Wam Literature

A Doll’s House looks at various aspects of inheritance. Most often, inheritance is looked under the concept of coming into material wealth left behind by a dead relative. Banking on material inheritance, Nora lies to Torvald that the money she had used for their trip down south was part of her inheritance from her dead father. By the end of the 19 th century, there was a growing interest in genetic science. However, society’s understanding of this science was not as conclusive as it is today. Therefore, there were a lot of misconceptions on what could be passed on from one generation to another. Among the misconceived notions was that moral decadence could be inherited. Dr Rank suffers from a strange illness which he believes he inherited from his father who led a promiscuous life. When Nora learns about her own immoral conduct, she begins to distance herself from her children. She believes that she will poison her children with whatever disease she currently has. To reinforce ...

Morality can be many things. However, it basically guides what is regarded as right or wrong. Right or wrong is subjective to the individual, community or societal beliefs at a particular time, within particular constructs. For instance, gayism /homosexuality was considered a moral wrong within so many societies and nowadays, it is slowly becoming a recognized social norm. Similarly, some communities in Africa and Asia practised and some still practise Female Genital Mutilation. Girls who did not undergo such rites were chastised and to some extent could not get a husband. However, such considerations are slowly losing ground as new philosophies around morality are formulated. The community within A Doll’s House has its own moral rules which are to be followed by every individual. It is within this moral confine that Nora is caught. The society is such rigid that it considers Nora’s sole act of heroism as untoward. Nora’s act of forgery was mainly because she had nowhere to turn at ...

Women’s roles have always been in the shadows of men hence the saying, ‘behind every successful man, there is a woman.’ Going by this trend, women have always been overlooked in major decision making. To this day, America has had over 40 presidents but none is a woman. Henrik Ibsen believed that women have the responsibility to develop their individuality; nevertheless, their role has always been self-sacrificial. In society, women have never been seen as equals in their contribution to family and society. This is the reason why Helmer finds it absurd that his wife can advise him not to fire Krogstad. He believes that it is embarrassing to kowtow before one’s wife. It will taint his image. Women did not have the authority to conduct business or transact in their own money. When Helmer fall’s sick, Nora is devastated. On the one hand, her husband is afraid of debts and according to the doctor, really needs a holiday to get better. On the other hand, her father is very sick and...

Henrik Ibsen explores marriage as a tool for women subjugation and at the same time as a weapon of financial emancipation. He also looks at marriage as a level-headed arrangement between two like-minded individuals. Marriage is one of the most celebrated unions in the world. Similarly, it enjoys such high moral ground in religious and many cultural circles. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen explores this vital part of the society in the life and times of Nora, her husband Torvald Helmer and other characters. From the onset, marriage seems a happy association since Nora is jubilant and bubbly as a wife. Although money could be one of the factors that threaten this marriage, Nora is capable of handling it. Torvald is very particular about the family’s expenditure and warns Nora to be careful. Being naïve and playing innocence helps Norah to get away with her husband’s restraint. In their association, Helmer holds the high moral ground, chief financier and key decision-maker. He ...

In Victorian society, a society within which the play is set, people believed in being respectable and honourable. Within this constructs, Torvald would do anything to safeguard his reputation including bending to the whims of Krogstad.  The biggest irony in A Doll’s House is that the play takes place in the living room of Torvald Helmer but, the men in the play are constantly haunted by their public image. In A Doll's House, one's standing in the society transcends family. Having been promoted to a bank manager, Helmer plans to fire Krogstad because of his tainted reputation. Helmer is afraid that associating with such characters would ruin his reputation. Krogstad, on the other hand, plans to redeem himself through the Helmers. On learning that he is to be dismissed, he digs up old dirt on Nora and plans to use it to his advantage. At first, he had planned just to extort from Nora using her forgery as a yardstick. Realising that extortion won’t work, he pulls o...

 A Doll's House is a play by a Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. In this play, Henrik explores the two aspects of humanity: appearance and reality. We live at a time of social media lies and this theme speaks about many in modern-day society.    Henrik Ibsen cleverly plays out contrasts in this play. What we see from the outset, is not exactly as it seems. From the beginning, the house of the Helmer’s seems progressive, happy and respectable. However, beneath the veneer of all the happiness, there are hidden secrets and sacrifices. Nora can be seen as a naïve, playful woman with little care in the world. Her role throughout the play is that of a mother and chief decision-maker in the affairs of the house. Nevertheless, we come to see a mature Nora who sacrifices for her family and love. She confesses to Mrs Linde that she took a loan for the in order to save her husband who had been diagnosed by a fatal disease. It is a well-kept secret that even her husband does ...

SOME ASPECTS OF CULTURE ARE BENEFICIAL AND OUGHT TO BE MAINTAINED. USING EXAMPLES FROM THE NOVEL, BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH, WRITE A COMPOSITION TO ILLUSTRATE THE TRUTH OF THE STATEMENT Culture defines our identity and social relationships within a certain setup. Sometimes, some cultural aspects come off as bad while others can be looked at as good. However, culture only becomes bad when compared to another that seems superior. Many African communities found themselves at crossroads when the ‘superior’ European culture was thrown down their gullets. Nevertheless, many African cultures have grown into what they are today while some have retained what can be perceived as negative cultural practices. In the book Blossoms of the Savannah, H.R Kulet presents a boiling pot of cultural confusion within the Maa community specifically the people of Nasila. As we can see, some of the Nasilian cultural practices can be beneficial to the wellbeing of society and, therefore, should be maintaine...