12/14/13

   Our class discussion on A Doll House was quite interesting. I thought for the most part, everyone seemed to agree on many of the questions that were posed during the discussion. For example, when it came to the German ending, we all seemed to hate it. How could we not? It changed the WHOLE meaning of the poem!  It completed defeated Nora's transformation as a character. In about three sentences, Ibsen changed the whole play. Nora would have gone back to the life as a doll in the doll house if she had stayed with Torvald and the children. Another question that came up when we were discussing  was about Nora's decision to leave and whether or not it was selfish of her to leave her children.  Personally I think Nora was being selfish, but I think she had to leave to complete her arch as a character. At first I thought Nora was making a good decision because she was breaking the cycle. The cycle that has started with her father and continued with Torvald and is now continuing with her children. However, a good point was brought up yesterday. Nora could be actually continuing the cycle. Nora grew up without a mother, so her father treated her as a doll. Since Nora left her children, Torvald could begin to treat his children as dolls and the cycle will never be broken.  Could Nora be a hero if she selfishly left her children behind? I don't think so. A hero sacrifices things for other people. Nora is sacrificing her family and her children's lives for herself. Her duties are to herself. Will she ever go back to the Doll house? I don't think so. I think since she left without thinking of her family, she will learn to live without them and find something better. 

   Who do you feel sympathy for at the end of the play? This was a question that most people could not agree on. Some people said Torvald because he was just following the standards of society when it was Nora who lied and scammed. Some people said Nora because she is married to an awful man and is treated badly. And, some people said both! My very first reaction to this question was "neither,"   Yes Torvald followed the rules of society, but he treated Nora like a child and if he had opened his eyes he would have seen that Nora was playing him. Yes Nora lied and scammed to help save her husbands life, but she is blind to the "doll" life she is living and does not take charge. I believe that the fault for their situation at the end is both of their faults. That is why I have little sympathy for both of them. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading A Doll House. I liked it SO much better than The Age of Innocence. It was easier to get involved with the characters and it was easier to follow and understand. There was also a plus in hearing fellow students read each part!