Reflective Statement: A Doll’s House

Question: How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work

developed through the interactive oral?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

[Word count: ⁓300]

1
 The use of symbolism in Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’

In the play, ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen, the main protagonist, Nora, lives in the Victorian

society around the late 1870s in Norway, during which the roles of men and women became

more sharply defined compared to any other time in history. Women during this time were

controlled and treated as second-class citizens. A women’s role in the Victorian society was

primarily to marry, produce heirs and take part in their husbands’ interests. Before marriage, they

were to acquire housewife skills for instance weaving, cooking, and cleaning lest they were of an

upper-class family. The playwright, Henrik Ibsen, uses recurrent objects and actions such as the

macaroons, the Christmas tree, the tarantella dance, and New Year’s Day. Although subtly

introduced, these recurring objects and actions enrich the dramatic plot line and mirror the

character’s inner convictions and disputes in order to outline the role of women in the Victorian

society primarily thorough Nora Helmer-ultimately foreshadowing the unexpected dark ending

of the play.

In the play, we can see that Ibsen uses the macaroons as a symbol of Nora’s fear of Torvald, her

rebelliousness, as well as her insecurity towards her marriage. This can be seen in ACT 1 of the

play. When Torvald comes out of his study, Nora hastily “Puts the bag of macaroons into her

pocket and wipes her mouth” (Ibsen 7) before he enters the room. This juvenile act of Nora

hiding any traces of the macaroons, such as wiping her mouth, brings light to her fear of Torvald

and the tight leash he has on her. Torvald goes ahead and starts “wagging his finger at her”

(Ibsen 10) as if she were a child and jovially asks “Miss Sweet-Tooth” (Ibsen 10) if she has been
eating macaroons, which Nora blatantly denies. The macaroons were a treat that Torvald had

forbidden Nora from eating. The fact that Nora had been eating macaroons seems to be such an

inconsequential thing to lie about. This shows that Nora has been living a lie in order to keep

Torvald satisfied. She doesn’t seem to have even an ounce of faith in her matrimony with

Torvald to even admit to eating the macaroons-fearing Torvalds displeasure. The macaroons can

be seen again, in the scene with Doctor Rank when Nora defiantly “puts a macaroon into his

mouth” (Ibsen 23). Her seductive persona which is portrayed by the playful tone of the dialogue

throughout this scene, could be considered as an example of her act of rebellion towards the

strict ways that Torvald imposes on her. Doctor Rank knows that “The macaroons were

forbidden here” (Ibsen 23), but when he asks, Nora’s deceptive mind easily comes up with an

excuse and she says that “Christine gave them” (Ibsen 23) to her. Nora is well aware of the fact

that her standing as a female can preclude her from escaping the society’s idea of male hierarchy,

and skillfully denies her little act of defiance. The macaroons highlight Nora’s fear of Torvald, as

well as reveals that the macaroons are also a symbol Nora’s disobedience towards male

superiority and her insecurity towards her marriage to Torvald. The prohibition of macaroons

sheds light to the gravity of Nora’s decisions within the household and, subsequently, underlines

the prevalent female submissiveness of the 19th century, more specifically the late 1870s.

The playwright, Henrik Ibsen, uses the Christmas tree in order to symbolize Nora’s physical and

mental state. Nora is seen as a representation of women in the Victorian era, who due to society,

were supposed to appear flawlessly adorned to please and represent their husbands. We see the

Christmas tree for the first time in the play when Nora instructs the maid to “Hide the Christmas

tree carefully” (Ibsen 6) and not to let anyone see it until “it is dressed” (Ibsen 6). The Christmas

3
tree represents Nora, who just like the Christmas tree is to be hidden until she is dressed and

looks her best in front of Torvald in order to please him just like what any other wife in that era

is expected to do. We can see that Nora accepts this role and wants to keep Torvald by her side.

In the beginning of the play when Nora is busy decorating the Christmas tree “humming a tune

and in high spirits” (Ibsen 6). We can see how she is in control of her life, free from all the

troubles. However, as the play progresses, we can see The Christmas tree is “stripped of its

ornaments” (Ibsen 38) just like how Nora is being stripped of her sense of security. Her mental

state is being diminished due to her overwhelming fear of being exposed by Krogstad. Thus, why

the Christmas tree is used in order to symbolize Nora’s mental and physical state.

Ibsen uses the tarantella dance as a means of distraction as well as a way to get rid of the venom.

The tarantella dance, originating from southern Italy, dates as far back as the 16 th century. The

dance first started as a solo dance meant to get rid of the venom of a tarantula spider, which then

later turned into a dance of courtship. When Torvald goes to check if he has received any letters,

Nora tries to stop him as she “plays the first bars of the tarantella” (Ibsen 59). We can see Nora

successfully manages to stop Torvald from opening the letters by distracting him using the

tarantella dance. The dance is characterized by swift movements, foot tapping, and spinning. In

the play, Nora dances the tarantella “more and more wildly” (Ibsen 60). Just like a dancer who is

trying to get rid of the venom, Nora is trying to rid herself of the outside poison. The poison

being Krogstad’s threats of exposing Nora and her fear of Torvalds reaction towards the

revelation. Nora makes Torvald promise to stay by her side and coach her “up to the last minute”

(Ibsen 60). She fearful of Torvalds reaction and tries to reassure herself that Torvald is not going
to leave her and that he will stay by her side till the last minute. The tarantella dance, thus serves

as a means of distracting Torvald from reading the letter and a way for Nora to get rid of the

outside poison, which eventually foreshadow Nora’s departure.

The idea of New year’s day, as used by Ibsen, can be considered as a representation of new

beginnings in the play. In the beginning of the play, when Nora is having a conversation with

Mrs. Linde, her childhood friend, she brags about Torvald taking up “his work in the bank at the

New Year” (Ibsen 13), and how “he will have a big salary and lots of commissions”. Nora

declares that she feels “so relieved and so happy” (Ibsen 13). Nora seems to be ecstatic about

Torvald taking up the job at the bank as they will now have heaps of money to spend. This will

now change Torvald and Nora’s lifestyle. They will be promoted to a new and high position in

the society. Thus a new beginning. New year’s day symbolizes a new beginning for Nora too.

She gives up her duties towards her husband and her children saying that she now has “Duties to

myself” (Ibsen 82). Nora realizes that she hasn’t been living for herself. She realizes that she has

been living a lie. Nora decides to leave the household and educate herself. She aims to give

herself a better future. The idea of a new lifestyle and Nora unexpectedly leaving the household

are all representations of new beginnings in the play.

In ‘A Doll’s House’, the playwright, Henrik Ibsen, uses recurrent objects and actions such as the

macaroons, the Christmas tree, the tarantella dance, and New Year’s Day. These recurring

objects and actions enrich the dramatic plot line and mirror the character’s inner convictions and

disputes. Ibsen uses the macaroons as a symbol of Nora’s fear of Torvald, her rebelliousness, as

5
well as her insecurity towards her marriage. The Christmas tree is used in order to symbolize

Nora’s physical and mental state. The tarantella dance, a dance of courtship, is a means of

distraction as well as a way to get rid of the venom. New year’s day is a representation of new

beginnings in the play. These recurring objects and actions ultimately foreshadow the

unexpected dark ending of the play and indirectly show the role of women in the Victorian

society through Nora Helmer.

[Word count: 1415]

_____________________________________________________________________________