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Symbolism in A Dolls House - Coggle Diagram
Symbolism in A Dolls House
Doors - repeated reference
layout of the home
those with keys usually have the power peoplee come out and in
other characters enter and exit the ront room more than nora does - significant - exit at the end is key- finally breaks free - Is Helmber the doll left in the house?
Macaroons
Sweets which helmer has told |Nora she can not eat thise as it would ruin her teeth- power imbalanve - parents like
paren/child relationship
she eats them anyways and hides them in her pocked
sharing this rebbelioning with dr rank and mrs lynde
forshadows her later e exit
capable of rebellion and secrecy and lies
The house
middle class comfrtably but not luxuriously finish
difference between house and home
usually a place of comfort
feelings of oppression and claustrophobia- the house is synonomous with Noras sense of dystopia- it is a cage
Silk stockings
In act 2, Nora shows Dr Rank her silk stockings
sexual rebbellion- degree of chemistry
at the time this would have been scandouvles to show him other than her husndand - dr rank - sexual rebbelion
ability to break rules and forsawds the decision leaving the house
The christmas tree
-the festive of the home'
togetherness, festivities
something to look and be be decorated - something to drrss up
trees begins to dishevelrepresenting the decaying state of the marriage and braking away from artifice
noras tarentella and dance
noras costume to p pleaase helmer for the partyat beginging of act 3
hemper chooses the dresslike a dollto be marvelled
she moves the dress in act 3 , replscing it with toned downregular outdoor clothes showing the transition to 'doll wide'to individual
Dress gives the impression/ facade of happinessw whhich is far from the reality of Noras feelings
the dace has a rule and routine which Nora 'forgets' at the end of Act 2 her gair falls don and she dances freely 'freestyle to show her breaking away from Torvalds/helmers repressive expectations
Money
central to respectability and status
the charcaters lack of monaythier need for money and desire motiviate much of the plays action
krogstands power comes form teo hundred and fofty pounds he loaned to noragives him the powert tto blackmail her " if i get thrown into the gutter, for a second time, i shall take you with me"
Since the hemlmers did not hae the money themselves and hemler would have founf borrowing humiliating, nora took the initiative , found a loanand forged er fathers singnature. this act to save her husn=bands life also makes hera crinnnal , sacrificed herself to her husband
Masculine world of finance and power, Nora's ability to make repayments, work in secret of money and know about "quarterly interest" makes her feel free form, the constraints of womanhood - she gets a taste of freedom
Krogstands letter -
representative of truth
cataylst for norato see helmer 9and thier marraige) for what it really is
shows helmer to be only concerned about himself and how he appears
importance of mascualine respectability in this society
does nora oew a thanks to mrs myndeand krogstad? has something bettercome out of it all?
Dolls
" i have been your doll - wofe, just as at home I was papas doll child, and here the children have been my dolls"
Puppet, marrionete
voiceless, dressed up , without independance or freedom,confinned to the home
Married for 8 years, to helmer and three kids, his selfish reaction to reading the letter, made her see the marriage and her place in the home for what it really is
Birds
the caged bird motif
common symbols of oppression (flightless)
Helmer labels Nora with a list of birds. These possessive zoomorphins dehumanise Nora (as she allows it) so Helmer can fulfil his sense of superioority
cute, beautiful, delicate, gender sterotypes
can also be the sybol of hope, . In the end Nora becomes a bird who stretches her wings and flies away (emily diickonson- "hope is a thing with feathers"