A Doll’s Residence and Tess of the D’Urbervilles

Through the late nineteenth century, women have been starting to break out from the usual molds. Two authors from that time period wrote two separate but quite equivalent pieces of literature. Henrik Ibsen wrote the play A Doll’s Property, and Thomas Hardy wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Ibsen and Hardy each use the male characters to contrast with their female counterparts to illustrate how girls are stronger by following their hearts instead of their minds.

Ibsen uses Torvald, to depict a planet exactly where guys pick out to comply with their minds in location of their hearts. Ibsen has Torvald believe that he is genuinely in enjoy with his wife Nora. Torvald believes he will “risk my life’s blood, and all the things, for your sake.”(63) The author sets the reader up to believe that Torvald is a chivalrous guy who would give life and limb to defend his true enjoy, as the author believes that any actual man would. Later in the play, a circumstance arises exactly where he is offered the chance to defend his wife. He does a 180 degree turn around and explains to his wife that “no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves.”(71) The author shows the stupidity of Torvald with his misconception of honor. In actuality when a man sacrifices himself for the a single he loves it brings him honor. Torvald is viewed as a accurate hypocrite. Torvald also believes the most essential factor is to “save the . . . look.”(65)

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