Essay On Self Actualization In A Doll House - 1877 Words

There is always more than what meets the eye. To the world, a family appears strong with a father/husband, loyal mother/wife, and living with more than necessities, but actually could be breaking apart right under their noses. An unsuspecting family in Henrik Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll House† received a rude awakening that broke their foundation when the wife wanted to progress towards â€Å"self-actualization.† The theory of â€Å"self-actualization† is derived from the psychologist Abraham Maslow in his study â€Å"Self-Actualizing and Beyond,† stating that it means â€Å"experiencing fully, vividly, selflessly, with [†¦] total absorption [†¦], experiencing without the self-consciousness of the adolescent† (Maslow 438). Torvald, on the other hand, has yet to experience†¦show more content†¦To Nora’s surprise, his response was as follows: â€Å"you’ve wrecked all my happiness – ruined my whole future. [â₠¬ ¦] I’ll be swept down miserably into the depths on account of a featherbrained woman† (Ibsen 901). To Nora, Torvald is self-centered, but he has no knowledge of how to react besides protecting his reputation and appearance. With one of the few factors, that defines the stature of a man, lost, Torvald becomes emasculated. The ideas of sociologist, Aaron Devor, regarding traditional views of gendered constructs help to explain Torvald’s perspective. He states that men capture â€Å"the hierarchical and competitive masculine thirst for power† (Devor 673) and are â€Å"generally concerned with egoistic dominance† (Devor 672), which are qualities society enforced on Torvald. His role as the head of a household and stable family man is now tarnished, none of which is his own fault, but that of the society he is held a victim of in that time period. To fully understand how Torvald’s actions and perspective lead him to the turmoil in his relationship, you must take into consideration the time period Torvald lives in, there are social expectations he must abide by. As a male, your role is characterized by masculinity, emotional insensitivity, and aggressive/competitive behavior. Similarly, through the inferences of Erving Goffman, CanadianShow MoreRelatedA Critics Opinion of a Dolls House1743 Words   |  7 PagesDestiny Maxfield Mrs. Collar Engl. 1302 19 November 2012 A Critic’s Opinion of A Doll’s House In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House many views could be seen from both sides of the gender world. Critics will argue about the true meaning of the story and why Ibsen wrote the story. The main points of the play that critics discuss are sexuality i.e. feminism, the wrong doing of the father figure, and spiritual revolution. I believe these critics are each right in their own way from my understanding of theRead MoreDifferent Branches Of Personality Theories1172 Words   |  5 PagesDifferent Branches in Personality Theories In this essay I will introduce you to my dad, Ghazi, whom I have lived my entire life with. He is my dad, my best friend and my teacher. I feel that my dad is a good selection for this study because he has been through a lot in life. He lived his childhood suffering from his parents’ bad relationship. My dad spent his adult hood serving in the army, and fighting cancer. He has had a lot of experiences with family members and society that have changed hisRead MoreA Dialogue of Self and Soul11424 Words   |  46 PagesTBC02 8/7/2002 04:01 PM Page 46 CHAPTER TWO A Dialogue of Self and Soul: Plain Jane’s Progress a SANDRA M. GILBERT AND SUSAN GUBAR The authors of The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-century Literary Imagination (1979) are both distinguished feminist critics: Sandra Gilbert is a Professor at the University of California, Davis; and Susan D. Gubar a Distinguished Professor of English and Women’s Studies at Indiana University. They have also collaboratedRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pages GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology