Nathan Sisouvanvong
Period 4A
Women were always viewed or classified as inferior when compared to men, all
throughout history. Women were viewed as objects and were used for beneficial gain. A Doll’s
House by Henrik Ibsen, and The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca, panoplies
the roles of women. Sets of principles are expected from them. In both plays, the authours
include a tyrant-like manipulating character and the characters who are manipulated, happen to
be women. Women were viewed as objects and had little control over their own-self. In the early
ages, gender was a impact on how societies view or judge people.
In the play A Doll’s House, Ibsen introduced a main character, whom is named Nora.
Being the main focus, the wife of a lawyer, she is the “Doll” in the title portraying A Doll’s
House. Nora has to get by, by lying to her husband Torvald. Nora is manipulated as if she was an
animal; being told what to wear and what to do. “Be my own little lark, as always.” (85 ADA)
Torvald refers Nora as a lark: a domesticated pet bird. Torvald sees Nora as an object and is
using her for his own beneficial gain.
In relation to A Doll’s House and Nora, Federico Garcia Lorca’s The House of Bernarda
Alba conveys a tyrant and demeaning mother whom is named Bernarda. Bernarda has five
daughters, and controls almost every action that the daughters do. One of the daughters even
stated, “Bernarda thinks that no one can stand-up to her. She doesn’t realize the power of a man
can have over lonely women.” (276 HOBA) Bernarda shows extreme similarity to Torvald of
Hernik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Both are obsessed with control and power, they control their
subordinates, who just happen to be women in the story.
In A Doll’s House and The House of Bernarda Alba, both families have maids. The maids
are women and display and symbolize a great role in women, in that time period. “Bernarda,
something monstrous is happening here…” (253 HOBA) Poncia, the maid of Bernarda’s family
in The House of Bernarda Alba, even points out that Bernarda is a control-hungry person.
Whilst, in A Doll’s House, Nora has both a maid and a nurse. Nora is basically a free being
roaming around the house. But she is trapped in the house, controlled to please her husband
Torvald. Both maids show that women can sway away from their “masters.” The maids are
women, and work for their own well-being. To support their selves and live the life in a society
who demean women.
Nora and Bernarda’s five daughters show similar traits and are under a “master.” Nora
being controlled by Torvald and Bernarda’s five daughters is being manipulated by Bernarda. In
the quote, “Yes. Do that. Try to calm yourself down. Put your mind at ease, my frightened little
song bird…” (108 ADA) Torvalds refers Nora to a song bird. Song birds are usually
domesticated and caged up; they’re kept for their symphonies and beauty. In relation to
Bernarda’s five daughters, all five, Angustias, Magdalena, Amelia, Martirio, and Adela, are
manipulated by the tyrant Bernarda. The quote “This comes from not keeping you in on a shorter
leash! But I will haunt your dreams!” (247 HOBA) Bernarda uses this as a threat to her
daughters. She still treats her daughters as if they were children, regardless of their age.
While in comparison to Nora and Bernarda’s five daughters, Bernarda and Torvald their
selves show extreme similarities. Both are manipulative to their subordinates, and both are
control hungry. They both are of a tyrant trait and control all orders and powers in each house.
Like Nora, Bernarda’s five daughters are trapped in the house, and are being controlled by their
“master.” Although they are being manipulated, Nora and one of the five daughters dared to
rebel against their “master,” Bernarda and Torvald. “(Loudly) Leave me alone! Asleep or awake,
it’s none of your business. I’ll do what I want with my body.” (233 HOBA) Adela, the youngest
of the five daughters, showed true freedom by this quote. She swayed away from the others and
dared to rebel against her mother. In relation, < insert quote (still to be found) > Nora takes off
her black dress and symbolizes that she is breaking free from Torvald’s grasp. Both try to break
free, but are still under the spell of control and manipulation.
***** This is still unfinished, still needs a paragraph and a conclusion, but I need feedback to
see what I could improve on.