The
Physical Setting of “A Doll’s House”
*
Place
o
the physical
setting seen on stage is a typical or a “generic” set-up of an upper-middle
class house in the 1ate 19th century in order allow the audience to
reflect or superimpose their own lives onto the play
o
In
this way, Ibsen’s message of necessary spiritual awakening will be easily
communicated with the audience
o
However, the house is a mere
container, or doll’s house, for Nora, who spends her time entertaining or
nervously accommodating (as her nickname “the squirrel” implies) her demanding
husband—rather than decorating, designing, or even “taking charge of” her own
life.
o
Sitting areas in the house
realistically capture the limitations on Nora’s growth as a woman
o
For example, in these staged sitting areas,
Nora secretly eats macaroons to escape her husband’s upbraiding; she has
threatening conversations with Krogstad, concerning his reinstatement at her
husband’s bank; and she prepares her costume and practices the tarantella for a
Christmas ball she must attend with Torvald. All of these situations in closed
rooms psychologically and emotionally demonstrate the manipulation and
oppression of this doll in the house, filled with rooms of deception and
corruption.
o
When
Nora finally decides to leave her husband, she goes out of the house and slams
its downstairs door shut. In so doing, she physically, mentally, and
spiritually enters a new space: the unknown. For here she can truly “find
herself” now and discover what she wants to do as an individual without
Torvald’s rules and codes of behavior.
o Torvald often retires
to his private study when he wants quiet study and discussion time with
friends. Nora generally stays in the living room when speaking with friends.
Dr. Rank typically walks into Torvald's study when he wants to speak with him
privately. It is also the location of Krogstad's initial visit to Torvald.
*
Time
o
At the beginning of the play, on Christmas Eve, Nora still
believes her marriage to be happy. We see her ordering the Christmas tree to be
brought in and insisting that it is hidden until she has decorated it.
Symbolically, this alerts us to the fact that there are hidden aspects to life
in this household, that a carefully created appearance is what matters, and
that Nora is the keeper of appearances. Significantly, when she is trying to
wheedle Torvald into keeping Krogstad in his job, she draws his attention to how
pretty the flowers on the tree look.
o
By Christmas Day, the tree is stripped of its ornaments and its
candles have burnt out (a link with the symbol of light). By this point,
Torvald has refused to keep Krogstad in his job and Nora feels sure that
Krogstad will reveal all to him. The carefully maintained appearance of the
happy marriage is disintegrating under the encroachment of truth
o
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is traditionally viewed as a new beginning, and the Helmers at the beginning of the play are looking forward to just such a new beginning. Torvald is due to start a new and better paid job at the bank, and Nora anticipates being "free" from her debt. By the end of the play, Nora has indeed made a new beginning, though it is of a quite different nature, consisting in leaving Torvald and her children.
New Year's Day is traditionally viewed as a new beginning, and the Helmers at the beginning of the play are looking forward to just such a new beginning. Torvald is due to start a new and better paid job at the bank, and Nora anticipates being "free" from her debt. By the end of the play, Nora has indeed made a new beginning, though it is of a quite different nature, consisting in leaving Torvald and her children.
o
Other characters too enter new phases in their life. Mrs Linde
and Krogstad begin their life together after long periods of suffering, and Dr
Rank dies, which can be seen as an end or a transition, depending on one's
viewpoint.
o
winters in Norway
Þ
Can
be a light snow-filled paradise, but can also be harsh and dark especially in
areas up north
Þ
winter
is divided into two:
· 1st part: October to early
January ® the darkest times of the year, known as mørketiden (literally defined as the time north
of the Arctic circle when the sun doe not rise)
§
wet and often accompanied by storms
·
2nd
part: after Christmas, the weather feels cooler and snowfall becomes heavier
§
days
are still quite dark, however what little light there is is reflected off on
the snow, thus giving a brighter-looking landscape
*
Symbolism in the house
o
First
of all, the tree seems to mimic Nora's psychological state. At the beginning of
Act Two, stage directions tell us, "The Christmas Tree is […] stripped of
its ornaments and with burnt-down candle-ends on its disheveled branches"
(2.1). But what does that have to do with Nora? Stage directions go on to say
that, "[Nora] is alone in the room, walking about uneasily" (2.1).
Basically, Nora is a mess and so is the tree. She's gotten the bad news from
Krogstad, and as a result her mind is just as disheveled as the poor tree.
o
You
could also interpret the tree's state as symbolic of Nora's disintegrating web
of lies. The pretty decorations that Nora used to cover up her deceit are
falling away. Soon the bare, ugly truth will emerge.
o
Lastly,
Nora's function in the household is pretty much the same as the tree. She's
merely decorative, ornamental. She dresses up the tree just as Torvald dresses
up her for the Stenborgs' party. It's interesting that she tells the maid not
to let the children see the tree until it's decorated. This is reminiscent of
when she tells Torvald that she can't be seen in her costume until the party.
o
The
Stove symbolizes Nora's emotional and physical warmth. When Krogstad comes to
have a talk with Nora, she keeps the door half open. She goes across the room
and touches the stove. Actually there is no cause of doing so. Her action of
making up the fire is the remedy of escaping from her fear of Krogstad's visit
and the discomfort of her mind. She wants to keep the secrecy of loan from
Helmer's knowledge likewise, when Dr. Rank declares his love to her, she walks
over the stove. Here, too the stove symbolizes her mental disturbance caused by
Rank unexpected declaration of love to her, which she would not like
o
Nora
realized that her husband didn't see her as an individual, but only as a wife
and mother. She knew what her husband was like. She wanted to dissolve her ties
with him by abandoning him and the children. She thought her duty towards
herself was above her duty as a mother and wife. Her status as a non - entity
was a product of the functioning of patriarchy. She wanted to educate herself
and establish her own identity. Slamming the door is the explosion of her
energies against patriarchy. It's a challenge to patriarchy. It's a bold act of
revolt against male domination. The crux of the whole play hinges on this
single incident. It is an individual's search for freedom.
[Note: I included everything I used for the ppt in order to understand the topics even further. The research you found for the christmas tree symbol is also here]
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