In class, I wondered why we were
reading The Age of Innocence and Doll House at the same time. Of course,
I assumed there would be at least some similarities, but the two works seem to
parallel each other very closely. The two female character, especially,
resemble each other.
Both May and Nora are manipulative
while acting innocent. They’re both subtle, so the men don’t realize it.
However, Nora is relatively more obvious in her manipulation. She is clearly
playing a role. She acts childish and helpless around her husband so that he
never suspects her. In the beginning, Nora acts naïve and childish so that
Torvald gives her money. She is his little lark or doll or songbird. When she
wants to help Kristine, she tells Kristine not to worry because she’ll take
care of it. However, when talking to Torvald, Nora makes it sound like it was
all Torvald’s idea. Plus, in order to keep him away from the mailbox, Nora
pretends to need help on her dance. She knows that Torvald loves to help and
care for her, so she claims to need his attention and assistance. She flatters
and manipulates him to get what she wants. In the same way, May manipulates
Archer when she needs information. While talking to Archer, May lets slip a
comment about Ellen’s marriage. Archer defends Ellen’s decision not to return
to her husband, so May drops the subject and says nothing more. It isn’t until
much later that Archer figures it out. May was trying to gauge Archer’s
feelings about Ellen’s separation from Count Olenska. The Mingotts had previously
relied on Archer when dealing with Ellen. It was Archer who convinced Ellen not
to get a divorce. However, when Archer defends Ellen’s decision to stay away
from her husband, May tells her family, and they cut him out of their talks.
May’s seemingly innocent comment was actually a way for her to test Archer. Additionally,
May comes to realize that Archer loves Ellen. So, when she meets with Ellen,
May tells Ellen that she is pregnant. May tells Ellen this two weeks before she
is sure; Ellen was told two weeks before Archer. May tells Ellen mainly because
she knew it would force Ellen to reconsider having an affair with Archer. Of
course, this information caused Ellen to decide to leave. Thus, May got what
she wanted; Ellen left Archer. Both women, Nora and May, manipulated the
situation to carry out their own agenda while their husbands thought they were
just innocent. Archer even says that he doubts May will ever have a thought or
emotion that surprised him.
Both works question the society it
takes place in along with its beliefs on marriage and duty. May and Nora relied
on their husband. May, for this reason, manipulates Ellen into leaving so that
Archer stays with her. Nora, on the other hand, decides to leave and make her
own life. Despite their similarities, both women chose different paths in the
end. The endings give rise to another question: Whose choice was the better one?
