How Realism Reflects On the Ways of Human Beings in A Dollhouse
Jessica Miller Essay
How Realism Reflects On the Ways of Human Beings
In the play A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen realism plays a major part in how the ending played out. Most stories have that happily ever after feel, but in A Dollhouse things are not as they seem. In the beginning it looked like it is going to be one of those stories with a happy family who seems to be the ideal couple with money, kids, and a nice house. However, as time goes by the plot starts to become more realistic; Nora starts to question her marriage and her sanity. In Brian Johnston’s essay, “Realism and a Doll House,” he discusses how verbal irony plays an important role in the play. The word ‘wonderful’ is used in a different context in each part of the book. The use of the word ‘wonderful’ in three different ways is a good way of foreshadowing the decline of Nora and Torbert’s relationship. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus starts out a proud man and then finds out that he slept with his mother, killed his father, and as a result was dethroned and banished. The mood of the play goes from light to darker as the play goes on and more is revealed. That is realism it is about the human condition; people’s mistakes, lies, and problems without sugarcoating it. Some people do not like reading books inspired by realism because it gives them a magnified look at themselves through the characters. So therefore, the human condition is what inspires plays like A Dollhouse and Oedipus the King into a metaphorical rendition of how human beings really are, and using the different context of words to create a sense of foreboding for the characters.
A Dollhouse begins with an ordinary couple who seems neither to be extraordinary or plain. They have money, a nice house, and a family. Nora has money spending problems which is probably to overcompensate for her underlying feelings of misery, and Torbert is a loving husband but has no respect for Nora’s opinions and intellect because she is a women. With realism
How Realism Reflects On the Ways of Human Beings
In the play A Dollhouse by Henrik Ibsen realism plays a major part in how the ending played out. Most stories have that happily ever after feel, but in A Dollhouse things are not as they seem. In the beginning it looked like it is going to be one of those stories with a happy family who seems to be the ideal couple with money, kids, and a nice house. However, as time goes by the plot starts to become more realistic; Nora starts to question her marriage and her sanity. In Brian Johnston’s essay, “Realism and a Doll House,” he discusses how verbal irony plays an important role in the play. The word ‘wonderful’ is used in a different context in each part of the book. The use of the word ‘wonderful’ in three different ways is a good way of foreshadowing the decline of Nora and Torbert’s relationship. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus starts out a proud man and then finds out that he slept with his mother, killed his father, and as a result was dethroned and banished. The mood of the play goes from light to darker as the play goes on and more is revealed. That is realism it is about the human condition; people’s mistakes, lies, and problems without sugarcoating it. Some people do not like reading books inspired by realism because it gives them a magnified look at themselves through the characters. So therefore, the human condition is what inspires plays like A Dollhouse and Oedipus the King into a metaphorical rendition of how human beings really are, and using the different context of words to create a sense of foreboding for the characters.
A Dollhouse begins with an ordinary couple who seems neither to be extraordinary or plain. They have money, a nice house, and a family. Nora has money spending problems which is probably to overcompensate for her underlying feelings of misery, and Torbert is a loving husband but has no respect for Nora’s opinions and intellect because she is a women. With realism
Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. A Dollhouse. Literature an Introduction of Reading and Writing. ED. Vivian Garcia. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson Education, 2012. 1201-222. Print. Johnston, Brian. Ibsenvoyages. “Realism and A Doll House”. 2 October 2013. Web. http://www.ibsenvoyages.com/e-texts/the-realist-cycle/the-first-group/realism-and-doll-house/ Sophocles. Youtube. “Oedipus The King”. 1 October 2013. Web. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS9KJ_bAJLE&list=PL4F678FDABC24BE6C&index=1