Rachel Bonynge
Mrs. Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
10 December 2014
Mrs. Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
10 December 2014
The difference between men and women is quite obvious: men provide for their family while women take care of their family. That isn’t always the case for
every household but it’s the stereotypical way that women and men are portrayed
on television, in movies, and in books. It doesn’t seem wrong when people see
it in the media because it is presented as everyone’s
dream life. |
Henrik Ibsen explored this façade of how men and women are supposed to act in marriage and in society in his play, A Doll House. Ibsen argues that men and women are launched into stereotyped roles in marriage as a result of societal expectations. Women must break the barrier of what they are expected to do and what they should do, while men have to overcome the constant apprehension to make enormous amounts of money to support their families and enhance their status in society.
The main source of
conflict in the majority of marriages is money. Money plays such a immense role
in marriage and in life because people rely on money to give them exuberance and
delectation. Stereotypically, the man will go and make the money while the
woman stays home and spends it all on reasonable items like groceries and
bills, and unreasonable items like clothes and shoes. Nora, the housewife in The
Doll House, captures the essence of a stereotypical woman when readers are
first introduced to her pleading with her husband for “some money…just as much
as he thinks he can spare” (1094). Readers become very aware that Torvald,
Nora’s husband, has complete power over Nora’s use of money when he replies
“you buy things you don’t need. And then you come back to me for more” (1095).
Ibsen focuses the reader on Torvald's power over Nora when Nora's lines become shorter and more exact. Nora's syntax is transformed from long paragraphs and repetitive diction to abrupt answers and short replies when Torvald began to display power over her actions.
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This scene is a stereotypical demonstration of the control that husbands have over their wives and the dependency that wives have on their husbands. Most wives, like Nora, are forced into positions of reliance on their husband’s success because it is not attractive for a woman to do real work and generate money; therefore, they have to depend on their husband’s income.
Women are supposed to be useless in the workforce because men are supposed to be useless at everything involving home life.
The ridiculous
notion that all women should be stay-at-home-moms has been passed on through
generations. Although it is not a common practice among women
today, at the time the play was written, it was understood that women should not
be trusted with important business decisions and that women did not correspond with
the working world. Ibsen represented this belief through Nora’s character
as she idolizes her husband’s job and takes personal pride in her husband’s
accomplishments without exhibiting any desire to join the work force herself.
Readers speculate that Nora is not intelligent enough to want to work since she
portrays herself as a child in her attitude and in her actions. However,
readers soon find out that she could attain a position in the work force since
she is resourceful enough to borrow and pay back “twelve hundred specie
dollars” (1101) without anyone finding out.
Her criminal behavior justifies to readers that Nora stereotyped herself
into a housewife because she knows that that is her role in her marriage and in
society. Nora does not have to rely
on her husband for financial freedom but she does in order fit in with the
norms of society and her own concept of reality.
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In relation to Nora, Torvald is a perfect pawn in the game of “how a marriage should be”. He does everything that is required of him: supports his family, makes sure his wife is complacent, and maintains his business status. Torvald is enveloped in being a stereotypical husband to the extent that he will do anything to keep the façade up to his coworkers and peers. He demonstrates his superficial thoughts when Nora begs him to hire Krogstad, a criminal businessman, at Torvald’s office. Torvald sternly responds, “Do you want to make myself look bad in front of my whole staff—make people think I can be swayed by just anybody?” (1122). Ibsen captures Torvald's reaction to Nora's suggestion when he incorporates dashes into Torvald's speech. The dashes represent Torvald's consideration of the idea but quickly redirecting his decision based on what others would think of him. Torvald could not fathom people thinking that his wife would propose a business idea to him and that he would actually consider it. He couldn’t imagine people believing that he was not living the stereotypical lifestyle that he had always strived for.
Torvald’s dramatic
desire to be perceived as the stereotypical husband became well known
to readers when he realized the depth of Nora’s deception. Torvald was abhorred when
he finally found out that Nora had borrowed money from Krogstad and forged her
father’s signature. He became unreasonably upset and began to scheme ways to
camouflage the problems that he had with Nora; he realized that her
behavior would dissolve his “perfect male image”.Torvald shifted his tone from loving husband to demanding boss as he realized the lies he would have to tell and the social burden that this would cause. He sanctioned
Nora by telling her that “the whole affair must be kept quiet at whatever cost”
(1146), even though neither one would be happy in the relationship any longer.
However, Torvald remarked that “it’s not a question about happiness any more
but of hanging onto what can be salvaged--appearances” (1146).
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Torvald made it perfectly clear that if he didn’t have the stereotypical life that he valued, he was still going to make sure people believed he did to measure up to the expectations of others.
Social
expectations are the reason behind stereotypes in men and women. It seems foolish
for people to be so dependent on what society wants them to do; however, it
is sadly engrained in how humans function. Most people seem to be compliant with stereotypes like Torvald, but there must be people
who rise above social protocol and live outside of the norm like Nora. After
Torvald expressed the love that he
really had for Nora, Nora ceased the marriage. She took a stand and discovered
what she really wanted in life. Ultimately, she decided that she didn’t want to
be his “doll” and wanted to “try and become a human being” (1151); she didn’t
want to be a stereotype anymore (Click the video to see a clip from the last scene in the movie). Nora finally realized that people can only be perfect for so long.
Works cited
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Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print.
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"Henrik Ibsen Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014>.
Life Can Be Wonderful. Digital Image. Tales Of Faerie. Blogspot.com, 5 July 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. <http://talesoffaerie.blogspot.com/2014/07/fairy-tales- in-context-20th-century.html>.
McLeod, S. A. "Stereotypes | Simply Psychology." Stereotypes | Simply Psychology. Dictionary Of Psychology, 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html>.
Metsys, Quentin. The Money Lender And His Wife. Digital Image. Listupon. Louvre Museum, 26 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. <http://www.listupon.com/top-10- paintings-in-the-louvre/http://www.listupon.com/top-10-paintings-in-the-louvre/>.
Walter, Donna. Fifties Housewife. Digital Image. American Memory Of The 1950s Housewife. The Michigan Journal, 11 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Dec. 2014. http://americanmemoryofthe1950shousewif.bgsu.wikispaces.net/One+Housewife%27s+Recollections"
"Henrik Ibsen Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/henrik-ibsen-37014>.