A Doll’s House - essay plans PDF

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A Doll’s House - essay plans...

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A Doll’s House - essay plans ‘Undoubtedly Nora is treated the worst by society’ AO3: in 1879, women did not have the liberty and freedom to do as they wished, due to the strong stance of the patriarchal society. They did not have the same rights as men e.g when they were married they were legally dependent on husband. Furthermore, a wife was not legally permitted to borrow money without husband’s consent. Also, if they divorced the woman would be an outcast in society, however, the man’s reputation wasn't very tarnished and he often got the children AO4: link to genre of S&PP through position of women, ambiguous endings, unfairness of the law and isolationism AO5: 'Part of Nora desires to comply patriarchal social arrangements' - Sally Ledger 'Torvald...is as much a victim as Nora' - David Thomas 'The social structure into which Nora is born does not recognise her intelligence or dignity as an individual' - Tara Schaefle (on social structure) 'It is this young woman's inescapable duty to leave this gentleman...who slowly sacrifices her on the altar of his egotism' - Social Demokraten 1879

‘Ibsen’s use of symbolism in A Doll’s House is key to his overall social message’ AO3: link to tarantella - women could be declared insane and committed to an asylum upon her husbands or fathers request - with no proof. This could happen if the women rebelled against Victorian domesticity or even if they had extreme mood swings etc - this was unreasonable and links with social message as Ibsen wanted gender equality not discrimination. AO4: link to S&PP through the power of women, the patriarchy, resistance, challenge to authority AO5: Convention 'caged her within a child's toy structure' - Kate Millett (Ibsen aims to) expose bourgeoisie respectability as being 'in truth a suffocating facade' Schaefle 'Nora confronts and challenges all aspects of gentlemanly patriarchal dominance' - Lateran

‘A Doll’s House is essentially a presentation of those who have power and those who do not’ AO3: in 1800s, women could be committed to an asylum for little to no reason. A new treatment - moral treatment was introduced, which was humane, but paternalistic. Women were treated like children rather than animals - patronising and demeaning AO4: link to genre of S&PP through powerlessness, isolationism, position of women, ruling class or group, patriarchy AO5: Convention 'caged her within a child's toy structure' - Kate Millett 'Torvald...is as much a victim as Nora' - David Thomas 'It's not that we have the simply binary model of wicked oppressive men, virtuous oppressed women' - Dinah Birch, Professor of English Literature at Liverpool Uni

'a walking encyclopaedia of bourgeois virtues' - Lateran ‘A Doll’s House is driven by society’s demand to be respectable’ AO3: patriarchy - conform to specific unsaid societal standards e.g look respectable, don't to certain things e.g smoke cigarettes and don't socialise with men once married AO4: link to S&PP through position of women, patriarchy, deception, resistance and challenge to authority AO5: 'Her flirtation with Rank...is another indication of the more spirited woman beneath the convention-respecting surface' - Ronald Gray Nora puts 'love before legality' - Sophie Duncan 'The Ibsens had been rich; then they became not poor, but much less wealthy; and yet they were keen to keep up appearances' - Erica Wagner for the New Statesman...