This is an interesting review in 1910. I like the comment that the play is the Tarantella. What do you think this means? What is the evidence that this is true? How does this support the theme - or central message?"
A DOLL'S HOUSE: AN ILLUSTRATION OF SYMBOLISM
I definitely like that the review compares the play to the Taratella. This is definitely seen in Nora. This dance is light and frivolous, just as Nora's life appears to be. However, there is more to the dance then first meets the eye. The idea was that the dancers would prevent spasming and sweat out the venom after being bitten by a tarantula. So, it is their last chance at life as there was no other known way to survive the bite. I see Nora as having some of this difficulty (although not much) as she copies the writing and has to work out how to get her husband to Italy, and also the dark undertone and secret of how she saved his life. Finally, I also liked the idea that it was Nora's last chance to keep her husband like the dancers' last chance at life.
ReplyDeleteThe play itself is a chaotic dance. The Tarantella can be danced to mimic an elegant courtship or a sword fight. In a way, this can be seen in the play so far, for Nora is constantly fluttering about, attempting to maintain an elaborate and loving home life, while also dangerously dealing with her enemy, Krogstad. As Lee says, the dance is dizzying, and I feel that the play mimics this aspect of the dance, for Nora is constantly throwing the audience for a loop when you would least expect it. For example, just when you think she is completely morally corrupt, she refuses to sleep with Dr. Rank to solve her issues, choosing instead to handle them on her own. I think Nora will continue to surprise us in the rest of the play, and will continue to dizzy us with her plans to rid her of her sin.
ReplyDeleteI really like the comparison of the play to the Tarantella. This Italian dance is meant to be erratic and wild, as it originated as an imitation of the motions people would go through to sweat out the venom of a tarantula bite. I think that Nora is meant to be seen as having these qualities, and her frantic dance is supposed to have been induced by Krogstad's venom. By going through the motions, she hopes to cure herself and be rid of Krogstad's presence, but these tactics aren't always successful and we can't know yet whether her dancing will be for nil.
ReplyDeleteGirls - all three of you are using language so well - "dizzy us," Krogstad's venom," "dark undertone," - all so interestingly written!
ReplyDeleteI had not realized the symbolism behind the tarantella dance until after reading this article, but it does make a lot of sense. The tarantella was used to cure the victim of tarantula bite from its lethal venom. In the sense of "A Doll House", Nora used her constant dancing to save herself from the dark secret she kept, the venom, that would end up costing her her life. Years of lying, fake smiles, and empty hugs is what Nora's danced was composed of. On the night Nora danced the tarantella for her party, she danced the hardest she ever had- both physically and symbolically. Torvald commented on his wife's risque and provocative moves, saying they attracted him. In reality, the harder she danced, the closer they were from separating. Up until Torvald read the letter from Krogstad, Nora had to dance around all of her deceitfulness, the letter itself, and even what had transpired between herself and Dr. Rank earlier that day. After the letter has been read, Nora changes from her tarantella costume into a new dress, symbolizing the end of her lies, the end of her marriage, and the end of the old Nora Helmer.
ReplyDeleteIf we view Nora and her journey as the tarantella then what is too be made of her wanting stay and dance at the p[arty for one more hour before Torvald pulls her away? we obviously cannot assume that she has made up her mind to leave right then and there because Torvald has not even read the letter yet. However when given the context of the shows ending her unwillingness to leave the party can not only be seen as a chance to delay her husband from reading the letter but as a desperate last attempt to hold onto something she knows is falling apart.
ReplyDeleteright!
DeleteThe author of this interesting review has an even more interesting point, which fits well with the nature of Nora and the play itself, throughout the play. Through his comparison, he spotlights the seemingly unpredictable movements of the tarantella dance. However, therein lies the concept-- although such movements appear unpredictable, they are in fact carefully coordinated and planned. The same is said of "A Doll House" and Nora. Ibsen has her go from humoring Helmer, to tending to the sudden appearance of Mrs. Linde, to talking to Krogstad-- all in one act. The events appear random in sequence on the surface; viewing from the author's perspective, the series of introductions serve to quickly (yet effectively) establish to readers Nora's character-- upbeat, engaging, excitable... yet, unexpectedly adept in cunningness. Overall, this supports the play's central theme on exposing the unseen-- especially the unseen oppression of those whom are suppressed.
ReplyDeleteThis article was a very interesting read--I also loved the idea of the play being the tarantella! One thing that particularly interested me was the idea of who the spider was that "bit" Nora. The article mainly pointed out that Krogstad was the culprit, having exploited Nora's desperation to save her husband's life and starting her frantic dance to keep this secret from him. However, is this truly when Nora started dancing? Or has she been dancing all her life to survive? In a way, that makes Nora the tarantella itself; she danced for her father as his "doll child", she danced for Torvald when she became his "doll wife", and she danced during this entire play for Krogstad to keep her secret. Only when she left her doll's life was she able to stop dancing and abandon her life as the tarantella.
ReplyDeleteIt only makes sense that the whole play is symbolized by the tarantella because the dance occurs alongside the most important scene. The dance is being compared to Torvold and Nora's marriage, which is unstable and unpredictable. The dance is used to swear out all the venom of the tarantella bite, and when looking at their marriage, Nora dances to keep her secrets from Torvold and keep her marriage alive. She dances with the greatest passion when she is dancing around Krogstad's letter and the truths it holds regarding her marriage. She doesn't want Torvold to know all the things she has done that acted against his set of morals. In the end, Nora decides that she is done dancing for her marriage, and her change of attire exemplifies this.
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