Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, at the time Henrik Ibsen wrote his play "A Doll's House", the popular culture of the day encouraged women to focus obsessively on their home and families. The author relates that Torvald's attitude towards Nora is reflected throughout the play in his use of amusing names for her, which emphasize his superior position; the only time he calls her by her real name Nora is when he is lecturing her about her careless spending, scolds her for speaking to Krogstad and essentially orders her to never lie to him. The paper relates that, while clearly Torvald sees Nora as an entertaining child who must be guided, Nora's conversations with her friend Mrs. Linde show that, to some extent, he is right.

Table of Contents
Thesis
Introduction
Women at the End of the 19th Century and the "Cult of Domesticity"
How Torvald Relates to Nora
Examples from Act I
Examples from Act II
Examples from Act III
How Nora Relates to Torvald
Manipulation
Lies
Nora's Solution

From the Paper:

"Finally, she lies and says that one of the children tampered with the mailbox. Nora is distressed by her lying, believing as Torvald does that her lies may somehow result in the ruination of her children. Nora's life as a wife is defined by the "cult of domesticity." Her action to get a loan to save her husband's life was a strong and independent thing to do, and in conflict with beliefs at that time regarding women. She had to hide her actions or risk looking like a woman who did not know how to behave properly."

More papers on Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House":

• Analytical Essay # 8140 : "Ibsen's "A Doll House"
• Analytical Essay # 64855 : "Marital Relationships in Ibsen's "Doll House"
• Analytical Essay # 58442 : "Relationships in "A Doll House"
• Analytical Essay # 103912 : "Misogyny in Henrik Ibsen's Plays"

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