The Foil Characters in A Doll House and Death of a Salesman - Essay Example

The Foil Characters in Relation to the Protagonists in “A Doll House” and “Death of a Salesman” Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll House” was published on 1879 and pioneered the new genre of modern drama. Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” was written later in 1949 and was regarded as the first American tragedy by many critics. Both İbsen and Miller employed a complex system of foils in order to increase the dramatic effects of their plays. Foil characters heightens the dramatic conflict and tension by providing strong contrasts to protagonists. In “A Doll House”, Mrs. Linde serves as foil for the main protagonist Nora through her different character. In a “Death of a Salesman” Charley and Biff can be considered as foil for the main protagonist Willy. The aim of this paper is to explore and show the personality differences between the foil characters and protagonists. Firstly, it will be argued that Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House” wise and serious Mrs. Linde contrasted childish and lively character Nora. Moreover, Mrs. Linde helps Nora to embark on a new journey of finding herself by pushing her to face the reality and reveal herself. Secondly, it will be shown that in Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” down to earth and realistic Charley and Biff are highlighted the dreamer and somewhat crazy side of Willy. However, while Mrs. Linde, as her foil, helps Nora to face the reality and to begin a new life, Biff’s challenges are not sufficient make Willy, the tragic hero whose mental faculties seem to be damaged, to embrace the reality. “A Doll House” In Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House”, Mrs. Linde and Krogstad serve as foils for Nora and Torval, since their differences provides a contrast. Henrik Ibsen portrays Nora as a lively young woman, and her lighthearted attitude is highlighted by Mrs. Linde’s serious, calm and somber behavior. Their very first conversation marks the differences between the characters. In contrast to Nora’s fast and rhythmic conversation, which is full with lively expressions and exclamation marks, Mrs. Linde’s answers are rather short and precise, if not blunt. Nora’s seriousness is further emphasized in the text by referring to her as “Mrs. Linde”. The following quotation shows the mercurial and talkative nature of Nora in contrast to the pale and dull Mrs. Linde: “Nora: To enjoy yourself over Christmas, of course. Oh, how lovely! Yes, enjoy yourselves, we’ll do that. But take your coat off. You are not still cold? (Helping her). There now, let’s get cozy here by the stove. No, the easy chair there! I’ll take the rocker here. (Seizing her hands) Yes, now you have your old look again, it was only in that first movement. You’re a bit more pale, Kristine—and may be a bit thinner” (1072-73). Furthermore, Nora’s movements depict her as a caring and friendly personality. While Mrs. Linde seems distant and reserved, Nora helps her old friend, seize her hands etc. The contrast between their economic conditions and life is also apparent. While Nora has a relatively easy life in a stable home with a husband and children, Mrs. Linde has survived many hardships alone. Nora’s petite bourgeois happiness is accentuated by Ms. Linde’s miseries. Although Nora seems very sincere and open hearted toward his old friend, Mrs. Linde’s attitude is rather condescending toward her. Similar to Nora’s husband Torwald, Mrs. Linde also blames her for being a frivolous spendthrift with a condescending tone: “Nora, Nora, aren’t you sensible yet? Back in school you were such a spender” (1073). Mrs. Linde misrepresents Nora as a spendthrift like her husband also did. However, Nora, who is submissive to her husbands’ misrepresentation and played the role of helpless and weak woman for him, rejects her female fellow Mrs. Linde’s misleading portrayal and reveals her secret. Here, Mrs. Linde, as a foil, helps Ibsen to show the true personality of Nora, which she actually hid from her husband. In fact, rather than being a spendthrift, we learn that she actually saves money and pays the loan she got in order to save his husband. Nora keeps on playing a superficial role till the end of play in order to please her husband. However, she reveals her true personality, only after her secret is revealed, thanks to Mrs. Linde, who thought that “all these lies and evasions can’t go on” (1104). At the end of play, it becomes clear that Torwald is the truly superficial character of the play while Nora realizes that she played that role of weak and superficial “doll” just to please him and his masculine ego. Besides behaviors of Nora and Mrs. Linde, their values are also contrasted in the play. Duty is of the foremost value for Mrs. Linde, while Nora valued love the most. However, it does not mean that Nora did not value her duties to the others, since she seemed to be attracted to Torwald in order to protect her father in the first place. Both women are similar in that sense that they married in order to protect their families. Nevertheless, whereas Mrs. Linde did not love his husband, Nora actually did. At the end of play, while Mrs. Linde cherishes the value of love and agrees to marry Krogstad, Nora’s emphasis shifts to duties to herself. In a sense, they reverse their roles at the end of play. Mrs. Linde, who is already self-sufficient knowing who she is and what she wants, commits herself to love and duties to a husband and children, while Nora who used to be committed to her husband and children, begins to a journey in order to find her true self. “Death of a Salesman” It can be argued that Willy, the main protagonist had two foils: Charley and Biff. However, it should also be noted that Biff can also be considered as a protagonist with his own foils like Happy and Bernard. Down-to-earth Charley provides a start contrast to Willy the dreamer. Willy’s tragedy lies in the fact that his dreams are far beyond his common man capabilities, and thus impossible to be fulfilled. Yet, the sheer impossibility of his dreams in proportion to his abilities makes his pursuit heroic. In that sense Willy can be considered as Don Quixotic since his battle can be compared to struggling with the windmills. However, instead of a comic feeling, his pursuit creates a tragic feeling. As Arthur Miller stated “the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, need to be, to secure one thing-his sense of personal dignity” (Tragedy and the Common Man 1256). Willy is an extremely proud man. His pride is so excessive that while he turns down the job offered by Charley, he desperately begs for his non-paying job. Charley’s cool rationality, humble approach and relative success underline Willy’s hot-tempered, pompous nature and his inevitable failure. Furthermore, Charley has got what Willy had desired most: his son’s respect and love. Biff compares his father to Charley and thinks that Charley is superior. His respect to Charley is clearly shown in the following quotation: “Biff: He’s got no character—Charley would not do this. Not in his own house—spewing out that vomit from his mind” (1214). Even for his own wife, who always supports Willy and highlights his good qualities, Willy Loman is not a great man like Charley, but just a human being to be respected: “Linda: Then make Charley your father, Biff. You can’t do that, can you? I don’t say he’s a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He’s not the finest character that ever lived. But he’s a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him” (1214). Linda’s view also reflects the major values of American society, as well as, the view shared by Willy and Charley, and Willy’s sons. For them what makes a man great is his material success and standing in the society. Willy’s dream or what we can call as the American Dream, itself is very materialistic, although not realistic. Willy’s conflict with his own son, Biff, is significant in a sense that it reveals the unrealistic character of Willy’s pursuit. Biff, serves as a foil to show Willy’s tendency to avoid realities which brings him on the brink of insanity. Willy’s problematic relationship with reality is clearly illustrated in the play, as Biff rejects to pretend that his interview was a success, and thus confronts Willy who is reluctant to accept that Biff was only a shipping clerk and his interview was failed. In fact, as Biff faces the reality, he pushes Willy further to accept it. However, their house, like the “Doll House” of İbsen, is full with lies. Nevertheless, Willy is not as brave as Nora to face the reality and find his true self behind his deceptions and his “phony” character as Billy called him. Biff challenges him for the last time, to reveal the truth that he cheated his wife and come clean; nevertheless, Willy fails to do it and commits a suicide. The honesty of Biff and his acceptance of himself as he is, forces Willy to come to terms with reality, nevertheless unlike Nora, Willy cannot bear to face himself and deal with his quilt. Works Cited: Ibsen, Henrik. “A Doll House”. Meyer 1069-1116. Meyer, Michael. ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature.4th edition. Boston: St. Martin’s Press, 1997. Print. Miller, Arthur. “Death of a Salesman”. Meyer 1191-1258. —. “Tragedy and the Common Man”. Meyer 1255-1258. Read More