Krogstad

a) What role does Krogstad serve in the play?

Henrik Ibsen presents Krogstad as a antagonist in A Doll's House.
Krogstad used some villainous tactics over the course of the play. Nora had once borrowed money from Krogstad as her family had to take a trip to Italy due to her husband Torvald's health issue. She had forged her father's signature and due to Nora's actions, Krogstad has the ability to blackmail her. He uses this advantage when Torvald wants to replace Mrs Linde for his place in the bank. Krogstad intimidates, blackmails and threatens Nora to persuade Torvald to let him keep his place in the bank or else that he will tell Torvald about Nora's loan and her forgery of her father's signature. Furthermore, his 'villain' like qualities are shown when readers find out that Krogstad has previously committed a crime similar to what Nora has done; forging a signature on a document, although it was relatively a minor crime.

However, this character of Krogstad acts as a catalyst that enables Nora to find her Independence. The character Krogstad leads to conflict between Torvald and Nora, which allow truths to be revealed; this break Nora away from her doll-like character, and Torvald and Nora's false relationship.


b) In what way does Ibsen develop the charater, i.e. how does he change and for what reasons?

Although Krogstad might be presented as an antagonist who constantly asks Nora to pay back and a person who uses Nora's crime in order to benefit oneself in the beginning, as the story develops, readers are able to see that Krogstad is not necessarily a villain. Krogstad just wants to regain his standing in the community. He tells Nora, "I want to rehabilitate myself". Nora, our sympathetic protagonist, is guilty of the exact same thing. After the community turned its back on him, Krogstad was forced into the unsavory business of money lending and black mailing in order to support his family. In a way, it was the community's close-minded lack of forgiveness that created him. Here again we see the central motif of all of Ibsen's plays: the individual vs. society. Also readers are able to see that Krogstad is not without sympathy for her. One of the most poignant moments between the two is when they commiserate about their suicidal thoughts. He tells her, "Most of us think of that at first. I did, too – but I hadn't the courage". She replies quietly, "No more had I". And he also says, “Even money-lenders, hacks, well, a man like me, can have a little of what you call feeling, you know.” He visits Nora to check on her, and he discourages her from committing suicide. Moreover, Krogstad has reasonable motive for behaving as he does: he wants to keep his job at the bank in order to spare his children from the hardships that come with a spoiled reputation. Unlike Torvald, who seems to desire respect for selfish reasons, Krogstad desires it for his family’s sake.

The biggest change we come across while studing the character of Krogstad, is while Krogstad and Mrs Linde is having a conversation in the opening of Act 3. As soon as Mrs Linde tells him that she has always loved him and asks him to resume their relationship, he reveals himself as a more loving, joyful and merciful character. He is even willing to give up his place in the bank and take his letter that tells Torvald about what Nora has done. The biggest reason that led to Krogstad's change in character would be Mrs LInde.


c) What themes does the character assist conveying to the audience?

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend Called Felicity

During that summer - significance of that particular summer season, in the distant past -Carol Han 3/19/10 9:56 AM

When unicorns were still possible ;unicorn : metaphor/symbol of childhood when myth was possible  -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:01 AM   Metaphor. Childhood to Unicorns. When, young, innocent, imaginative-Carol Han 3/19/10 10:01 AM 
When the purpose of knees  enjambment : contributes to flowing passage of time -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:00 AM 
Was to be skinned;  caesura : creates pause, which makes the reader reminisce about his/her own childhood -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:03 AM 
When shiny horse chestnuts
    (Hollowed out
    Fitted with straws
    Crammed with tobacco
    Stolen from butts
    In family ashtrays)
Were puffed in green lizard silence
While straddling thick branches
Far above and away
From the softening effects
Of civilization; young, innocent and imaginative childhood -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:07 AM 

always check stanza breaks to explore what changes. Typically tone and/or subject matter will change  -Carol Han 3/19/10 9:57 AM 

During that summer--repetition : emphasises a particular period of time -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:07 AM 
Which may never have been at all;
But which has become more real
Than the one that was--
Watermelons ruled.The powerful memory to heighten past experience -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:24 AM 

Thick imperial slices  lexical choice :  water melons becoming governing -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:09 AM  'Thick, Imperial'  two pre modifying adjectives. Thick- size and power. Imperial- being controlling and governing. In what way? fill the senses and hook back to the memories of the past. Significance of the image-Carol Han 3/19/10 10:14 AM image of powerful, governing, controlling watermelon -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:18 AM 
Melting frigidly on sun-parched tongues imagery (gustatory imagery) -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:14 AM 
Dribbling from chins;  involves reader's senses  -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:15 AM 
Leaving the best part,
The black bullet seeds,  sound devices (plosive alliteration) with imagery-Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:10 AM 
To be spit out in rapid fire Sibilant alliteration  -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:17 AM 
Against the wall
Against the wind
Against each other;

And when the ammunition was spent,extended metaphor of watermelon fighting -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:11 AM 
There was always another bite:Describing the abundance of watermelon in the summer. Endless -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:09 AM 
It was a summer of limitless bites,When young, there is no such thing as a 'Limit' Everything comes to them. Childish world of plenty -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:11 AM emphasises that the beauty of childhood is limitless -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:20 AM 
Of hungers quickly felt  Repetition of 'quickly' emphasises the speed -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:08 AM 
And quickly forgotten Enjambment. Lingers the first lines. Gives faster pace.  -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:22 AM 
With the next careless gorging.  lexical choice : creates intensity-Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:21 AM 

The bites are fewer now.
Each one is savored lingeringly,Turning point of poem. Change from Childhood -> adulthood. From Part to present.   -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:04 AM   this is where tonal shift happens : -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:19 AM 
Swallowed reluctantly. the repetition (in a way rhyme) echos each other. -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:07 AM 

But in a jar put up by Felicity, -Significance in the name. The  watermelons bring back the past memories so vividly, allowing the poet to even recall the name of the person who gifted the watermelon pickle.Carol Han 3/19/10 10:20 AM The gift of Felicity- a way to childhood bliss. It was more than a gift as it brings back valuable memories.-Carol Han 3/19/10 10:25 AM 
The summer which maybe never was reinforces how childhood passes quickly , and how it is so easy to forget good and happy memories -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:21 AM 
Has been captured and preserved.
And when we unscrew the lid
And slice off a piece
And let it linger on our tongue: Repetition of And -Carol Han 3/19/10 10:03 AM 
Unicorns become possible again. tastes brings back the memories of childhood -Ashlee Kang 3/19/10 10:12 AM 

John Tobias

 

 Tension between idealised past and unpleasant present-Carol Han 3/19/10 9:58 AM 

Taste and vision.... etc bring back the past -Carol Han 3/19/10 9:59 AM 

Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle received from a friend called Felicity

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ac5RNAnXaSfnZHo5YjVidF8wZDV6d2QyYzk&hl=en


Ashlee and my Google Docs on Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle received from a friend called Felicity.

Written commentary intro on: 'Reflection on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Recieved from a Friend called Felicity'

Smells, tastes and sounds often evoke powerful memories of our past. After reading ‘Reflection on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Received from a Friend called Felicity’, I realised that these past memories can stay with us forever. John Tobias’ main idea in his poem can be seen in his title which provides the reader with detailed information of his childhood memory.

Poetic Devises in 'Reflection on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle Recieved from a Friend called Felicity'

Metaphor:
When unicorns were still possible
Black bullet seeds

Repetition:
During that summer (stanza 1 and 2)
Against the wall/ Against the wind/ Against each other
Of hungers quickly felt/ And quickly forgotten
And when we unscrewed the lids/ And slice off a piece/ And let it linger....

Alliteration:
Plosive - The black bullet seeds
Sibilant- seeds,/ To be spit out

Caesura:
... ammunition was spent,/ Then was always another bite;/ It was a summer of limitless bites,

Enjambment:
Of hunger quickly felt/ And quickly forgotten/ With the next careless gorging

The Characters in A Doll's House

Nora Helmer

In 'A Doll's House' play, Nora is initially presented as a typical house-wife, a happy and childlike character. Nora is spoilt and lacks care about money, which emphasise her childlike characteristics. Also she is seen as Torvald's 'doll'; she is always catious around Torvald trying to be the perfect wife. However, as the play goes on, we can see that Nora is not what she seems. She secretly deceives her husband; for example, she denies that she has bought Macaroons to her husband when he asks. Nora's small acts of rebellion and deception towards her husband suggests that she is not as innocent as she seems.

Torvald Helmer

Torvald Helmer is presented as a man who is very work related and concerned for his status in the society. He enjoys having authority; both in the societ and over his wife. He treats Nora as a 'doll' to be admired at, loving her only for her beautiful looks, and also, he constantly looks down on her by using diminutives such as 'little' and 'squirrel'. He thinks greatly of the idea of male dominance in a family, and enjoys his power over their relationship.