Success Section 11 Class Blog

     This story has given me several thoughts about the meaning of success. I've always been a work hard until you achieve your goal type of person, but after reading The Metamorphosis, I believe we should let things flow and not get burnt out from so much hard work. I'm not saying success can't be achieved through hard work but overly working yourself out won't help achieve it. I feel like you have to be able to balance your personal and work life, something Gregor was unable to do. Thankfully, I have a good relationship with my family and they know their limits. Gregor’s family made him provide for them and even repay his father’s debt. A lot of families within society can have Gregor's family dynamic, especially in cultures where the man is considered the provider, or where children must pay back to their parents because they raised them.       Toward the end of section III of the story when Gregor reflects on the successes and failures of his life ...

  Gregor's transformation into a bug kind of struck me as an exploration of success for Gregor. Gregor prompts us to reevaluate our understanding of success and it's real meaning. Gregor's transformation made him question his relationship with his family members and his place in society. A quote that stuck with me was "Was he a beast, that music so moved him? He felt as if he were being shown the way to that unknown nourishment he craved"(Reader, 216). I thought this was a good representation of Gregor's effort to find connection and spiritual peace which goes beyond his physical transformation into a bug. The words "unknown nourishment" symbolize his desire for emotional sustainability. Which means this transformation was showing us you don't find success just by what you've done but how at peace you are in society. For example, I thought success was mainly I have achieved such as having high status in some way or earning a vast amount of mo...

 Everyone views success as a ‘good thing’. This is normally the case when it comes to personal success. In the story The Metamorphosis , it is shown that when personal success becomes shared success, it can be problematic. In this story, Gregor’s family relies on his personal financial success. Therefore, the family has grown to feel successful whenever Gregor is successful. “All had grown accustomed to this arrangement, not just the family but Gregor as well; they gratefully accepted the money, and he was happy to provide it, but the exchange no longer felt particularly warm.” (203) This arrangement creates problems throughout the story as in his new state, Gregor is unable to be financially successful the way he used to be. His family was so heavily relying on his financial success that they did not know how to be personally successful themselves. So, when success becomes a shared thing in an instance that it should be personal, it can cause problems for those who rely on others’...

 In the story "The Metamorphosis by Franz kafka". The story is a setting that delves into the traditional and conventional norms of attaining success. The Main character Gregor Samsa goes through a series of challenges and pressure to fit into societal and cultural norms of a man and to be successful.  This story has made me rethink success in several ways. A quote from the reader that resonates with success in the story is "Was he an animal, that music should captivate him?" In this setting, Gregor's father talks about the drastic changes that will take place in the family during the process of Gregor's transformation. For an extensive period of time Gregor feels like a slave obligated to satisfy the financial needs of the people that matter most to him because he is no longer acknowledged for his humanity or domestic contributions. In my personal experience, I have seen firsthand how abrupt changes in circumstances may strain relationships, which is simila...

This story has made me definitely look into myself when it comes to the concept of success. I personally never associate family with success or expect them to affect my definition of success in any way. The relationship Gregor had with his family was deeply rooted in what he believed measured to be his success level, I did some self-valuation and realized how similar Gregor and I were to one another. When assessing myself and Gregor's characters I realised that I have a very similar but unconscious approach to my own personal success, I would always subconsciously associate my success with what my family's expectations are. Similar to Gregor's father my father also held certain expectations of success that seemed incompatible with my own desires and aspirations. Despite my efforts to reconcile our differences, there was a palpable sense of disappointment and frustration on both sides. This experience forced me to confront the limitations of traditional notions of success wi...

 As I reflect on "The Metamorphosis," the nature of success in this story is not directly stated, it takes much self-inference depending on your perceptions. This story of Gregor's transformation into a monstrous insect shows different types of success both in my private personal relationships and in the broader view of society.  In section 3 of "The Metamorphosis," Grete, Gregor's sister, shows her frustrations towards him when saying, "We must try to get rid of it"(Kafka 217). Her saying shows how family obligations can hold a heavy burden while struggling to have normalcy, which I find to resonate with me. With that, we can see the harsh reality of how a relationship can change because of adversity and difference. In my own life, I have had moments where my success looked at by people around me was basically overshadowing our actual bond. This so-called pressure of social norms of achievement most times becomes an eclipse to the bonds of family ...

"The Metamorphosis" has changed my view on success. After seeing how Gregors transformation changed not only his physical attributes but also his personal attributes. It made me realize that success looks  different to so many people. In the beginning we thought Gregors success was just fueled by his drive to be a good worker. After seeing his families tragic dynamic we realized that he only is so dedicated to prioritizing his work over all because he wants to provide a life for his family. Once he can no longer do this we see him slowly deteriorate not only on the outside but also the inside. In larger society I use to see success as getting the job you want, making your boss happy, or getting a raise. But after reading "The Metamorphosis" I came to the realization that in the public sphere yes, most of the time success looks like all those things I listed but it can also be about reaping the fruits of life. Such as making new friends, dating, or developing connect...

       After reading Metamorphosis, I see how much I view success as closeness and trust when it comes to the private sector. Gregor did not have a reliable, or honestly kind family to fall back on, and I do not think this equaled success. For me, success in that situation would be either to be able to trust my family to take care of me, or instead to care for my family in bug shape. Either way, trust shows success in relationships.      To go even further into it, I think the measure of success in relationships is what you get out of the trust. Gregor trusted his family, even thinking of them as he died-"...thought back on his family with tenderness and love..." (219). But his family did not embrace that trust, and to me, that marks a lack of success.      In the public sphere, Gregor showed me what success wasn't in work. In my mind, work should not be something that defines you and takes away who you are as a person. Gregor was n...

  The story “The Metamorphosis” has made me think of success in having relationships with others. In the story, Gregor’s life before his transformation could be broken down into his relationship with his family and other business people, and both sets of these relationships seem very transactional. Gregor did not seem to be shown much appreciation by anyone. Though his family did care for his basic necessities, they did so reluctantly and disgusted by him. At the beginning of section three, we are told of Gregor’s injury with the apple. The narrator says, “Gregor, despite his current lamentable, repulsive form, was a member of the family who should not be treated like an enemy, for family duty dictated that the others swallow down the disgust he aroused and treated him and show him tolerance, only tolerance” (210). At the beginning of the story, his family, specifically his sister, treats Gregor with tolerance, but as the story unfolds, Gregor is treated worse and worse until his...

  Throughout “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka, Gregor’s idea of success transforms along with his body when he becomes an insect. As a human, Gregor felt a responsibility to provide for his family financially. His family grew to expect his money, so providing them with it was an example of his success. This is seen when Kafka writes, “All had grown accustomed to this arrangement, not just the family but Gregor as well: they gratefully accepted the money, and he was happy to provide it, but the exchange no longer felt particularly warm.”(203) While as an insect, Gregor still possesses this want to help his family, he also develops a want to have a connection with his family. As an insect, he is no longer able to communicate with them, and is able to see their discontent with his new appearance. Kafka mentions the guilt and sadness Gregor feels when he writes “If only Gregor had been able to speak to his sister and thank her for all she was compelled to do for him, he would have f...

In the story "Metamorphosis," Gregor Samsa wakes up one day to find himself transformed into an enormous insect. He was a hard-working salesman and the family’s primary provider up until now. However, he is unable to carry on with his work or maintain contact with his family due to his new insect form and eventually finds himself isolated and abandoned. Gregor's metamorphosis stops him from carrying out his obligations to his family and society, ultimately leading to his downfall. His abrupt change demonstrates how life can derail our goals with unexpected curveballs. He makes a lot of effort to adapt to his new circumstances, but he is unable to truly succeed traditionally. The story implies that success is more about feeling good about ourselves and accepting who we are on the inside than it is about what other people think of us or what we accomplish on the outside. Gregor's battle to accept himself in his new form makes us consider what matters most. His transform...

My takeaway from Metamorphosis is that in life, results matter. When Gregor was making money and supporting his family, he was appreciated and that made him feel like he was loved. However, after turning into a bug that could not longer go to work, he found out that they only loved his utility. During the description of his success, his success was turned into “cash that he could then lay on the table before his astonished and enlightened family” (Kafka). His parents reaction to the money says everything about how they view him: a way for them to not work and get what they want. After he turns into a bug, he loses control of the family and the financial situation. He becomes lethargic and powerless against his father who abuses him. While he lays in his room day in and out, “he mulled over the idea that next time the door opened, he would take control of his family affairs as he had done in the past” (kafka). Because he takes great pride in being the provider, his main concern is his f...

 This story makes me think of success in a different way because the parents only loved the son due to his income and not the fact, he was family. This story made me also realize that money plays a huge role in success in many ways. Money causes success but it also causes trouble and chaos when people get greedy. Money makes you do stuff you regret and then once you lose it, it just gets worse. Once gained back everything is back to normal. But money also makes you rethink your original thought before you had the money. For example, in the narrative it states, "we have to try to get rid of it"(Kafka 217). The fact that Gregor's sister gave up on her brother once they were able to maintain their financial situation shows that once money comes into your life it can change your thought process. I can relate to this because my dad got me this really beat up football for Christmas when I was younger. I thought it was the best football ever until a few years later there was a m...

Being a bug is tough. Being a bug in a society is impossible. One of the biggest takeaways after reading the entirety of Metamorphosis is the lesson that the world will move on without you whether you like it or not. Gregor's predicament is so outlandish and undeserving that it makes his life tragic. Even though his situation in this story is very sad, things like this just happen to people in life. Life-changing events can just happen to someone out of nowhere, and it is up to the relationship sphere around you to act accordingly in the event of an accident. Now no accident will be as unique as Gregor's yet the aspects of how the world continuously moves on without him are very real. Someone can go their whole life like Gregor doing their best and sticking to a disciplined lifestyle, but at the same time things happen, and life isn't always what you put into it.  One of the best examples of this is demonstrated when he reminisces on the world around him and what life used ...

  The story, “The Metamorphosis,” by Franz Kafka has many implications in regards to what success means and how it can or can not be achieved. In the story, it is shown that Gregor is capable of living when his sister takes care of him however without her help and the rejection of his family or others he dies. In the story, when Gregor's sister is talking to her father she states “If it were Gregor it would have realized a long time ago it just isn't possible for human beings to live beside such a creature,” (218). I believe this shows that you can not be successful on your own. This is also emphasized as even before his transformation I do not believe he is successful as he is a very stressed person. In my life, I have come to understand that you know who you really are when everything is stripped away from you. I grew up playing soccer and it was everything I did and it was my personality. However when I received a long-term injury before my senior season coaches stopped resp...

The story has made me think about success and that it can be guided, directed, or redirected based on influences from different sources, with the family being one of them. For instance, family can change your goals because when the family depends on you, your goals are placed second, and theirs becomes primary. Another instance from Metamorphosis is in which Gregor is highly respected as a second lieutenant in the military; he is carefree and smiles, and he is proud of the uniform. This made me think that success can be promising and yet marginalized because his military experience was completely different after taking the civilian job as a salesman. One expectation set by social norms is that a salesperson must know how to drum up business, keep the business viable, and have a way of measuring the success of the salesperson. However, here is an example that proves a point about success, in which his general manager is speaking, regarding how success and sales are based on accountabili...

Hey blog promise you I’m not a bug,  But Gregor in “The Metamorphosis” fell short against the powers of transformation. This story, in connection to the idea of success, provides every example of how to not achieve it. Success on your own can never be achieved if you are also trying to maintain the success of others. It is seen in Metamorphosis that Gregor is trying hard to be successful for the sake of his family, not for the sake of himself. Kafka states, “Well, all hope is not yet lost; as soon as Ive saved up enough money to pay back what my parents owe him—another five or six years ought to be enough—I’ll most definitely do just that” (190). It is evident that Gregor's success before his transformation was based on his family, not necessarily himself; he worked on their behalf, not his own. Who knows if Gregor didn’t take on the responsibility of his family debt if he would’ve chosen a different career path? This story has proved Personal success has to be achieved on behalf ...

  In "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville, the lawyer, who serves as the narrator, can be interpreted as a dynamic character, undergoing subtle changes throughout the story. A dynamic character experiences internal growth, transformation, or development throughout a narrative, often in response to external events or conflicts. I examined two quotations that support this interpretation: "I remembered the bright silks and sparkling faces I had seen that day, in gala trim, swan-like sailing down the Mississippi of Broadway; and I contrasted them with the pallid copyist, and thought to myself, Ah, happiness courts the light, so we deem the world is gay; but misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none.”( ) In this passage, the lawyer reflects on the stark contrast between the vibrant, bustling world outside his office and Bartleby's pallid, withdrawn demeanour. This moment prompts the lawyer to contemplate deeper themes of happiness, misery, and hum...

In "Bartleby, the Scrivener," It can be seen that the character of the lawyer can be most argued as a static character given that he remains largely unchanged throughout the story. Let's dive into the evidence of this claim. As we know static characters are characters that basically stay the same, having no real growth, while a dynamic character is a character who has evidence of changes or some type of development in the story. As we analyze the lawyer's character in the story we see clear evidence from the beginning and the end. In the beginning parage of the story, the lawyer describes himself basically as a man of "safe, moral flexibility," which gives off the impression that he is strictly comfortable with his own ideals and principles. This sets the tone throughout the story that he's mostly unaffected and adheres to his own principles as events unfold. She describes himself as "a rather elderly man. The nature of my avocations for the last th...

 A static character in a story is someone who does not go through significant changes or growth throughout the plot of the story. This being said I believe the lawyer in “Bartleby” is a static character who went through some internal conflict. But did not make huge changes to the plot of the story. His changes were minimal and his attitude stayed consistent throughout the story. The author created a professional and well rounded narrative for the lawyer in the beginning of the story and stuck to it. Another reason why I think the lawyer is more of a static character is because when Bartleby begins to cause disruption in the office instead of stepping in as an authoritative figure. The lawyer just continues with his routine and continues to do his work in the same manner as before. The biggest tell to me that the lawyer is a static character is his consistency in maintaining his professional demeanor. 

      It can be hard to see if people have actually changed or not. How many times have you met up with someone after a while and you are curious to see if they are the same? We can ask ourselves the same question about the Lawyer in Bartleby. Has he changed at all?     I would argue that he has changed. It can be seen at the end of the book that the lawyer takes time to check in with Bartleby, telling the grub-man "...to give particular attention to my friend here..." (Melville 185). He is also spending money in doing so, which is not in line with the original characterization of a man who only cares for money and the easiest way to get it. He also is helping a man who know longer works for him, which shows just how much Bartleby changed the lawyer.      In the beginning of the piece, it is said that his "...business hurried him..." (Melville 165). This shows how the lawyer was not able to stop and help in the beginning of the story, but he chang...

  In Melville’s “Bartleby, The Scrivener,” the lawyer is a dynamic character. A dynamic character is one that changes throughout the story. Although we do not explicitly learn much about him, his ideas and the way he explains the story change. The lawyer begins the story with a simple and superficial understanding of his current employees. He doesn’t even share their real names with readers, making them seem even less important. He understands and expects their regular day-to-day routines. When Bartleby begins working for the lawyer, he is stumped by his inability to understand his personality. Bartleby stays within his routine, however he goes against expectations and refuses to do the tasks the lawyer asks of him. This causes the lawyer to take an interest in Bartleby and attempt to know him more. The lawyer describes Bartleby in an inhuman, robotic manner. This is shown when he explains that Bartleby writes “silently, palely, mechanically.” (Melville, 164) Toward the end of the ...

 What does it mean to be a dynamic character? A dynamic character is someone who evolves, who changes internally, or who develops over the course of a story. They learn from their conflicts, and then change because of them. Another question that can be asked is, does the lawyer in the story Bartleby, the Scrivener exemplify the definition of a dynamic character? Or rather that of a static character; unchanged, consistent, and unaffected by their experiences and conflicts. I believe the second is the case. The lawyer shows what it truly means to be a static character. Lack of internal change and limited growth are the two main reasons as to why he fits this definition so well. At the beginning of the story, the lawyer is a very unattached employer. This reigns true throughout the rest of the story. No matter what Bartleby does. Even while Bartleby’s actions became more peculiar, the lawyer still had this same strange sense of detachment from his employees. Even though there are tim...

Throughout the story of Bartleby, the lawyer’s character remains the most consistent. He is a static character who remains largely unchanged throughout the story’s events. The reader's understanding of the lawyer's innermost feelings and ideas is restricted because the story is given solely from his point of view. It is hard to see any of his real character changes throughout the story because we are not exposed to his inner life. There isn't much evidence to support the idea that he goes through a lot of change. The lawyer maintains a lot of the same attitudes and actions throughout. “I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best" (Melville 158). The story's opening pages introduce the lawyer and outline his view of life, emphasizing his preference for simplicity and comfort. This belief holds true throughout the story, illustrating his unchanging character. He presents himself from the ...

 Are you a static or dynamic person? Do you go through little to no change? The lawyer certainly does not. In the story "Bartleby, the Scrivener," the narrator who is both the boss and a lawyer, tells the story of his crazy and mysterious encounter with a copyist named Bartleby. Throughout the story, the lawyer character goes through little to no change, which leads to the conclusion that he is a static character. A static character as described in the book provided by my professor is a character that goes through no change (the opposite of a dynamic character who changes). Therefore, a quotation that supports this is from the first paragraph of the story, where the narrator introduces himself as someone who prefers certainty and routine in his daily life. He states, "I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best,"(Page 158). This line sets the tone for the rest of the story, as the lawyer...

  In Herman Melville's "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street," the lawyer, who serves as the narrator, is a dynamic character. At the beginning of the story, he is depicted as a pragmatic, arrogant, and selfish person due to how he deals with his employees. In the play the lawyer considers his workers to be tools to make his life easy as his goal is to make money the easiest way possible. This can be shown in the play where the lawyer describes the nicknames in which he used to belittle his workers, “First, Turkey; second, Nippers; third, Ginger Nut,” (Melville 159).  Belittling his workers perhaps serves to inflate his ego and power. As the narrative unfolds and he encounters Bartleby, his views begin to change. Bartleby's passive resistance challenges the lawyer's understanding of authority leading him to reflect on his own humanity and the nature of charity. This is because despite the Lawyer being the boss he has no power over Bartleby as Bartleby p...

  The lawyer is not a static character because as the story goes on, he becomes more and more attached to Bartley, who had previously judged his employees’ every action. In the beginning of the story for example he describes Turkey as “an Englishman of about my own age, that is, somewhere not far from sixty. In the morning one might say, his face was of a fine florid hue,...” (Melville 160). This type of surface level analyzation was how the lawyer did things considering his perfect lifestyle consists of living as easily as possible. As the story goes on, the lawyer is presented with Bartleby’s weird behaviors of simply “not preferring” to do work (Melville).  The lawyer becomes infatuated with Bartleby and his reasons for not wanting to do the job he’s assigned. At the end of the story, the Lawyer learns of a rumor that Bartleby has died and is devasted. He exclaims “Ah Bartelby! Ah humanity!” (Melville 187). This is a stark difference between his careless outlook on life a...

       The lawyer speaks about himself as a relatable, real, and detached narrator, he states, "I am a man who, from his youth upwards, has been filled with a profound conviction that the easiest way of life is the best" (158). When he said this it set the tone for the way he sees the world, highlighting his preference for simplicity. But as the story continues and Bartleby's confusing presence disrupts the lawyer's routine, his outlook begins to change. One pivotal moment occurs towards the end of the story when the lawyer reflects on Bartleby's fate, expressing a sign of empathy. "Ah Bartleby! Ah humanity!" (187). This sorrow signifies a departure from the lawyer's indifference, revealing new complexities of human existence. The use of repetition emphasizes the lawyer's internal struggle and highlights his emotional response to Bartleby's sad state. The lawyer's decision to provide for Bartleby in his final moments signifies a significa...

  In the story “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” the lawyer is a static character. In the story's beginning, the narrator says, “I seldom lose my temper; much more seldom indulge in dangerous indignation at wrongs and outrages” (159). This sentiment is true throughout the play, as the lawyer explains the wrongs of his current office staff. The lawyer notices these challenges of his employees and works around their strengths and weaknesses. For example, the lawyer notices Turkey and Nippers are either more productive in the afternoon or the morning, so he accommodates these differences. Additionally, when the lawyer finds that Turkey could use a better coat, he gives Turkey one of his own. The lawyer is never overly personal with his employees but seems willing to help when he can.   We see this theme continue toward the end of the story with Bartleby. When the time comes when Bartleby is no longer useful to the office, the lawyer tries his best to kindly get him to leave and plans ...

 As a Loyola student in the 21st century, it may seem surprising that a play written in 1879 like “A Doll’s House” could still have a lot of significance. But when examining the themes of the play you can see how the struggles faced by the characters relate to issues that are still relevant today. The character Nora shows the tension between societal expectations and individual autonomy, a conflict many Loyola students, like me, can relate to. In “A Doll’s House,” Nora decides to leave her husband Torvald as an act of resistance against the oppressive roles assigned to women in society around those times and how Torvald enforced these roles. Her decision shows the importance of power and independence, especially important for modern-day college students seeking independence and career paths. Just like how Nora seeks to break free from the oppression of her marriage, students today often struggle with societal pressure to meet certain academic, social, or professional expectations. ...

 Happy Easter Blog (this stories a real egg -winks- ), In "Bartleby, the Scrivener," the lawyer is initially shown as a static character who follows the same routines, engages with the same staff members, brags about his work, and is quite direct—almost dismissive, well-organized, and very perceptive. The lawyer states, “ I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any way draws down public applause; but in the cool tranquility of a snug retreat, do a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title deeds “ (158). Furthermore, through details the lawyer brings readers into his work, gives entail on employees and their work habits, and the overall environment at the office. Upon the arrival of Bartleby, the lawyer remains within these initial character traits until he realizes Bartleby is a more “sedate” employee unlike his others. The text states “ With any other man I should have flown outright into a dreadful passion, scorned all furt...

I struggled to reach my conclusion because, throughout the story, the lawyer maintained his somewhat stoic character, which made me think initially that he was static. I sense that he was stoic because as he says, “[h]ence, though I belong to a profession proverbially energetic and nervous, even to turbulence, at times, yet nothing of what sort have I ever suffered to invade my peace. I am one of those unambitious lawyers who never addresses a jury, or in any draws down public applause, but in the cool tranquility of a snug business among rich men’s bonds and mortgages and title deeds” (Melville 158-159). From this quote, he leaves the perception that he is apathetic; he shows no outward emotions. To a certain degree, there is an inference that he also had a stoic mindset, meaning that he was in control of his choices and decisions. However, in contrast, we see a character change when he states, “[m]y first emotions had been those of pure melancholy and sincerest pity; but just in prop...

 Let's cut to the chase: Did Nora make the right decision? The Doll House is indeed the most produced play on Broadway and in my opinion, it deserves it as it highlights gender disparities that, while a little dated, still can be touched upon within today's context. The question that I posed at the beginning has to do with the play's ending where Nora leaves her house and her entire family behind. The dividing question that I posed at the beginning can still be debated to this day as it raises ethical questions surrounding if the right decision was made however, in my opinion, it is all a matter of perspective. It is a simple yes or no question, and I believe that- to an extent, both sides of the problem are right for their own reasons, however, I believe the decision was just.  In the case of Nora, I believe that choosing her own personal freedom over the constricting life of her home can be viewed as a good decision. Nora isn't choosing herself over her children, but ...

 In the story by Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House Act, the play goes through an overview of societal expectations of the sexes and the area of internalizing multiple personalities as individuals to conform to societal expectations in areas such as academics, social life, and the professional sector.  The zeal for self-discovery is a journey that the majority of individuals want to pursue at some point in their lives as we strive to breach societal norms placed on us due to areas such as religion or Gender.  The themes of deception/secrecy, Gender roles/identity, and financial security are explored extensively in the play. The theme of financial independence connects a lot with the day-to-day life experiences of the average Loyola student. In the era where Nora had to conform to the traditional societal expectations of women and femininity, she realized that she was unable to be financially independent because she was under the leadership of her husband. Nora's financial depen...

 As a Loyola student, Henrik Ibsen's play "A Doll's House," written in 1897 can be easily related to our own experiences, with such challenges to us to have to critically analyze societal norms and life expectations that have shaped our lives. Even though the play is set in the old days, we can still in a way see gender roles, the fight for autonomy, and life with societal pressure from others as depicted in the play remains relevant today as a student. The striking aspect of "A Doll's House" is the idea of constrained individuals particularly women by societal expectations. As in the play, Nora feels trapped in life as a wife and mother, she seems to be pressed by society, family, and her own peers. We today have our own struggles of the sort in a way with our families and society as some of us may be parents already or have nieces and nephews to have to look after and the effect of society on them and you is rash. You have to mold them and also mold yo...

 As a college student, we have so many responsibilities to manage, like school, family, sports, and even a social life. Personally, I find it difficult to find a set priority out of all of these. While I know that school is supposed to be my number one, honestly, it does not always work out, proven here in this moment as I turn this blog in late after practice.      In a Doll's House , Nora is told that "...before all else, you're a wife and mother...", and that is what she should focus on (146). But she wants more and has a difficult time making herself fixate on that stereotypical list of tasks. Like I have school, practice, and more every day, Nora juggles her family, duties as a homemaker and her desire to be involved in the financial part of her husband's life, even if it is not allowed at that time.      While I am free to pursue everything I want at Loyola, I still sometimes cannot choose what to focus on. This morning, I had to focus on my prac...

Torvald shows a lack of respect for Nora’s independence as a person through refusing to recognize that she has other concerns and interests besides her duties as a wife and mother. Although Nora wishes to leave and experience this independence, Torvald continues to try to convince her otherwise: to stay in her “place” at their home and complete only her duties there. “NORA: I have other duties equally sacred. HELMER: That isn't true. What duties are they? NORA: Duties to myself. HELMER: Before all else, you're a wife and a mother. NORA: I don't believe in that anymore. I believe that, before all else, Im a human being, no less than you —or anyway, I ought to try to become one.” (146) In this scene, Nora expresses that she should feel like a human over anything else, alluding that through solely being called a mother and wife, she is inhuman or objectified. I feel that this relates to me as a student today through the duties different people in my life expect me to uphold, l...

A concept I learned in my philosophy class called Know Thy Chair is, “You can’t see the chair you are sitting on unless you move to another chair.” There’s only so little you can know about the chair from the perspective you’re sitting on, but if you move to another chair, you can have more knowledge and a better understanding of what that chair looked like from another perspective. I relate this concept of Know Thy Chair to Nora’s next steps in the play; I think she will realize the size of the cage she lived in for seven years, as she states, “I have to try to educate myself. You can’t help me with that. I’ve got to do it alone. And that’s why I am leaving you now” (Ibsen 146). In parallel, Nora could not see her cage size unless she moved out of it. Torvald will remain in his manhood bubble because of his patriarchal lens. In his selfish ways, he could not relinquish what was politically correct in his time, which was that men ruled. Mrs. Linde and Nils Krogstad will enjoy life toge...