"A Doll's House"

In “A Doll’s House”, the character I am most interested in learning more about is definitely Nora, the wife of Torvald Helmer. She seems very greedy and money hungry and I have a feel that she is only using Torvald for his money. After watching the video clip of the first Act, it gave me a way different feel for the characters than actually just reading it.

At the beginning of the clip, it helps me to realize that this play takes place a while back probably in the 1800’s or so. They use the term “pounds”, instead of cash or dollars, Pg. 5 “Ten shillings-a pound-two pounds! Thank you, thank you, Torvald.” This quote also gives me a feel for how excited and dramatic Nora gets over money. Also, the setting of the play is during the winter, because at the beginning of the clip they show Nora riding on a horse carriage in the snow. There are no roads, which also gives me the idea that this play takes place a while back.

Nora walks into her home, wearing a beautiful looking red jacket with a feathered hood and wrist bands. She also has many gifts with her as to show that she was spending lots of money. She asks Torvald to come see what she bought, and he asks her if she has been spending money. She responds with a yes and tells him that they should go all out this Christmas because Torvald is due for a lot of money soon. Pg. 4 “Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?” “Yes but, Torvald, this year we can really let ourselves go a little.” This quote signifies that Nora doesn’t care about there finances or what Torvald says about saving money, because all she wants to do is spend, spend, and spend some more, for the holidays. Torvold however, is wearing a nice three piece suit of some kind and looks like he enjoys his work and appreciates his wife no matter what she does. It also gives me a feel for how they must be wealthy in some way to be able to afford all the nice gifts and clothes.

Not only is Nora money hungry, but she also lies to Torvald about something really small. She eats a macaroon or two, after Torvald told her not too. Pg. 3 “She takes a packet of macaroons from her pocket and eats one or two.” When Torvald asks her about the macaroons and if she has been eating them, she responds with of coarse not, and wipes her mouth before making contact with him in the play. Pg. 6 “Not even taken a bite at a macaroon or two?” “No, Torvald, I assure you really.” Nora seems very immature towards Torvald and even lies to him. I believe that Torvald knows she has eaten some of the macaroons, and realizes that she is immature, but I think he also thinks that she is just really trying to have a good Christmas for them this year, but truly she is using him for money. Pg. 5 “If you really want to give me something, you might-you might” “ Well, out with it!” “ You might give me money, Torvald.” This makes me believe that Nora is most definitely using Torvald and he is a fool for not catching it. After telling Nora that she has spent too much money, he ask her what she would like for Christmas, and she responds with more money. This is very selfish and greedy of Nora and Torvald has to realize that she is no good.

In the play “A Doll’s House”, the characters are truly brought out in the film clip of the first Act. Nora is displayed as a very greedy and money hungry type of woman and Torvald is considered a fool for believing his wife and giving her what she wants. The characters are expressed as rich, because of there clothes and the way they spend there money. Also, the tone they use and the sweet names, help me realize that Torvald really believes that Nora is just immature when she is much more than just that. All these things are expressed in the play “A Doll’s House”.

Poem Explication "RED SHIFT"

In the poem RED SHIFT, Ted Berrigan suggests that time can effectively change people, and the change may not always be positive. He also emphasizes how love and patterns are both very powerful and are defined by the hopelessness of his resent situation.

Ted Berrigan states that he is now 43 and is wondering to himself when will I die? He has grown, not only in age but also in emotion. Ted Berrigan and his wife have broken up from a harsh relationship and he believes that he has changed her life, even if she doesn’t believe so. “I came into your life to change it & I did so & now nothing will ever change that, and that’s that.” Even though they are divorced, Ted Berrigan believes that he has changed his wife’s life and will accept nothing more.

In the line “The world’s furious song flows through my costume.” Ted Berrigan believes that he has experienced life at its true meaning. He has lived as a young man and has enjoyed his times. He got married and was loved by his wife and then as he suggests, emotions changed as long with age, and the marriage didn’t work. He and his wife divorced, but as he explains, the marriage has changed both his life and his wife’s. Now, Ted Berrigan is ready for anything. He has already witnessed life by true meaning and believes nothing can get worse. The only thing left for him in life is death, but when will he die? “I am 43. When will I die? I will never die, I will live to be 110, & I will never go away, & you will never escape from me who am always & only a ghost, despite this frame, Spirit Who lives only to nag.” Ted Berrigan believes that love has patterns and is recited in his hopelessness of his life. His wife has gone through with these patterns, along with him. No matter how much she wants to forget him, she will not be able too. The love will always be there and she will feel guilty for the divorce, but he didn’t ask for it, she did. From now on, he will live too her as only a nag that she will never be able to get rid of. He will never die to her and she will never escape from him.

Lastly, along with Ted Berrigan changing his wife and believing that she will never escape from him, Ted Berrigan believes that change is not always positive. Considering that he lived a good life and is now sitting somewhere wondering what possibly could have happened? “The streets look for Allen, Frank, or me, Allen is a movie, Frank disappearing in the air.” Ted Berrigan emphasizes that not only his life has changed dramatically. Allen who is now very famous now, is probably living a good life. Frank, has died and Te Berrigan believes that his spirit is somewhere in the air, because he will never be forgotten. Ted Berrigan is now probably asking, what will happen to me? With this question, he knows whatever happens, he will have went through life the right way and have experienced much of what life is worth.

In conclusion, the idea of this poem is very important. Life should be lived asking questions and wondering, what will happen next? No matter what anyone wants to believe, life changes for both the better and the worse. People experience things that they may not want too but it’s just the flow of life. Love has patterns, and some people will experience those patterns as Ted Berrigan has. We will all die, but no one knows exactly when. Life must be lived curious to experience more and more.

On "The Accident"

The theory of this poem is that the woman’s husband is cheating on her with the neighbor. He begins to get nervous cooking eggs with the neighbor around when his wife is also around. His wife mentions that when he usually cooks eggs, he shows off, but with the neighbor there, he shakes and breaks the egg with two hands to be careful.


Dear Zak t06,

Your comment wasn’t really a theory but basically you just summarized the poem. I do agree with you however that the mother was speechless, but not about the son if it even was her son. I believe that the whole story about the son was made up because the husband is cheating on his wife with the neighbor. The story was just a cover up. The husband was nervous, because he didn’t want the wife finding out.