Symbolism in 'A Doll House'
Jasmine Shughoury
Stoltzfus
IB World Lit
1 May 2014
WL#1 Word Count: 1,456
The Use of Symbolism in A Doll House
Author Margaret Trudeau once said, “I can’t be a rose in any man’s lapel” (“I Can’t Be”). This quote expresses exactly what was going through many women’s minds during the 1800’s in Norway. Women had let their husbands control their lives for ages before the 1800’s. Soon, they could no longer stand being the rose in their husbands’ lapel. The women of Norway longed for freedom and began to rebel. Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House, displays what women were going through during that time. The three act play is about Nora, a seemingly typical, submissive housewife, and Torvald, Nora’s condescending, banker husband. In his play he displays the typical relationship between man and wife during that time in Norway. Torvald controls every aspect of Nora’s life, down to what she can and cannot eat. Nora cannot stand being the rose in Torvald’s lapel and eventually, she rebels. Nora rebels, leaves Torvald, and gains her freedom, as many Norwegian women in the 1800’s wished to do. Throughout the play, Ibsen uses Nora as a doll, and the macaroons as her rebellion and freedom to symbolize how women during that time were submissive to their husbands and longed for their independence. The first symbol Ibsen uses to show how women were obedient to men was Nora as a symbol of a doll. From the start of the play one can clearly see how Torvald treats Nora as if she were his little doll. Nora does everything Torvald tells her to do, like dance the Tarantella. When Torvald says he wants her to dance the Tarantella at the dinner party, Nora gives in to his wishes and says, “Nora: Brilliant! But then wasn’t I good as well to give in to you? Helmer: (taking her under the chin) Good—because you give in to your husband’s judgment?” (Ibsen 76; Act 2). This quote shows how Nora gives in to whatever Toravald says. He controls her in every way, as one would control a doll.
Stoltzfus
IB World Lit
1 May 2014
WL#1 Word Count: 1,456
The Use of Symbolism in A Doll House
Author Margaret Trudeau once said, “I can’t be a rose in any man’s lapel” (“I Can’t Be”). This quote expresses exactly what was going through many women’s minds during the 1800’s in Norway. Women had let their husbands control their lives for ages before the 1800’s. Soon, they could no longer stand being the rose in their husbands’ lapel. The women of Norway longed for freedom and began to rebel. Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House, displays what women were going through during that time. The three act play is about Nora, a seemingly typical, submissive housewife, and Torvald, Nora’s condescending, banker husband. In his play he displays the typical relationship between man and wife during that time in Norway. Torvald controls every aspect of Nora’s life, down to what she can and cannot eat. Nora cannot stand being the rose in Torvald’s lapel and eventually, she rebels. Nora rebels, leaves Torvald, and gains her freedom, as many Norwegian women in the 1800’s wished to do. Throughout the play, Ibsen uses Nora as a doll, and the macaroons as her rebellion and freedom to symbolize how women during that time were submissive to their husbands and longed for their independence. The first symbol Ibsen uses to show how women were obedient to men was Nora as a symbol of a doll. From the start of the play one can clearly see how Torvald treats Nora as if she were his little doll. Nora does everything Torvald tells her to do, like dance the Tarantella. When Torvald says he wants her to dance the Tarantella at the dinner party, Nora gives in to his wishes and says, “Nora: Brilliant! But then wasn’t I good as well to give in to you? Helmer: (taking her under the chin) Good—because you give in to your husband’s judgment?” (Ibsen 76; Act 2). This quote shows how Nora gives in to whatever Toravald says. He controls her in every way, as one would control a doll.
Cited: Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll House. Four Major Plays: Volume 1. Trans. Rolf Fjelde. New York: Signet Classic, 1992. 43-144. "I Can’t Be a Rose in Any Man’s Lapel." QuotesFolio. n.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014.