Text vs. Film (Revised)

Medfield Public Library

Text is very different from film and I realized that after watching the performed play of A Doll’s House. After watching the final scene, my emotional response to Nora and Torvald has greatly changed. My response changed because of the different attitudes, tones, and dialogue throughout the live play. When reading the play, it’s hard to completely understand the emotions the characters are feeling. But on the other hand when you watch the play being performed, it is easy to understand and see.

 

After watching the live play, I feel more sympathetic towards Torvald and less towards Nora. Originally I felt more sympathetic towards Nora because of Torvald’s sexism. After actually watching her break Torvald's heart and the loud emotions they both felt, my opinion changed. I'm sympathetic to Torvald because he had no idea what was coming, he had no understanding of the situation, and he had no idea how to react. Nora had been thinking about this moment and how she should react, so it's unfair to Torvald how he was blind sighted by this. It was unreasonable that Torvald didn’t have a clue what was going on or how to react, and Nora did. I also feel sympathetic to Torvald because Nora obviously doesn't love or care for her children as much as she should. She ruined her and Torvald's family. I don't believe it was fair to Torvald for Nora to do that to him while he was drunk, while it was late at night when judgement is cloudy, and so suddenly. His heart was broken ruthlessly and that is why I feel more sympathetic towards Torvald after watching the final scene.