Theme- Appearance vs. Reality
Thesis- In A Doll’s House by Henrick Ibsen, the appearance and reality of the characters direct the story to a deeper meaning that shows their true feelings. The first theme of Appearance vs. reality can immediately be seen during the first act. Readers will notice that Nora is a normal housewife, and that she is very happy with her life. Eventually though, you will notice that she is not happy at all, and she actually wants to be free from her responsibilities as a mother and wife. By these actions Nora deserves to be criticized, but she actually wanted to be treated like a human. This example can mostly be seen in Acts I and III. Second, Helmer is seen as a very loving and generous husband in the beginning. He is nice to Nora and seems to respect her and give her all that she asks for. It is later revealed that he actually really doesn’t love her as much as it seems he does because he is more concerned with his public appearance and how others think of him. Furthermore, in act II Krogstad appears to be a very biter person during his first appearances in the play, but he actually very nice. You could see the change in attitude once he met Mrs. Linde, his true love.
Works Cited
“A Doll’s House Themes.” 16 May 2011 < http://www.slideshare.net/guest3e76d2/a-doll-s-house-themes>.
“NovelGuide: A Doll 's House: Theme Analysis.” 16 May 2011 < http://www.novelguide.com/ADoll 'sHouse/themeanalysis.html>.
Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll’s House. Four Great Plays by Henrick Ibsen. Trans. Farquharson Sharp. New York: Bantam, 1995, 1-68
Cited: “A Doll’s House Themes.” 16 May 2011 < http://www.slideshare.net/guest3e76d2/a-doll-s-house-themes>. “NovelGuide: A Doll 's House: Theme Analysis.” 16 May 2011 < http://www.novelguide.com/ADoll 'sHouse/themeanalysis.html>. Ibsen, Henrick. A Doll’s House. Four Great Plays by Henrick Ibsen. Trans. Farquharson Sharp. New York: Bantam, 1995, 1-68
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