Essay on Visual Symbols in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen

A Dolls House, written in 1879, is one of the most famous works by playwright Henrik Ibsen, the founder of modern realistic prose drama. It tells the story of a nineteenth century bourgeoisie woman who breaks the chains of society that determine her role in life in order to find herself. The female protagonist Nora lives a perfectly comfortable and seemingly carefree life until her husband Torvald Helmer falls ill. She is forced to forge a signature on a contract that would enable her to borrow enough money from a lawyer named Nils Krogstad to travel to southern Italy to save his life. When Torvald finds out what she did and becomes infuriated rather than grateful for the wife who loves him enough to save his life, Nora realizes that†¦show more content†¦Torvald usually precedes each of these terms with the words my little, indicating possession as well as demotion. The Christmas tree brought into the Helmer household and decorated in Act I is again mentioned in the stage di rections at the beginning of Act II, where it is described as stripped of ornament with burned-down candle stubs on its ragged branches. The tree represents Noras mood. In the beginning, she expresses joy and lightheartedness at the thought of how close she is to paying off her debt to Krogstad completely. After the unpleasant visit from Krogstad, in which he threatened to reveal everything she did for her husband, she is tossed back into a state of anxiety and despair over the possibility of being exposed. Like the tree that is stripped of its ornament, Nora is stripped of her happiness. The fact that the play is set during the holiday season is in itself significant. Christmas is a merry occasion that takes place towards the end of one year before transition to the next one. Likewise, Noras safe domestic life as she has always known it is about to change. In the event that Krogstad reveals everything to her husband, her relationship with Torvald would never be the same. The days b efore the revelation are the final happy days of their marriage, after which Nora plans to escape the wrath of her husband either by committing suicide orShow MoreRelated Symbolism in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen Essay example2771 Words   |  12 PagesSymbolism in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen      Ã‚   A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen is perhaps one of the most hotly debated plays to come out of the 19th century.   The 19th century continued the process of the demystification that began with the Enlightenment.   Because of the discoveries of the Enlightenment, humans could no longer be sure about their place in the universe.   This, of course, had an impact on the theater.   The movement toward realism, which, like the 19th century in generalRead MoreHenrik Ibsen’s Symbolism in A Doll House695 Words   |  3 PagesA Doll House was written in 1879 by playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen is known as the creator of modern realistic style drama. 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