Attending a Masquerade in In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen

Masquerade. When attending a masquerade, a person is expected to wear a mask. In fact, it’s looked down upon if a mask isn’t worn. But, what if for some people that mask never came off? In A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen, each character has constructed their own metaphorical mask that they set firmly in place every morning when exiting their bed. Each character: Nora, Torvald, and Krogstad all have masks that they put in place when speaking to each other. Throughout most of the play, it is clear that all of the aforementioned characters have multiple facades that they use when speaking to one another; often switching quickly as they begin speaking to someone else. Henrik Ibsen’s use of the masquerade serves as an extended metaphor to show the masks that the characters use in their everyday lives. At the beginning of A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer seems stable in her marriage and the way that her life has panned out. She doesn’t seem to mind the her husban d, Torvald, speaks to her, even if the audience can blatantly see that he is degrading her with the names he chooses to call her. â€Å"Hm, if only you knew what expenses we larks and squirrels have, Torvald† (Ibsen, 1192). Nora is notorious throughout Act I to play into the nicknames that Torvald calls her. She portrays that she is this doll-like creature that needs to be taken care of. Furthermore, we see that Nora is excited for her husband’s new job that will increase their income substantially. This is the first mask that theShow MoreRelatedRealism and Ibsens a Dolls House Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesIbsen: Keeping it Real Since 1879 Realism is a style of writing in which the author strays away from romance and fantasy and leans toward the everyday life of real people and the negative aspects of their lives. The Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen captures the true essence of realism in his famously controversial play A Doll’s House. Nora is an idealistic wife who bows down to her husband’s commands and fulfills his every wish. When Torvald, her husband, fell sick she did everything she could to save