An underlying theme in Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House is the rebellion of Nora and Mrs. Linde against society. Over the course of the play, Nora and Mrs. Linde both experienced an evolution from passive victims in a life pre-programmed for them by society to active agents in an uncertain and insecure life.
In an effort to save her husband’s life, Nora has committed forgery and Krogstad is ready to use this information in order achieve his goals: ”(…) if I produce this document in court, you’ll be condemned” (Ibsen 791). This element gives us a hint of women condition in a deeply- rooted man thought society. In addition, Dr. Rank, who had a lethal disease, confesses his love for her: ”You know now that I’m at your service, body and soul” (Ibsen 802). All these events make the circle tighten and spin faster around Nora, who can hardly resist to this pressure and seeks the relief in wildly dancing the ‘tarantella’, a dance which she transforms into a ‘ life and death’ one.
This dance can also be viewed as an one of the key element that permits us to say that she’s passing from a state of passive victim to an early state of active agent : ” Nora dances more and more wildly. Helmer stands by the stove giving her repeated directions as she dances ; she does not seem to hear them. ”(Ibsen 808). All the other characters’ reactions, words and attitudes form the chain which unbearably surrounds Nora and which she will finally break, liberating herself from the lie she has been living in for many years-she firmly tells Helmer her decision : ” I can’t stay here with you any longer (…). I’m leaving here at once”(Ibsen 821). In addition to this intimate inter-independence between Nora and the other four important characters viewed as a whole), is the complexity of Helmer’s wife as a dramatic personage. Compared to the others, Nora is the most ‘ round’ character, one who we see evolving, in contrast with Helmer or Dr. Rank. More precisely, we discover two forms of evolution of this character :
1.an ‘external’ one, produced in the reader’s mind, as he discovers the purpose of her always asking money to the husband and having a ‘toy attitude’ with him ;
The Significance of Music in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
The Significance of Music in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Human emotions are something that we seldom find a way to express clearly: from simple hand gestures, to a disgusted face. To understand his novel more thoroughly, Arthur Miller uses the most understandable method of comprehension, music, to express the emotions of the characters in his play, “Death of a Salesman”. The characters, Willy, Linda, Biff, Happy, and Ben, have a certain style of music and instruments portraying them to show the reader what type of emotional person they are.
The beginning of the play starts with a soft, sweet, flute medley that announces Willy’s gradual trek home from Yonkers. This slow tune of confusion ends abruptly as Willy comes home and tells of his troubles in Yonkers. This sentimental sound is heard once more during Ben’s first visit to Willy’s house. His story of father and his flute-making business sets a warm tone only to be wrecked by Ben’s action of throwing Biff, a young, curious boy, to the ground, helplessly. The final performance of this tune is heard at Willy’s sad funeral, where Linda pays her respects to her well-liked husband. Ending on a sad note, the flute appears in time of odd emotions. In the beginning of the play, a state of confu…
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…illy’s funeral. Starting out a bit cheerful, the tune fades from a major key to a minor key, hence going from a merry sound to one of sadness and desperation, yet a good sound for a well-deserved tribute.
Willy was a mislead salesman. He wanted the best for his boys. Joyous songs always backed up these times. But when his craving for the best turned into the worst, an unpleasant song backed it up. When Willy was confused, a medley of the two was heard. Human emotions are something we all take for granted because they are not properly understood. Music is just one of the many ways that will make these emotions understandable.