Critical Perspectives - A Dolls House

Feminist Theory

Roles of women in society articulated through Torvalds character:

Women were to be a good wife and mother.

Women are responsible for the morality of their children.

Seen as childlike, helpless creatures with low intellectuality, as seen

through Torvalds endearing comments

Women werent allowed to manage the familys money, as they were

thought to be incapable of being frugal

Superiority of husband over wife is emphasised through Ibsens use of

bird metaphors and references to small and frail creatures.

Nora defies her prescribed role as a dependent, weak and suppressed

wife. From the rebellious act of eating the macaroon foreshadows her leaving the
house at the end. Defying her pre-set roles shows that she does not want to conform
to a dolls house. Ibsen does this to show society at the time
Nora is empowered through her knowledge of societal expectations of her. She knows how her
relationship with Torvald works, therefore knowing how to manipulate him into doing things for
her
Nora is also empowered by procuring the money for the loan, due to the fact she is going
against societal norms and establishing her individuality
Noras individuality is also established through her wildly and violently dancing the Tarantella
without following Torvalds instructions
Use of props by Ibsen such as the macaroon to symbolise Noras small acts of rebellion, but
also to to show that she is silenced.
Noras lack of house or mailbox key shows again that she is oppressed by Torvald.

Psychoanalytic / Freudian Theory

theory of personality based on subconscious desires

ID basic desire, inner child, immediate gratification of their needs and desires
EGO reality, balance between id and superego. mediates between the two and filters the wants
of the id through the requirements and rules of the superego.
SUPEREGO learned through parental instruction + living in society. rules and socially imposed
behaviour.
The macaroon she eats in Act I symbolizes her ID and represents her inner desire
freedom/individuality, existential
in order to understand the work, one must fully understand the authors life and stance
on beliefs and values, although a work may not be autobiographical, psychoanalysts
argue that some things can be submized from knowing the background of the author,
often authors will satirize people they dislike or be overly sympathetic to people they do
like, this author bias influences the audiences perceptions of characters.
By analysing the work, one may surmise the authors beliefs and values, and political
stances.
An author may put repressed desires in their work in the form of actions/ dialogue
performed by characters.

The meaning and interpretation of dreams- Emphasis is placed on dreams having significance
and it is believed dreams are where subconscious desires are revealed. What a person cannot
express or do in the public sphere as a result of taboo and social conventions is expressed or
done in dreams, where there are no rules. Usually individuals do not know what they desire, but
it is known subconsciously.
When Torvald is drunk, he tries to teach Mrs Linde how to knit. While this has humorous intent,
it also suggests a latent, subconscious desire of Torvalds to act freely and independently of the
phallocentric society in which they live, determining how men should act in a manly way and do
manly things. Inversely, it could also suggest Ibsens desire for it to be more socially acceptable
that men do things stereotypically assigned to womens interests.
Torvald treats Nora like a daughter: The use of evocatives and affectionate terms and
patronising actions suggests Torvalds desire to have control over a woman and be in control.
Noras desire to break free and her departure at the end mirrors Ibsens own cold relationship
with his mother and sisters- While the ending of A Dolls House may be shocking to audiences
with close relationships with family, for Ibsen it may have little significance.

New Historicism

Impossible to assume a direct comparison between the culture presented in the text and as the
culture really was
Actual history of culture cannot be shown as history is written by the winners, therefore the
losers perspective is neglected - the culture presented in the play is always affected by the
authors perspective and the themes Ibsen is trying to show
Text may also affect the culture that it is supposedly written in - A Dolls House wanted to show
need for individuality + existentialism in society
Ibsen was a realist due to early life marked by poverty and troubles (initial lack of success in the
theater) - therefore bringing out realism in his plays which society preferred to ignore e.g. Nora
and Torvald's relationship with the lack of trust, Mrs Lindes issues with marriage + economical
issues
Highly aware to social developments in Norway (and largely Europe) despite leaving the country
a while ago - heavily influenced by Victorian England with a standard of middle-class propriety
(social life based on the home, and men being superior in the household) - stock characters of
Nora and Torvald portrayed in the household
When A Dolls House was written womens suffrage was at a high point - Ibsen focuses on the
ideas of status of women in marriage (Nora defined by her relationship with Torvald), equal
divorce laws (hard for women to divorce her husband) and gaining employment rights (Nora
was not expected to work; even if she would have wanted to as a middle-class wife)
The plot of A Dolls House may be influenced by an event that happened in Ibsens life. Laura
Kieler (one of Ibsens friends) attempted to finance a vacation by secretly borrowing money.
When her husband found out, he demanded a separation and removed the children from her
care. In A Dolls House, it is Nora who leaves. In reversing the roles, Ibsen empowers women.
Nora and Torvalds relationship based on Ibsens fascination with his parents strange marriage
Henrik's sister Hedvig would write about their mother: "She was a quiet, lovable woman, the
soul of the house, everything to her husband and children. She sacrificed herself time and time
again. Nora seems to be a caring mother - doesnt want to go near her children since shes
scared of passing on her poison due to the idea of heredity

Critical Perspectives - The Crucible

Feminist Theory:
-Men have power over women, unfairness towards women IN THE BEGINNING OF THE PLAY
-Females - servants or townsmen, until married off to higher social status - Mrs Putnam
-Males - breadwinner, high ranking occupations associated with the church or the court.
-Abigail has a manipulative mind - change in power - negative portrayal
-Abigail is percepted as a girl who damages the idea of an woman who of course
influences the perception of women in general.
-Her love for Proctor has made her want to get rid of Elizabeth but as a result, like a
snowball effect, causing many false accusation. FEAR
-Just through her stage directions crying, she is able to accuse many innocent people
just for her own benefits, to get closer to her target.
-Mrs Putnam;
-Elizabeths change in status -- seen in a more positive light - as she was taken away by
government
-The feminist idea can be seen in two perspective:
-Females gaining power privately - Elizabeth, owning Proctor and able to have a voice
within her relationship with Proctor
-Females gaining power negatively - Abigail, gaining power through accusations of
witchcraft.
-Power that is given to young female children (Power of the collective - they are all girls)

Psychoanalytic Theory
Deconstructionist Perspective

The conventional reading of The Crucible features John Proctor as the hero, but what if we read
the play in an entirely different way which makes Abigail the hero?
Abigail is a young orphaned girl who is seduced by her boss and deflowered in an age when
virginity was a prerequisite for marriage. Then she gets thrown out of the house on orders from
his wife and utterly rejected.
Abigail is constantly rejected by Proctor, and she resorts to trying to frame Elizabeth

Mythological/ Archetypal Approach

Characters
Use of archetypes and mythological characters and creatures to accelerating understanding of
the story - imagine if every single character had to be explained in detail -- stereotypes to take
shortcuts
Proctor -- the HERO -- search for self-identity (what is John Proctor?, because it is my name!
Act IV, denouncement, pages from the end of the play) and also the inevitable destruction
CONTRAST WITH ARCHETYPE -- archetypal hero -- search for self-identity causes
destruction, BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE FOR JOHN PROCTOR
Also, Proctor is the LONER OR OUTCAST
symbolised by the distance of his home from the village
the various situations where Proctor is seen to be superior or distant
GUILT RIDDEN FIGURE IN SEARCH OF REDEMPTION

Aristotle version of the tragic hero -- born into nobility, but Proctor is a common man, fighting to
maintain his own dignity
Abigail -- the VILLAIN -- personification of evil, conflicts with the protagonist and is motivated by
a wrong (though not necessarily her wrong); limitless malice. Femme Fatale -- beautiful,
seductive, but mischievous and troublesome, though Abigail does not make use of her beauty to
manipulate others. (Troubled Teen).
Danforth -- The Boss -- (morally impaired) Miller plays with various archetypes to show the
dangers of blindly following the law
Parris -- The Rake -- habituated to immoral conduct -- situational irony as he is a religious officer
Rebecca Nurse -- SAGE -- THE WISE OLD WOMEN -- wisdom from experience, nature,
associated with witchcraft. motives?
Tituba -- the SCAPEGOAT -- takes the blame for Abigail -- double oppression (because she
is a black and a woman)
Images
LIGHT AND DARKNESS -- sunlight breaking to how the truth
NEW DAY -- end of the play, Act IV, when Proctors hanging is symbolized by sunrise -- new
beginnings -- optimistic future.
Lack of grass and vegetation throughout the play -- lack of life in the play -- both gives a literal
understanding of the situation (it is difficult to farm and live in Massachusetts) and ALSO
represents the difficult life in the theocratic state