'A Doll's House' by Henrik Ibsen - 1

There are many key concerns in 'A Doll's House', and Ibsen makes them very clear through his association of motifs with characters e.g. Torvald and birds, Anne-Marie and maternity, and Dr Rank with sickness and temptation.

One of the main techniques I found interesting was that of foreshadowing. Having seen the play before studying it, I know the conclusion, which makes the rewatching of the production all the more interesting. I noted down some examples of foreshadowing from the first hour or so of the production:

• Nora says "I'd never break a promise I'd make to you." 
• Nora says "You shouldn't underestimate me." 
• Torvald says "The mothers were the worst."

I also found Nora's obsession with appearances intriguing. This is summarised in her comment to Mrs Linde - her view that "It's so important to be finely dressed." This links with the protagonists' desire to be admired. Nora's sons try to impress her with tales of their games because they don't see her enough, whereas Nora uses her sexuality and vanity to impress her husband, dressing for him ("I want to look good for you.") and responding to his demand: "I'm your husband - it's your job to indulge me." 

This exposes a great deal about Ibsen's portrayal of men and women in the text. Torvald's use of bird-names really irritates me, and every time he uses one, I feel a bit ill. Nora is a caged bird. However, her role is more complex than merely being an oppressed wife. 

She is very aware of her beauty and sexuality, and uses these to her own advantage, especially with Torvald and Dr Rank. She caresses Torvald, and complements him, and plays him, almost, at his own game, just without the forced terms of endearment. 

I'm looking forward to being able to analyse why the text is called 'A Doll's House' in a bit more detail - I have some ideas, but not enough to formulate into a thesis just yet.