A Deep Dive into Symbolism: Ibsen's A Doll's House, Act 1 Analysis

This essay explores the symbolism used in Henrik Ibsen's 'A Doll's House,' specifically focusing on Act 1. It analyzes the dramatic function of symbols such as macaroons, the game of hide-and-seek, the Christmas season, the Christmas tree, and the entrances and exits of characters. The macaroons and hide-and-seek symbolize Nora's suppressed independence and her subtle acts of rebellion against her husband, Torvald's, control. The Christmas tree represents Nora's life and emotional state, reflecting the initial celebratory illusion of her marriage that gradually deteriorates as she becomes more dissatisfied. Entrances and exits signify the introduction of new elements and the evolving dynamics between characters, such as the contrasting entrances of the Porter and Krogstad, and the friendship dynamic of Nora and Mrs. Linde. The essay provides a detailed interpretation of these symbols, highlighting their significance in conveying hidden meanings and extending the themes of the play.

Running Head: ENGLISH
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Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note:

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Symbolism used in A Doll’s House
Symbolism is a kind of literary device generally used in drama. It is the way to express a
hidden meanings with apparent notes that can be also found in the emotional expression of a
character (Amutha 2018). This paper will discuss the symbols used in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House,
Act 1.
Symbols Dramatic Function
Macaroons & the
game of Hide-and-
Seek
The use of macaroons and the game of Hide and seek symbolizes the feeling of
independence possessed by Nora. Both of the elements describes Torvalds’s hard
work to control Nora and the treatment for her child (Muhammed and Muhammad
2017). The act of macaroon eating by Nora is a way to showing disobedience to her
dominating husband. Hence, this is an act of feminism used in this literary piece.
Nora’s development as a human being is hidden by her with hiding the smallest
desires and by the domination of Torvald upon her. Hence, the game hide and seek
and eating macaroons are the act of fulfilling her little desires and showing
disrespect to her husband without providing much effort.
Christmas season &
the Christmas tree
The use of Christmas tree in A Doll’s House is a representative of life. Here the life
refers to the existence of Nora. It also reflects the emotions and mental condition of
Nora. Christmas tree is usually a traditional object that reflects celebration
decoration. This feeling of celebration is a symbol of Nora’s belief for considering
Torvald as an object to be entertained and charmed by her. On the other hand,
Nora’s instruction to keep the Christmas tree hidden is itself an act of hiding her
emotion from others (Muñiz 2018). It also reflects the illusion of the marriage
between Nora and Torvald. Due to the course of the play, as Nora gains more
dissatisfaction with her life the Christmas tree also starts deteriorating.
Entrances & exits Act 1 starts with the humming sound of Nora the protagonist of the drama. The
opening seen reflects the playful nature of Nora as she was not much acquainted
with the upcoming dissatisfaction of her life. After that, the entry of the Porter also
significant as he was the carrier of the Christmas tree into the scene. Hence,
symbolically he the life bearer of this drama (Ibsen 2016). Nora’s feeling about the
Christmas tree remained hidden as she instructed the maid to hide the tree from
Helmer. The entrance of Krogstad is contradictory in this scene. His bad deeds
positioned him as a negative character. At the same time, Krogstad is willing to
view Nora to suffer and exhibit sympathy for her. The entrance of Krogstad
followed by the trembling of Mrs. Linde significantly reflects the terror a person

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possess for him. On the other hand, the character of Mrs Linde in this scene made
her a practical one and true friend of Nora. This is a symbolism of friendship and
recollection of memories by the two friends.

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References
Amutha, L., 2018. Class Consciousness with reference to Mansfield's The Doll’s
House. Language in India, 18(3).
Ibsen, H., 2016. Four Great Plays of Henrik Ibsen: A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda
Gabler, The M. Simon and Schuster.
Muhammed, A.A. and Muhammad, A.J., 2017. Realism in Ibsen’s a Doll’s House: a Critical
Study. International Journal of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 3(4), p.203.
Muñiz, I., 2018. Womanhandling Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: Feminist Translation Strategies in a
Spanish Translation from 1917. Meta: journal des traducteurs/Meta: Translators’
Journal, 63(2), pp.422-443.