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Deception In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

955 Words4 Pages

Written Assignment

English A: Literature (SL)

Session: May 2018

In the play ‘A Doll’s House’, Nora’s life bears a striking similarity to that of a girl playing with a doll. The girl, misled by the doll’s perfection, believes that real life is as perfect and as flawless as the doll’s features. Each and every door and window of the doll’s house projects an image of flawless excellence that is unattainable in real life. Similar to the doll’s house, Henrik Ibsen describes many aspects of a Doll’s house as having layers of deception. The two principles of truth, reason and senses, are not only both not genuine, but are engaged in mutual deception. The senses deceive reason through false appearances, and the senses are disturbed by passions, which produce false impressions. This is exceptionally true in Nora and Helmer 's case. Nora, bound by the societal obligations of marriage and love, was compelled to put on a show of loving Helmer truly. It cannot be said that she intentionally camouflaged her true feelings because, in the third act Nora says "No, never; I thought I was, but I never was" in response to Helmer asking her if wasn 't happy with him. Nora 's acts throughout the day, however minor, defy Helmer 's control over their relationship. Her day is filled with constant acts of rebellion- from eating macaroons, which were forbidden by Helmer, to major acts like taking a loan from Krogstad in a society where women were not allowed to enter into any agreements or

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