A Doll s House And Ghosts - 1118 Words

Henrik Ibsen incorporates syphilis as a motif to represent the moral corruption that lies within the characters in A Doll’s House and Ghosts. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease that can result in extremely fatal consequences if not treated properly and in a timely matter. Syphilis, in Ghosts, leads Mrs. Alving having to make a life-changing decision for not only herself but a person she loves dearly, her son Oswald. In A Doll’s House, Dr. Rank is infected with syphilis which not only leads to his death but influences the way the reader views him as a character. The motif undermines the Norwegian society by highlighting the faults made by past generation’s actions and the affect it has made on the present character’s lives. Illness, as a metaphor, refers to the variety of illnesses such as hypocrisy and mortality that can be portrayed through the setting of the play and specific characters in literature. Syphilis is a disease that can be transmitted by birth which Ibsen incorporates within a variety of his plays to illustrate the impact that past decisions have had on present generations. In A Doll’s House, Dr. Rank is infected with syphilis due to his father’s promiscuity in the army. Undoubtedly, his father gave his mother syphilis and Dr. Rank developed congenital syphilis from being born to a syphilitic mother. By infecting Dr. Rank with syphilis, Ibsen uses Dr. Rank to represent the â€Å"backbone of society†. The moral corruption that lies within each of theShow MoreRelatedGender Roles Of A Doll s House And Ghosts Essay2281 Words   |  10 PagesGender Roles in A Doll’s House and Ghosts Throughout much of English language literature, gender and sex are equated with specific human traits. Strength is male and weakness is female. Men are stable and women are capricious. Logic is masculine and imagination is feminine. Ibsen uses stereotypical gender attributes in his characterization of Nora and Torvald throughout A Doll House, and then abruptly reverses the stereotypes in the final moments of the play to show that inner strength and weaknessRead MoreThe Philosophy Behind Phantoms A Ghost 1416 Words   |  6 PagesFantillo Mr. Brown English 9 (Hour 2) 14 March 2016 The Philosophy Behind Phantoms A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear in visible form or other manifestation to the living. These paranormal beings have been talked about for many years. Witnesses admitted to having seen spirits walking among Earth after death; taking on many forms and supposedly haunt various buildings and locations. Ghosts, phantoms, apparitions, spirits, and specters are divergent words, but all defineRead MoreThe Movements Of Dada And Futurism1600 Words   |  7 Pagesin reality, nothing is art. 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