Introduction
Social issues are often the subject of analysis by famous writers, mainly due to the comprehensibility and proximity of such themes to the ultimate reader. This essay critically compares three works written in different time, historical, and cultural frameworks. The first is A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, written about 150 years ago, which tells the story of a Norwegian family in which Nora, the mother, takes life into her own hands and ceases to be a shadow of men.
The second work, Hills Like White Elephants, was written by Ernest Hemingway nearly 100 years ago and highlighted the issue of abortion as a decision whose discussion was taboo. The third literary work of this analysis is America by Claude McKay, a poem written around the same time as Hemingway’s short story, which concerns the ambiguity of the poet’s feelings about America. This critical essay contrasts the three literary works and evaluates the common themes of close reading.
Comparison of Themes in A Doll’s House, Hills Like White Elephants, and America
A Doll’s House
The plot of the play A Doll’s House revolves around the problem of women’s dependence on men’s decisions, the inability to make independent choices, and judgment from the male world. The play is about the Helmer family, where the husband and father, Torvald, are the center of their life decisions. Nora, the mother, is shown to the audience as capable of making her own choices but crushed by the oppression of the male ego. This is seen at the beginning of the play when Nora buys Christmas presents for the children and husband, to which Torvald condescendingly asks, “Has my little spendthrift been spending money again?” (Ibsen line 22).
The condescension, however, is evident in the husband’s address to his wife: Torvald uses such epithets as “little lark,” “little squirrel,” and “little featherhead.” It is noteworthy that the use of affectionate and diminutive-hypocoristic words from the point of view of a modern reader can be regarded as part of an abusive attitude (Solace). Such matter-of-fact references by the husband to his wife and his dissatisfaction with her independence can be traced further on in the story.
The climax of the plot of A Doll’s House occurs when the truth of Nora’s crime is revealed. When there was no money in the household, and her husband could not provide for the whole family, Nora was forced to borrow from his coworker, Nils Krogstad. However, Torvald’s new position causes him to make personnel changes, and the first the man wants to do is fire Krogstad for forging signatures (Ibsen line 732). When Krogstad is ready to blackmail Nora and reveal the truth about her debt, the woman can refuse the man’s influence. Torvald does not tolerate the truth about his wife’s crimes and is willing to abandon her by withdrawing her participation in his life.
Thus, on the one hand, she is burdened by the name of her wealthy father; on the other hand, by the pressure of her abusive husband; and on the third hand, by the financial litigation from Krogstad. Finding herself in this triangle of pressures, Nora does not lose her heart but chooses to act decisively: to give up everything and become independent. This inner determination is perfectly traced in Nora’s last words, “I can receive nothing from a stranger,” when the woman calls her husband, whom she cared for and loved, a stranger (Ibsen line 2592). Stripped of everything but gaining personal freedom, Nora leaves the home where she is a doll with no passport and no money to survive.
Hills Like White Elephants
The theme of the second literary work of this paper is similar: in Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway reveals not so much the taboo issue of abortion as the patriarchal influence on women. There is no mention of abortion as the center of the plot in the story; however, it is clear from the settings and dialogue that this is what Man pushes Jig to do as they sit at the train station drinking beer. Man forces Jig to have an abortion through several pressuring methods. On the one hand, Man says that after the operation, everything will be “just like we were before” (Hemingway 230).
Furthermore, Jig’s pregnancy is perceived as a bad outcome because “It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway 230). On the other hand, Man, who has never experienced a pregnancy or abortion, confidently talks about how simple it is, “It’s an effortless operation,” “It’s not an operation at all,” “It’s just to let the air in” (Hemingway 230). It is impossible to say for sure — since it was not discussed — why Man is inducing Jig to have an abortion, but it can be sure that he is pressuring the woman from multiple angles and forcing a decision that she may not be ready for.
America
The third work in this analysis is the poem America by McKay, which tells the reader about the ambiguity of American life. McKay sets the tone of the whole work from the very first lines, “…she feeds me bread”, “…sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth” (McKay lines 1-2). The author sees American life’s hardships when he poetically speaks of stealing breath, hatred, and the future’s bleakness. On the other hand, McKay admires the greatness of the country: “I love this cultured hell” and “Giving me strength erect” (McKay lines 4, 6). Such duplicity perfectly summarizes a social life in which they have everything, and others have nothing, and where the power of force matters.
Conclusion
It is not hard to see that all three literary works are tightly connected regarding the social themes they raise. The power of force, the duplicity of equality, and female dependency are issues that remain relevant to society today. Sociocultural norms and patterns of social behavior were why a woman could not live freely and was burdened with the burden of the male world. Even though all three works were written in different historical and cultural environments and at different times, they reveal a single problem that does not seem to lose its relevance in the future.
Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Men Without Women, edited by Ernest Hemingway, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1927, pp. 229–232.
Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll’s House.” Gutenberg. 2022. Web.
McKay, Claude. “America.” Poetry Foundations. 1921. Web.
Solace. “Love Bombing: Affection Today. Abuse Tomorrow.” Solace. 2022. Web.