I believe that the title "A Doll House" is more appropriate for the piece. Since the house is not Nora's creation, it seems more fitting that she is the doll and that she is a part of the house, not that she owns the doll house. Since Nora has no control or real influence in the house, and it takes her the entire play to determine that she can walk away from the situation, it seems improper to title the work "A Doll's House". The title "A Doll House" allows readers to see that the people in the house are all dolls, under the control of a greater power. For Torvald, this is his reputation. For Nora, originally, it is Torvald. Lastly, the Helmer children are controlled by their mother and Helene. Nora may be a doll, but she does not own the house and is not an influential presence in it. Thus, the play should be entitiled "A Doll House" and not "A Doll's House".
I'm torn! I think it could definitely go both ways. At the beginning it seems as though Nora had no control over the house, but looking back after finishing the play, she was still able to do some of what she wanted, just in secret. I feel like I need to mention Toy Story right now, how they were able to walk around and have parties, but as soon as Andy came, they had to go back acting like dolls; the same can be said for Nora. If you think of it like that, she is still playing the role she needs to, to keep Torvald happy, but she also does what she can to make herself happy. Nora treats herself as a doll which makes it just as appropriate for the play to be called "A Doll House" as "A Doll's House".
I feel as though the title "A Doll House" is much more fitting. "A Doll's House" implies that the home belongs to the doll, or Nora. It almost gives Nora more power than she really has. She is not in charge, Torvold is. "A Doll House" makes it much clearer that Nora is a doll living in a house that is fake. A fake front to her and a fake front to the house. It makes it more egotistical rather than saying that Nora is like a doll and the play features her house. "A Doll House" shows how much she is played with, and makes it more clear that the entire house is fake and manipulated. So, the title "A Doll House" seems much more fitting than "A Doll's House."
When I first read this prompt I thought "Yeah should totally be called 'A Doll's House"! Nora's the doll she lives in the house. DUH DUH DUH." But after Becca and Kaitlyn's points about the house not being hers and Nora having no real control over the house I was like "Whoaaaaa." Besides A Doll's House implies that there is one singular person being treated like a doll, when looking back Nora is treated like a doll, so are her children and even Rank. When Nora needs something from him she flirts with him all she wants, but once he says something she doesn't like she dismisses him, like a doll.
SMH ok so I just basically wrote a whole essay on this, but the comment reset and erased... so imma keep it briefer.
This question definitely brings up a great point and further inquiry into the play itself. In the title, "A Doll's House", possession and ownership are the main implications given to readers. On the other hand, "A Doll House" gives about a more descriptive and distant tone. Ultimately, "A Doll's House" is the better title of the two options. After all throughout the duration of the theatrical piece, several perspectives are given through the lives of several dolls, each with their individual houses. Helmer does not simply own a doll house; rather, he owns HIS doll house and HIS properties within it, just the way HE likes it. It is evident that possession is major in his role as the head of the household. On another note, Nora does not simply have any set of children-- she has HER children in HER doll house world. Ownership is key.
Ahh! I love all of the points made here, and like Caitlin, I'm kind of torn between them. Like Kaitlyn and Rebecca said, Nora, the "Doll", does not quite own the house since she is a victim of its standards. Also, like Brooke said, there is arguably more than one "Doll" in the house besides Nora, so having a singular possessive might undermine that. But then I keep thinking back to what Caitlin said about Nora kind of being in charge of herself, and then about how, in a way, Nora does end up owning the house in the end. By leaving Torvald, the only person who ever owns her anymore is herself, so wouldn't having the title be "A Doll's House" befit the way she takes ownership of her life? From her quiet moments of eating macaroons to her big exit, it is evident that in the end, Nora does end up in possession of her story, and has had the power to do so all along, both as an independent woman and as an individual human being.
I believe that the title "A Doll House" is more appropriate for the piece. Since the house is not Nora's creation, it seems more fitting that she is the doll and that she is a part of the house, not that she owns the doll house. Since Nora has no control or real influence in the house, and it takes her the entire play to determine that she can walk away from the situation, it seems improper to title the work "A Doll's House". The title "A Doll House" allows readers to see that the people in the house are all dolls, under the control of a greater power. For Torvald, this is his reputation. For Nora, originally, it is Torvald. Lastly, the Helmer children are controlled by their mother and Helene. Nora may be a doll, but she does not own the house and is not an influential presence in it. Thus, the play should be entitiled "A Doll House" and not "A Doll's House".
ReplyDeleteI'm torn! I think it could definitely go both ways. At the beginning it seems as though Nora had no control over the house, but looking back after finishing the play, she was still able to do some of what she wanted, just in secret. I feel like I need to mention Toy Story right now, how they were able to walk around and have parties, but as soon as Andy came, they had to go back acting like dolls; the same can be said for Nora. If you think of it like that, she is still playing the role she needs to, to keep Torvald happy, but she also does what she can to make herself happy. Nora treats herself as a doll which makes it just as appropriate for the play to be called "A Doll House" as "A Doll's House".
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the title "A Doll House" is much more fitting. "A Doll's House" implies that the home belongs to the doll, or Nora. It almost gives Nora more power than she really has. She is not in charge, Torvold is. "A Doll House" makes it much clearer that Nora is a doll living in a house that is fake. A fake front to her and a fake front to the house. It makes it more egotistical rather than saying that Nora is like a doll and the play features her house. "A Doll House" shows how much she is played with, and makes it more clear that the entire house is fake and manipulated. So, the title "A Doll House" seems much more fitting than "A Doll's House."
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this prompt I thought "Yeah should totally be called 'A Doll's House"! Nora's the doll she lives in the house. DUH DUH DUH." But after Becca and Kaitlyn's points about the house not being hers and Nora having no real control over the house I was like "Whoaaaaa." Besides A Doll's House implies that there is one singular person being treated like a doll, when looking back Nora is treated like a doll, so are her children and even Rank. When Nora needs something from him she flirts with him all she wants, but once he says something she doesn't like she dismisses him, like a doll.
ReplyDeleteSMH ok so I just basically wrote a whole essay on this, but the comment reset and erased... so imma keep it briefer.
ReplyDeleteThis question definitely brings up a great point and further inquiry into the play itself. In the title, "A Doll's House", possession and ownership are the main implications given to readers. On the other hand, "A Doll House" gives about a more descriptive and distant tone. Ultimately, "A Doll's House" is the better title of the two options. After all throughout the duration of the theatrical piece, several perspectives are given through the lives of several dolls, each with their individual houses. Helmer does not simply own a doll house; rather, he owns HIS doll house and HIS properties within it, just the way HE likes it. It is evident that possession is major in his role as the head of the household. On another note, Nora does not simply have any set of children-- she has HER children in HER doll house world. Ownership is key.
Ahh! I love all of the points made here, and like Caitlin, I'm kind of torn between them. Like Kaitlyn and Rebecca said, Nora, the "Doll", does not quite own the house since she is a victim of its standards. Also, like Brooke said, there is arguably more than one "Doll" in the house besides Nora, so having a singular possessive might undermine that. But then I keep thinking back to what Caitlin said about Nora kind of being in charge of herself, and then about how, in a way, Nora does end up owning the house in the end. By leaving Torvald, the only person who ever owns her anymore is herself, so wouldn't having the title be "A Doll's House" befit the way she takes ownership of her life? From her quiet moments of eating macaroons to her big exit, it is evident that in the end, Nora does end up in possession of her story, and has had the power to do so all along, both as an independent woman and as an individual human being.
ReplyDelete