A POISON TREE William Blake A comparison and analysis of… A DOLL’S HOUSE A DOLL’S HOUSE Henrik Ibsen & &
Jan 14, 2016
A POISON TREE William Blake
A comparison and analysis of…
A DOLL’S HOUSEA DOLL’S HOUSE Henrik Ibsen
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“From this moment, happiness is not the question; all that
concerns us is to save the remains, the fragments, the
appearance.”
From Torvald’s speech in Act III from A Doll’s House
CHARACTERS FROM A DOLL’S HOUSE …and what they represent in ‘A POISON TREE’
Friend…
Foe…
The narrator
Wrath…
Analysing the titles… metaphor
s
Use of “a…” refers to general
situations
Use of simple words allows reader to guess the content…
- Nora’s words
- Dr Rank’s words
“I have existed merely to perform tricks for you, Torvald. But you wanted it like that. You and father have committed a great sin against me. It is your fault that I have made nothing of my life…our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife, just as ay home I was father’s doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls.”
A Doll’s House ACT III – Nora’s
speech
“At the next fancy-dress ball I shall be invisible…there is a big black hat – have you never heard of hats that make you invisible? If you put one on, no one can see you.”
A Doll’s House ACT III – Dr.Rank’s
speech
THEMES…
• Unreliability of appearances
• Sacrificial role of women
• Definition of freedom
• Deception
A Poison Tree
-threat posed by Krogstad’s revelations
- poison of deception and hypocrisy that characterises the Helmer marriage
Represents the wrath (the blackmailing) that grows over time.
A POISON TREE…By William Blake
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
Nora’s perception
Torvald or stereotypical female
Symbolises Krogstad blackmailing Nora due to the loan
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with my smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.
Nora’s fear of Torvald finding out about the loan
…could be Nora’s playing the role of a wife i.e. doing whatever Torvald wanted her to do
…links to the theme deception
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.
Personification
Represents Nora’s relationship with Torvald
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
-Light
- new beginning
-stereotypical portrayal of females
- Torvald
…suggests that Nora is now “free”
Krogstad or the foe “stole” all of Nora’s happiness
Free. To be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it.
A DOLL’S HOUSE – ACT I – Nora’s speech