A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen

Thesis Statement

The use of symbolism, metaphors and dramatic irony were used by Ibsen to portray the expected role of the 19th century wife.

Introduction

A Doll House written by Henrik Ibsen is a realist play written in the 19th century. (Törnqvist: 123-135)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. 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. (Griffith: 85-86)

Discussion

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. (Brockett: 88) 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 Christmas tree. The Christmas tree symbolized Nora's role in the household. A Christmas tree is a decoration used to bring joy and warmth to a home. Nora's position in the home was like that of the tree. She was to look good and be seen not heard. At the beginning of the second act the stage directions indicate that the Christmas tree is “disheveled”. (Ibsen 2205) The tree being disheveled symbolized Nora's psychological condition. At that point in the play Nora's dishonest ways had caught up with her. The Christmas tree showed a sign of break down just as Nora did. Nora was unable to keep her emotions and guilty actions contained. By Christmas day the Christmas tree was stripped of its decorations and Nora was stripped from the hope her secret would not be revealed. Nora believed at that point in the play that Krogstad's letter would inevitably be read by her husband revealing her secret. The marriage was left waiting its destiny like that of ...