Ibsen `The Dolls House` Essay

The theme of Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’ is the rights of an individual to live his life in his own way which is more important than the conventions and codes of society, understanding and love are the essential ingredients for a happy married life. The theme is present in the play through the presentation of the married life of Nora and her husband. The significance of the theme is that if too much importance is given to the norms of society than to individual freedom, his emotions and feeling, it brings disaster as shown in the play. The theme of ‘The Doll’s House’ by Ibsen is depicted mainly through the characters of Nora, and her husband Helmer. Nora breaks the rules of society initially to save his husband’s life and finally leaves her home, her husband and children to educate herself. Helmer on the other hand lives his life by strictly adhering to the rules of society. He is unable to understand his wife’s feelings and emotions and so his wife leaves him forever. Their marriage breaks down because they lacked understand and love which are required for a happy married life. In Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’, Nora is the protagonist who lives the life of a dutiful wife and mother as approved by society. She plays her role beautifully which is restricted to activities like creating a beautiful home, meeting the needs of her husband and children and singing and dancing prettily and seductively for her husband. She is portrayed in the play as a helpless creature; Helmer towards the end of the play calls her his ‘helpless darling’. She is also thought as a housewife protected by her husband from the troubles and burdens of life (said by her friend Mrs. Linde). However, when crisis strikes, she acts as a man. She herself takes the decision. She borrows a large sum of money from a man named Krogstad to save her husband’s life. She spares her dying father from the worry of his son-in-law’s heath. She forges her father’s signature, (the male member of the family who was supposed to act as a guarantor) and procures the money. She follows the advice of the doctor and takes Helmer to the south, to Italy to recover his health. The loan caused a lot of worry for her. She suppressed her desires for finery, saves a little from housekeeping money and worked in the evening till late at night to pay the loan back. She sometimes felt very tired but in spite of all her struggles, she felt great happiness in working and earning money. As she tells her friend: ‘It was like being a man’, (Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). On the other hand, Torvald Helmer, her husband strictly follows the rules of the society. He considers his wife Nora as a plaything and his possession. He worries about the reaction of the people in the bank, when his wife Nora requests him to allow Krogstad to keep his position in the bank. They are already aware that he will dismiss Krogstad, so if they come to know that the new manager has changed his mind at his wife’s request, he will become a laughing stock in their eyes. Helmer tells Nora that: â€Å"Do you suppose I am going to make myself ridiculous before my whole staff, to let people think that I am a man to be swayed by all sorts of outside influence? †, (Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). At the end, when Helmer receives the letter from Krogstad revealing Nora’s crime of forgery, he is inconsolable: â€Å"What a horrible awakening! All these eight years–she who was my joy and pride–a hypocrite, a liar–worse, worse–a criminal! †,(Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). He not only abuses her but also blames her father: â€Å"all your father’s want of principle has come out in you. No religion, no morality, no sense of duty†, (Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). We find from the play that Helmer is more concerned about the disgrace that he may face in society more than the seriousness of crime that Nora commits. He blames Nora for the mishap: â€Å"He can make the affair known everywhere; and if he does, I may be falsely suspected of having been a party to your criminal action. Very likely people will think I was behind it all–that it was I who prompted you! † (Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). He decides to appease Krogstad in one way or another and shut up the matter at all cost. He believed that because of this incident, they can no longer share a close relationship as before and also he cannot allow her near his children. But still he wants Nora to continue staying under his roof as his wife for the sake of appearance to the world. As he is afraid that he will be stigmatized by society. However, later when he receives the second letter from Krogstad stating that the man repents for his action and has returned the bond, he calms down. Helmer realizes that he is saved from disgrace and thus he becomes the loving husband as before. He changes his stance, he forgives his wife. However, the damage is done. Disaster strikes the family; he loses his wife and mother of his children. On the other hand, Nora does not live her life according to the dictates of society. She breaks away her traditional role of a devoted wife and loving mother. She leaves Helmel and frees herself from the bondage of marriage. Thus she outrage society and stigmatize herself. In the play, Nora and Helmer look on the outside as a happy married couple. However at the end of the play, the curtain moves away to show a more realistic picture of marriage. As Nora realizes at the end of the play, there is a lack of understanding and love between the couple. Helmer considers Nora as his doll and his treasure. He also wants her to act according to his wishes. He tells Nora after he forgives her: â€Å"There is something so indescribably sweet and satisfying, to a man, in the knowledge that he has forgiven his wife–forgiven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were, doubly his own†, (Ibsen’s ‘The Doll’s House’). As Nora mentions, they could not understand each other even after eight years of marriage. Nora understands that her husband is a man with strong opinions about the role of woman in family and that his male ego would be hurt if he finds out about her secret loan. Also that he is very possessive about her. But she is unaware of the fact that her husband is a narrow-minded and selfish man. Helmer also fails to understand Nora. He does not realize Nora’s motive behind forging her father’s signature. He failed to understand his wife’s deep love for him which compelled her to borrow such a large amount in the first place. In the play, it is evident that Nora loves her husband and Helmer has great affection for Nora. But their love and affection for each other is not strong enough to keep them together in marriage. In the play, ‘The Doll’s House’ by Ibsen, Torvald lives his life by the guidelines that are acceptable and respectable to society. He is concerned more about his wife’s attractive looks and the beautiful appearance of his home than for his wife’s happiness. So his marriage breaks down. Nora realizes that she has imbibed the tastes and opinions of his husband and thus has lived a life according to his terms. She always though she was happy but was never really happy but rather jolly. Nora leaves her husband and her family and goes away to live her life according to her own terms. She wants to educate herself, to understand herself and everything around her. She goes away to fulfill her duties to herself which come before her duties as a wife and mother. She wants to understand who is right, the world or herself. The significance of the theme is beautifully presented in the play. Work Citation: â€Å"A Doll’s House†. Novelguide. com. 18 June 2008. â€Å"A Doll’s House†. Henrik Ibsen. 18 June 2008

102 Intro to Monster Theory Professor Ramos Blog

102 Intro to Monster Theory Quick Write Quick Write What is a Monster? Define the term monster in your own words. You definition should be a brief paragraph that explains what a monster is. Make sure to include the physical and behavioral characteristics. mon ·ster  noun 1. an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening. Introduction We are going to be starting the second and final unit of the course, Monsters. We will read, write, and think critically about monsters of many kinds. Monsters and Monstrosity will provide us the opportunity to learn about a phenomenon that stretches across multiple cultures and time periods. Monsters will also give you a better understanding of both cultural history and the world today. Monsters are all around us. In the movies we watch, the books we write, and in every aspect of life. Monsters are fear inducing. But monsters are also cuddly like Sully, Cookie Monster, and The Count on Sesame Street. Monsters have always been symbolic creatures, generally representing darkness and evil. The villain for the hero to vanquish. The Latin word monstrum refers to both a monster and a sign that something momentous or calamitous is likely to happen. Why Monsters? â€Å"What I will propose here by way of a first foray, as entrance into this book of monstrous content, is a sketch of a new modus legendi: a method of reading cultures from the monsters they engender† (Cohen 3). The theses are tools for us to use to analyze monster, in the cultural studies sense. The monsters the cultures produce say a lot about that culture. We create monsters that evolve over time, sometimes purposely for whatever reason. Monster Culture (Seven Theses) Our purpose for today is to understand the seven theses on Monsters and Monstrosity and to develop a good resources that will help us to remember and use the theses in our writing. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen – Monster Culture (Seven Theses)  (p. 3-20) We read Cohen’s Monster Culture: Seven Theses for today. Jeffrey Jerome Cohen argues that we can read â€Å"cultures from the monsters they engender† (3). This is chapter one of his book  Monster Theory: Reading Culture.   From the editor/author’s website: We live in a time of monsters. Monsters provide a key to understanding the culture that spawned them. So argue the essays in this wide-ranging and fascinating collection that asks the question, What happens when critical theorists take the study of monsters seriously as a means of examining our culture? In viewing the monstrous body as a metaphor for the cultural body, the contributors to Monster Theory consider beasts, demons, freaks, and fiends as symbolic expressions of cultural unease that pervade a society and shape its collective behavior. Through a historical sampling of monsters, these essays argue that our fascination for the monstrous testifies to our continued desire to explore difference and prohibition.  JeffreyJeromeCohen.com Monster Theory Thesis I. The Monster’s Body Is a Cultural Body (4) Thesis II. The Monster Always Escapes (4) Thesis III. The Monster Is the Harbinger of Category Crisis (6) Thesis IV. The Monster Dwells at the Gates of Difference (7) Thesis V. The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible (12) Thesis VI. Fear of the Monster Is Really a Kind of Desire (16) Thesis VII. The Monster Stands at the Threshold . . . of Becoming (20) In groups, develop a list of the important points, lessons, takeaways, and examples that we need to understand in order to understand the thesis. Write a short summary explaining the points of the thesis. Make sure you label which thesis you are writing about. This is very important because we will be using monster theory to write the last two essays in the course. The better we understand the theory, the better we will be able to apply it. Monster Thesis 1: The Monster’s Body is a Cultural Body Each culture will produce their own monsters and their own versions of monsters. â€Å"The monstrous body is pure culture† (4).

Great Gatsby Essay Example

Great Gatsby Essay Example Great Gatsby Essay Great Gatsby Essay Essay Topic: Clueless Getting Trapped in Ones Dream In the words of the great rock band, The Beatles, it is said, For I dont care too much for money, for money cant buy me love. For his entire life, Jay Gatsby tried to rise up his social economic status to have the girl of his dreams marry him. The attempt to capture the American dream was the main focus of this novel. Gatsby devoted his whole life trying to achieve his so-called dream but failed to do so at the end. He misunderstood the real meaning of his own dream ssimilar to how many Americans misunderstood the true meaning of the American Dream. : The American Dream was the belief that everyone had the oopportunity to achieve their goals and become rich if they only worked hard enough. Copious amount of characters in Great Gatsby did not seem to grasp the concept that The American Dream was Just an illusion. They had not comprehended that everyone could not get what they wanted if they only worked hard. It took more than Just working hard enough; it all depended on ones destiny. The fact that they did not understand that concept and everyone was striving to be living in the dream led them to create fantasy lives. The author showed how one could become ruined by anothers focus on acquiring wealth, power and pleasure. The American Dream was sought to bring happiness to an Americans life no matter how rich or poor they were. The book was an example of how people worshiped materials. They cared more about how people viewed them rather than how they actually desired to be. Once again, the term American dream was an idea that suggested that anyone in America could succeed through hard work and had the potential to lead a happy, successful life. Moreover, hard work did not nly mean financially, but also morally and spiritually. In order for one to be happy, they needed to be able to obtain love above all. For, without love we are nothing; without God, we are nothing. Many people have expanded the definition to include things such as fulfillment and meaningful relationships. Americans, who do not have the life of their dream, the life that they always desired, tried to hide it by making up fantasies and pretending that everything was going great in their life. It is said that love can blind us and Gatsby demonstrated that point undoubtedly. For his whole life, he was focused on having money to be able to marry Daisy, for she was his motivation and his sustenance. Gatsby wanted his dream to become true and, in the long run, that led him to becoming very materialistic. He had the money and he thought that materialistic elements such as his house, his car, his parties and his so-called friends, would lure Daisy back to him. A great amount of the characters in Great Gatsby did not fully know the truth on the American Dream. They created illusions for themselves to pretend as if they had all the three things the American Dream promised; wealth, happiness and power. Gatsby, for example, thought that he had a great life with plenty of friends and no problems. In the end, we found out that he did not have the life he had desired. He was unhappy and he had no true friends. Gatsbys personal dream symbolized the American Dream. He had met Daisy many years before he became wealthy and they were not able to get married because of Gatsby low social economic status. His separation from Daisy encouraged nvm to work nara Tor nls wealtn He started Delng In tne Dootlegglng business when it had been illegal and he made a fortune out of it. Gatsby believed that he could rewrite the past by reinventing himself and changing his name after he had become rich. However, later in the book it is viewed that Gatsbys dream was hopeless for he could never win Daisys love back. Gatsby had believed with all his strength that he could have gotten Daisy back but when he took his dream too far, it only became a harmful and unattainable illusion. The numerous amounts of characters who were portrayed in the book all had the same mentality; it was only money that mattered. One character in the book portrays the exact expansion of the American Dream. Myrtle was living with her poor husband in the valley of ashes and was having an affair with Tom Buchanan, Daisys husband. When she got away with Tom to go to the city, she put on this new mask as if she were a totally different person. She bought a puppy, a magazine and perfume and went to her fancy apartment. Only rich women could afford these things and she was trying to show others that she was wealthy. Myrtle wanted to move up her social class but by being married to Wilson she was not able her to do so. The desire of achieving this fantasy led her to having an affair with Tom, she felt like he could give her all she wanted, owever love was not part of the deal. All this made her blind and clueless about how she was Just a toy on the side for Tom, for, she strived for this wish so much. Daisy, on the other hand, was also blinded by the truth. She could not decide who she wanted, Tom or Gatsby? She had a dream of being wealthy and being happy, like the American Dream had portrayed. She was aware of Toms mistress and she was always trying to hide the truth from ever one else when they started to get suspicious. Daisys fantasy made it possible for her to ignore the obvious signs that er mmarriage was falling apart. Surprisingly, even Tom makes up his little fantasy life with Myrtle. He could have had a wonderful mmarriage, with a beautiful wife and daughter but chose to decide that wasnt enough. Those two women in his life did not satisfy him and he wanted a third, Myrtle Wilson. Tom wanted to have power over everyone and since Myrtle was in a lower class than he was, she was perfect. He had always wanted to have more than every one else. Every character in the book wanted to have a happy and successful life and by wanting that they acted as if all their roblems were not a minor or some were nothing at all. The Great Gatsby portrays the broken American Dream. Though many peoples dream chattered into millions of pieces, the idea of the American Dream is still true. Everyone desires something in life and everyone somehow strives for it. Every single persons fantasies all contribute to that of the American Dream. People were striving so much to have a successful and happy life, ended up making up fantasies and lying to themselves. Many did not learn that dreaming too far could have led to the destruction of all ones hard work, which happened to everyone.

Building Sentences That Support the Use of Rather

Building Sentences That Support the Use of Rather Building Sentences That Support the Use of Rather Building Sentences That Support the Use of Rather By Mark Nichol The adverb rather is useful for expressing a correction or counterpoint, but the word is often either incorrectly employed or is employed in a flawed sentence. The following sentences include an error directly or indirectly related to use of rather; discussion and revision demonstrate correct usage. 1. The Department of Justice isn’t as concerned with outright dismissal, but rather ensuring that the punishment fits the crime. Here, the subordinate clause does not serve as a balanced counterpoint to the main clause. Either rather has to begin a separate independent clause that closely parallels the main clause (â€Å"The Department of Justice isn’t as concerned with outright dismissal; rather, its concern is with ensuring that the punishment fits the crime†), or rather must be jettisoned in favor of wording that better expresses a comparison (â€Å"The Department of Justice isn’t as concerned with outright dismissal as it is with ensuring that the punishment fits the crime.†) 2. Technology risk was not considered to be a separate discipline, rather as an integral part of operational risk or group risk. For rather to be appropriate in this sentence, the initial point must be expressed positively; also, the comma is superfluous, and the incorrect conjunction that follows rather should be replaced: â€Å"Technology risk was considered to be a separate discipline rather than an integral part of operational risk or group risk.† 3. Banks are starting to recognize that the immediate threats to business may not be coming from one of their traditional competitors but rather from a technology giant or start-up. Here, again, the use of rather itself is not an issue, but as in the previous example, the sentence is not structured correctly to support its use. As with sentences that use the â€Å"not only . . . but also† construction, the key verb coming must precede not just as it is implied to precede rather: â€Å"Banks are starting to recognize that the immediate threats to business may be coming not from one of their traditional competitors but rather from a technology giant or start-up.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†"Confused With" and "Confused About"Inspiring vs. Inspirational

MY LIGHT AND SHADOWS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MY LIGHT AND SHADOWS - Essay Example t business ethics are guided by law while others are just basic framework through which a firm may choose to follow as a strategy to gain public acceptance. It therefore means that business ethics are implemented by companies in order to a certain level of trust or acceptance between clients and different market stakeholders. A number of biblical scholars have tried to summarize what the Bible has to say about business ethics and so does scholars in business word (Schneider et al. 2003) . A good example is Frederic Phillips, former president of Philips Electronics and Jerry White, a biblical scholar (Richard, 2010). The two individuals provide Caux round table and biblical review of business ethics respectively. Caux Round Table and White’s Biblical principles share a number of similarities in their bid to explain business ethics. The two versions of business ethics for instance believe that the world business community should be actively involved in improving economic and social conditions that can ensure world peace and stability. Caux Round Table affirms this by arguing that business behaviors or practices the relationship among nations and the prosperity and well-being of us all. In its first principle, Caux Round table concludes that business has a role to play in improving the lives of their employees, customers and shareholders through the wealth they create. In explaining the principle of the economic and social impact of business Caux Round table stipulates that business should contribute to economic and social development not only countries in which they are established but also the community as a whole (Spohn 2009). White’s Biblical principles share on the other hand through the third guideline, being a servant, explains how business impact live of not only their customers but also the community at large. The guidelines also advocate for reasonable profits as any other high charges are likely to exploit the public. Both the two approaches to

Product Strategy, Pricing, and Distribution Research Paper

Product Strategy, Pricing, and Distribution - Research Paper Example Product strategyAspirin as an external and internal analgesic is an example of OTC substance that is approved in the United States and manufactured by Bayer. The products strategy of Bayer Aspirin is that they sell their products through retail channels. They aim at attracting and retaining customers by appealing to them to continue using the products in case it works for them (Rogers, 2001). The company boasts of the best and most effective external and internal analgesic. In the introduction state of product lifecycle, Bayer aspirin is promoted so as to create awareness using skimming price strategy. In the growth strategy, the company has increased its advertising costs to outdo the generics. The company promotes the brand name version of the product to compete the competitors with similar offerings. In the maturity stage, the company’s sales stabilize and the company uses more widespread promotion to remain in the market. While in decline stage, Bayer has introduced new mo re innovative products. The company also improves profit by lowering marketing spending. Aspirin has a brand name Bayer Aspirin which has not been changed since 1899. The company has spent millions of dollars to build this trusted brand image which has helped them in attracting and retaining many customers. Though the brand-name aspirin versions are costier than generics, the company still has high sales volume due to loyal customers.Being a high-end provider, Bayer Inc includes distribution factors in its pricing decisions.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) as set out below Essay

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) as set out below - Essay Example Cor pulmonale, defined as hypertrophy, dilation, or dysfunction of the right ventricle due to pulmonary hypertension resulting form disorders of the respiratory system, also commonly occurs in patients with COPD (Missov ED, De Marco T 2000). There are evidences to support LTOT could significantly reduce mortality in patients with COPD and Cor pulmonale (Weitzenblum, E et al 1995, Croxton, TL 2006, Missov ED, De Marco T 2000, Zielinski, J 1998 ). Two randomized, controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the beneficial effects of LTOT in case of COPD and sever resting hypoxemia. They include the Nocturnal Oxygen therapy trial and the trials carried out by the Medical Research Council (Weitzenblum, E et al 1995, Barnett, M 2007, Croxton, TL 2006, Ruse, C 2008, Missov ED, De Marco T 2000). Both the trials indicated that oxygen therapy administered for at least 15 hours daily for patients with severe hypoxic COPD increased survival and in addition reduced polycythaemia and the progression of pulmonary hypertension (Barnett, M 2007). The main focus of LTOT is to improve the quality of life of the patients and thereby to increase their survival (Barnett, M 2007, Marti, S et al, 2006, Croxton, TL 2006). The criteria for the initiation of LTOT in the UK have been established based on the results of the 2 trials mentioned above (Barnett, M 2007, Zielinski, J 1998). The criteria as per the National clinical guidelines include patients with an arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) consistently at or below 7.3 kPa (55 mm Hg or less) when clinically stable. This threshold value of 55 mmHg indicates presence of severe hypoxemia which may have deleterious effects on pulmonary circulation, brain function etc (Atis, S et al 2001). Patients, who have a PaO2 consistently between 7.3 and 8.0 or 7.5 and 7.8 when clinically stable and if pulmonary hypertension (PAP >