Krysten Schmidt
English 102 - TTH
Professor Henry
24 November 2015
Term Paper Thesis Nora Helmer from Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Rachel Brown from Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee’s Inherit the Wind are both characters who develop a sense of independence over the course of their respective stories. At the beginning of their stories, both Nora and Rachel accept their subordinate positions and follow orders for the sake of pleasing others. Nora says,
Nora takes pride in living a lifestyle surrounded by pleasing her husband and raising their children. By not taking responsibility, she is comforted by the fact that she does not have to succumb to the stress that comes with decision-making and leading a self-driven life. We can see…show more content… In this way, it becomes apparent that Rachel would rather live a life without dispute than a life where she can think and act for herself. She lacks the ability to think critically and to be open to possibly dangerous ideas, prohibiting her from exploring a world beyond the sheltered mindset inflicted on her by her town. By the end of their respective stories, both Nora and Rachel stand up for themselves and think independently. After Torvald tries to make up for his harsh scolding, Nora tells him:
Nora realizes the shallow basis of her marriage and that she has acted as nothing more than a toy for her husband. She gains the courage to speak up against him and stand up for her own dependence, but she does so with a heavy heart, unaccustomed to the unforgiving reality of her living situation. Despite this, she does her own thinking and is faithful to her thinking, exhibiting a strong trait as a critical thinker. Rachel, like Nora, finds a sense of independence by the end of the play. After Bert has lost the case, she approaches him and explains her new method of thinking,…show more content… While she proclaims her newfound way of thinking, she also admits the faults of her defeatist and submissive behavior that was exhibited earlier in the play. Freedom of Thought in Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee's Inherit the Wind expresses this change:
Rachel’s character development exhibits not only self-confidence, but also humility in understanding the flaws of her previous docility. Like a critical thinker, she understands the process of taking in ideas serves as a long term good, as opposed to the short term gain of avoiding conflict.
Despite their similarities in regards to gaining independence by the end of their stories, Nora and Rachel come to their conclusions with different emotions. When Torvald asks Nora if they could ever be together again, Nora responds,Although Nora has finally stood up for herself, she realizes her position at a heavy emotional cost. She sees the world differently, and she becomes pessimistic in the possibility of experiencing “wonderful things” again. Readings on A Doll's House examines this, saying:
Nora’s sheltered yet comfortable world is unraveled, and she is confronted with the seemingly endless possibilities of life which, though daunting, comes as both a curse and a