1.Masculinity and Anxiety OR 2.Romantic Love Suffering (See Details Essay

1.Masculinity and Anxiety OR 2.Romantic Love Suffering (See Details Below) - Essay Example Some people are capable of handling positions of power and some are not, and a person’s gender has nothing to do with this fact. The plays A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, A Midsummer’s Night Dream, by William Shakespeare, and Les Liaisons Dangereuses, written by Christopher Hampton and adapted from the novel by Choderlos de Laclos, all show men who are driven to anxiety by the position of power that has been forced upon them. A Doll’s House centers around the married couple Torvald and Nora Helmer. As the play begins, the Helmers appear to the picture of married bliss. Everything appears copasetic as the couple discusses Torvald’s recent promotion at the bank and Nora is seemingly doted upon. However, if one were to pay close attention to Torvald’s words, it is apparent that Torvald infantilizes Nora with his pet names: †Is that my little lark twittering out there?†¦Is my little squirrel bustling about?†¦Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper?1† The names that Torvald chooses to call Nora are all small, cute animals. Not only are they small animals, but he calls her â€Å"small† versions of these animals, implying a certain frailty. Nora accepts this treatment without blinking, even when she is scolded for being a â€Å"spendthrift.† Torvald does this in order to place himself in a superior position over Nora. During the time the play takes place, this is what was expected in the relationships between men and women; the men earned wages and the women took care of the house. Of course, the Helmers even have help taking care of their children, leaving Nora with one less thing that she can do. The infantilizing of Nora is all just part of Torvald’s anxiety, since he proves to not be a strong character. As more is revealed about the Helmers