A doll house ; a raisin in the sun Essay Example For Students

A doll house ; a raisin in the sun Essay A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen, and A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, both have central themes of search of self-identity within a social system. This is demonstrated by women characters from both plays breaking away from the social standards of their times and acting on their own terms. In most situations women are to be less dominant than men in society. These two plays are surprisingly different from the views of women in society and of the times and settings that they take place in. Henrik Ibsens A Doll House, which was written during the Victorian era, introduced a woman as having her own purposes and goals, making the play unique and contemporary. Nora, the main character, is first depicted as a doll or a puppet because she relies on her husband, Torvald Helmer, for everything, from movements to thoughts, much like a puppet who is dependent on its puppet master for all of its actions. Noras duties, in general, are restricted to playing with the children, doing housework, and working on her needlepoint. A problem with her responsibilities is that her most important obligation is to please Helmer. Helmer thinks of Nora as being as small, fragile, helpless animal and as childlike, unable to make rational decisions by herself. This is a problem because she has to hide the fact that she has made a decision by herself, and it was an illegal one. In Act I, it seems evident that Nora does not understand the actual value of money but she has an infatuation with luxurie s such as expensive Christmas gifts and she justifies this by buying less expensive clothes, which she has confided in Mrs. Linde, her friend. Helmer, immediately labels his wife as a little spendthrift (Ibsen, 660). She seems to think that money can be easily borrowed and paid back. Nora: Oh, but Torvald, we can squander a little now. Cant we? Just a tiny, weebit. Now that youve got a big salary and are going to make piles and piles of money. (Ibsen, 660)Helmer feels strongly that women and finances should have nothing to do with each other, and that a woman could never rationally economize a household. He feels that taking loans out in order to buy expensive items is unnecessary and most importantly, what would other people think?Helmer: Nora, Nora, how like a woman! No, but seriously, Nora, you know what I think about that. No debts! Never borrow! Something of freedoms lost-and something of beauty too-from a home thats founded on borrowing debt. Weve made a brave stand up to now, the two of us; and well go right on like that the little we have to (Ibsen, 660). Nora thought she did the right thing by borrowing money when Helmer was sick and not telling him. She knows that it was illegal to forge her fathers signature but feels that this crime should not apply to her because she had the good intention of helping her husband get well. This can be seen as an example of the subordinate position of women in society. Nora was thinking of the well being of her husband, while not thinking about the rules of the business world which is where men had all of the power at the time and even today. This is evident when Krogstad, the man she borrowed money from, comes to meet with Nora with the forged loan to discuss what she has done. Krogstad: Laws dont inquire motives. Nora: Then they must be very poor laws. Krogstad: Poor or not-if I introduce this paper in court, youll be judged according to law. Nora: This I refuse to believe. A daughter hasnt a right to protect her dying father from anxiety and care? A wife hasnt a right to save her husbands life? I dont know much about laws, but Im sure that somewhere in the books these things are allowed. And you dont know anything about it-you who practice the law? You must be an awful lawyer, Mr. Krogstad (Ibsen, 669). After Krogstad threatens to expose Noras crime, she comes to the realization that what she did was in fact illegal. This is the beginning of the end for Noras perfect marriage and family. She tries to use her feminine charm on the men in her life to make the situation right. Nora tries to please Helmer by dressing up and doing the tarantella dance. She pretends that she needs him to teach her every move in order to relearn the dance. This is evidence of Noras submissiveness to her husband. Helmer in turn shows interest in Nora physically and emotionally, but not intellectually which is consistent throughout the play. It is obvious that Helmer looks at Nora as his object. Nora: Torvald, dont look at me like that!Helmer: Cant I look at my richest treasure? At all that beauty thats mine, mine alone-completely and utterly,Nora (moving around to the other side of the table): You mustnt talk to me that way tonight. Helmer (following her): The tarantella is still in your blood. I can see-and it makes you even more enticing. Listen. The guests are beginning to go. (Dropping his voice.) Nora-itll soon be quite through this whole house. (Ibsen, 682)When Nora feels that she has no where else to turn to for help in hiding her secret, she goes to Dr. Rank, a friend of Helmers, who is also attracted to Nora physically. Nora feels that Rank will be able to prevent her from the consequences she is about to face with her husband, but he wants to tell her how he feels about her. Just as she is about to tell him about her situation, Dr. Rank professes his love for her, and Nora simply replies, Really, I dont know what to say-Why did you have to be so clumsy, Dr. Rank! Everything was so good. (Ibsen, 675) This proves that Noras charm has worked but not for what she really wanted. Nora can be seen as selfish and naive, but she is only a product of the society that she was raised in. She has been handed everything that she has needed in life by her father and later by her husband because she is a woman. It is obvious that she has become dependent on the men in her life. The art of art EssayBeneathas character is very similar to Nora in A Doll House. She is searching for self-identity within a social structure that constrains her because she is an African American woman. Like Helmer, Walter, her brother, does not believe that his sister is capable of fulfilling her dreams of going to medical school and becoming a doctor because it is not a typical occupation for a woman to be in. Walter: Who the hell told you you had to be a doctor? If you so crazy bout messing round with sick people-then go be a nurse like the other women-or just get married and be quiet (Hansberry, 1278)Another issue that Walter is worried about is where is the money going to come from to educate her? He has more important plans with the insurance money than to provide an education for Beneatha, whom he feels should be doing more for the family than worry about becoming a doctor. He feels this way because while the rest of the family is working hard all day trying to make ends meet, Beneatha is at school. When she comes home she brings her ideas and thoughts with her and this makes Walter feel inferior. Unlike Nora, from the beginning, Beneatha wants to be independent. She does not want to have to rely on her family or anybody else to put her through school. When Beneatha is at school, she feels as if she has a place in society. She is surround with people who are similar to her. When she i s at home she is uncertain of her place because of the contradicting views her family has of their social status. She frequently questions the ideas and values of her family. There was a discussion between Mama, Ruth and Beneatha about rich white people verses rich colored people, and Beneatha was stating that the only people in the world who are more snobbish than rich white people are rich colored people. (Hansberry, 1282) Mama immediately said, You must not dislike people cause they well off. (Hansberry, 1282) Beneatha felt that her mother did not understand the concept of how society easily labels people of all classes, and she replies, Why not? It make just as much sense as disliking people cause they are poor, and lots of people do that. (Hansberry, 1282) Beneatha knows that in her society she may be looked down on because of the color of her skin and her sex, but she will not let that stop her from accomplishing her dreams. While Mama, on the other hand, has lived through man y years segregation and has become accepting of her place in society, but wants to see a better life for her children. Mama puts up with Beneatha expressing her opinions and ideas about issues, but the one thing she will not put up with is Beneatha denouncing God. Mama was raised in a completely different society, where religion was everything, it was something you had and believed in when you had nothing else. When Mama, Ruth and Beneatha, were talking about Beneatha becoming a doctor only God willing, Beneatha relied, God hasnt got a thing to do with it. Does he pay my tuition? (Hansberry, 1282-1283) Mama immediately reprimanded her and slapped her. Not only does Beneatha question society but also religion and its purpose. George Murchison is one of Beneathas friends. He is rich, and Beneathas family feels that he would be a good husband for her because of this. Beneatha: As for George. Well. George looks good-hes got a beautiful car and he takes me to nice places and, as my sister-in-law says, he is probably the richest boy I will ever get to know and I even like him sometimes-but if the Youngers are sitting around waiting to see if their little Bennie is going to tie up the family with the Murchisons, they are wasting their time. (Hansberry, 1282)Beneatha sees past the money and feels she could never love him for who he really is, he is not as interesting to her as Asagai, and their conversations are not as intellectual. It is obvious that George does not go out with her for her because of her mind, unlike Asagai who is interested in her thoughts. Beneatha: Then why read books? Why go to school?George (with artificial patience, counting on his fingers): Its simple. You read books-to learn facts-to get grades-to pass the course-to get a degree. Thats all-it has nothing to do with thoughts. (Hansberry, 1295)Beneatha also questions her heritage. Asagai, a friend and romantic interest, who is originally from Nigeria, makes her curious to find out about her origins. He introduces her to African customs and styles of dress. He encourages her to be herself and not to fall into the assimilationism that is so popular in your country. (Hansberry, 1286) Beneatha also confides in him when Walter loses the money, and she feels that there is no hope for her dreams. Asagai feels that Beneatha should go back to Africa with him, to help find her identity there, now that she feels Walter has taken it all away from her. At the end of the play it is unclear whether or not Beneatha would actually leave her family in order to find herself and pursue her dreams of becoming a doctor. She is obviously is not going to marry George, although Walter would like her to because of the money. Living in such close quarters for so many years with her family, she developed a love-hate relationship with all of them. I would be surprised if she did actually go to Africa. Like Nora, Beneatha at the end of the play has a strong sense of self. She knows what she wants, and is determined to accomplish her dream. BibliographyHansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001. 1274 1310. Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. The Bedford Introduction to Drama. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. Boston: Bedford/ST. Martins, 2001. 659 688.