Sympathy for Nora in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Essay examples -- A

Sympathy for Nora in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House In A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen primarily addresses issues not only relating to women in Norway, but to women embarking on twentieth ascorbic acid life in general. To achieve his desired effect, he employs the use of contextual talks and places Nora as the central character, which gives her a great edge. Because of her prominent role end-to-end the play, she becomes familiar, and what is familiar is favored. With the lone exception of the exchange between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad at the beginning of Act III, there is not a single scene that features a dialog that in some way does not include a prominent part from Nora. It soon becomes apparent that Nora emerges from the dramatis personae as the pice de rsistance Ibsen intends to make our sympathies. In Act I, scene I, the stage is set, bringing the meaning behind the plays title into sharp focus. Here, Ibsen uses contextual dialog to demonstrate that Nora is indeed, as the title impli es, lesser more than a doll in a toy house, a plaything that Torvald doesnt take seriously. For instance, Torvald asks Is that my little lark twittering out there? Is it my little squirrel officious about? (Ibsen, 500). A short pace later, he calls her a poor little girl, and then adds you neednt ruin your dear eyes and your pretty little pass (502). Nora appears to willingly-if not a little navely-play into this role after clapping her hands she replies, No, Torvald, I neednt any longer, need I Its wonderfully lovely to insure you say so (503). A second issue Ibsen presents for consideration in the first scene is a discussion of money, Nora appearing to play the role of the pampered minor with a penchant for shiny coins clin... ...lly good reason for favoring Nora beyond our sense of familiarity with her she lies, she cheats, she rationalizes, she walks out on her husband and children-she is not an innocent character. But is this tendency not the wont of human nature, to excu se that which is connected to us while failing to consider there is a whole other side to the issue? It would count that by the prominence Ibsen affords Nora, he masterfully steers our sympathies in her direction like a crafty rhetorician employing the Greek concept of kairos. By what he chooses to find (and conceal), Ibsen has us feeding out of the palm of his hand, for in the end, it could be said that life is all a matter of perspective . . . almost. Works CitedIbsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. literature The Human Experience. 8th ed. Ed. Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz. Boston Bedford, 2002. 499-557.