OCR A-Level English Literature - Quotes and Themes for A Doll's House & Rossetti Poetry

Questions 7 - 12. Assessed on AO1 fluency, AO3 context, AO4 comparisons, AO5 interpretations

AO1 (Question 7 to 12 - 12.5%)

Excellent and consistently detailed understanding of texts and question; well-structured, coherent and detailed argument consistently developed; consistently fluent and accurate writing in appropriate register with critical concepts and terminology used accurately and consistently.

AO3 (Question 7 to 12 - 50%)

Consistently developed and consistently detailed understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written, as appropriate to the question. Consistently developed and consistently detailed understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are received, as appropriate to the question.

AO4 (Question 7 to 12 - 25%)

Excellent and consistently detailed comparative analysis of relationships between texts.

AO5 (Question 7 to 12 - 12.5%)

Judgement consistently informed by exploration of different interpretations of texts.

A Doll’s House : Et Dukkehjem

Suggests that all characters entering the Helmer House are dolls (though ‘A Doll’s House’ reflects Torvald’s possessive nature over Nora). The generic determiner ‘a’ could also reflect how this oppression is reality across Norway

A Doll’s House : “Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen”

The play begins with an imperative, showcasing Nora’s capabilities. It also immediately highlights the theme of secrecy and the woman’s role in curating a ‘perfect’ domestic environment (link to Nora’s debt)

A Doll’s House : “My little lark”, “My spendthrift”, “Little featherhead”

Torvald’s nicknames are inherently patronising and ignorant of Nora’s intelligence. This could reflect how Norwegian women were legally minors all their lives (unless widowed), and only gained an education in the fine arts if they were upper-class. (Link possessives to Torvald owning the Doll’s House)

A Doll’s House : “No one said it was I who borrowed the money. I could have gotten it in some other way.”

Nora’s fraudulence and deception highlight the secrecy needed if women were to have agency. This is emphasised further as it was illegal for women to obtain a loan without their husband’s permission (Link to Ibsen’s own experiences with Laura Kieler)

A Doll’s House : “Oh well, I suppose you can look a bit higher if you want to”

Nora’s tolerance of Dr Rank’s advances could portray both parties as disloyal and deceitful. (Link to fallen women - Nora would be shunned for infidelity, but Dr Rank would keep his prestige)

A Doll’s House : “Have you thought what people will say?”

For a contemporaneous audience, Nora’s escape would be seen as a betrayal of motherhood and marriage. An action like this would ruin both her and Torvald’s reputation.

A Doll’s House : “Pops the bag of macaroons in her pocket and wipes her mouth”

Nora feels the need to hide her indulgence from Torvald, and the verbs “pops” and “wipes” may suggest that this is a common occurrence - to the point where her secrecy is second-nature.

A Doll’s House : “I won’t let this happiness slip through my fingers”

Krogstad and Ms Linde’s relationship serves as a literary foil to the Helmer marriage, emphasising the lack of communication and true connection that Nora has with Torvald. Emphasised by the fact that both are almost exclusively referred to by their surnames - they are very distant from the Helmers. (Link to arranged marriages, which were common in upper-class Norway)

A Doll’s House : “I believe that I am first and foremost a human being”

Nora’s desire for independence and agency surpasses her desire to be a ‘wife’ and ‘mother’. Up until this point, she is only seen through to who she cares for, not who she is. (Link to Ibsen as a humanist)

A Doll’s House : “How he [a guilty man] must wear a mask even in the presence of those who are dearest to him”

The dramatic irony of Nora wearing a ‘Angel of the House’ mask around Torvald as he berates her about masking intentions reflects the excessive distance Nora must go to maintain her secret. (Link to the Tarantella dance and Neapolitan outfit)

A Doll’s House : “But it was great fun, though, sitting there and earning money. It was almost like being a man”

Nora presents herself to be the ideal 19th Century Norwegian wife - motherly, submissive, and childish. However, her true identity as a woman with financial agency subverts gender roles - reaffirmed by her scandalous escape.

A Doll’s House : “She who was my joy and pride - a hypocrite, a liar - worse, worse - a criminal!”

Despite her continued selflessness (e.g., her well-intentioned fraudulence, distancing herself from her children), Torvald still only sees Nora as selfish, for stealing money and leaving her family. (Link to Laura Kieler)

A Doll’s House : “Corrupt my little children - ! Poison my home!”

Torvald insists that one corrupted individual can corrupt an entire society, and in doing so, makes Nora fear the influence she has on her children. Ironically, it could be argued that it is society’s strict expectations and gender roles that ‘corrupt’ Nora, rather than the other way around.

Echo : “Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live”

The speaker appears to feel betrayed by their lover’s death, as they have lost all joy in living without them. Still, they do not reciprocate this betrayal, instead attempting to reconcile with them and reform. (Link to omnibenevolence)

Echo : “Whose wakening should have been in Paradise”

The speaker desires to meet with their dead lover, hoping for their return to the living world, but progressing to wishing that they themself will die- effectively highlighting the extremities and danger of desire.

Soeur Louise de la Misericorde : “Now dust and dying embers mock my fire”

The speaker is betrayed by her lover (Louis XIV), yet blames herself for aging, perhaps due to beauty standards ‘lost’ in age. (Link to difference in standards for Victorian men and women - there are no ‘fallen men’)

Souer Louise de la Misericorde : “Oh vanity of vanities, desire”

The superlative noun phrase depicts desire not only as excessively prideful, but also vain, futile, and empty. When Souer Louise inevitably stops profiting from desire, she realises the moral implications, and her lack of religion. (Link to Rossetti’s work with fallen women)

Souer Louise de la Misericorde : “I have desired, and I have been desired”

By revealing her secret of her desire - to either the listener or God (or accepting it herself), she is allowed freedom from her past to continue her life without the secret burdening her.

Goblin Market : “While to this day no grass will grow where she lies low”

Laura’s betrayal of God leaves her physically ill - and the cautionary anecdote of Jeanie suggests that apostasy can lead to death. Salvation can only be found through reforming a relationship with God. (Link to Rossetti’s work with fallen women)

Goblin Market : “Their offers should not charm us, their evil gifts would harm us”

Despite knowing that the goblin’s fruits are oxymoronic ‘evil gifts’, Laura is easily tempted to eat them. Desire and ignorance could be seen as inherently linked - and could also present desire as sinful and unholy.. (Link to Victorian religion, and the Garden of Eden)

Winter, My Secret : “Perhaps there’s none: Suppose there is no secret after all”

The speaker uses their secret to gain influential power over the listener, as they have something the listener want : knowledge. If the speaker is female, it could represent the lack of power held by women, but how women worked for power. (Link to the suffrage movement - but how Rossetti dismissed this, reflected in the lack of power given to the listener).

No, Thank You, John : “I never said I loved you, John”

The female speaker holds influential power over John (a generic name - any/all men?) as she holds the conversational floor and denies contributions. She prioritises herself over John, as there are many other ‘John’s for her to choose, if this John does not meet her requirements. (Link to Rossetti’s rejection of three men for not sharing her beliefs)

From The Antique : “I should be nothing, while all the rest would wake and weary and fall asleep”

The speaker has a lot of existential despair- she wishes not to be a woman, and whilst being a man would be better, she thinks that not existing at all would be best. Her identity and an individual is drowned out by society around her.

Ibsen Context : Laura Kieler

A friend of Ibsen’s (whom he nicknamed ‘skylark’) whose husband contracted TB and needed to be sent to a warmer climate to survive. She committed a forgery to do so and was sent to a mental asylum.

Ibsen Context : Fall From Affluence

Ibsen’s family became bankrupt, forcing them to move from their grand house to a dilapidated summer house, where they hid their poverty out of disgrace.

Ibsen Context : Realism

A Doll’s House can be considered a realist play as it focuses on character’s motives and interactions. The play is dialogue driven (the only action is the party that happens off-stage)

Ibsen Context : Naturalism

The play is set in a domestic sphere and the stage direction emulate this being set in a single room. The characters speak in prosaic dialogue rather than verse, mimicking real speech.

Ibsen Context : Yuletide

The play is set over Yuletide, with the season representing the death of an old year and the birth of a new one. Similarly, Nora’s new life begins on Boxing Day, leaving her old life behind with the old year.

Ibsen Context : Humanism

Ibsen considered himself to be a humanist (not feminist), emphasising the potential and agency of human beings