IB English HL I

2023-24
Dr. Malashewski

Core Concept Reflection Paper

(S) 15 pts
Tamahere Alo

Kyle Malashewski

IB English

2/21/24

Core Concept Paper 3 - Culture

A Doll's house is a perfect example of how texts can influence the culture in which they

are composed and conversely how culture influences the creation of texts. Henrik Ibsen’s A

Doll's House, written in the 19th century, challenges the traditional gender roles and expectations

prevalent in Victorian society. It reflects the social expectations, values and beliefs of its time.

The Protagonist Nora helps illustrate the themes of women's rights, marriage, individuality,

communication and relationships. This play is an example of how culture influences literature.

An example of these Victorian themes is the idea that the man is the money maker and

the woman should stay at home and raise the children. The term “the man of the house” supports

this idea, it is believed in our society that the man is the breadwinner. Suggesting that men are

intellectually more complex and thus more equipped to handle high pressure situations. The

culture of society then with stereotypes like “the angel of the house” portray women as figures

who are pure and innocent and who work to support the home in other more feminine ways. This

leads to the production of texts such as A Doll’s House, created to change the paradigm and

disturb the peace and empower the oppressed.

 Contrarily, how literature can be influenced by culture, culture can influence literature,

texts like A Doll's House have the power to shape cultural values by challenging existing norms

and provoking social change. When Ibsen's play was published it sparked controversy and debate

as this had been the standard for years and years and no one dared challenge it. Which led to

discussions about the role of women in society and the need for gender equality. The text served

as a catalyst for feminist movements and contributed to the gradual shift in cultural attitudes

towards women's rights and autonomy.

Nora is the embodiment of struggle and aspiration for the woman of the Victorian era, she

is literally a “doll” in her own home. She conforms to the label that society puts on her, she is a

wife and a mother nothing more. She isn’t allowed to make money, as expressed in the book she

says that when she was making money she felt that rebellious feeling after doing sinful. Gender

roles are placed on her by the culture of the time period.

In conclusion, A Doll’s House exemplifies how texts are products of culture, that

challenge the values and limitations of society. Through the character of Nora Helmer we see the

struggles of Victorian society and from that how culture is influenced by the text and vice versa.

Through Nora’s journey to self discovery the play challenges traditional gender roles and

highlights the hardships women faced during the 19th century.

Context:
Throughout our two years of study, we will be examining a wide range of literary texts. Framing our
investigation of these texts are the IB core concepts that we spent some time exploring and thinking
about in the first few weeks of semester one. While we are not explicitly studying these core concepts,
they do offer valuable lenses and questions that we can use to better focus our investigations of this
wide range of material.

Task:
I want you to write a 1.5 - 2 page (double-spaced) reflection, about 400-500 words, connecting A
Doll’s House to an IB core concept of your choice. You should reference these related questions as
you are preparing your response, but the choice of focus and how you connect the concept to the
text is up to you. Please note that you cannot reuse concepts on which you have previously written.

Criteria
Your response should make a claim about the play that engages with your chosen core concept, and
should analyze at least 2-3 pieces of evidence from the play as well.

Submission
You will submit your paper in two places:

● myPueo
○ Submit a link to your Google Doc, and providing me with editing access by adding me
kmalashewski@midpac.edu
○ No other file formats will be accepted
● Turnitin
○ Submit your paper separately to Turnitin

Evaluation
Your paper will be evaluated according to the short response rubric provided on the next page.
Criteria Beginner Developing Proficient Expert

Claim & Claim missing, Attempts to Establishes a Establishes a

Support unclear, or off establish a clear and credible and
/2.5 topic. Prompt claim, but it is plausible claim convincing
not answered. unclear or to claim to answer
disconnected answer the the prompt.
No evidence from the topic; prompt
from the text. or prompt not Cites
fully answered. Cites mostly sufficient and
strong relevant
evidence that evidence to
supports the fully support
claim. the claim.

Development Little connection Attempts to make Clearly explains Analyzes the

/10 made between connections the relevance and
the evidence and between connections strength of
the claim. evidence and between the the evidence
Evidence is off claim are selected in
topic or occasionally evidence and supporting
missing. successful. the claim. the claim.

References to There is a There is a

the text are at satisfactory convincing and
times interpretation of insightful
appropriate. some interpretation of
implications of larger implications
The response is
the text. and
descriptive and/or
subtleties of the
demonstrates little The response text.
relevant analysis demonstrates an
of appropriate and at The response
textual times insightful demonstrates
features analysis of textual an insightful
and/or features and/or and
authorial authorial choices. convincing
choices. analysis of
 textual
The response lacks
The response has a features
structure.
mostly clear and/or
structure. authorial
choices.

The response
has a clear and
purposeful
structure.

Writing Sentences show Attempts to Demonstrates a Demonstrates a

Conventions errors of use some working strong
/2.5 structure; little English command of command of
or no variety; no conventions, English English
grasp of though errors conventions with conventions
sentence flow. frequently some errors that with few,
Contains many inhibit reader’s do not inhibit minor errors.
errors of comprehension. reader’s Fluency,
punctuation, comprehension. diction, and
spelling and/or Uses informal sentence
capitalization. language and Uses language variety are
tone. and tone that are strong.
academic.
Uses language
and tone that are
appropriate to
the audience and
purpose.