Doll's House Reflective Statement - my view of Torvald.

        The women’s duty was to care for husband and children and restricted by boundaries of the house and her husband’s orders. Men were expected to be providers for the family which meant that the duty of house chores fell to the women. Also, women were “basically given” to their husbands by their fathers; in the 19th century they were considered no more than property. Since “property” is also a part of the reputation of the “owner”, it was socially accepted that not being obedient to your husband back during that time and bringing some sort of danger to him could result in the woman being kicked out of the house. In this light, Torvald seemed less extreme as he was representing the beliefs of the average man of that time and Nora seemed almost radical due to her “rebellious” act of leaving Torvald and the children. Isben’s contextual considerations further enhanced the text to emulate Nora’s emotions and reinforce the reader’s understanding of her mental state. The Tarantella dance and Nora’s clothing showed how Nora transitioned from worried over how Torvald would take Krogstad’s letter (wild dancing: feelings & party dress: pleasing Torvald) to being detached and understanding the reality of her relationship with Torvald. This made the ending extremely ‘powerful’ as it showed Nora in a position of independence (choosing to divorce Torvald and leave the children).

        After the interactive oral, I learned much about how the play’s ending was controversial when it first premiered and became more sympathetic towards Torvald.