In what ways do writers use stylistic devices to present

characters? Compare and contrast these stylistic devices

with reference to any two characters that you have
studied. (Year 12 texts only)
Women have often been considered objects of men who only have the role of a housewife to
play in their lives. They’re meant to obey men and both genders have failed to resolve the
outlying problem of equality in society. In 1879, “A Doll’s House”, written by the Norwegian
playwright Henrik Ibsen, follows the main characters of the play, Torvald and Nora, and how
one has a higher position in the society as compared to the other who has a lower position in
the society is meant to do as they are ordered to. Nora lives in a harsh and judgemental society
where she is forced to do as her husband Torvald, tells her. Throughout the play, Torvald can be
seen as the commanding figure in the house and the person that dictates what Nora does.
Nora’s childish character and Torvald’s parent-like figure present a parent and child type of
relationship between the two. Just like a parent, Torvald decides on what Nora does and how
much money she can spend. Henrik Ibsen obtained inspiration for writing A Doll’s House from a
real-life circumstance he himself was involved in. His dear friend, Laura Kieler, had a situation
similar to Nora’s where she had taken out a loan, without her husband knowing, to send her ill
husband on a much needed holiday. Nora is a presentation of Laura, where both of them had
loaned money without their husbands knowing and had potential consequences of rejection in
society.

Throughout Act 1 of the play, Torvald uses nicknames like 'songbird', 'little squirrel' and
'squanderbird' to belittle Nora in such a way that she is portrayed as a pet. His dominance over
her and the decisions he makes to control her life further prove this analogy. The nicknames
that Torvald gives Nora are all pets that are a lot smaller compared to the average human. This
shows the value and says that Nora holds; he thinks that Nora's position in society is nothing
compared to him which was quite common during the nineteenth century as women held the
sacrificial role of all economic classes in the society. This is a role that is forced upon the
individual by society itself. An individual's role in society was reflective of their status and
treatment. Individuals who are oppressed, such as Nora, are unappreciative of such roles. In the
case of Nora, she is aware of her role in society and is expected to sacrifice her wishes in order
to fulfil her 'duty to husband and children'.

In Act 2 of the play, Torvald uses words like 'poor', 'helpless' and 'little' belittling and
undermining her. These words not only represent Torvald's thinking but the common man's
thinking at the time as well. These words further imply that Men, during the nineteenth
century, controlled every aspect of women's lives. For example, Nora was expected to be a
housewife and had all her decisions made by Torvald. Torvald considered Nora less able to
make decisions for herself. This is seen in several areas where Torvald questions Nora about the
things she's bought and patronises her for them, implying that she is not responsible enough to
be trusted with money. Torvald's control over money and his ability to control over how much
she spends on Christmas decorations shows his power over her. He tells her that they need to
be cautious with the money they spend. This suggests that Torvald looked down on Nora, did
not look at Nora as an adult because she's a woman and thought that she could not do anything
without his help which resulted in him looking down on her. Torvald also regularly refers to
Nora as a child, for example, by forbidding her from eating macaroons, which is something she
still does despite her promises to him.