Working on the One

Jordan McShane

November 16 2010

English 180

      A Doll’s House Response

      A dolls house a very controversial story written by Henrik Ibsen. He was a writer that would go above and beyond to show the controversies in the world of today. This man is the reason why controversial plays are around. I think that this was a very good play for many reasons, back in its day it was very edgy, great diction and tone, also the issue that it brought up.

      So I did some research on this play, as I do with ever play that was assigned, and I found out a couple of interesting facts about it. Ibsen had to write an alternate ending to make the play acceptable to the public. The original ending, which I can only assume that it is the one that was provided in the book, ended with her telling Torvlad that she doesn’t need him and she wants out and she leaves because being a doll to be played with is too much and she couldn’t help her kids in this state then she leaves by slamming the door. In the alternate ending, Nora is led to her children after having argued with Torvlad. Seeing them, she collapses, and the curtain is brought down. Ibsen stated that the alternate ending is an outrage. This made me happy knowing that there were differences in the play and the written work. The German theatres back then are just like Hollywood is now! They always have to have a happy ending so it can make money.

      The diction and tone that was used in the play was amazing. I loved how he wrote this play. I made me feel so submerged that I could put it down till I was finished. I just loved the foreshadowing especially in the beginning of the play. How Nora seemed to be the perfect housewife making sure everything was done, yet in the end she had underlying deception about herself that showed how imperfect she really was.

      Another piece about this play I loved was how horrible Nora was treated. She was treated like a child. Always talked down to as if she were a...