When did I understand the title, "A Doll's House"? Well that is simple. From the very beginning it was apparent that Torvald treats Nora like a little doll. She is put up in her house with her children, and maid and has a "peachy-keen" life or so it seems.
Within the first couple of lines, Torvald refers to Nora as "my little skylark", "my little squirrel" and "my little singing bird"(1681-82) to name a few. Aside from the fact that this made me nauseous, it is evident that Torvald is the dominator in the household. Furthermore, he seems like a puppet master controlling her every move and talking to her like a baby. Plus, Nora dumbs herself down to the level of a doll with no brain which further adds to my nausea. Overall, this situation is similar to our perceptions of a true doll house. We do not completely know what happens from the outside but we do know that we can manipulate the people (dolls) inside. Torvald does just this. He can manipulate his wife to do and agree with whatever he wants. For this reason, the title is appropriate for the play and entering Act II we may discover even more reasons to critique the play and feel even more nauseous.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Hamlet...The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Throughout the play of Hamlet, the reader is constantly questioning if Hamlet is truly mad or if there is an underlying scheme. Hamlet consistently showcases his moodiness and failure to deal with situations in an approriate manner. In Act III, scene IV, Hamlet reveals to his mother a secret that he has been hiding from the reader from the beginning.
During Act III, Hamlet is confronted by his father's apparition in front of his mother, Gertrude. Unable to see her dead husband's ghost, Gertrude rules Hamlet out as simply mad. In this case however, Hamlet is actually telling the truth and reveals that his previous acts of madness were fake and simply a show. For Gertrude, she doesn't know what to believe in that Hamlet has made her life Hell as she has worried about his sanity and overall well-being. Just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf, it is hard for Gertrude to believe her son. Now that Gertrude knows that her son has lied to her over a period of time, she questions if he is actually mad or if he is telling the truth. Being a good mother, Gertrude chooses to believe her son and keep a secret from Claudius as the apparition reminds Hamlet of his duty to avenge his (fathers) death. All in all, Hamlet is unreliable and if truly not mad, what is his underlying motive? Is it simply to avenge his father's death or is it something else?
During Act III, Scene IV, as a reader we start to not trust Hamlet just like his mother. We don't know what to believe considering the time we have spent analyzing Hamlet's madness. When we learn that he reveals his madness to be an act, our analysis no longer matters. What we do know is that the story of the boy who cried wolf is a legend that affects all of us. Hamlet learns his lesson in that people even those who are close to us will not believe things we say if we put on an act.
During Act III, Hamlet is confronted by his father's apparition in front of his mother, Gertrude. Unable to see her dead husband's ghost, Gertrude rules Hamlet out as simply mad. In this case however, Hamlet is actually telling the truth and reveals that his previous acts of madness were fake and simply a show. For Gertrude, she doesn't know what to believe in that Hamlet has made her life Hell as she has worried about his sanity and overall well-being. Just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf, it is hard for Gertrude to believe her son. Now that Gertrude knows that her son has lied to her over a period of time, she questions if he is actually mad or if he is telling the truth. Being a good mother, Gertrude chooses to believe her son and keep a secret from Claudius as the apparition reminds Hamlet of his duty to avenge his (fathers) death. All in all, Hamlet is unreliable and if truly not mad, what is his underlying motive? Is it simply to avenge his father's death or is it something else?
During Act III, Scene IV, as a reader we start to not trust Hamlet just like his mother. We don't know what to believe considering the time we have spent analyzing Hamlet's madness. When we learn that he reveals his madness to be an act, our analysis no longer matters. What we do know is that the story of the boy who cried wolf is a legend that affects all of us. Hamlet learns his lesson in that people even those who are close to us will not believe things we say if we put on an act.
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