A Doll House
A Doll House written by Henrik Ibsen is a realist play written in the 19th century. The use of symbolism, metaphors and dramatic irony were used by Ibsen to portray the expected role of the 19th century wife. The choice of Ibsen’s material and its presentation show that the author expected some contribution from women toward the solution of the cultural and social problems. ( Nesarimus 33) The use of these literary terms allowed the reader to see how Nora, in a sense, rebelled against what was expected of her. A Doll House contained a feminist message which brought questions to the table in regards to the role of women in society.
Symbolism is portrayed throughout the play. A symbol, defined by Oxford English Dictionary online, is something that stands for, represents, or denotes something else: not by exact resemblance but by vague suggestion or by some accidental or conventional relation. (Oxford Second Edition 1989) Nora’s fancy dress costume, the Christmas tree and the Tarantella dance symbolized the movement towards freedom of a woman victim to her society. Nora’s fancy dress costume was chosen by Torvald. Nora wore the dress for him. This reinforced the idea that it was Nora’s superficial qualities, such as her beauty, that Torvald most appreciated and was interested in. In Act II the Nurse brought the dress to Nora. (Ibsen 2205) Nora discovered the dress to be torn. It was Mrs. Linde’s idea to repair the dress. Nora on the other hand looked at the dress as if it was beyond repair. The difference in how Mrs. Linde and Nora looked at the dress symbolized how they viewed the marriage of Nora and Torvald. Mrs. Linde believed that if Nora was truthful with her husband the marriage could be repaired like the dress. Nora believed that her actions of dishonesty and forgery sent her marriage to point beyond repair. In Nora’s eyes her dress and marriage were not repairable. Another symbolic object used by Ibsen is the...
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