Recommended Book "A Doll's House"

Set in the late Victorian era, at the height of a patriarchal society, A Doll’s House conveys gender inequality through the disparate use of the language of each character. Nora, a submissive lady obedient to her husband Helmer Torvald, borrows money from her ex-lover, which causes a threat from Krogstad. Nora is so anxious that she wants to kill herself, but these incidents are resolved in the end. Nevertheless, in the meanwhile, the disillusioned Nora decides to leave Helmer Torvald, realizing that he doesn’t love her anymore. Indeed, A Doll’s House shows how Nora and Helmer are completely different with the usage of their languages.

When Helmer calls Nora, he doesn’t call her name but instead refers to her as “lark twittering”, “little squirrel.” These metaphors represent oppression and dehumanization, taking her as a belonging, an object, instead of an actual wife. It clearly shows that Helmer patronizes not only women but also his wife Nora. In addition, the dialect that Helmer uses is condescending, marginalizing women in general.

On the other hand, when Nora talks with Helmer, she wants to be seen as childlike, naive, and loved. “Yes, Torvald, we my be a wee bit more reckless now, mayn’t we?” This shows that she internalizes to be seen as reckless and immature, the only social norm for women to survive. However, when talking with other people, Nora completely changes her language and becomes sophisticated and formal. It shows that she is very intelligent, but assumes a different persona due to the point that Helmer neglects her.