Larry E. Hall - ThoughtCo

Analysis of Act 3 of A Dolls House Essay - 661 Words

Analysis of Act 3 of A Dolls House For most of the play, we see Torvald delighting in Nora’s dependence upon him but not in his control over her, but as the play progresses the side of Torvald we see is more pushover than dictator. In the scene following the party, Torvald’s enjoyment of his control over Nora takes on a darker tone. He treats her like his possession, like the young girl he first acquired years ago. Contributing to the feeling of control that Torvald is exercising over Nora is that the evening has been of Torvald’s design—he dresses Nora in a costume of his choosing and coaches her to dance the tarantella in the manner that he finds â€Å"desirable.† The hollowness of Torvald’s promises to save Nora shows how†¦show more content†¦He panics upon learning of Nora’s crime, not because he cares about what will happen to her but because he worries that his reputation will be damaged if knowledge of Nora’s crime becomes public. Instead of treating Nora with understanding and gratitude for her noble intent, he threatens and blames her and then immediately begins to think of ways to cover up the shame that she has cast on his family. His proclamation of â€Å"I’m saved† after Krogstad’s letter of retraction arrives reflects that he has been thinking only of himself in his panic. He says nothing about Nora until she asks, â€Å"And me?† His casual response—â€Å"You too, naturally†Ã¢â‚¬â€reveals how much her well-being is an afterthought to him. Torvald’s selfish reaction to Krogstad’s letter opens Nora’s eyes to the truth about her relationship with Torvald and leads her to rearrange her priorities and her course of action. Her shift from thinking about suicide to deciding to walk out on Torvald reflects an increased independence and sense of self. Whereas she earlier she succumbs pressure from Torvald to preserve the appearance of idealized family life, she now realizes that she can exist outside Torvald’s confined realm. Torvald’s explanation for refusing to take the blame—that a man can never sacrifice his integrity for love—again reveals the depth of his gender bias. Nora’s response thatShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis Of Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House 970 Words   |  4 PagesA Doll’s House Ashleen Kaushal TOPIC: The theme of heredity in the play I. Introduction Henrik Ibsen’s three-act play, A Doll’s House, follows a seemingly typical housewife as she becomes painfully aware of the flaws in her marriage with a condescending, chauvinistic man. Ibsen uses the ideology of a Victorian society as a backdrop to inject the theme of heredity in the play. He employs several characters to demonstrate the different facets of heredity in order to highlight how this conceptRead MoreA Critics Opinion of a Dolls House1743 Words   |  7 PagesDestiny Maxfield Mrs. Collar Engl. 1302 19 November 2012 A Critic’s Opinion of A Doll’s House In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House many views could be seen from both sides of the gender world. Critics will argue about the true meaning of the story and why Ibsen wrote the story. The main points of the play that critics discuss are sexuality i.e. feminism, the wrong doing of the father figure, and spiritual revolution. I believe these critics are each right in their own way from my understanding of theRead MoreWritten Task Dolls House1173 Words   |  5 PagesOutline Prescribed question: Power and privilege: â€Å"How and why is a social group represented in a particular way? Title of text for analysis: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, Norway 1879. Task is related to course section: Part 3: Literature texts and context Task focus: This essay focuses on Ibsen’s way of representing women, it explains why does he represent them in that specific particular way and how the time, era and context he lived in affected this aim. It states that women areRead More Analysis Of Ibsens A Dolls House Essay1839 Words   |  8 PagesA Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wife of an aspiring bank manager Torvald Halmer. In a desperate attemptRead MoreAnalysis of Doll House Play Essay1916 Words   |  8 PagesMrs. Mary Rorke English 102 1st Nov. 2005 A Doll House A critical Analysis When Nora slammed the door shut in her dolls house in 1879, her message sent shockwaves around the world that persist to this day. I must stand quite alone, Nora declared after finding out that her ideal of life was just a imagination of her and that all her life had been build up by others peoples, specifically her husband and her dad ideas, opinions and tastes. Nora is the pampered wifeRead MoreComparing The Historical And Intellectual Circumstances Surrounding The Writing Of Two3390 Words   |  14 Pageshistorical and intellectual circumstances surrounding the writing of two formally contrasting plays, commenting on their impact upon each play’s purpose and reception. (Choose one realist and one non-realist play from the list of set texts) A defining act, speech or movement can make history. When someone goes against the norm and convention is thrown aside, defining work is immediately recognised. History is made up of good and bad, the moral and immoral, but all encompass one another. The thought ofRead MoreThe Theme of Feminism in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House Essay2521 Words   |  11 Pagesand social dependence, and her dependence through her children. In A Doll’s House, Ibsen argues that a dependent woman will be passive and unwilling to speak her mind. She will not try to understand the abstract reality of life, unless it contain to her lifestyle at home. Instead she will let the title of her marriage suppress her. She will lose sight of finding her own independence and instead become a doll living in a house. Nora, the protagonist of the play has all of these qualities Nora’sRead MoreIbsen11859 Words   |  48 PagesBrasher, M.F.A. Committee Member ______________________________ Kenneth Cleaver, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ James Nutter, D.A. Honors Director ______________________________ Date Forshey 3 Abstract In Henrik Ibsen’s plays, A Doll’s House, The Wild Duck, The Lady from the Sea, and Hedda Gabler, the theme of captivity is demonstrated in the female protagonists Nora, Hedvig, Ellida, and Hedda. The theme of captivity also serves as a performance guide for the portrayalRead MoreA Doll House by Henrik Ibsen7379 Words   |  30 PagesMa. Jennifer S. Yap Dr. Sherwin Perlas World Literature January 14, 2012 A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen Translated by Rolf Fjelde I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, â€Å"The SubjectionRead More Development of the Montessori Method Essay3888 Words   |  16 Pagesincluded some biographical information as to her origins and the identity of her parents. I then drew a comparison of her methods for developing the Montessori Method and her career to the ISD model. I compared significant events in her career to the analysis phase. Explaining that her experience with children lead her to develop her programs. Then I drew a comparison to her work with the design and development phases, citing her materials that she uses in her classrooms and the classrooms themselves

Should We Spend Time In The Sun Free Essays

Sunbathing and getting a suntan is getting more and more popular nowadays. Researches show a trend of getting suntan, just for fashion and good-looking, as they consider suntans to be healthy and attractive. Especially in the case of teenagers, no matter boys or girls, who mostly do this because of following their idols’ appearance or even as a habit or an obsession (Source 1 and 2). We will write a custom essay sample on Should We Spend Time In The Sun? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Because of this, more and more people tend to spend their holidays abroad as to get a suntan by holidaying in hot countries and using sunbed. Between 1971 and 2001, the number of trips had increased form 4. millions to 38. 7 millions, making a huge difference of over 9 times (Source 3). Also people are spending a lot of money to create fake tan and to use sunbed. Unfortunately, researches show that people who sunbathe show a higher risk of getting skin cancer, and the earlier they start, the higher the risk (Source 2 and 4). From the researches, I can see that in recent years, more and more people are willing to spend money on using sunbeds and creating fake tans (Source 2), so the income and popularity of these businesses increases. Also, a trend of holidaying in hot and sunny countries is shown (Source 3 and 4), creating more business opportunities for tourism in countries such as Italy and Spain. It is believed that spending time in the sun is the main cause of skin cancer (Source 5 and 6). The energy from the sun contains Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and there are two types of rays that exist in it, which are Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB). They damage DNA, the genetic material that makes up genes. Genes control the growth and overall health of skin cells. If the genetic damage is severe, a normal skin cell may grow abnormally in the way of cancer cells. UV can also cause sunburn, and other damage that makes the skin look prematurely old and wrinkled. That is why many protection attempts are taken, such as avoiding excessive exposure to the sun (Source 6), and using sunscreen to increase our protection, the higher the Sun Protection Factor (SPF), the higher the protection you get (Source 7 and 8) The chances of getting a suntan, sunburn or skin cancer depend on many factors. One of the main factors is your skin colour (Source 9 and 10), the darker your skin, the lower the chance of getting any of the above. The other factor is the Sun Protection Factor of the sunscreen you apply (Source 8). The more you apply and the higher the factor gives more protection, and this results in less solar energy absorption. Another factor I found is the life expectancy. Due in large part to advances in medical technology, life expectancy for newborns has increased continuously over the past 70 years, from 57. 1 years in 1929 to 77. years in 2004, and an increase of more than two years in the past decade. (Source 11) Life expectancy affects the amount of sun exposure in a lifetime, which causes a higher risk of getting skin cancer because of a longer time of sun exposure. On the other hand, moderate and sensible sunlight exposure can help prevent skin cancer and some other cancers. In the case of skin cancer, sunlight causes vitamin D to synthesize in the body, giving some protection from the risk. This production of vitamin D can act as an immunity response from the body receiving Ultraviolet B rays from sunlight (Source 12, 13 and 14). Studies also show that people who get malignant melanoma but also have a high amount to daily sun exposure have a higher survival rate than people with less exposure. It is said that sunlight is more powerful than any drug, which is safe, effective and available free of charge (Source 12). I also found out that the amount of vitamin D our body need can be fulfilled by around thirty minutes in the sun each week (Source 15). Having some sunshine also affects our mood, as it stimulates the pineal gland to produce mood enhancing chemicals, called trytamines in the brain (Source 14). The sun can also help you achieve a good look if you like a healthy suntan (Source 14). In my opinion, I think we should not spend time in the sun, because our health is very important, and we should never take the risk of having skin cancer, especially not because of the desire for a suntan and to sacrifice their health. I think it is a waste of money and time to sunbathe. As for the production of vitamin D in our skin, which can be easily fulfilled by a thirty minutes sun exposure each week, we can do that by just having a walk. How to cite Should We Spend Time In The Sun?, Essays

A Post Modern Age Essay Example For Students

A Post Modern Age Essay A Post-Modern Age? Introduction: Post-Modernism can be described as a particular style of thought. It is a concept that correlates the emergence of new features and types of social life and economic order in a culture; often called modernization, post-industrial, consumer, media, or multinational capitalistic societies. In Modernity, we have the sense or idea that the present is discontinuous with the past, that through a process of social, technological, and cultural change either through improvement, that is, progress, or through decline life in the present is fundamentally different from life in the past. This sense or idea as a world view contrasts with what is commonly known as Tradition, which is simply the sense that the present is continuous with the past, that the present in some way repeats the forms, behavior, and events of the past. I would propose that traditional ways of life have been replaced with uncontrollable change and unmanageable alternatives, but that these changes and alternatives eventually create something that may result in the society that traditionalists actually seek after; the balance between Nature and Technology. Modernity itself is merely the sense that the present is a transitional point, not focused on a clear goal in the future but simply changing through forces outside our control. I will first describe how Modernity came about, and then to indicate some of the features for which Post-Modernity is meant to be a reaction, response or addition to modernization. Beginnings of Modernity: First, I aim to give a broad historical picture against which we may understand the rise of Modernity as an idea related to science and society or as a framework for a view of rationality. We know that we experience change as either progress or transition, that is, we view our historical situation and our lives presently as deriving meaning and value in some unrealized future. The shift from Renaissance humanism to Modern rationalism can be understood in terms of four shifts: 1 from an oral culture in which the theory and practice of rhetoric played a central role to a written culture in which formal logic played a central role in establishing the credentials of an argument; 2 from a practical concern with understanding and acting on particular cases to a more theoretical concern with the development of universal principles; 3 from a concern with the local in all its stable diversity, to the general understood in terms of abstract multi nationalisms; and 4 from the timely a concern with making practical decisions in the transitory situations which demand wise and prudent responses, to the timeless a concern with understanding and explaining the enduring, perhaps eternal, nature of things. There are several societal factors that have indicated and resulted in the rise of Modernity. The origin of Modernity may have its roots in several periods: the year 1436, with Gutenbergquot;s adoption of moveable type; or in 1520, and Lutherquot;s rebellion against Church authority; or 1648, and the end of the Thirty Yearsquot; War; while even still, it could have begun during the American or French Revolutions of 1776 or 1789; or even the rise of Modernism in fine arts and literature. How we ourselves are to feel about the prospects of Modernity depends on what we see as the heart and core of the modern, and what key events in our eyes gave rise to the modern world. Societal Responses to Modernity: During the period of the 1500quot;s thru the 1900quot;s the framework and presuppositions about Nature and Humanity were being progressively challenged and overturned by many scientific advances, until not one, or very little of their elements were accepted by reasonably educated people. European society was becoming known as traditional, hierarchical, corporate, and privileged. These features had characterized Europe and much of the rest of the world during these few centuries. Virtually every society on the globe by the opening of the eighteenth century could be characterized by social dependencys and discrepancies between wealth and poverty. All of these societies also confronted the problems of scarce food supplies. After a time during the same period, important changes began to occur in the societies of the world from Asia to Europe. A population explosion due to an improved food supply created pressures on the existing traditional and newly modernizing social structures. Commerce, banking, and agriculture improved greatly and a more stable and certain money supply were established; however, only Europe at the time was becoming highly industrialized. Eighteenth-century Japan stood, of course, in marked contrast to both Europe and China. Tokugawa rule had achieved remarkable stability, but Japan had chosen not to enter the world-trading network, except as a depot for Dutch and Chinese goods. The population grew less rapidly than that of Europe or China, and the general economy seemed to have grown slowly. Like the situation in many European cities, guilds controlled manufacture. In all these respects, Japan in the eighteenth century sought to spurn innovation and preserve stable tradition. Throughout the eighteenth century, Africa continued to supply slave labor to both North and South America. The slave trade drew Africa deeply into the transatlantic economy. Latin America remained at least in theory the monopolized preserve of Spain and Portugal; however, that monopoly could not survive the expansion of the British economy and the determination of Britain to enter the Latin American market. At the same time, British forces established control in mid-eighteenth-century India that would last almost two centuries. Seen in this world context, European society stood on the brink of a new era in which the social, economic, and political relationships of past centuries would be destroyed. The commercial spirit and the values of the marketplace clashed with the traditional values and practices of peasants and guilds. Modernism vs Postmodernism EssayThe benefits of Modernity or of Post-Modern structures can be questionable; many individuals of this new electronic age do not completely embrace consumerism, and in some cases are critical of technology, but nevertheless embrace its potential. There can be no doubt that the historical circumstances of the late twentieth century are very different from those of earlier periods. What the transformations of contemporary social life has been, however, and the relative significance of these changes with respect to one another is a matter that can be highly varied, and I dont presume to know everything about Post-Modern thought or philosophy, because it can take on many aspects, and I/we could be entirely fooling ourselves if we try to express it. Post-Modernity does seem to represent some kind of a break with the past, in fact Post-Modernity may simply be an extension of Modernity. However, Post-Modernity in this age seems to be characterized by new societal forms, and relationships between the cultural, economic, political and social realms, and a return to traditional values. There is a new kind of enmeshing of the cultural, economic and political spheres in Post-Modernity, combining the Modernist with Marxian ideals creating together our Post-Modern Age. Transformation: There has been a transformation of the content and forms of contemporary culture and even in our notions ofculture for example, high versus low or popular culture including dramatic changes in the nature of the media and in the content and forms of presentation of media images the television generation, the electronic age, theinformation age, the voyeuristic society, etc. an increased awareness of the plurality of national, ethnic and linguistic viewpoints with the internationalizing of communications and global interaction, etc. A radical shift from colonialist to post-colonialist perspectives on modernization, and questions of Third World and community development which produces problems of coping with the plurality of perspectives on the world without any credible source; the loss of relative autonomy of the cultural sphere as distinct from the economic and political spheres with the recognition that culture and communications are an industry and that they are politicized, not objectivequot;quot;, neutral or necessarily critical. Similarly, there have been massive changes in the nature, content and form of economic structures and interrelationships, for example through the shifts which have made a large proportion of the worldquot;s production information rather than the production of goods and services; global unification controlling the means of production and a complementary diffusion, fragmentation and privatization individualization of consumption; new conflicts over development, modernization and exploitation versus the necessity of the ecology movement, conservation and the preservation of natural diversity; and so forth. Conclusion: The break away from 19th-century values and traditions is often classified as Modernism and carries the connotations of transgression, rebellion, and a loss of soul and humanity. However, the last twenty or so years have seen a change in this attitude toward focusing upon a series of unresolvable philosophical and social debates, such as race, gender and class. Rather than challenging and destroying cultural definitions, as does Modernism, Post-Modernism resists the very idea of boundaries. It regards distinctions as undesirable and even impossible, so that an almost Utopian or Marxist world, free from all constraints, becomes possible. It must be realized though, that Post-Modernism has many interpretations and that no single definition is adequate. Different disciplines have participated in the Post-Modernist movement in varying ways, for example, in architecture traditional limits have become indistinguishable, so that what is commonly on the outside of a building is placed within, and vice versa. In commercial terms Post-Modernism may be seen as part of the growth of consumer capitalism into multinational and technological identities. Its all-embracing nature thus makes Post-Modernism as relevant to the common folk of society as to the great thinkers and intellectuals. Post-Modernism it would seem is the reason for the emergence of interdisciplinary and cultural studies in universities. Post-Modernism, then, is a mode of consciousness and not, it should be emphasized, a historical period that is highly suspicious of the belief in shared speech, shared values, and shared perceptions that some would like to believe form our culture but which in fact may be no more than empty, if necessary, fictions. I believe we should be committed to salvaging what we can of the ideals of Enlightenment and Modernity. We need to stay open to all valid claims of reasoning, knowledge, spirit, tradition, and humanity; for we are not, and cannot be, all knowing in this life. To be focused so completely upon Post-Modernism or Modernity, suggests that we can somehow define a group, any group, in the sense of its cultural essence; which is not in truth completely possible or even wise. Are we in a Post-Modern Age? I would say yes as a defined theory or word, but in the reality of man and life, the answer is No. Man is continually changing and adapting and for ever continuing to progress in spirit, technology, and social/cultural adaptation. Whatever age we are presently in, we are modern compared to the one before, each age lives its own Modernity; each era obligated to find its own balance between Nature and Technology, Tradition and Progress; a continuous cycle until the end of man.