Nora vs. Antigone
Both A Doll's House and the Antigone are stories of young women who clash with the conventional male-dominated power in their society. Anouilh's Antigone and Ibsen's A Doll's House have young female protagonist who struggle against male opponents with whom they have family ties. Antigone conflicts with her uncle Creon in the novel Antigone, while Nora Helmer opposes her husband Torvald in A Doll's House. In both plays, the male antagonist embodies the values of the society and state. Creon, the ruler of Thebes, upholds commitment to his people. In a related sense, Torvald is a good bourgeois citizen who is thoroughly socialized and who unquestioningly supports the ideology of middle class society. He constantly monitors his and Nora's behavior against what society expects: "From now on, happiness doesn't matter; all that matters is saving the bits and pieces, the appearance."(Act III, 188) Heredity and the past are of central importance to both Anouilh and Ibsen. Each playwright's protagonist pays for sins inherited from their father. Antigone is the dutiful daughter of Oedipus who cares for her blinded father, sister of the beautiful Ismene, the brothers of Polynices and Eteocles, who are killed in a civil war against
There are many parallels between the transformed Nora who suddenly appears in the last scene and Anouilh's Antigone. In addition, Nora Helmer and Antigone are women who overcome many obstacles as women to develop individuality and self-pride. Despite the many oppressions in a masculine society forced upon them, the women were willing and able to rise above them. In Ibsen's A Doll's House, Nora struggled with her husband Torvald, initially unaware of her submissiveness in the relationship. Despite the inferior attitudes of society towards women, she still found the courage and strength to rise above them. In Anouilh's Antigone, Antigone was clearly a threat to Creon's masculinity and his sense of control. Antigone was strong, and thus transgressed from her boundaries as a woman. In the play A Doll's House, Nora Helmer is a product of a society run by men. Nora finds happiness in keeping her husband pleased, at first. Torvald is very dominating over his wife, Nora. He controls her as if she were his own personal property; Nora had to dress a certain way to satisfy her husband, and she also is forbidden by Torvald to eat macaroons. Torvald speaks to Nora as if she were inferior to him; this can be concluded because every time he calls her a pet name, it is usually preceded by the word "little" to describe it. As a result of Torvald treating Nora like a child, she is shielded from reality. Antigone gains admiration because of her devotion to her dead brother, her respect for the gods and their law, her firm resolutions, and her fearlessness. In deciding to perform the rites of the burial of her dead brother, Polynices, she is influenced by two considerations. Her religious duty demands that she perform the burial rites even though her action will mean a violation of the order issued by King Creon. Secondly, the dead man is her brother, and as she repeatedly tells Ismene and Creon, she cannot desert him. She claims that no leader has the right to keep her from her own family and from her duty. During her interviews
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1379
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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