A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen

 A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen

 

Introduction

 

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House first published in the year 1879, stands as one of the most influential plays in modern European literature. First performed in Copenhagen, it challenged the patriarchal and moral values of late 19^th century bourgeois society. Through the character of Nora Helmer, Ibsen dramatizes the conflict between individual freedom and social conformity, particularly in the context of marriage and gender roles.   

 

In his own words, Ibsen claimed that he “must disclaim the honour of having consciously worked for the women’s rights movement,” yet admitted that he wrote to “describe humanity.” This statement reveals that A Doll’s House is not only a feminist drama but also a humanist exploration of self-realization.

 

The Domestic Sphere and Patriarchal Control

 

The play opens with the Helmer household decorated for Christmas – a symbol of warmth and joy that masks deep emotional repression. Nora is treated not as an equal partner but as a child-wife, infantilized by her husband Torvald Helmer, who calls her “my little skylark”, “my little squirrel”, and “my sweet little spendthrift”.

 

These pet names are not terms of affection but tools of control, revealing Torvald’s belief that Nora is intellectually and morally inferior. As critic Joan Templeton notes, “Torvald’s love for Nora is the love of a man who values possession, not partnership.”

 

Ibsen portrays this gendered hierarchy as the foundation of social hypocrisy – a marriage where the husband commands moral authority, and the wife is reduced to decorative obedience.

 

The Symbolism of the Title 

 

The very title, A Doll’s House, is symbolic of Nora’s life. She lives not as a person but as a doll manipulated within a miniature world created by male authority. Her home is a pleasant room, tastefully but not expensively furnished.” Indicating comfort without independence.

 

Nora herself reflects: 

“I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was Papa’s doll-child and the children in turn have been my dolls.”

 

This moment of revelation (ACT iii) captures her awakening: she has merely performed roles assigned by others – a daughter, a wife, a mother – without ever discovering her true identity.

 

The Conflict: Individual vs, Society

 

The central conflict in A Doll’s House is the struggle between personal conscience and societal expectations. Nora’s act of forgery – signing her father’s name to secure a loan – is illegal but morally justified, since she did it to save her husband’s life. 

 

When Torvald discovers the truth, he does not see the moral courage behind her action, instead, he cries:

“Now you have destroyed all my happiness. You have ruined my whole future.” 

 

His concern is for his social reputation, not his wife’s sacrifice. Ibsen exposes the moral hypocrisy of a society that punishes women for acting autonomously while celebrating men’s authority.

 

As critic George Bernard Shaw observed in his essay “The Quintessence of Ibsenism” published in 1891, Ibsen’s greatness lies in showing that “society’s pillars are built on falsehoods,” and A Doll’s House is an exposure of those lies. 

 

Realism and Modern Drama 

 

Ibsen broke away from the convention of romanticism and melodrama to creat psychological realism. The play unfolds within a single domestic setting and explores the inner lives of its characters.

 

Instead of heroic events, we see ordinary conversations charged with emotional tension. Ibsen’s dialogues reveal subtext – what the characters mean but dare not say. For example, when Nora flirts and distracts Tovald to keep him from opening Krogstad’s letter, it is both comic and tragic – the last desperate performance of a woman trapped in deceit. 

 

This new realism influenced modern playwrights such as Chekhov, Strindberg, and Shaw, who saw in Ibsen a new kind of drama – the drama of ideas.

 

Feminism and Self-Realization

 

Though Ibsen denied being a propagandist for feminism, A Doll’s House became a foundational text of women’s emancipation, Nora’s transformation from dependence to self-awareness is the play’s emotional and intellectual climax. 

 

Her final words:

“I must stand quite alone if I am ever to understand myself and everything about me.”

 

With this, she walks out, leaving behind husband, home, and children – a shocking act in the 19^th century. The “the door slam heard around the world,” as critics called it, signified the awakening of female independence and the birth of morn womanhood in literature. 

 

Feminist scholar Kate Millett, in Sexual Politics published in 1970, calls Nora’s departure “the first conscious rejection of patriarchy in modern drama.”

 

 Major Symbols 

 

Symbol	Meaning
The Doll’s House	A metaphor for domestic confinement and artificial relationships
The Tarantella Dance	Nora’s frantic attempt to please Torvald and postpone the revelation of her secret; symbolizes her entrapment within performance.
The Christmas Tree	A fading symbol of domestic happiness, its disheveled state mirrors the decay of Nora’s illusions
The Door Slam	Represents Nora’s moral courage and break from patriarchal oppression – a step into the unknown but toward selfhood.

The Ending and its impact

 

The ending was revolutionary in 1879, audiences were scandalized when Nora left her husband and children. In Germany, the play was censored, and ibsen was forced to write an alternate ending where Nora stayed – a compromise he despised, calling it “a barbaric outrage.”

 

The play’s conclusion thus became a symbol of rebellion. It questioned not only gender inequality but also the moral foundations of society itself. As critic Michael Meyer notes, “The play’s greatness lies not in the feminist message alone, but in its portrayal of the individual’s need to find out who they are and to take responsibility for their own life.”

 

Conclusion

 

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is more than a domestic drama, it is a profound study of moral awakening, social hypocrisy, and personal integrity. Nora’s journey from a passive doll to an independent human being represents Ibsen’s belief in the in the individual’s right to self-realization, regardless of social norms. 

 

In exposing te illusion of the perfect marriage, Ibsen opened a door to modern consciousness. The play remains timeless because its central question – “What does it mean to be oneself?” – still resonates in a world where conformity often silences authenticity. 

 

Selected References

 

1.     Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House, Trans. Michael Meyer. Penguin Classics, 1965.

2.     Shaw, George Bernard. The Quintessence of Ibsenism. London: Walter Scott, 1891.

3.     Templeton, Joan. Ibsen’s Women. Cambridge University Press, 1997.

4.     Millett, Kate. Sexual Politics. Doubleday, 1970.

5.     Meyer, Michael. Henrik Ibsen: The Making of a Dramatist. London. Rupert hart-Davis, 1971

 

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The Photograph

 

The Photograph from P. Mastanappa

IQ Test - 2

 IQ Test – 2

 

1.     Identify two words (one from each set of brackets) that form a connection (analogy), thereby relating to the words in capitals in the same way.

 

CHISEL (cut, smooth, tool)

AUGER (engrave, drill, punch)

 

 

2.     How many minutes is it before 12 noon if 48 minutes ago it was three times as many minutes past 9 a m.

 

 

 

3.     Break              Bottle              Rough

Which word below has something in common with all the words above.

 

Donkey,          Rabbit,            Turtle,             ox,                   Tortoise

 

 

4.     Susceptible to attack or damage. Which word below most closely fits the above definition?

 

Debilitated,     Vulnerable,     Unstable,         Emasculated,   Unprepared

 

 

5.     SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

 

Which day is three days before the day immediately following the day two days before the day three days after the day immediately before FRIDAY?

 

 

6.     Change one letter only in each word below to find a well-known phrase.

 

ON TIE WINK

 

 

7.     Insert the letters provided into the spaces to spell out a palindromic phrase, that is, one that reads the same backwards and forwards.

Clue: exercise franchise

 

TREE VISITOR

 

            - - S -  / - -  / - O - -   /- - - /

 

8.     On glancing through your morning newspaper, you notice that four pages are missing. One of the missing pages is page 8. The back page of the newspaper is 28. What are the other three missing pages?

 

 

 

9.     Which of the following is not an anagram of a type of book?

 

Neil Cox

Assure Hut

Sumo Bin 

Sack Oboe

Roy Coke

 

 

10.  Which word in brackets is opposite in meaning to the word in capitals?

 

Significant (ordinary, stupid, modest, petty, dull)

 

11.  FELINE: CAT

VULPINE: 

 

a.     Ferret

b.     Fox

c.     Deer

d.     Wolf

e.     Sheep

 

 

12.  Arrange the following words in a line so that each pair of words in the line forms a new word or phrase. 

 

For example: word, game, pass, point = pass, word, game, point to give the words or phrases, password, word-game and game-point. 

 

SHORT,          GROUP,         WATER,         LINE,              STORY,          AGE, 

FRESH,           FALL

13.  Which two numbers come next in the sequence?

 

38, 24, 62, 12, 74, ?

 

 

14.  Which is the odd one out?

 

ROOSTER,        BUCK,          GANDER,           PEN,          RAM

 

 

15.  The following in extracted from which hyphenated word.

 

Clue: viewing area

 

- - - - - RE /  GA- - - - - /

 

16.  Outline tax is an anagram of which 10 – letter word?

 

 

 

 

17.  Which is the odd one out?

 

Canticle,          Threnody,       Madrigal,        Libretto,          Aria

 

 

 

18.  Identify two words (one from each set of brackets) that form a connection (analogy), thereby relating to the words in capitals in the same way.

 

ABDUCTION            (Winch, kidnap, ransom)

LARCENY                 (Theft, deceit, crime)

 

 

19.  Select two words that are synonyms, plus an antonym of these two synonyms, from the list of words below.

 

Amass,            Accuse,           Question,         Cite,    Empower,       Absolve, 

Forsake

 

 

20.  How tall is a sapling that is six feet shorter than a wall that is seven times higher than the sapling?

 

Communication Skills for IV Semester Basic English Students (part - 2)

Communication Skills for IV Semester Basic English Students (Part – 2)

Personal Conduct and Appearance

·      Etiquette and Manners

According to OALD the Etiquette is “the customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or a group” and Manners is something “a person’s outward bearing or way of behaving towards others”. 

It will create poor impression on a person who behaves himself / herself badly despite his / her educational qualifications and experience. The way in which we behave ourselves says a lot about our character. Others judge us by our behaviour rather than by what we say. A well-mannered person finds it easy to work within a group and contribute towards its success. Now let us examine some forms of behaviour that are generally recognised as good manners.

1.     It is considered courteous to make a room for elderly people and women with children while getting in and getting off a bus or a train. Giving up your seat for a person who deserves it more adds beauty and grace to your behaviour.

2.     Listen to your friends and relatives or even to strangers when they wanted to share their problems.

3.     In case you feel like sneezing or coughing in crowded places, hold your handkerchief over your nose and mouth, and apologise later to the people around you by saying ‘sorry’ or ‘excuse me’.

4.     Being on time to a meeting, class or any other appointment is considered polite and professional. If you do happen to be late for such an event, apologise to the people who have been kept waiting.

5.     Pointing your index finger at a person especially at close range is considered offensive body language. Try to avoid such gestures.

6.     Showing undue interest in personal details of others and being inquisitive about them can be irritating to others.

7.     ‘I disagree with you’ is very simple to say to a person with whom you disagree but it is crude expression.

8.     Looking into the personal files of others’ mobile phones and reading personal letters without their permission and knowledge is considered as bad etiquette.

9.     Taking away to a little distance and whispering with one of your friends in front of other friends creates suspicion among other friends and it will be considered as breach of trust. 

10.  Whispering to the person seated next to you during a meeting, especially while some one speaking, is not an acceptable behaviour.

The way you behave yourself and the language that you use are the important parts of your personality. Rudeness and insensitivity to other people’s feelings will harm your image.  A well-behaved person is always be noticed and people are happy to interact with such person.

·      Table Manners

There is a code of conduct, called table manners, that is considered acceptable at the dining table. We cannot behave in a way that may irritate others seated with us while eating something at a dinning table. Table manners are context-specific, and they also differ from culture to culture. A loud burp of after a meal may considered as an appreciation of the food in some cultures, whereas it could be considered uncultured behaviour in some other cultures. So, you try to be very sensitive to others’ likes and dislikes when you are at the dining table, especially when it is a formal meal.

Here are some tips to improve your manners and mannerisms while you join other at a dinning table.

1.     It is bad table manners to eat nosily. Many people make slurping sounds while eating. This is considered bad manners especially in western culture. The best thing that you can do is keeping your mouth closed while munching the food and avoid making unpleasant noises which may irritate others.

2.     The noise made by a spoon, or by a knife or by a fork on a plate can be irritating to the person seated next to you. Therefore, you are requested not make any such noises while stirring the contents of a cup.

3.     The way you place your cutlery on the table and the way you use them are also part of your table manners. Hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right hand. Hold the food item with the fork and use the knife to cut it.

4.     Similarly, placing the fork and knife on the plate may indicate some meaning. If you place them (the fork and knife) on the sides of your plate indicate that you need another serving, and placing fork and knife crossed on the plate indicate that you finished your meal.

5.     In an Indian context, smacking your fingers during a meal or afterwards is considered a sign of appreciation. The person who cooked the food feels flattered by such behaviour but, in modern life, smacking fingers is considered bad manners.

6.     Leaving the dining table in the middle of a meal without specific reason is certainly considered bad manners. If you must leave the table on an important reason you must beg the pardon of the others at the table. 

The manners and behviour of person at a dining table enhances your personality that can yield respect from others. Therefore, you are advised to identify your weaknesses in your behavioural attitude and try to amend them.

·      Dress Code

The clothes you wear can express your personality. The colours of dress you choose, the ornaments you wear and other accessories you use will certainly tell about that what kind of person you are. Feel free to express yourself with your appearance, but there are conventions that you need to follow when dress suitable to the occasion. Of course, being well-dressed is not always an indicator of being cultured.  

The formal dress code varies according to the cultural milieu according to the context. For formal meetings or interviews you are advisable to wear a dark-coloured trousers, a light coloured shirt and matching despite well shined shoes. This type dress may be appropriate for men. If this type of dress code recommended in your organisations, you must also wear a coat. Students appearing for an interview may also follow this basic dress code. 

Black trousers with brown shoes, white shirt and a maroon coloured tie will be a bit odd to look at. A well shined black shoes, black trousers, a shite and a grey or blue tie would look sober. The dress code for women in an Indian company is usually a simple silk or well-starched and ironed sari with matching blouse, may not be acceptable in specific regions, but commonly acceptable dress code in all over India. Avoid wearing a lot of jewellery when you are going to your workplace. A couple of bangles, a pair of simple earrings and a chain around your neck may enhance your personality and appearance. Using odd and gaudy coloured dress may not express your personality in a proper manner.

·      Gender Bias in Communication

Gender Bias is the tendency to prefer one gender over another gender. Generally speaking, Bias or Biased Communication is prevalent in every aspect of our lives. Usually our brains are hardwired (very insensitive) to categorise things which we encounter every day the incidents of bias in order to make sense of the complicated world around us. However, biases can cause us to form prejudice against other, which allow very egregious inequalities to form between different demographics of the society.  

Bias can be experienced in many forms in day-to-day life. Those are for example, communal bias, caste bias, religious bias, linguistic bias, regional bias etc.  But here I have to focus on gender bias as per the topic I choose, and its role within the workplace. This topic covers what is gender bias, where and when it happens along with a few remedies which can reduce gender bias and ultimately build a more diverse and inclusive workplace. It should be noted that while there is a spectrum of gender identities, due to constraints within existing literature will focus on the gender binaries – male and female.

We have several instances which are deeply ingrained gender prejudices against women in our everyday conversations. We prejudiced that certain professions are prerogative rights of men only. We are not ready to accept that women can also be successful professionals like surgeons in medical sciences, pilots in Air Force or Civil Aviation, truck drivers, Loco pilots or any other such jobs. We always think that women are likely to be primary school teachers, nurses in hospitals, receptionists, secretaries etc.   

Traditionally, women have not been given prominent roles in our society, but today several organisations have given women very prominent roles in decision making and Execution in their organisations successfully. Arundhati Bhatacharya, former Chairperson of the State Bank of India, Chandra Kochhar, former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Bank, Indra Nooyi is an Indian American Business Executive and former Chief Executive Officer of Pepsico are the best exemplary women who had led their organisations successfully. Therefore, using disrespectful or abusive language to women colleagues either in their presence or in their absence is absolutely unacceptable and such incidents will lead to angry protest. Giving respect to women which is due to them creates a pleasant working environment, which will increase efficiency and productivity.

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