Answer

1. Explanation of Two Essays

   Part 1: Drama Module           

               According to G. Steiner, H. Ibsens’s A Doll’s House emerges as a tragedy. More so, the tragedy in Ibsen’s work is evidenced through Nora’s dialogue as well as mise en scene involving her and other characters. From the onset, the writer portrays Nora as a character who possibly will end in tragedy, and perhaps there are no chronological remedies that can be applied to rectify the situation. In fact, Nora is presented as one who is in constant struggle with the world and possibly the world is against her. At one point, the writer gives the reader a mine-en-scene involving Nora and Anna in which the former wants to seek help from Mrs. Linden in what Anna deems extreme weather. In the dialogue, Nora is categorically told by Anna “going out again! …such weather…you’ll catch cold…be ill” (50). The setting is meant to insinuate that Nora is determined to get assistance, but this is her own undoing and probably a tragedy is imminent. The implication is that the scenes involving Nora insinuate all forms of challenges ranging from marriage to patriarchal society, and she precisely needs them. The readers know all too well that such an endeavor is likely doomed and thus insinuating an impending tragedy that may ultimately prove irresolvable using rational innovation. Indeed, the writer paints Nora as loving and one gets the feeling that something terrible is bound to happen as the threatens to go out during extreme weather. Anna captures the feeling well by telling her bringing up the dialogue about getting ill, and thus unable to show love to her siblings and husband. In addition, the writer uses dialogue that inevitably reveals Nora involved tense settings when engaging in dialogue with other characters. The events are happening swiftly for Nora to grasp, and perhaps there are no temporal remedies that can be put in place to rectify the situation. Without a doubt, this insinuates tragedy. As an example, Nora’s dialogue with Helmer is tense and readers are sure to start feeling anxious in wait for tragedy to happen. Nora asks Krogstad about the dreadful thing or act that got him in trouble with Helmer, and the insinuation is that tragedy is about to happen to Krogstad. In fact, not even Nora’s intervention is enough to rescue krogstad from the impending tragedy. In all likelihood, terrible events are in the offing and the feeling is that fewer remedies exist to avert the undesired situation.

               As well, the tragedy in Ibsen’s work is revealed in virtually all the scenes involving Nora, which seem to support Steiner’s argument that tragedy speaks of the irreversible bias toward inhumanity in a society. More so, the writer present readers with scenes in which Nora’s marriage is tragic in the sense that it is supposed to triumph in a patriarchal society. In fact, the tragedy is revealed in the manner in which Nora is (mis) treated in her quest for freedom. Similar to Aristotelian tragedy, Nora is presented in settings that insinuate a tragic heroine as she is evidently the subordinate in her union with Torvald. Torvald, the husband, uses countless pet names towards Nora and most of them refer to animals perhaps insinuating that her role in marriage and society is that of a lesser human being. This is despite the fact that Nora is attempting to prove she is equal and thus needs freedom. This is what Steiner argues to be tragedy because the society is seemingly attracted to the irreversible bias toward inhumanity, as evidenced by Torvald’s treatment of his wife. By calling her pet names that reference to animals simply indicates the inhumanity that characterize tragedy, according to Steiner. It can be said that Nora was required to play the doll-like role to accommodate Torvald’s needs, which in turn reveals the irreversible bias toward inhumanity that spread through societies. In fact, the tragic heroine that is Nora represents the everyday inhumanity in the society that is tantamount to tragedy as described by Steiner. Despite the fact that the writer presents her as quite special as well as attractive character, Nora is still a typical woman in a classic house, classic husband, as well as typical in her role as primary caregiver. Tragedy follows her throughout including confiding in her husband, but ultimately to realize he is something else she never realized. Altogether, it is evident that Ibsen’s work is a tragedy and fits perfectly to Steiner’s description of tragedy.    

   Part 2: Overview of Unit    

               Literature can give readers the taste of a different life through presenting representation of other time and life. This insinuates mimesis, which does not simply imply realism in literature even though that is at its core. Nonetheless, mimesis relates to interpretation given that the writer of literature, more often than not, absent when real-life events occurred, has only an idea (Reinert 220). The goal is to evoke readers’ emotions and generate the feeling that they imagine the life as presented in literature. An example in which readers are given the taste of a different life in literature involves L. Harris poem “Five Nights of Bleeding” by L. Kwesi, which seeks to take readers on a tour in race relations in Britain during the 1980s. Indeed, the writer immerses his readers on a journey from his native Jamaica through England. In the poem, the writer employs a persona who is supposedly meant to keep out of the events happening in England at the time with respect to race relations. The reader, however, is given a taste of life back then as the persona in the poem continually assumes his position as far as how the events unfolded is concerned. For instance, the poem takes the reader to a different life when two “Babylonian tyrants” or law personnel are victimized in the fighting and the persona is celebrating through singing “righteous righteous war” (Franca Junior 21). In essence, the piece of literature gives the readers a taste of the hostile period in Britain during the time, as the persona celebrates in a defiant manner rather than be sympathetic. The writer ensures that readers imagine the social unrest of the time, which subsequently turned into fire on the streets in the country. The poem portrays that the unrest came following black race’s realization that white British ruling class was determined to trample upon the minorities’ rights as well as aspirations. Worth noting, is that the poem draws heavily from the time Britain was marred by protests against the judicial system in which the Thatcher’s regime was based, and accusations of rights violations reined. In fact, the poem is a dedication to Harris’ plight. Harris was a black young man who died following stabbing in a South London party, which insinuates that the piece is meant to give readers a taste of life back then being black. In particular, life as a black individual in London was a struggle during the time and the society barely acknowledged minority rights. Yet, the situation was getting tense as unrest was order of the day and, as the writer portrays, minorities could not even feel remorse after white police officers were victimized. Rather, the audience is made to taste a life in which such a tragic event called for celebration among groups in the British society.

               The other example in literature giving readers the taste of a different life involves E. Poe’s work The Purloined Letter. This work was written during the 1^st half of the 19^th century, which was widely a troubled period for America. Poe takes readers on a journey of the major issues affecting the society during the time including crime. In this work, the writer immerses his readers in a detective story about a character named Dupin. Indeed, the judicial system was facing increasing complex crimes than before. The story is based on the tabloid account of actual murder that happened in New York and the subsequent investigations as the judicial system seeks to unravel the truth (Kopley 114). Through the character named Dupin the readers are given a taste of life during the time, which involved crime and outsmarting one another is what is seemingly a game. In fact, detectives often found themselves following false leads and the writer takes readers on the entire situation experienced during the time in relation to crime.