Realism and Ibsens a Dolls House Essay - 1527 Words

Ibsen: Keeping it Real Since 1879 Realism is a style of writing in which the author strays away from romance and fantasy and leans toward the everyday life of real people and the negative aspects of their lives. The Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen captures the true essence of realism in his famously controversial play A Doll’s House. Nora is an idealistic wife who bows down to her husband’s commands and fulfills his every wish. When Torvald, her husband, fell sick she did everything she could to save his life, going as far as forging her dead father’s signature to receive money to pay for their trip to Italy for better heath care. The story takes place during Christmas time, where Nora is now forced to come to terms with the crime she has†¦show more content†¦Torvald wants Nora to know that he is the one â€Å"on top† in the relationship; he is the bread winner, the man, and the more powerful person. He is always trying to suppress Nora and keep her dominance over him at bay. Not on ly must women be submissive to their husbands but they were expects to be obedient to him as well. Torvald is always telling this wife not to eat her favorite treat, macaroons, because her teeth with rot and fall out. When Nora buys the dessert in town, she hides them from Torvald. She lies to him when he asks if the thought crossed her mind that day to stop and get a treat. Nora tells her husband, â€Å"No, Torvald really; I promise you†¦ I wouldn’t do anything that you don’t like† (Ibsen 151). Nora is afraid of contradicting Torvald’s word and promises to him she would never do anything to go against him. Instead of being her husband’s equal Nora feels as if she were a child. Ibsen depicts Nora’s marriage as a relationship between a father and his child instead of a husband and his wife and mother of his young children. Torvald treats Nora like a little girl who cannot make her own decisions. She is forced to play this role of a chil d her whole life; fist under her own father’s roof and now under Torvald’s. The forced roles of women were enforced in society, as well as the idea of keeping one’s flaws concealed from the outside world. DeceptiveShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Role of Realism in Ibsens, A Dolls House737 Words   |  3 PagesIs â€Å"A Doll’s House† simply another text in which the composer questions the ideals of his society? Or is it advocating the rights of women as individuals, perhaps a pioneer in feminist literature? One may argue that â€Å"A Doll’s House† is nothing more than a product of Henrik Ibsen’s examination of his contemporary society’s values and morals, specifically those of the bourgeois class. 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