiswithsuchprecision thattheaudiencemightnotbeaware allthesubtletiesthatarecreatingtheirtheatricalexperience.     InA Doll House,Noraforgesthenameofherfatherandrisksdama ginghermarried mansgoodname.HenrikIbsenoffersremarkableinsightintothenineteenthcenturypreoccupationwiththefamilyandthe typeofthefather, and what usage is projected upon those who are subjugated to him.Thisplaytakesupthesubjectofstrongwomenandweakmen at heart the plot. Aprominenttheme at bottomthisdramaisthedeteriorationofthemale,who is awareofhisroleasa"fatherfigure". This decomposition is observed by the female protagonist (Nora). It is this descent that the role of the father figure is shaped, while creating thecatalystfor the catharsis orchangeinNora.     Whenthefemaleprotagonistchallengespatriarchalauthority,shedoessobyundermininginoneformoranotherboththedominantmaleandhisfamilyname. ThefollowinganalysisfocusesonNorasultimaterealizationthatshemustbeanemancipatedpersontobehertrueself.Hernavigationthroughtheelementsofcrisesarefocusedthroughthefather-figuresinherlife.Thejourneytowardsherself-actualizationandrisingfreedomcan be foundwithinherrelationshi pswiththemeninherlife.Thisultimatelyidentifiestherelevantthematicelementsthatarepivo... ...hechoosesinsteadtoseeherselfassomeoneinprocess,inastateofbecoming, alternativelythanof havingdefinedbeing.Noradiscoversthatbecauseherownsignaturehadnovalue,shehadtotakethenameofthedead/absentfather. Eventuallyrealizingthatshecannotescapetheghostorthenameoftheabsenthusband/father.     Thus, through Noras association and interaction with her father figures she, in a broader sense,hintsatthe possibilityofanew dynamic for the family and society as a whole. A time in which the person, no matter the gender, is allowed to sign for him or herself rather, than use the name of an father. InA Doll HouseNoradiscoversherselfdisenfranchisedand unbodiedbyherfathers/husbandsname.This only occurs by virtue of her inner resolve and the inherit flaws Ibsen has given to the male characters of the play. She finallyrejects both her father and husbandandaffirms her ambition towriteherowndestiny. Works CitedIbsen, Henrik. A Doll House . Drama A HarperCollins Pocket Anthology. ed. R. S.      Gwynn. New York HarperCollins. 1993. 153-212.