A Doll’s House – Henrik Ibsen

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, is a well written play portraying women's struggle for independence and security in the nineteenth century. The drama revolves around Nora, a traditional housewife, who struggles to find a way to save her husband's life while battling society's norms. Her decision to forge a check to help her husband, Torvald, went against the patriarchical laws of that time: her plan was to borrow money and save her ill husband's life. Krogstad, the antagonist, discovers her deceit and threatens to expose her lies. As a result, the protagonist is torn between telling the truth to her husband or attempting to cover it up to save her marriage. In the following analysis, I'll discuss Torvald and Nora's relationship and Torvald's general view of women. In addition, I will evaluate his attraction to Nora, focusing on his attitude on treating like a doll, or a child. Lastly, I'll discuss how and why Torvald spoils Nora by giving her what she wants. Torvald and Nora's relationship appears to be more of a father-daughter relationship rather than a traditional husband-wife relationship. He spoils her, and further, finds reason to rain affection on her: â€Å"He goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear. † Torvald views the effeminate, dainty Nora as a child, and refuses to take her seriously. His view was very much like male dominant view of women in that era: women were innocent, naiive, little â€Å"skylarks† and â€Å"squirrels† who were helpless and vulnerable. Torvald also believes the measure of a women is her man and he reinforces that view when he toys with Nora, â€Å"There you are. Gives her money] Do you think I don't know what a lot is wanted for housekeeping at Christmas-time? † This example illustrates his control over Nora. Despite her asking for money, Torvald playfully lectures her, but ultimately hands her the money and fulfills her desires. His playfulness is another facet of the dominant male symbol, playing games with a women's mind to prove his manly independence. There are other instances where Torvald reinf orces the patriarchical view of European society. For example, when Nora and Torvald were discussing money and loans, Nora mentions that she wouldn't bother with people who lend her money. Torvald replies, â€Å"That is like a woman! † His statement is key to understanding their relationship. Nora reinforces the husband-daughter paradigm by playing the role of a naiive wife, which Torvald easily falls for. And when Nora brings up Krogstad, Torvald is even more surprised by her comments: â€Å"Nora, Nora, and you would be a party to that sort of thing? And to tell me a lie into the bargain? Torvald believes that Nora should be under his influence; thus, a dominant male's influence. His idealistic view of women reinforces his manly independence persona towards Nora and proves that he is of touch with play's reality. He also states his opinions about the upbringing of â€Å"morally corrupted† people. Torvald lays the blame on their mothers saying, â€Å"Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a dec eitful mother. † Torvald is close minded and believes strongly that morally corrupt is due to mistakes of a female's (mother's) upbringing. Simultaneously, Torvald is attracted to Nora, because she gives him all the credit and feeds his ego. He strongly believes that without him, she would not be able to live her life. When Nora asks Torvald to go to the fancy-dress ball, he replies,† Aha! So my obstinate little woman is obliged to get someone to come to her rescue? â€Å". Torvald enjoys being her hero, which reinforces his manly independence. Time and again, he is there to ‘save' her. To be clear, Nora does not stop Torvald possessiveness over her, explaining â€Å"Torvald is so absurdly fond of me that he wants me absolutely to himself. Nora is an object he owns and controls, while Nora continues to take her role as damsel-in-distress. Nora plays perfectly the role of a young doll in a play house. Torvald treats her like a child, which allows her to exploit him. She continually manipulates him for her desires. When Nora, â€Å"[Smiling quietly and happily] You haven't any idea how many expenses we skyla rks and squirrels have, Torvald. † Whether its societal pressure or her own views, Nora allows herself to be treated like a child and allows her husband to feel as if he's in control of their elationship. She admits that she acts the way she is, because she thinks of, â€Å"How painful and humiliating for Torvald, with his manly independence; to know that he owed me anything! It would upset our mutual relationship†. Its ironic to realize that their entire relationship is based on lies. Torvald's main priority is to thrust his manly independence and power over Nora, as both play the part of actors in society's drama. Torvald challenges Nora's attitude and character in the hope of having her fit his idealistic view of women. Torvald wants an out-of-touch-with-reality Nora in his life. As Nora explains, â€Å"Torvald can't bear to see dress making going on. † Torvald does not want to see Nora as an independent and rebellious woman. Her true self is quite different to what she portrays, yet she continuously plays this character that Torvald will agree with. Torvald later forgives Nora for bringing up the topic of Krogstad employment: â€Å"because it is such eloquent witness to your great love for me. † This clearly shows that their relationship is ruled by the more powerful character. Torvald wants Nora to be this weak and submissive woman by spoiling her so that he ends up reinforcing his manly independence. He even says,†I am man enough to take everything upon myself. † He is taking credit from their relationship, and doesn't give Nora any credit, because she's a woman. She is only there to compliment him and feed his ego. However, Torvald is concerned when he sees Nora all worn out, â€Å"But dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practicing too much? † Here, Torvald thinks that Nora's worn out, because of practicing the tambourine. The truth is that Nora is worn out because of practicing her character to suit Torvald's life and attempting to save her marriage. Ibsen's A Doll House proves to be a critique of the traditional roles of men and women in 19th Century marriage. Nora treated by her father as a doll-like child, continues to be treated by her husband in the same way. This is how we begin to understand how Torvald spoils Nora as an act of reinforcement of his manly independence rather than an act of love.

Earnest Etinne Narjot - Painting, Drawing, Print Essay

Earnest Etinne Narjot - Painting, Drawing, Print - Essay Example The essay "Earnest Etinne Narjot - Painting, Drawing, Print" concerns the art of Earnest Etinne Narjot. In the hues (color) use of his oil painting, Narjot has used white, black, and brown. The brown color that is used on the curtain is moderately light, which may be considered as being orange. Such color is perceived as a warm color and certainly contributes to the comfort and warm atmosphere of this piece of work. This complements the content of the outlook of the painting. In addition to the warm color, the mother in the painting is in a black blouse while her child is putting a white cloth consequently bringing out a contrast of white and black as they are, at the center of the oil painting. The perceptions of Viewers are therefore more engrossed to the center of the image with the mother and her baby being the focus of the painting. In the values used, that is darkness or lightness, the painting depicts complementary interplay of both lightness and darkness utilized by the artis t in his work. To begin with, there is a shadow on both the mother and her child’s face which is a clear indication that at the center of the painting there is a grater intensity of light. Actually, the amount of light used by the artist is bright enough to permit the image viewers to observe the child’s blanket as well as the pattern on the blouse of the mother. This means that, the focus, illuminates, and the light of the painting seem s to be coming from ceiling (top) of the picture, as the rays of light. in the painting see

Type of Diversity Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Type of Diversity Management - Essay Example There have been numerous abuses and struggles that resulted directly from the interaction of people of different backgrounds in nations around the world. This led to different forms of wars and other civil uprisings around the globe. Notable amongst them is the American Civil Rights strive that abolished segregation and instituted equal rights in America. In Europe, the differences in ethnic groups and nationalities culminated in the Two World Wars and the redrawing of the borders of nations and peoples after the Second World War. The next phase of diversity in Europe was the immigration of people from different parts of the world into Europe. These minorities became significant and the need to include and respect such persons became imperative over the years. Equal rights and legislation exist everywhere today but discrimination exists in most workplaces (Barak, 2010) p235). This means that although there are numerous effort to recognize the various minorities around the globe, ther e are still a lot that need to be done to ensure that the various social groups are recognized and respected duly in organizations. â€Å"In response to promoting diversity in the workplace and the world, many companies have instituted specific policies and programs to enhance recruitment inclusion, promotion and relation of employees who are different from privileged echelons of society (Barak, 2010 p235). This refers to the fact that most have made conscious efforts to respect the rights of minorities and less included persons through policies and programs that are designed to ensure that there is the inclusion of people of all backgrounds in work environments around Europe. According to Subeliani & Tsogas (2005), there are various policy-making and academic debates that affect and determine the growth of diversity management in Europe.  

Position of Women who Married Out of India from 1900-1980s Essay

Position of Women who Married Out of India from 1900-1980s - Essay Example [Carol Williams,1999]. There had been growing disparity in the well-being of people, especialy women between indigenous poulations and other populations. Overall, the disparity in well-being between the matched reserve/non-reserve pairs was very similar to the disparity between the complete set of reserves and other Canadian communities. This appears to suggest that no significant portion of the disparity between reserves and other communities can be attributed to either location or population size. Once gross geography was taken into account, however, we noticed that reserve communities nearer urban areas were more similar to their non-reserve matched community than reserves in more isolated parts of the country. With few notable exceptions, the disparities between reserves and their non-reserve community matches increased with geographic isolation. [ White & Maxim, 2007] The Indian Act ("An Act respecting Indians"), R.S., 1985, c. I-5, is a Canadian statute that concerns registered Indians (that is, First Nations peoples of Canada), their bands, and the system of Indian reserves. The Indian Act was enacted in 1876 by the Parliament of Canada under the provisions of Section 91(24) of the Constitution Act, 1867, which provides Canada's federal government exclusive authority to legislate in relation to "Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians". The Indian Act is administered by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.[ Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, page 25] In 1876, the Canadian Parliament amended the Indian Act to establish patrilineality as the criterion for determining Indian status and all commensurate rights of Indian people to participate in band government, have access to band services and programs, and live on the reserves. [Barker, Joanne, 2006]. According to this Act, a woman marrying a non-Indian would lose her Indian status and rights.Often, she was ostracised by her own family and society. However, on the insistence of Women's Rights and Human Rights Acitivsts, there were many amendments in the Indian Act from 1983 to 1985.These amendments partially reversed the 1876 criteria for obtaining Indian status. Male-dominated band councils and Indian organizations protested vehemently against the women and their allies. They were accused of being complicit with a long history of colonization and racism that imposed, often violently, non-Indian principles and institutions on Indian peoples. [Barker, Joanne, 2006]. gc.ca. Of the various amendments have been brought about in The Indian Act, the most noteworthy is Bill C-31. This particular amandment changed the registration system so that entitlement was no longer based on sexually discriminatory rules [DIAND, 1995 ].However, two categories of persons were excluded from registration under the C-31 provisions: women who gained status only through marriage to a status Indian, and later lost it (e.g. through re-marriage to a non-Indian); and children whose mother gained Indian status through marriage and whose father is non-Indian. Krosenbrink-Gelissen& Lilianne E have discussed the role of Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) at length. They look into the scope of the challenges that the Constitution and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms raise for

Nestle Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nestle - Case Study Example The board of directors of the company does not show good tactics in solving the issues affecting the company. This is the main problem that has afflicted General Mills Company for many years. Lack of good strategies in running the company is very evident. The company is seen to be shifting from one type of business into another with the aim of expanding their business or maximizing profits, but in return, it gets losses. This is a show poor market research and consideration of the market statistics over the years. According to Wojahn, General Mills Company underwent a series of losses after it decided to start business dealing in non-food substances. This was immediately after the Second World War when it ventured into home appliances, electronic goods, animal feeds, and commercial flour. Wojahn (Wojahn, 2003: p25) says that this was as a result of the rush they had into the market after noticing opportunities to invest in. They needed to conduct a market research to determine the ma rket trends, their preferred produce and customer patterns before they could venture into it (Wojahn, 2003: p25). Their lack of good strategies also makes the board decide on moving out of a market without proper consideration of future outcomes. The company easily pulls out from a market it has tried out but has not been successful. This is shown immediately after the Second World War when it pulled out from electronic goods, home appliances, and animal feeds. In this case, the company had to set the right strategies that could see it, make profits in the same business venture rather than losses. They needed to conduct market research and improve on their products so as to gain a good market share that could make them gain good profits (Wojahn, 2003: p25). After the fail in home appliances, electrical goods, and animal feeds the company still ventured into worldwide sale of snack foods. This could have been a success to the company, but they pulled out so soon. General mills Compan y bought a number of companies dealing in snacks in the following years and even had plans to acquire an international company to deal in manufacturing of shaped snacks (Wojahn, 2003: p25). This vision went blank when FTC restricted them from buying any more companies due to antitrust reasons. The company then started to sell the bought companies one by one, until it remained with only one company. In this case, they needed to expand the already acquired companies to gain market share and profits, which they could use to open other companies. Pulling out of the business after some time shows a lack of good strategies in running the company (Wojahn, 2003: p25). Considering their lack of tactics in dealing with issues at hand, the company’s board of directors, is seen to lack active participants in discussion of matters affecting the company. This is evident when the CEO of the company urges the directors to ask for questions that can help to point out a problem in decisions ma de by the board. The board is seen to remain silent (Wojahn, 2003: p25). This is a big show of the lack of tactics in dealing with issues affecting the company. The CEO of the company is also seen to lack tactics in handling situations when it is evident that, he takes an average of the views put forward by the board to make a decision. A director need to listen to his directors views but come up with his own critically analyzed decision. Following any of the views put forward is the main problem facing the company. From the above analysis, one of the

Informal Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Informal Proposal - Essay Example There is a dearth of consultancy service providers against an ever increasing demand (Remenyi, 2012). As a result, most clients fail to obtain the required services because there are few players in the market that specialize in consultancy. Basically, consultancy involves the offering of knowledge and counsel services upon demand. Additionally, consultancy services can be offered along with other professional and business services. The consultancy field is wide enough and involves a multitude of disciplines which implies that any business corporation offering professional or educational services can successfully venture into consultancy. In fact, already established business organizations are in a better position to offer consultancy services because of a number of factors. First is experience, organizations that offer professional or educational services have enormous experience in their particular arenas which could be exploited in consultancy. Offering consultancy services only re quire mastery, expertise, and experience in a relevant field through which firm can offer advice to clients. Therefore, the organization can successfully incorporate consultancy in its product and service range. Consultancy services will be offered along with the regular educational services in the sense that the schedule of the organization will be made more flexible to permit the new service. As a result, a new desk will be opened at the reception labeled consultancy and potential clients can inquire and book appointments with the consultancy department which will be created specifically to offer this service. Since consultancy services are offered on demand, once an appointment is booked the department will arrange and schedule the consultancy session without hindering other organizational processes. Consultancy is a professional field that would require the hiring of individuals with the necessary qualifications to

Personal Barriers to Online Learning Essay Example for Free

Personal Barriers to Online Learning Essay Online learning or e-Learning refers to application of electronic technology for the delivery of instructional content or knowledge domains. Beamish et al. (2002), defines e-Learning as: â€Å". . . a wide set of applications and processes allied to training and learning that includes computer-based learning, online learning, virtual classrooms and digital collaboration. These services can be delivered by a variety of electronic media, including the intranet, internet, interactive TV and satellite. † In spite of the great flexibility and varied range of tools that e-Learning can provide to imparting education, implementing any e-Learning system can be a complicated and complex endeavour and online learning can be a very frustrating experience for the student as well as the teacher. A number of personal barriers affect students and teachers alike in any online learning system. Personal Barriers of Students The technology available with students determines the nature of the course content to a large extent. Students may simply not have the required bandwidth to access high-end multimedia content. The course designer has to tailor the contents to suit the technology availability of the students. This is especially true of e-Learning courses catering to international community scattered all over the world. In such cases severe constraints may have to be imposed on the utilization of technology resources available at the end of the imparting institution. The design would then have to optimized for dial-up users with at the most 800600 pixel monitor screen resolutions. In fact, many universities take special care to ensure prior to registration that their respective e-Learning course content is accessible to the students. â€Å"Technical infrastructure deficiencies on the student side can impede course activities, especially in an online distance-learning environment. † (Arabasz, 2003, pp. 42) The proficiency level of the student in using ICT tools would enhance or undermine his e-Learning experience to a great extent. In the international context it would be unwise to expect uniform familiarity with ICT usage. A student, previously not exposed to ICT, will therefore not only have to handle the course requirements, but will also have to acquire the requisite skills in ICT to pursue the course effectively. From the learner perspective, literacy and IT skills and aptitude for self-direction, being confident and motivated to participate in online learning have also been identified as potential barriers to effective online learning (Australian Institute for Social Research, 2006, pp. 15). The factor that students have to study in isolation in an e-Learning system has triggered off many debates. Many perceive this isolation as a crippling obstacle to the development of e-Learning systems for higher education. Brouner and Flowers (1997) even suggested that the lack of human interactions in the incorporation of technology into higher education would have to be effectively made up by increased human contact. The e-Learning environment lacks the discipline and time regulations imposed on students in conventional education. This requires students to be more motivated, better time managers and more attentive during e-Learning sessions. The lack of the proximity and personal touch of the instructor as in a traditional classroom can create a communication chasm that both the instructor and the student may find difficult to surmount. In a situation where eye contact and proximity are limited, students cannot be disciplined nor affirmed by eye contact and body language (McKnight, 2000). Time is another constraint that affects online learning negatively. Whilst education has now extended geographically it has limited students with time restrictions (Jones et. al. , 2004, pp. 14). Trials and Tribulations for the Faculty Time is perhaps the biggest investment that the instructor has to make. The amount of time required to develop and maintain an e-Learning course is usually not anticipated by the people involved. The instructor has to spend a lot of time on restructuring and reengineering the course for e-Learning delivery. A complete over hauling is required. Instructors also need to give time for technical and pedagogical training as instructions in e-Learning differ radically from conventional approaches. Last but not the least, the instructor has to spend considerable time corresponding or communicating with students. A very important aspect of e-Learning is the views or approach of the instructor. The instructor could be trying to make the e-Learning experience as good and fruitful as the conventional classroom’s. It is a case of trying to replicate the conventional classroom in e-Learning. The second approach could be the instructor’s effort to improve the instructions through the medium of e-Learning. The instructor will have to decide on which approach to adopt, a decision that could profoundly influence the very character and quality of the e-Learning content. Technical issues can hamper an instructor’s efficiency or performance. The instructor is often not familiar with the technologies that are utilized. Development in multimedia would require knowledge of Flash, Shockwave and similar tools. It is difficult to find persons skilled in both the application technology and the field of education. The problem of technology extends to the teacher who may not be proficient in the software. The dependency on technology also tends to undermine the faculty’s confidence at times. â€Å"Are things going to work when I’m in the classroom? Will the Internet be up? Do I need to bring back-up materials on a disk? Will the last instructor have left things in good shape? These [issues] may be more basic than you’d expect, but dependability is still a major issue. † (Arabasz, 2003, pp. 41) Online Learning therefore requires very careful planning and implementation in order to achieve success.