deception in a doll's house essay

Deception in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen Essay

It is important to note that the topic of deception and self-deception in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is of paramount criticality in order to understand the underlying message and characters’ actions. The emphasis of the given analysis will be put on engagement in deceptive behaviors and thoughts by Nora Helmer, Christine Linde, and Anne Marie. The deceit is the centerpiece of the story, which is used to explore the relationship dynamics between the characters under stressful conditions.

Nora Helmer is a prime deceiver in the story, and many actions revolve around the secret loan she took behind her husband’s back. This deception is used to put a strain on the marriage between Torvald and Nora Helmer because it provides leverage for other characters to exploit. Christine Linde engages in deception by trying to help Nora because she wants to convince Krogstad to recall the letter he sent to Torvald. In return, Christine offers to start a new relationship, which further enhances the dynamic between the main characters. Nora’s former nanny, Anne Marie, is a minor character, and the story uses self-deception to imply that she lied about her giving up her own children in favor of Nora.

In conclusion, Nora’s deception about her loan against her husband is the prime driver of the events in the story. Christine is involved in this lie by helping Nora since she attempts to influence Krogstad’s decision in his letter. Anne Marie’s deception is less significant to the story, but it illuminates that continuous deception can transform into self-deception. The loan taken by Nora showcases that deception can not only make someone vulnerable to blackmail but additionally hide the core problems in marriage.

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Deception in a Doll’s House

This essay will analyze the theme of deception in Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.” It will explore how the characters engage in self-deception and deceit, and how these actions reflect the societal pressures and moral conflicts of the time. The piece will discuss the play’s examination of truth, freedom, and individual identity. Additionally, PapersOwl presents more free essays samples linked to A Dolls House.

How it works

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House has been considered as a perfect example of gender inequality, even though the author himself stated that he “”must disclaim the honor of having consciously worked for the women’s rights movement”” and that his “”task has been the description of humanity”” (Templeton). Though, the storyline and the use of deception within the play through characterization and symbolism are some of the reasons for the play’s popularity.

• 1 The Society in a Doll’s House is Full of Deception
• 2 Works Cited

The Society in a Doll’s House is Full of Deception

Deception is used in the characterization of all the main characters Nora, Torvald, Mrs.

Linde, and Mr. Krogstad in the play. In the first Act, Nora is portrayed as the ultimate housewife, completely domesticated and living a life of self-sacrifice for her husband and three young children. Her husband Torvald calls her his “”little lark”” and “”squirrel”” (Act I), which she believes makes her special for him. She truly believes that by allowing her husband to treat her as a ‘doll’ is the only way to sustain his love for her. This is the first deception the basis of Nora and Torvald’s relationship is a lie. Their marriage rests on the illusion that Nora puts forth that she is a helpless woman and he is her savior. However, as the reader comes to realize, Nora is an extremely capable woman who is willing to break social norms takes a loan, borrow money to pay the loan, and even forge her father’s signature. She does this to help her husband, although these actions finally cause her to break the illusion of a doll’s house that she has fought so hard to sustain all her life. Ibsen uses the deception in Nora and Torvald’s relationship to portray the family life in the 19th century where the society was patriarchal and women were forced to make sacrifices for ensuring social acceptability.

Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband is portrayed as a typical 19th century male. He is the patriarch of the family and considers it his duty and responsibility to provide for his wife and children. He expects Nora to take care of the house and the children. In return, he treats her like a doll. He does not interact with the children and just assumes them to part of Nora’s duties. He is forever pledging his love for Nora and hopes for an opportunity to serve her “”I have often wished that you might be threatened by some great danger, so that I might risk my life’s blood, and everything, for your sake”” (Act III). However, the moment he receives the news of the forgery and the loan, he immediately disowns Nora as his wife and the mother of his children, thus ruining the illusion of strength and chivalry that Nora thought he possessed.

Similar to the Helmers, the characters of Christine Linde, self- centered although widowed and lonely and Nils Krogstad,capable of cruelty while capable of great benevolence for his long-lost love use deception throughout the play.Every character tries hard to gain the trust and approval of others (Hooti and Torkamaneh, 1108), resulting in deceiving both themselves and the others as well. Ibsen manages to show the decitfulness in the character of all humanity through his four principal characters in the play.

Ibsen uses symbolism effectively to convey deception in the play. For example, the Christmas tree symbolizes Nora’s transformation from a doll to a realistic woman. When the tree is first brought into the house, Nora insists on hiding it until it is trimmed and presentable. This symbolizes her need to be perfect. As she begins to realize that it is only a matter of time before Torvald discovers her secret, the tree also begins to wilt, until it is “”stripped of its ornaments, with burned down candle-ends on its dishevelled branches”” (Act II). Another example of symbolism can be seen in the tarantella that Nora performs for the family. The dance is traditionally performed to rid the poison off a tarantula bite and as Nora dances more and more wildly, it is as if she is trying to rid herself of the deception that she has to put up to ensure her husband’s love (Act II).

Readers of A Doll’s House would agree that deception is vital for the success of the play, because without it, there is just a happy couple Nora and Torvald, leading a boring life. Even their happiness would not be guaranteed as Nora would never have deceived her husband and taken the loan, allowing him to display his true self. Christine Linde and Nils Krogstad could have been part of the story but they would not have had the effect they did on the Helmers’ lives. And without the inherent duality in the characters, the use of deception through symbolism would have also not been as effective. The entire story is based on deception and without it, there would be no story.

Works Cited

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Project Gutenberg, 2008.

Hooti, Noorbakhsh, and Torkamaneh, Pouria. “”Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: A Postmodernist Study.”” Theory and Practice in Language Studies, vol. 1, no. 9, 2011, pp. 1103-1110, doi:10.4304/tpls.1.9.1103-1110.

Templeton, Joan. “”One Woman’s Consciousness.”” Words on Plays: Insight into the Play, the Playwright, and the Production – a Doll’s House, edited by Elizabeth Brodersen, Jessica Werner, Paul Walsh, and Carolyn Joy Lenske, American Conservatory Theater, 2004, http://www.act-sf.org/content/dam/act/education_department/words_on_plays/A%20Doll%27s%20House%20Words%20on%20Plays%20(2004).pdf

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A Doll's House

Henrik ibsen, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

At the beginning of the play, Nora appears to be a dutifully obedient and honest wife, however it is quickly revealed that she is hiding a serious secret from him—the fact that she borrowed money from Krogstad to finance a trip to Italy that she claims saved Torvald ’s life. This renders all her statements about never disobeying him or hiding anything from him deceitful. When she reveals her dishonesty to Mrs. Linde , Mrs. Linde insists that she ought to confess to Torvald immediately, insisting that a marriage cannot succeed when husband and wife are not completely honest with each other.

A parallel occurs between Nora and Krogstad when it is revealed that they both committed forgery. Their acts of deception spark the unravelling of both their lives—Krogstad’s reputation is ruined, and Nora is forced to re-evaluate everything about herself and the society around her, eventually leading her decision to leave her husband and family at the end of the play. In some ways, deceit is presented as a corrupting and corroding force in the people’s lives; however, in Nora’s case, it is clear that the motivation for her dishonesty was love—she lied in order to save her husband’s life. Furthermore, her actions wouldn't have had to be deceitful if it weren’t for societal law dictating that women were not allowed to handle financial matters independently. Therefore Nora’s deceit was not the result of a personal flaw, but rather the only means necessary of overcoming restrictions in order to commit a noble act.

Deceit ThemeTracker

Deceit Quotes in A Doll's House

I would never dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to.

I am not so heartless that I would necessarily want to condemn a man for a single mistake like that.

Just think how a man with a thing like that on his conscience will always be having to lie and cheat and dissemble; he can never drop the mask, not even with his own wife and children. And the children— that’s the most terrible part of it, Nora… A fog of lies like that in a household, and it spreads disease and infection to every part of it. Every breath the children take in that kind of house is reeking evil germs.

When a poor girl’s been in trouble she must make the best of things.

Now Dr. Rank, cheer up. You’ll see tomorrow how nicely I can dance. And you can pretend I’m doing it just for you—and for Torvald as well, of course.

I want to get on my feet again, Mrs. Helmer; I want to get to the top… For the last eighteen months I’ve gone straight; all that time it’s been hard going; I was content to work my way up, step by step. Now I’m being kicked out, and I won’t stand for being taken back again as an act of charity. I’m going to get to the top, I tell you… It’ll be Nils Krogstad, not Torvald Helmer, who’ll be running the bank.

Helmer must know everything. This unhappy secret must come out. Those two must have the whole thing out between them. All this secrecy and deception, it just can’t go on.

The thing must be hushed up at all costs. And as far as you and I are concerned, things must appear to go on exactly as before. But only in the eyes of the world, of course… From now on, their can be no question of happiness. All we can do is save the bits and pieces from the wreck, preserve appearances…

Deception in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay Sample

Characters in classical literature often have an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, a struggle—a secret burden they must bear with hidden pain. Deception is one of the internal struggles presented in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, a timeless masterpiece in its unprecedented portrayal of the 19th- century tragedy of bourgeois marriage on the stage. The playwright’s artistic depiction of a woman’s miseries, while chained to her husband’s house, whereby her liberation is curtailed essentially demonstrates the domestic rebellion against theatrical conventions of the Victorian epoch. The classic reveals that oftentimes deception is not driven by a devious desire to harm others, but rather by self-preservation and relationship-centered motives. This is the case for young Nora Helmer, who realizes that deceit is the only way to protect her beloved husband, Torvald, along with her deteriorating marriage. In the realistic prose drama A Doll’s House, Ibsen utilizes dramatic irony, allegory, and figurative symbolism to showcase the overarching theme of deception embodied through Nora’s seemingly frivolous prevarications, her act of forgery, and her establishment of a new persona, ultimately illustrating that sometimes one must lose themself to find themself.

Deception is depicted through Nora’s various instances of mendacity, and her white lies gradually become ushers to black ones. The playwright sets the scene by describing a contented Nora in an ostensibly traditional household setting, however, the unveiled veridical nature of her relationship proves to be everything but impeccable. In Act I, Ibsen describes the quotidian setting of the Helmer’s conventionally furnished living room and the frigid winter weather, which is perhaps a nuanced foreshadowing of the cold story that is about to unfold, reflecting the standoffish mood and the pathetic fallacy awaiting the protagonist. Albeit Torvald has forbidden her from eating macaroons, the play commences with Nora “drawing a bag of macaroons from her pocket” and then eating “a couple” (2) hence, the desert symbolizes her deception and disobedience, and there is a correlation between the scrumptious desert and Nora’s inner passions, both of which she must obliterate to eschew disappointing her husband. Furthermore, an inquisitive Torvald states that “Surely [her] sweet tooth didn't get the better of [her] in town today”, to which Nora replies with a "No, Torvald, really; I promise you” (5). The playwright’s utilization of diction with a strong connotation and the mention of Nora’s “promise” expresses the notion of reassurance, as it conveys that she guarantees she will do whatever she expresses she would. Ibsen could have otherwise stated that she was simply disobeying Torvald, yet the masterful inclusion of a promise accentuates the incongruity between her deceit and the accompanying words and actions comprehended by the audience, yet ironically, not by Helmer, himself. Accordingly, Nora’s lies, deceit, and secrecy arise from Torvald’s assertive influence over her and her trepidation of his ill opinion and abnegation, which are shown to dictate how she behaves and thinks. Nora’s acts of deception in pursuit of protecting her marriage, avoiding relationship constrictions and preserving her self-image truly emblematize the stereotypical gender roles that she desires to break free from. 

Nora’s deceit is also demonstrated by her forgery through the integration of dramatic irony and the juxtaposition of character motivations through literary foils. Her gravest secret is revealed to be the forgery of her father’s signature to borrow Krogstad’s money for Torvald’s illness. Mrs. Linde serves as the character foil for Nora, two characters with two distinct personalities and motives for their deceptions. Nora informs Kristene that her father was unwell at the time of the predicament and that Helmer was likewise dangerously ill, and she was unable to care for her "dying father” (17). One may contend that Nora forsook her father for monetary purposes and not to take care of him, while Mrs. Linde opted to support her mother in her hour of need. Although Nora’s handling of financial issues like the debt she incurred and taking out a loan to preserve Torvald’s health indicates that she is undeniably intelligent and possesses capacities beyond mere wifehood, Torvald repudiates and reproaches her for an action done for his sake only. Throughout their climactic confrontation, he calls her a “miserable creature”, yet she nonetheless lovingly replies with “Let me go. You shall not suffer for my sake. You shall not take it upon yourself” (38). This demonstrates that she values his comfort and places his well-being above her own. Hence, her blatant lies represent her endeavor to avoid marital constrictions, and her motives stem from an act of love, rather than from her decadence. Her duplicity is made evident through the playwright’s implementation of dramatic irony to foreshadow that her relationship proves too weak and fragile to bear the strain of her lies. For instance, Nora expresses her joyous demeanor by declaring that her husband has been promoted and that they need not be concerned about their future. However, it is seen that this was all a manifestation of her underlying fear over not having enough money to pay off her obligations to Krogstad. In truth, she is oblivious to the reality that her struggles and sorrows ironically initiate with her husband's advancement and conclude with the eradication of their marriage. The circumstance where Helmer speaks about Krogstad's moral degeneration is likewise humorous, as he argues that Krogstad had previously committed forgery and was a corrupt soul. He instructs Nora that she should not ask him to look into Krogstad's case since such individuals poison their families and children with their culpability, however, Helmer is incognizant that all of his moral precepts and aphorisms paradoxically apply to his wife, who has also committed a similar malefaction.

Ibsen infuses parallelism, symbolism, and allegory to portray Nora’s deceit through her establishment of a new persona. Initially, her function in the household is commensurable to the Christmas tree, merely decorative and ornamental. She dresses up the tree just as Torvald dresses her up for the Stenborgs' party. A point that is frequently overlooked is that she instructs the maid not to let the children see the tree until it is embellished, parallelism that is reminiscent of when she directs Torvald not to see her costume until the party. She plays along with Torvald’s dehumanizing and demeaning pet names like “Skylark,” “songbird,” “squirrel,” and “pet”, as she tries her best to maintain her role as Torvald’s “doll” whilst concealing her true identity. Ibsen’s utilization of the “doll” allegory is culled with the intent of illuminating the theme of appearance versus reality; Nora’s appearance is like that of a doll’s house, wherein everything appears perfect, when it is not beneath the surface. Therefore, it may be contended that she is a mere “figurehead” for female subservience and subordination, masking all her lies and deception abaft a glistening curtain of what appears to be perfections. As Nora’s deception continues to grow, the Christmas tree at the beginning of Act II appears to look “bedraggled” (15), hence it is symbolic of Nora’s disintegrating web of lies, and the lavish adornments she used to cover up her deceit are falling and withering away, as the bare ugly truth ineluctably emerges. When preparing for the tarantella, Nora “takes out of the box a tambourine and a long variegated shawl”, as “she hastily drapes the shawl round her” (47), whilst pretending to be in desperate need of dancing assistance to obviate Torvald from reading the letter detailing her forgery. Ibsen infuses his play with vivid dramatic contrivances such as artificial lights, the letter hitting the mailbox, and the slamming door, but the variegated shawl is by far the most masterful of them all, as it mirrors her personality, so variegated and hidden with lies, and bombarded with discrete markings of different colors.

To let the curtain fall, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House shatters the ideally stereotypical gender roles of Victorian society, as it ultimately illustrates that oftentimes, it is the downsides of life that allow one to build themselves stronger. Nora Helmer is exemplary of this, given that she rose from the passive and subservient puppet the title suggested she was, to a powerful woman embarking on a journey of self-discovery and autonomy.

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Deception In A Doll’s House

“A Doll’s House” is a play by Henrik Ibsen is about Nora Helmer, a woman who once secretly borrowed a large sum of money so that her husband, Torvald, could recover from a serious illness. She never told him of this loan and had to secretly pay it back in small amounts, using her allowance for the house. Nora’s husband thinks of her as careless and immature and refers to her as his doll. When he is chosen as a bank director, his first act is to relieve Krogstad, a man who was looked down upon for his criminal behavior.

He happens to be the same man Nora borrowed the money from and then it becomes known that she forged her father’s signature in order to get all the money. Krogstad threatens to reveal Nora’s wrongdoing so Nora has to convince her husband not to fire him. Nora tries to persuade her husband not to, but he does not take Nora seriously especially with advice and opinion about money and business. Thus, when Torvald discovers that Nora has forged her father’s name, he is ready to disclaim his wife even though she had done it for him.

Later when all is solved, Nora sees that her husband is not worth her love and she leaves him. Identifying the theme of a passage is like asking “What did the main character learn? ” The theme is the message or idea the author is trying to share with the reader. Themes in this story , including deception of appearance, the power of money, and the role of men and women all play a role in teaching us about who the main character is. The theme(s) of a passage allows the reader to learn valuable life lessons .

Characters experience specific events to shape these themes. The first impressions of the main characters including Nora , Torvald, and Krogstad are very skewed when compared to their true character once everything is revealed by the end of the play. At first, it seem that Nora is very child-like, but later on we learn that she is intelligent and independent. Torvald is introduced as a strong, compassionate husband, when in reality is selfish and narrow-minded. When he fears that Krogstad may expose him to scandal.

Krogstad reveals himself to be a much more sympathetic and merciful character than he first appears to be. The true colors of each character are shown a the climax of the storyline. It becomes apparent that “Krogstad is an earnest lover, Nora is an intelligent, brave woman, and Torvald as a simpering, sad man,” (SparkNotes. com). In addition to the deception of appearance, the issue with money and power is also a clear theme in this play . From the start, every character has a different financial status and it contributes to who they are.

For example, Nora showed no sign of sympathy for her friends who struggle with money and further, Nora requests money from Torvald for Christmas as a way to get money to make a payment on her loan. Nora’s debt to Krogstad also gives him power over her, so she must careful with what she says and does. Mrs. Linde is another character who struggled with money and power because she needed money for her family so she was forced to marry a man with money despite the idea that she was in love with another man, Krogstad.

The relationship between Nora and Torvald shows a lot about the deception of appearance. “One day I might, yes. Many years from now, when I’ve lost my looks a little. Don’t laugh. I mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me, not quite so happy when I dance for him, and dress for him, and play with him,” (Ibsen, __). This quote is when Nora is telling Mrs. Linde about the situation and explaining how she would only think about telling Torvald about the secret loan she took in order to save his life .

Nora said she would tell him when she gets older because she would be less attractive. This is important in showing Nora’s warped sense in what a true marriage should be like. She is able to see that Torvald’s love for her is mainly based on her looks, and she understands that as she gets older, her husband’s attraction will lessen. She then suggests that she’ll need something to threaten Torvald with so that she will be able to keep Torvald around. This also shows that Nora is not as ignorant as she is cut out to be. “I have been performing tricks for you, Torvald.

That’s how I’ve survived. You wanted it like that. You and papa have done me wrong. It’s because of you I’ve made nothing of my life,” (Ibsen, __). The way Torvald treated Nora throughout their entire relationship morphed her into the same rag doll her papa made her. She spent her whole life just existing for men’s pleasure. This is when Nora’s true character is revealed; she is capable of living a normal life because she is smart and able but her ability had always been masked by the men in her life, treating her like their little toy doll.

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Deception in the play a dolls house

In the dramas ‘A Doll ‘s House ‘ and ‘The Cherry Orchard ‘ , both writers clearly highlight a outstanding act of misrepresentation through the actions and the behaviour of the characters in the dramas. Deception is an act of misdirecting that leads to feelings of treachery and misgiving between people, since it violates what is morally considered to be right. Most persons expect others to be true and honest ; nevertheless this is non ever the instance. Peoples tend to lie and lead on either to warrant a certain thought, position or to protect person else.

Sometimes misrepresentation can be unintended when the characters do n’t intend to lie, which we see in the drama by Anton Chekhov, nevertheless in Henrik Ibsen ‘s drama ‘A Doll ‘s House ‘ the cheat deceives deliberately to protect the one she loves. Deception is motivated by different intents all the clip. The full drama ‘A Doll ‘s House ‘ is based upon it, with each lead oning character actuating the behaviour of every other character in the drama. The initial act of misrepresentation is seen when Nora deceives her hubby and borrows money from Krogstad to salvage Torvald ‘s life. She so continues lying to him meaning to refund back the loan. Nora thinks it her responsibility to lie in order to protect her hubby nevertheless this makes her vulnerable as a heroine to Krogstad who now keeps blackjacking her.

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Like Henrik Ibsen, Chekhov besides uses misrepresentation ; However in “ The Cherry Orchard ” the chief heroine does n’t deceive others but she deceives herself. Self- misrepresentation is a procedure of denying logical statements and clear grounds. In this drama, Madame Ranevsky wants to seek safety in the yesteryear from the desperation of her present life, to retrieve the past and bury the present by declining to confront the world.

After passing five old ages abroad, she comes back to her “ beloved place ” . However she starts shouting at the sight of “ [ Her ] baby’s room, [ her ] beloved, beautiful baby’s room! ” she feels like a “ small miss still ” . The baby’s room is a misnomer and it introduces a really nostalgic ambiance, which brings upon awful memories of the decease of Madame ‘s boy, which she can non manage. She left Russia for Paris, to bury the memories of her hubby ‘s and babe ‘s deceases in the first topographic point.

When the clip comes to sell the cherry grove, Madam Ranevsky does non desire to understand the earnestness of the state of affairs. She does non believe that she can lose the grove because of the luxury she used to populate in, leting herself everything and now she can non and does non desire to accept the fact that she has to alter that. The heroine realizes that she is taking a incorrect life style, she sins and overspends, nevertheless she does non make anything to alter that. She believes that everything will decide itself.

In a similar manner, Nora believes that her act of misrepresentation was done for the ‘greater good ‘ , since she was motivated by her hubby ‘s unwellness and had to salvage him and so she does non seek to avoid any more prevarications and disproofs. As a affair of fact, she keeps lead oning Torvald, on little things such as eating macaroons and tippytoing to listen at his door, because she feels the demand to conceal things from her hubby to salvage their matrimony.

Torvald in return deceives Nora by doing her believe he loves her, he even says “ Do you cognize Nora, frequently I wish some awful danger would endanger you, so that I could offer my life and my blood, everything for your interest. ”

In world he prioritizes other things before her and merely see her as his belongings. He merely fantasizes about how perfect their life is, which is another illustration of self-deceit.

It ‘s clear that their full relationship is built upon prevarications and misrepresentation. Nora encourages her kids to lie to Torvald when she says “ Do n’t speak to anyone about the unusual gentleman. You hear? Not even to Daddy ” . By that she makes a large trade out of nil and sacrifices her kids ‘s artlessness.

Like Torvald, Madam Ranevsky tends to ‘build a fencing ‘ around herself by disregarding her emotions to make this happy universe for herself. When she comes back place, she is ungratified, she says “ I ca n’t sit still! I ca n’t make it! [ Jumping up and walking approximately in great agitation. ] This felicity is more than I can bear. Laugh at me! I am a sap! My darling old closet! [ Caressing a tabular array. ] My beloved small tabular array! “ . This makes her character pathetic and from her snoging the bookcases and her reaction over her familiarities deaths we understand that she can non manage anything existent.

As mentioned before, France was a topographic point of safety for Madame Ranevsky when she needed to get away and now that one of the most hard phases of her life is over she does non look to appreciate Paris. Once she is back to Russia she merely attempts to bury her life at that place. When she receives two wire from there she instantly tears them up without reading, and says “ They are from Paris. I ‘ve done with Paris ” . Her brief responses about Paris, suggest that she does non desire to retrieve it and that the Gallic metropolis is over and done with. However when she comes back to Russia, we see that she still has n’t forgotten her yesteryear. Subsequently on in the drama, when she talks to Gayef she all of a sudden exclaims “ Look! There ‘s mama walking in the orchardaˆ¦ in a white frock. There she is! “ One of the things about Madame Ranevsky hallucinating shows how staccato she is from world. Besides, the composing and bearing of the hallucination reveal the nature of her disjunction. She seeks safety in her yesteryear, her guiltless childhood, and for her, the grove is a symbol of her past- the fact that she fantasizes her female parent in the grove shows how staccato she is from world, corroborating what she seeks.

In a Doll ‘s House, the gustatory sensation of freedom and independency motivates Nora to maintain on prevarication and lead oning since we ever tend to hunger whatever we ca n’t acquire. However she is n’t the lone character who lies and goes behind the dorsum of her loved 1s. Dr. Rank who is a household friend hides his true feelings for Nora from both Torvald and his married woman. The lone ground Nora really finds out about how he genuinely feels, is when she tries to seek his aid and she manages to see beneath the surface to his ‘heart ‘ .

This is how she finds out that he is in secret in love with her. On the other manus Dr. Rank seems to be really considerate and the lone ground he deceives both his friends is because he tries to be an honest, faithful friend to Torvald. He is seeking truly difficult to be loyal but at the same clip he can non remain off from Nora. Besides he manages to expose Nora ‘s emotional immatureness and involuntariness to go against societal conventions. Therefore we ca n’t be certain of whether his misrepresentation is knowing or non.

Torvald, although it seems like he was the one deceived by both his married woman and his friend, can be considered the one most guilty of the ‘crime ‘ .

Throughout the whole drama, we see how he has deceived Nora into believing that their matrimony is perfect, whilst in world it was merely his phantasy. The most of import thing for him was to be able to maintain up a proper visual aspect of moderateness and rightness because the society he was brought up in is really judgmental and damaging.

Like Ibsen, Chekhov presents a character who is besides really concerned with expressions and visual aspects. Lopakhin, an ex-peasant who is now a affluent neighbour negotiations to the maid-servant, Dunyasha. Although he revels in his ain economic state of affairs, at the same clip, he chides Dunyasha, by stating “ You are excessively refined, Dunyasha, that ‘s what it is. You dress yourself like a immature lady, and look at your hair! You ought non to make it, you ought to retrieve your topographic point. ” He says that she is still of a low societal standing. He is call on the carpeting her and stating her non to move like a lady, reminding her she is merely the amah.

This scene causes tenseness since there is this duality as he is non rather comfy with the new alterations and he keeps stating himself that he is non a provincial. He about contradicts what he is stating, which is another evident illustration of self-deceit.

In decision, when comparing the two dramas ‘A Doll ‘s House ‘ and ‘The Cherry Orchard ‘ we see that misrepresentation is an of import subject since it ‘s the chief cause for characters to lose sense of world. In the terminal of ‘A Doll ‘s House ‘ , Nora eventually becomes more cognizant of how unsighted she was and walks out on her household to seek freedom and independency. Torvald on the other manus even at the terminal of the drama, is still devoted to a mirage, an image of something that was ne’er truly at that place. At the terminal of ‘The Cherry Orchard ‘ , Madame Ranevsky loses all her ownerships together with the grove and goes back to Paris, go forthing behind everything that she thought she believed in.

From this we have learnt, that misrepresentation is frequently triggered by the credence or disapproval of other people in society, since we tend to care excessively much about what everybody else thinks and therefore we try to intermix in.

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ESSAY: Honesty and Deception in Ibsen’s Play ‘A Doll’s House’

Editor’s Note:   The 1879 European play “A Doll’s House” (by Norway’s Henrik Ibsen)  became famous for being a controversial pre-feminist critique of the demeaning restrictions placed on women within the bonds of traditional marriage.    B ut the author of the following essay does not focus on the feminist angle of the play, the fact that Nora’s financial forgery saved her ungrateful husband’s life, or that his treatment of her inspires her to walk away from him and  their children. Instead, Ms. Sanchez argues that having more honest communication from the beginning of their marriage might have worked better for both husband and wife.  

Ibsen’s play enjoyed many film adaptations. Here’s one from 1973.

By Madison Sanchez

   Based on the plot of the play, “A Doll’s House”, I believe that the title of act three should be “Honesty.”   I think this because throughout act three, Nora was trying to prevent her husband, Torvald from finding out about a crime she committed, and a lie she told, which is one of the main plot points of the play. Instead of confessing the truth to him,  she decided to be dishonest and secretive, which made matters worse.

This one lie uncovered many other hidden  truths about Torvald and Nora’s marriage. For example, in the beginning of act three, Nora said “ No, no, no!-don’t take me in. I want to go upstairs again; I don’t want to leave so early.” This quote exposes how Nora tried to stay at the Tarantella so Torvald wouldn’t be home to open the letter box.

Nora was so desperate to keep her secrets, that when physical evidence points the finger at her, she goes as far as blaming her own children for something she did just to cover herself.

   Later in the play, Torvald exclaims “All these eight years— she who was my joy and pride—a hypocrite, a liar—worse, worse—a criminal! The unutterable ugliness of it all!—For shame! For shame!” This quote explains how Torvald felt after he found out about what Nora did.  He is understandably very upset and angry after discovering Nora’s crime, and looks at her very differently.

The play also uncovers deep feelings of resentment Nora has been hiding or ignoring.  “ But our home has been nothing but a playroom,” she says. “I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls. I thought it great fun when you played with me, just as they thought it great fun when I played with them . That is what our marriage has been, Torvald.”

    This quote reveals how Torvald treated Nora throughout their marriage and how she really felt about it. The lie that Nora told ultimately exposed many other sad truths about her marriage, like how she was treated and how seriously Torvald did or did not  not take her. The plot of this play thus works to explain how honesty can change future events, and how dishonesty can create lingering problems.

A Doll's House

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Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the play over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Throughout the play, Torvald refers to Nora in relation to different objects, animals, or images in their conversations.

• What is Nora’s general response to this Objectification ? ( topic sentence )
• Find 3 examples of Objectification throughout the play and explain the context and given circumstances of each.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, summarize the ways in which these examples of Objectification demean Nora as an individual.

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2. Many of the characters touch upon the importance of possessing financial freedom within the play.

• Select one character and share their position on financial freedom. ( topic sentence )
• Find and discuss 2-3 examples in which their opinion on financial freedom informs their decisions.
• Does this character achieve financial freedom at the end of the play? Why or why not? Explain in your concluding sentence or sentences.

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Deception in the play a dolls house

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015

Disclaimer: This essay has been written and submitted by students and is not an example of our work. Please click this link to view samples of our professional work witten by our professional essay writers . Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssayCompany.

In the plays 'A Doll's House' and 'The Cherry Orchard', both authors clearly highlight a prominent act of deception through the actions and the behavior of the characters in the plays. Deception is an act of misleading that leads to feelings of betrayal and distrust between people, since it violates what is morally considered to be right. Most individuals expect others to be truthful and honest; however this is not always the case. People tend to lie and deceive either to justify a certain idea, view or to protect somebody else.

Sometimes deception can be unintended when the characters don't mean to lie, which we see in the play by Anton Chekhov, however in Henrik Ibsen's play 'A Doll's House' the deceiver deceives intentionally to protect the one she loves. Deception is motivated by different purposes all the time. The entire play 'A Doll's House' is based upon it, with each deceiving character motivating the behavior of every other character in the play. The initial act of deception is seen when Nora deceives her husband and borrows money from Krogstad to save Torvald's life. She then continues lying to him intending to repay back the loan. Nora thinks it her duty to lie in order to protect her husband however this makes her vulnerable as a heroine to Krogstad who now keeps blackmailing her.

Like Henrik Ibsen, Chekhov also uses deception; However in "The Cherry Orchard" the main heroine doesn't deceive others but she deceives herself. Self- deception is a process of denying logical arguments and clear evidence. In this play, Madame Ranevsky wants to seek refuge in the past from the despair of her present life, to remember the past and forget the present by refusing to face the reality.

After spending five years abroad, she comes back to her "beloved home". However she starts crying at the sight of "[Her] nursery, [her] dear, beautiful nursery!" she feels like a "little girl still". The nursery is a misnomer and it introduces a very nostalgic atmosphere, which brings upon terrible memories of the death of Madame's son, which she can not handle. She left Russia for Paris, to forget the memories of her husband's and baby's deaths in the first place.

When the time comes to sell the cherry orchard, Madam Ranevsky does not want to understand the seriousness of the situation. She does not believe that she can lose the orchard because of the luxury she used to live in, allowing herself everything and now she can not and does not want to accept the fact that she has to change that. The heroine realizes that she is leading a wrong lifestyle, she sins and overspends, however she does not do anything to change that. She believes that everything will resolve itself.

In a similar way, Nora believes that her act of deception was done for the 'greater good', since she was motivated by her husband's illness and had to save him and so she does not try to avoid any more lies and falsifications. As a matter of fact, she keeps deceiving Torvald, on small things such as eating macaroons and tiptoeing to listen at his door, because she feels the need to hide things from her husband to save their marriage.

Torvald in return deceives Nora by making her believe he loves her, he even says "Do you know Nora, often I wish some terrible danger would threaten you, so that I could offer my life and my blood, everything for your sake."

In reality he prioritizes other things before her and just regards her as his property. He only fantasizes about how perfect their life is, which is another example of self-deception.

It's clear that their entire relationship is built upon lies and deception. Nora encourages her children to lie to Torvald when she says "Don't talk to anyone about the strange gentleman. You hear? Not even to Daddy". By that she makes a big deal out of nothing and sacrifices her children's innocence.

Like Torvald, Madam Ranevsky tends to 'build a fence' around herself by ignoring her emotions to create this happy world for herself. When she comes back home, she is restless, she says "I can't sit still! I can't do it! [Jumping up and walking about in great agitation.] This happiness is more than I can bear. Laugh at me! I am a fool! My darling old cupboard! [Caressing a table.] My dear little table! ". This makes her character ridiculous and from her kissing the bookcases and her reaction over her acquaintances deaths we understand that she cannot handle anything real.

As mentioned before, France was a place of refuge for Madame Ranevsky when she needed to escape and now that one of the most difficult stages of her life is over she does not seem to appreciate Paris. Once she is back to Russia she just tries to forget her life there. When she receives two telegrams from there she immediately tears them up without reading, and says "They are from Paris. I've done with Paris". Her brief responses about Paris, suggest that she does not want to remember it and that the French city is over and done with. However when she comes back to Russia, we see that she still hasn't forgotten her past. Later on in the play, when she talks to Gayef she suddenly exclaims "Look! There's mamma walking in the orchard… in a white frock. There she is! " One of the things about Madame Ranevsky hallucinating shows how disconnected she is from reality. Also, the composition and bearing of the hallucination reveal the nature of her disconnection. She seeks refuge in her past, her innocent childhood, and for her, the orchard is a symbol of her past- the fact that she fantasizes her mother in the orchard shows how disconnected she is from reality, confirming what she seeks.

In a Doll's House, the taste of freedom and independence motivates Nora to keep on lying and deceiving since we always tend to crave whatever we can't get. However she isn't the only character who lies and goes behind the back of her loved ones. Dr. Rank who is a family friend hides his true feelings for Nora from both Torvald and his wife. The only reason Nora actually finds out about how he truly feels, is when she tries to seek his help and she manages to see beneath the surface to his 'heart'.

This is how she finds out that he is secretly in love with her. On the other hand Dr. Rank seems to be very considerate and the only reason he deceives both his friends is because he tries to be an honest, faithful friend to Torvald. He is trying really hard to be loyal but at the same time he can not stay away from Nora. Also he manages to expose Nora's emotional immaturity and unwillingness to violate social conventions. Thus we can't be sure of whether his deception is intentional or not.

Torvald, although it seems like he was the one deceived by both his wife and his friend, can be considered the one most guilty of the 'crime'.

Throughout the whole play, we see how he has deceived Nora into believing that their marriage is perfect, whilst in reality it was just his fantasy. The most important thing for him was to be able to keep up a proper appearance of moderation and appropriateness because the society he was brought up in is very judgmental and prejudicial.

Like Ibsen, Chekhov presents a character who is also very concerned with looks and appearances. Lopakhin, an ex-peasant who is now a wealthy neighbor talks to the maid-servant, Dunyasha. Although he revels in his own economic situation, at the same time, he chides Dunyasha, by saying "You are too refined, Dunyasha, that's what it is. You dress yourself like a young lady, and look at your hair! You ought not to do it, you ought to remember your place." He says that she is still of a low social standing. He is chiding her and telling her not to act like a lady, reminding her she is only the maid.

This scene causes tension since there is this dichotomy as he is not quite comfortable with the new changes and he keeps telling himself that he is not a peasant. He almost contradicts what he is saying, which is another apparent example of self-deception.

In conclusion, when comparing the two plays 'A Doll's House' and 'The Cherry Orchard' we see that deception is an important theme since it's the main cause for characters to lose sense of reality. In the end of 'A Doll's House', Nora finally becomes more aware of how blind she was and walks out on her family to seek freedom and independence. Torvald on the other hand even at the end of the play, is still devoted to a mirage, an image of something that was never really there. At the end of 'The Cherry Orchard', Madame Ranevsky loses all her possessions together with the orchard and goes back to Paris, leaving behind everything that she thought she believed in.

From this we have learnt, that deception is often triggered by the acceptance or disapproval of other people in society, since we tend to care too much about what everybody else thinks and thus we try to blend in.

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