Symbolism in the A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen - Book Report/Review Example

 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Henrik Ibsen has masterfully infused symbolic elements into his work A Doll’s House. The plot has been carefully crafted with many underlying ideas which provoke the reader to probe into the deeper meaning of the story. Symbolism can add mountains of value to any work, in the case of this 19th century masterpiece, it adds plenty. In Sourcebk Naturalist Theatre, symbolism is further explained, “Given its poetic basis, implying an idealized and interior depiction of human activity, symbolism is generally seen as the opposite of Naturalism. However, the major plays of naturalistic canon are structured around symbols, and their central importance is demonstrated by the frequency with which these controlling symbols appear in the titles.” (C D Innes, p. 25) It is the imagery presented in the intertextuality gives the reader an insight into the conflicts that plague the characters of the play. Such metaphors and canonical texts are interspersed within the play at various intervals. Through the symbolism Ibsen has successfully explored various themes, by manipulating the characters. Writing about the realism in Ibsen’s plays, Kimball King noted in his analysis of the symbolism in A Doll’s House, “A Doll’s House inaugurates the mature phase of dramatic realism, with its symbolic, detailed setting and evocative props – a Christmas tree, macaroons, and a dance costume – all of which Ibsen uses to comment on Nora’s awareness of society’s negative influence on her” (King, p. 504). In effect this particular story is Nora’s story, the symbols her symbols, the plot belongs to a character that lacked character to begin with. Through the use of the imagery and symbolism Ibsen managed to pull at the audience; his subliminal approach gives us more of an insight into the story than any direct approach could have. Ibsen has used symbolism to his advantage throughout the play to show the volatile relationships of the characters. With small insignificant things and actions are used as the warning signs of bigger and more consequential problems. One example of this can be found within the very start of the play when Nora returns home after a days shopping; at one point Helmer wags his finger at her, as though she is a child and says, “Hasn't Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today?.... Not been nibbling sweets?.... Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two?” (Ibsen, p. 10-11) for a simple matter of sweets, Nora chooses to lie to her husband and deny at each point her guilt in the matter of the macaroons which she was previously nibbling on. The macaroons in a way symbolize the dissension between the husband and wife i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Helmer. It shows the lack of understanding and love between the two, and it facts points to the superficiality of their relationship. The couple is, on the surface, extremely happy; Nora is treated like a spoilt child by her husband which some may mistake for his love and affection, however, through the incident of the macaroons we see that Nora is merely a possession for him, because if she were something other than that, she would have been able to tell him the truth. The mere fact that she chose to lie about something so trivial, shows that she cannot confide in her husband at all. It also symbolizes how important it is that Torvald never finds out about the forged papers through which Nora saved her husband. The title of the play itself is symbolical. A Doll’s house may refer to Nora; the protagonist being the doll. It goes to further elaborate the role of Nora throughout the play. Ivana Markova observed the transition in the character in the duration of the play, “…being a ‘doll’ first in her father’s house and then in the house of her husband Helmer, at the beginning of the play Nora behaves obediently, accepting her role as a ‘doll’ first in her father’s house and then in the house of her husband Helmer, at the beginning of the play Nora behaves obediently, accepting her role as a ‘doll,’… she does not have much to contribute to issues that are spoken about but this does not seem to be a real problem” (Markova, p. 115). By the end of the play however, Nora is no longer a Doll, but realizes her worth as an individual and leaves her husband. She finds herself by going through the great fear and pain that she might lose everything that she holds dear. She finally realizes that she is not a child and wants to explore the world. She wants to ‘grow up’ and do justice to the responsibility that she has to herself, which she realizes is her top most priority. The title also suggests that whatever is going on in the Helmer household is more like a child’s play thing and not anywhere near reality. As in a doll house, everything in the Helmer household is controlled by one person i.e. Torvald. However, by the end of the play, the doll house is no longer that. Nora’s actions can be seen as an awakening in some ways where she finally breaks free of the puppetry chains that bound her to an artificial life. The tarantella is symbolic of the metaphorical poison which Nora wants to evade and escape. This is a form of dance where the pace goes faster against an already fast rhythm, and is supposed to rid a person of poison in their systems, in Nora’s case, the negative influences of her life. Orley Holton believed this could be attributed to Ibsen’s use of the mythical in his last few plays. The dance itself is high up in the category of the mystical and the mythical. (Holton p. 33) Nora’s dance signifies the dance between the wife and the husband. The dance is the last chance for Nora to be a part of her life as she knows it. In the text right before the party she looks at her watch and thinks that she doesn’t have very much time left. Her calculations give her further anxiety, “Five o'clock. Seven hours until midnight; and then four-and-twenty hours until the next midnight. Then the Tarantella will be over. Twenty-four and seven? Thirty-one hours to live.” (Ibsen, p. 71) for Nora, after the thirty-one hours are up, her life is more or less over. But the dance can also be seen as an omen for what’s to come. The dance itself has Italian roots, which reminds Nora of the happy days that she had with her husband. The happy days that are now coming to an end. Egil Tornqvist sums up this symbol perfectly when he writes, “The reason why Nora practices of all dances a tarantella is not so much that this rapid, whirling south Italian dance reminds Helmer and herself of their happy days. The tarantella, as used by Ibsen, is a sophisticated motif… the wildness with which Nora dances the tarantella is indeed similar to what we would expect from someone bitten by the tarantula. Squeezed between Krogstad’s demands and Helmer’s stern moralizing, she has got the poison in her system. Suicide is on her mind. And at the same a vague hope that a miracle might save her. The tarantella is a fitting, theatrically powerful expression of her schizophrenic situation” (Tornqvist p.38) In a sense the dance signifies the shedding of poison; something harmful, a deterrent. It was only after this dance that Torvald opens the letter which subsequently opens Nora’s eyes to the truth of her relationship with her husband. It was also after the dance that Nora sheds the superficial elements of her life and decides to go on her own. The Christmas tree is yet another element of symbolism in the play. The existence of this ornament exists as a parallel to Nora’s character i.e. both are used as nothing but mere decoration pieces inside the house. In a cultural sense, the tree around the later part of the 1800s represented status. Initially one wouldn’t be wrong in taking the Christmas tree as a representation of familial happiness and contentment. However, on closer inspection one is sure to notice the similarities between the protagonist and the adornment. Tornqvist went onto observe in his book, ‘Ibsen, Strindberg and the intimate theatre’, “Just like Nora, the tree has been prevented from full growth, cut or transplanted then prettified and decorated in a domestic environment, another parallel to the protagonist is by noting that the Christmas tree is dressed and then stripped – which links it with the later fancy-dress ball and the costume Nora first dons and later discards,” (Tornqvist, p. 35). Here we see a link between the lives of the characters and the tree, which Nora says can only be seen by the children once it is decorated, just like Nora wanted people to see her in her dress, only after she was properly ‘decorated’. In this way the masquerade that is going on throughout the plot remains intact. The tree remains in the background of every scene which can be seen in correlation to Nora’s decision making powers in the family, just like the dormant tree, Nora has no say in the important matters of the household, as she is, once again, nothing but a play thing for her chauvinist husband who does not think she can contribute anything in terms of wisdom on account of her being a woman. When the tree is stripped of the its ornaments in the second act and it is left barren and disheveled it once again parallels the psychological state that Nora is in at the time, because she is confused, angry and scared (Quigley, p.100). Nora’s changing of clothes towards the end of the play is also seen as a change in her person. She no longer wants the things that she once wanted and sees them for the façade that they really were. The plot of the play is set against Christmas and New Year’s, both of which are true symbols of the renewal of life. Most people associate New Year’s with a chance to start fresh, to leave behind their old decadence and find new paths in their lives. From the start of the play it can be seen that the couple is waiting for the New Year to bring them more wealth and prosperity. When Nora leaves, she slams the door shut, while Torvald is left wondering what it was she really meant. The slamming of the door suggests a sort of rejection and a new journey which the protagonist is taking upon herself. By slamming the door shut, we see an element of strength which gives the audience an insight to Nora’s resolve. The New Year has in effect brought great change for her. Before she leaves, Nora hints that things can change between the husband and wife if something wonderful were to happen; after which she embarks upon her own path to a greater education, knowledge and wisdom. And the protagonist was not the only one who was changed during this time, as her husband questions “The most wonderful thing of all?” (Ibsen, p. 381), which shows, that her husband too, is susceptible to change and he too can see the inadequacy of his life. Quite literally, one can argue that by the culmination of the last act, both the Helmers experience a kind of rebirth. The New Year did mark a new era for the family, just not the one they were hoping for or expecting. Rich in symbolism, Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, captivates it’s audience. By using that which is surreal, at times Ibsen has managed to give his play a very realistic touch. The imagery presented throughout the acts very cleverly gives new meaning to the plot. However, not all the symbolism in the play was deliberate and Ibsen himself was known to admit this very fact. Much of the play, like most of literature, can be left up to one’s interpretation. Like Wagner’s music, of Ibsen’s symbolism it can said: “So close is the union between symbol and meaning that in case of doubt the symbol will throw light on the meaning of the play” (Lee, p.114). Truly, without the symbols, Ibsen’s works hold not nearly as much interest. It is only the constant urge to interpret and delve into the deeper meaning of everything within the play that keeps the audience enthralled. Work cited Primary Source: Ibsen, Henrik, The Doll's House: A Play: 1890 Secondary Sources: King, Kimball, Western Drama Through the Ages: 2007 Holtan, Orley I., Mythic patterns in Ibsen's last plays:1970 Innes C D., Sourcebk Naturalist Theatre: 2002 Markova, Ivana, Dialogicality and Social Representations: The Dynamics of Mind: 2003 Tornqvist, Egil, Ibsen: A doll's house: 1995 Quigley, Austin E., The modern stage and other worlds: 1985 Lee, Jennette, The Ibsen Secret: A Key to the Prose Dramas of Henrik Ibsen: 2001 Tornqvist, Egil, Ibsen, Strindberg and the intimate theatre: studies in TV presentation: 1999 Read More