...Critical Analysis of "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was a controversial play for its time because it questioned society's basic rules and norms. Multiple interpretations can be applied to the drama, which allows the reader to appreciate many different aspects of the play. This paper examines how both Feminist and Marxist analyses can be applied as literary theories in discussing Ibsen's play because both center on two important subject matters in the literary work: the roles of women in a male-dominated society, and, the power that money has over people. In Marxism it is believed that a person's thoughts, behaviors and relationships with others are all influenced by the individual’s social class and economic conditions. In addition, the Marxist approach looks at the mechanics of the system where the working class or the subordinates of society are kept powerless and dependent upon the higher classes. A common theme found in A Doll's House, is the exploitation of the weak and the poor by the strong and the rich, and an obsession with material possessions and social status. The characters in the play are all affected by the lack or acquisition of money, and their entire lives and way of thinking are based upon it. In the beginning of the play, Nora’s outlook on life and her desires are completely consumed by wealth and material things. For instance, in Act I when Nora returns home from a shopping trip, she asks her maid to hide the Christmas...
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...An Analysis of Act One Nora and Kristine Linde Henrik Ibsen can be considered one the most key influential figures in the development and motivation of theatre throughout history. An “ardent advocate of selffreedom, self-emancipation, and self-control”¹ Ibsen used his plays as a medium to challenge his audience about the flaws in their society, using his characters to mirror it and show the need for change. A Doll’s House is one of the most significant, and arguably the first, examples of Ibsen’s modernism, the protagonist, Nora, journeys throughout the play to become the ‘New Woman’ torn between society’s traditional values and her “duty to [herself].”² Transformation is one of the most important themes within A Doll’s House, and in fact in many of Ibsen’s plays, but for Ibsen to show his audience the benefits of this metamorphosis they must first witness the stages and reasons for development. Nora, the protagonist of this problem play, is the largest, but not only, character to show change and we can see this by contrasting the girlish Nora seen at the beginning of the play to the woman she has become by the end. One of the most important techniques Ibsen uses is that of “parallelisms”³ , each character appears to be paired with another and they have, essentially, a role reversal. For Nora her foil is Mrs Kristine Linde, an old school friend who has turned up on her doorstep out of the blue secretly in search of a job. MRS. LINDE [subdued and rather hesitantly]. How do...
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...Inferior Role of a Married Woman Nora in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen Mengdan Shen Theatre and Drama 120 Section 319 Ashley Bellet December 9, 2015 Before the twentieth century’s feminism movement, European females suffered from their unfair and discriminated positions in marriage and in society. In his masterpiece A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen creates Nora, a housewife who is dependent financially and socially on her husband, Helmer. Ibsen uses Nora’s marriage to depict and embody the unequal treatment to females in nineteenth century Europe. As another playwright Ella Hickson reviewed this play and commented on the character of Nora: As we meet her (Nora) in the first two acts she is very much Helmer’s possession. She lives in a house to which she doesn’t have a key for the letter box, she must ask Helmer for any money she needs, she is forced to lie about eating sweets, she must practice dancing when Helmer tells her and she must dress up in the clothes that Helmer likes. These demands, while shrouded in the soft, cooing language of affection, place Nora somewhere between a slave and a child. Hickson 2 Nora is treated as doll and a plaything owned by Helmer, and she is not expected and allowed to make serious decisions for their household. Also, she does not have much independent financial ability in the society as a housewife due to the social codes. Therefore, as an inferior role in the marriage, she is not treated with enough respect and appreciation...
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...Hamartia in Oedipus the King According to the Aristotelian characteristics of good tragedy, the tragic character should not fall due to either excessive virtue or excessive wickedness, but due to what Aristotle called hamartia. Hamartia may be interpreted as either a flaw in character or an error in judgement. Oedipus, the tragic character in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, certainly makes several such mistakes; however, the pervasive pattern of his judgemental errors seems to indicate a basic character flaw that precipitates them. Oedipus’ character flaw is ego. This is made evident in the opening lines of the prologue when he states "Here I am myself--you all know me, the world knows my fame: I am Oedipus." (ll. 7-9) His conceit is the root cause of a number of related problems. Among these are recklessness, disrespect, and stubbornness. Oedipus displays an attitude of recklessness and disrespect throughout the play. When he makes his proclamation and no one confesses to the murder of Laius, Oedipus loses patience immediately and rushes into his curse. Later, he displays a short temper to Tiresias: "You, you scum of the earth . . . out with it, once and for all!," (ll. 381, 383) and "Enough! Such filth from him? Insufferable--what, still alive? Get out--faster, back where you came from--vanish!" (ll. 490-492) If an unwillingness to listen may be considered stubbornness, certainly Oedipus would take advice from no one who would tell him to drop the matter of his...
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...Brand and Peer Gynt which were long, historical verse plays. And in 1862, with Love's Comedy, became known in his own country as a playwright of promise. Seven years later, in the starting of 1869, he began to write prose plays, giving up the verse form. Some critics characterize this switch as an abandonment of poetry in favor of realism. In the same year, discouraged with the reception given to his work and out of sympathy with the social and intellectual ideals of his country, he left Norway, not to return for a period of nearly thirty years. He established himself first at Rome, later in Munich. In 1877, Ibsen began what would become a series of five plays in which he examines the moral faults of modern society. The group includes A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, and Ghosts. Late in life he returned to Christiania, where he died May 23, 1906. . IN the entire history of literature, there are few figures like Ibsen. Practically his whole life and energies were devoted to the theater; and his offerings, medicinal and bitter, have changed the history of the stage. Until the latter part of...
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...Privatization, Public Schools, School Violence, School Vouchers, Teaching, Technology and Education, Test and Testing, Writing English Composition Essays - Analitical, Autobiographical, Argument, Cause/Effect, Classification, Compare/Contrast, Comparison, Conversation, Creative+Writing, Critical, Deductive, Definition, Descriptive, Description, Dialog, Division, Exploratory, Expository, Informative, Interview, Inquiry, Journalistic, Narration, Observation. Personal Narrative, Place, Profile, Process, Proposal English Literature and Literary Analysis - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A & P, Antigone, Apocalypse Now, Araby, The Awakening, Barn Burning, Beowulf, Beloved, Bible, Birthmark, Blade Runner, The Bluest Eye, Candide, Canterbury Tales, Catcher in the Rye, Cathedral, Chrysanthemums, A Clockwork Orange, The Color Purple, Comparing Literary Works, Crime and Punishment, Death of a Salesman, Death in Venice, Desiree's Baby, A Doll's House, Dr. Faustus, Epic of Gilgamesh, Everyday Use, A Farewell to Arms, Frankenstein, The Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, Glass Menagerie, Gulliver's Travels, The Handmaid's Tale, Heart of Darkness, The Iliad, Invisible Man, Jane Eyre, The Joy Luck Club, The Lottery, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Metamorphosis, My Antonia, My Papa's Waltz, Neuromancer, The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, On the Road, Oresteia, Paradise Lost, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Pride and Prejudice, A Raisin in...
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...The Concept of the Outsider Literature often persecutes the most vulnerable, a person who lacks support and therefore power within society. Described by Terry Eagleton for The Guardian as the “literary mainstream”; these characters are often referred to as the Outsider due to their exclusion from the community in which the text is set. The characters who are referred to as Outsiders can be portrayed in different ways; their initial exclusion from society can ultimately lead to a narrative of their acquisition of power throughout the text but similarly, can portray a story of their maintenance of the minimal power they have over the course of the text’s plot. However, this is not to argue that some Outsiders presented within literature do not have power over the course of the development of the text so, as a consequence, remain excluded from the society. In this case, the text would then be considered an exposition of the character’s experience from their position in society rather than the author’s attempt of trying to integrate their character into society through their work. Furthermore, the author themselves may be considered an Outsider through their own status in society; they command their readers to be Outsiders themselves within the novel. As well as to read and observe the narrative in order to emulate the same feeling within themselves, within the reader or to have a specific impact on the issues surrounding humanity at the time. The contrast in the ways in which...
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...Introduction to the Theatre CTH 101 3 Winter 2013 Meeting Times: Mon/Wed. 4.30 – 5.45 p.m. Instructor: Kiara Pipino Office: 243 LSH Telephone: 331-8076 Email: pipinok@gvsu.edu Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays from 12.45– 2.45 pm & Tuesdays 1 – 3.30 pm by advanced appointment only. Course Description: This class is an exploration and hands-on study of the basic components of theatre, including acting, directing, playwriting, producing, theatre history, theatre design and technology. This course satisfies the Arts Foundation General Education requirement. It is intended to introduce the student to all aspects of theatre by way of active participation including group projects and creative thinking. Theatre is an interactive art form, which requires active participation from the student. Class participation includes attending the University’s productions and discussing them: students will be encouraged to build their own opinions and share them with the rest of the class. This course will foster the students’ personal creativity while promoting an understanding of the theatrical process and the integral role of theatre in society. Goals: 1. To gain an appreciation for theatre as a fine art. 2. To become familiar with the components of theatre. 3. To become familiar with the various types of theatre artists who collaborate to create the art form. 4. To develop a critical and informed appreciation for theatre in performance...
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...Character Analysis In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen there is a controversial argument about whether or not Nora Helmer the main character is a hero or not. Throughout the play Nora carries out certain acts of behavior that wouldn’t be considered heroic on the surface but underneath they would. Throughout the play Nora is treated like Torvald’s pet or property not his wife, he looks at her as nothing more than a belonging. Nora is the “doll” wife of Torvald meaning she is just playing a roll and has no say. Little does he know she is actually caring, independent, and brave not just a pet. In the first act when the audience is first introduced to Nora you get the illusion that she is a perfect wife and the only problem she has is spending her husband’s money by shopping a lot. By giving the image of her being a perfect wife it is comparing her to a doll, because dolls have no flaws. As Nora and Torvalds dialogue proceeds you get the sense that Nora is viewed as a pet to Torvald. He calls her pet names such as “his little lark”, “squirrel”, “spendthrift”, and “sweet tooth” (Ibsen 1281-1283). In Torvalds eyes Nora is not viewed as his equal but his property. By Torvald talking to Nora like this he is degrading her. Also in the first act it is revealed that Nora has made some arrangements to keep the household afloat without informing Torvald. Nora lied to her husband not because she wanted to but because she had too. Torvald is a typical man of the 1800th century. Men during...
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...Ansley Brackett English 1102 Frank Inscoe October 6th, 2013 Character Analysis Essay A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen twists through three acts to peel back the layers of each character to show who and what they really are at the core. Each of the characters makes drastic changes over the course of the story. Nils Krogstad makes changes from a mysterious untrusted antagonist to a jilted lover and devoted father. The author sets the audience up for role reversals by all of the characters but I find that Krogstad’s change to be the most interesting and the most essential to the story. The play is set during a time where honor and respect are held in high regard, even more so than the duty to family or love. Although the audience doesn’t know it, Krogstad has done some vile things in the past. He receives no respect from any of the main characters and Nora is even warned by Dr. Rank that he is not to be trusted saying Krogstad “suffers from diseased moral character”. (Pg. 19 line 16) This is a very strong description coming from the trusted doctor. As the character is developed further we see that is just as vulnerable and human as Nora. In the opening act Krogstad is revealed as a villain. After waiting for Torvald to leave he returns to the home to speak to Nora. On page 23 he enters the home without notice and stands in the hallway. To the audience, his intentions are unknown, and as he silently watches Nora play with the children. Nora has already been warned that he is not...
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...How imagination being develops in Montessori Environment Maybe the most definite difference between traditional early childhood program and Montessori classroom is the absence of fantasy character in Montessori prepared environment. We have seen many facts that prove how fantasy dangerous for our kids mind. My brother had a terrified experience when he still 5 years old. He jumped in to a garbage pit that full of fires while wearing batman costumes. He saw at television as a batman, nothing can harm him. The most extreme things maybe what was happen in Britain, where Zach Avery (4 years old) and Coy Mathis (7 years old) that really ‘inspired’ with character of Dora the Explorer in television. Even they were born as male, but as toddler they choose items traditionally associated with Dora that grew his hair, wore lots of pink, like tutus and swimsuits featuring the cartoon character Dora the Explorer. Even though few doctor diagnosed them with Gender Identity Disorder, but it’s still in controversy As parents and teacher, we must aware of this. Because young children are naïve- they believe all that they are told. The world is a new and wonderful place for young children, and one marked by ability to absorbed seemingly endless amounts of information from the environment around him or her. Fantasy characters are not only unnecessary, they also quite damaging. Because children believe what they are told, and because they lack the experience to it information within accurate beliefs...
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...Literary Review of “Hedda Gabler” Karyn Bentley Galen College of Nursing Literary Review of “Hedda Gabler” Never, able to find true happiness, Hedda settled for what society deemed she should; a wife, the perfect host, and soon to be mother. The only true happiness Hedda enjoyed was causing unhappiness for others as she manipulated others into sharing their secrets. Not even Hedda was immune to her games as she desperately tried to amuse herself by creating chaos for others. Hedda’s fear of scandal ended in what she described as beautiful but others found insignificant. Major Themes The first major theme is one of individual versus the group or society, Hedda is constantly trying to manipulate to obtain some type of happiness. Ibsen takes great care to reveal Hedda’s manipulative behavior is the result of her desire to have some power over her life and she can only do that by trying to gain power over others in “the group”. Ibsen reveals to the reader, Hedda is nothing more than a victim to the pressures of society placed on women in Norway in 1890. Hedda marries a man who she does not love, simply because she was running out of time according to society’s clock. The reader is left unsure for quite a while if Hedda is pregnant or not but Hedda will have children not because she desires to be a mother but because she is supposed to. Self-Liberation versus Self Renunciation is another major theme Ibsen exhibits out of Hedda’s belief that the only or ultimate...
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...comparing oneself to an idealistic notion of female beauty and behaviour, one can only expect to feel demoralized, discouraged and devalued. Indeed, "Barbie Doll," the title of the poem, symbolizes society’s view of a perfect woman; the way society expects every woman to be. In fact, by using “Barbie Doll” as the title to her poem, Marge Piercy wants the reader to compare and contrast the adolescent’s appearance to that of a Barbie doll. Stereotypically, Mattel’s Barbie dolls have tall, thin yet curvy bodies, with symmetrical, perfect facial features, blonde hair and blue eyes. This, in turn, leads to the protagonist’s void of self-confidence. Additionally, living up to such standards - all the while being a housewife who must clean the house, raise the children and please her husband - is very demanding on the female gender. Moreover, the doll is symbolic of the ways that women themselves have been plasticized and turned into something they’re not. As a matter of fact, by trying to live up to these societal standards, women can’t rely on natural beauty. For instance, at the end of the poem, the young girl is wearing makeup, has “a putty nose” and is “dressed in a pink and white nightie”. This array of beauty enhancers adds to the young girl’s...
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...4212 SEPTEMBER 15, 2010 TIMOTHY LUEHRMAN HEIDE ABELLI New Heritage Doll Company: Capital Budgeting In mid-September of 2010, Emily Harris, vice president of New Heritage Doll Company’s production division, was weighing project proposals for the company’s upcoming capital budgeting meetings in October. Two proposals stood out based on their potential to strengthen the division’s innovative product lines and drive future growth. However, due to constraints on financial and managerial resources, Harris knew it was possible that the firm’s capital budgeting committee would decline to approve both projects. She also knew that New Heritage’s licensing and retail divisions would promote compelling projects of their own. Consequently, Harris had to be prepared to recommend one of her projects over the other. The Doll Industry Revenues in the U.S. toy and game industry totaled $42 billion in 2008 and were projected to increase by 4.6% per year to $52.5 billion by 2013. The market was divided into two broad segments: video games (48%) and traditional toys and games (52%). The second segment was further divided into infant/preschool toys (14.5%), dolls (14.1%), outdoor & sports toys (12.3%), and other toys & games (59.1%) including arts and crafts, plush toys, action figures, vehicles, and youth electronics. The U.S. market for toys and games was dominated by large global enterprises that enjoyed economies of scale in design, production, and distribution. Revenues...
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...Specimen Papers and Mark Schemes for English Literature For first AS Examination in 2009 For first A2 Examination in 2010 Subject Code: 5110 Contents Specimen Papers Assessment Unit AS 2 Assessment Unit A2 1 Resource Booklet Assessment Unit A2 2 1 3 9 15 25 Mark Schemes Assessment Unit AS 2 Assessment Unit A2 1 Assessment Unit A2 2 29 31 61 95 Subject Code QAN QAN 5110 500/2493/0 500/2421/8 A CCEA Publication © 2007 Further copies of this publication may be downloaded from www.ccea.org.uk Specimen Papers 1 2 ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY (AS) General Certificate of Education 2009 English Literature Assessment Unit AS 2 assessing The Study of Poetry Written after 1800 and the Study of Prose 1800-1945 SPECIMEN PAPER TIME 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Write your Centre number and Candidate Number on the Answer Booklet provided. Answer two questions. Answer one question from Section A and one question from Section B. Section A is open book. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The total mark for this paper is 120. All questions carry equal marks, ie 60 marks for each question. Quality of written communication will be assessed in all questions. 3 Section A: The Study of Poetry Written after 1800 Answer one question on your chosen pairing of poets. Heaney: Opened Ground Montague: New Selected Poems 1 John Montague and Seamus Heaney both write about the Irish past. Compare and contrast the two poets’...
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