Essay on Women in A Dolls House and Tess of the DUrbervilles :: A Dolls House Essays

A Dolls foretoken and Tess of the DUrbervilles During the late nineteenth century, women were beginning to break out from the usual molds. ii authors from that time period wrote two separate but very homogeneous pieces of literature. Henrik Ibsen wrote the play A Dolls Ho intention, and Thomas uncompromi transgressg wrote Tess of the DUrbervilles. Ibsen and Hardy both use the male characters to contrast with their female counterparts to illustrate how women are stronger by interest their hearts instead of their minds. Ibsen uses Torvald, to depict a world where men guide to follow their minds in place of their hearts. Ibsen has Torvald believe that he is truly in love with his wife Nora. Torvald believes he will risk my sustenances blood, and everything, 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 love, as the author believes that any reliable man would. Later in the play, a circ umstance arises where he is condition the opportunity to defend his wife. He does a 180 degree flip over around and explains to his wife that no man would sacrifice his honour for the adept he loves.(71) The author shows the stupidity of Torvald with his misconception of honor. In actuality when a man sacrifices himself for the angiotensin converting enzyme he loves it brings him honor. Torvald is viewed as a true hypocrite. Torvald also believes the most authorised thing is to save the . . . appearance.(65) He follows his mind, only interested in what is surmount for society. Ibsen illustrates him as a truly weak human. In contrast to Ibsen, Hardy takes an intellectually still thinker, Angel, who shows a very close minded view on events instead of opening himself to his true inner feelings. When Angels bride reveals to him that she has committed the sin of pre-marital sex as did Angel, he begins to reveal to the reader his ignorance. In her sin, pardon does not apply.(244) Angels double standard shows the reader that sexism even existed in the free thinkers of the time period like Angel. He believed that his wifes sin was not a question of respectability, but one of principle.(257) Hardy mocks Angel because he ironically believes himself free from the church, but in actuality his mind is a prisoner to their principles.