Appearance Versus Reality - As Veneers Unmask in Miss Julie and A Dolls House

International Baccalaureate World Literature

WORLD LITERATURE ASSIGNMENT 1

Comparative Study

Appearance Versus Reality: As Veneers Unmask in Miss Julie and A Doll’s House

Every literary work possesses a dominant theme such as appearance and reality which are the main ideas in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Over the course of these two plays, appearances prove to be manipulating veneers that hide the reality of the play’s characters. As the theme clearly reveals itself in Jean of Miss Julie and Krogstad of A Doll’s House, readers may start to doubt the roles these two characters take on as the antagonists of the plays. A conventional antagonist is often portrayed as being ruthless and cruel, desiring status and power, causing destruction and death. However, as the revelation of appearance and reality occurs through the exposure of the respective characters’ traits, motifs, and purposes, the quality of Jean and Krogstad being the conventional antagonists becomes questionable.

Krogstad initially presents himself as a cold-hearted character who intimidates Nora in order to keep his subordinate position at the bank. He threatens her with the disclosure of her crime of forgery and acts ruthlessly to gain his ends: “Do as you please. But let me tell you this – if I lose my position a second time, you shall lose yours with me.” Krogstad further demonstrates his cold-heartedness as he continues to torment Nora for her deceptive actions. This is enhanced by the threatening tone and the use of the imperative mood to express his aggression: “Have you forgotten that it is I who have the keeping of your reputation?... Do not do anything foolish.”

Jean, on the other hand, appears to be the antithesis of Krogstad, wooing Miss Julie. In doing so, Jean reveals his deceptive nature by using spiritual terms such as “heaven” and “angels” as well as poetic imagery to enchant Miss Julie. Jean recounts ardently his longtime dreams of being with Miss Julie and in the end, makes her believe that he is her loyal and faithful friend:

I lay down under a pile of weeds, under – can you imagine it? – under thistles which pricked, and wet earth that stank, and I thought: it it’s true that ...

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I lay down under a pile of weeds, under – can you imagine it? – under thistles which pricked, and wet earth that stank, and I thought: it it’s true that a thief can enter heaven and dwell with the angels.

We are introduced to Krogstad and Jean as characters of the opposite extreme, the former being malicious and the latter being benevolent. The two present themselves to the protagonists of the story with a façade, hoping to disguise their true motives. However, the readers should realize that as cold-hearted as Krogstad may seem, his vengeance upon Nora is for more than simply his job at the bank: “I must try to win back as much respect as I can in the town. This post in the Bank was like a first step-up for me.” Similarly, we are able to also acknowledge Jean’s superficial appearance to Miss Julie as he talks about her fiancé disparagingly with Kristine upon her entrance. Jean’s conversation with Kristine is the initial revelation of his true nature and character when he says: “She’s so stuck-up about some things, and not proud enough about others.”

As the plays progress, appearances continue to overpower Krogstad and Jean’s true identities until a climatic point in the plot abruptly unmasks the two characters’ true selves. It is the point in the plot where the matter of identity confusion resolves and unexpectedly, reality replaces appearances. For Krogstad, it is the reunion with his past lover, Mrs. Linde, as he shows himself to be an earnest lover: “When I lost you, it was as if all the solid ground went from under my feet. Look at me now – I am a shipwrecked man clinging to a bit of wreckage.” Clearing his long years of misunderstandings with Mrs. Linde, Krogstad decides to help Nora (because she is a close friend of Mrs. Linde) and says that: “Yes, of course I will. I will wait here till Helmer comes; I will tell him he must give me my letter back – that it only concerns my dismissal – that he is not to read it.” Contrariwise, after making love with Miss Julie, Jean cruelly rejects her and admits his stories are all just deceptive lies. He becomes merciless in his words and actions and leaves Miss Julie in complete despair: “Do you think any of the girls around here would approach a man the way you did? I’ve only seen the like among animals and prostitutes.” At this point, all façades are torn and the characters show their true nature. As readers, we begin to undercut the first impressions that were formed of Krogstad and Jean.

After witnessing the extreme transformations in which the two characters undergo, the notion of

them being conventional antagonists, the embodiment of evil, comes into play once again. Can a character be considered an antagonist – a true villain – if his persona changes through the course of the story? As Krogstad and Jean’s characters are revealed, it is evident that it is not their personalities that are changing, but rather, the way they are portrayed, and the situations (and their awareness of them) that they are in.

Krogstad is the antagonist of A Doll’s House, but because he is not necessarily a villain, as he is not without sympathy. He understands Nora because he has also committed forgery of signature and as a result, he becomes wronged by society. Krogstad’s motive for his immoral actions is that he needs to keep his job at the bank in order to spare his children from financial hardships, the same reason why Mrs. Linde was forced to leave him years ago. She understands Krogstad and comforts him as he regrets putting the letter in Torvald’s mailbox: “I understand very well to what lengths a man like you might be driven by despair.” Therefore, we feel pathos for Krogstad because even though he should be condemned for his ruthless actions towards Nora, he does it for his family’s sake and not for selfish reputations.

With Jean, a similar question arises. We see him at the end of the play as a despicable character who used Miss Julie’s love for him to try to get money from her. His degradation of Miss Julie is a result of his rejection of the class in which he was born in and his desire to rise. Years ago, Jean had to flee an outhouse by crawling through his master's waste. It was then that he saw Miss Julie for the first time, and it became love at first sight for young Jean. It is apparent that while Jean adulates and desires Miss Julie, he also despises her at the same time: “There was no hope of winning you, of course, but you stood for how hopeless it was ever to escape from the class in which I was born.” Similar to Krogstad, Jean’s psychological depth invites the readers to try to understand his actions and sympathize him for his immoral actions. Nonetheless, the audience ultimately loses the initial sympathy they had for Jean as they come to discover his true motives for destroying Miss Julie and using her to elevate himself.

Whether it is the transformation from a villain to a well-liked man, or from a devoted friend to a brutal traitor, the pretenses that Krogstad and Jean try to keep eventually reveal their true nature. And upon these character revelations, one shifts the perception of an antagonist away from these characters. The revelation of the theme of appearance and reality through the traits, motifs, and purposes of the two major antagonists also exposes two unconventional characters. Jean and Krogstad seem to wear a false front to conceal emotional and psychological matters that they do not want the society to see. This is the appearance. Yet, through the play the mask of reality slips, revealing through words and actions characters who are not as they first appeared. This is the reality. Jean’s character, initially believed to be loyal and faithful later reveals himself to be the opposite. On the other hand, Krogstad, who first appears villainous and coldhearted is soon exposed as caring and decent. Appearance and reality are sometimes the same thing. However, as the characters demonstrated, sometimes, they are not.