Honesty in Pride and Prejudice and A Doll’s House Essay

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House and Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice are set in similar time period and feature protagonists who go through different struggles, exactly whose themes have some overlap. Honesty is a theme that is played place in both stories resulting in opposite consequences for the protagonists. The power of honestness target either hurt or enhance lives. The righteousness means ruination in Nora and Torvalds marriage in A Dolls House whereas the accuracy brings Elizabeth and Darcy together in Pride and Prejudice. Honesty in both potent and female protagonists is evenly important in forging good relationships between each other.In both stories, strong honesty shapes the two couples fates. Both novels commence with the dishonesty of female protagonists one who has lied to her husband for eight years and one who keeps denying to herself her feelings closely a man. Nora, the female protagonist of A Dolls House, seems happy about her marriage to Torvald. She does non seem to mind Torvald treating and patronizing her like a doll. How perpetually, Ibsen foreshadows Noras dishonesty with the very first word on the first rapscallion of the play Hide the Christmas tree away(1), and Noras action is eating macaroons and lying to Torvald about it.She also acts like an impulsive and dependent child to Torvald as if she is hiding something, which is her knowledge of her business details debt that she acquired to loan in order to save Torvalds life. Elizabeth, the female protagonist of Pride and Prejudice, is a young, intelligent woman whose virtue and independence enable her to overcome the bounds of social class and harsh society. However, her course of making rash and imprudent judgment often leads to her ill luck she prejudged Darcys personality as the most proud and conceited (11) after however meeting him once.She hated everything about him based only on her prejudgment. As a result, she was not able to admit her inner affection toward him and kept denying her true feelings about him. Although Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in a most honest and gentle modality though indirectly insulting her family and status Elizabeth replies only with lies From the very beginning, from the first moment,fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain,which succeeding events have built so immovable a dislike and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to arry (166). Elizabeths dishonesty to Darcy and to herself is the major obstacle to escort each other. Fortunately, Elizabeths mind starts to change as she learns about the accuracy of Darcy, but on the other hand, when Nora decides to reveal the truth, only disaster awaits her. Although Nora and Elizabeth both started as dishonest, they both decide to reveal and admit the truth that they must affront. Nora has been hiding the truth for several years from her husband because Torvald disallows anyone to make debt.However, she decides to test the truth of her husbands love by revealing the truth of herself. Nora, who has been a doll of Torvald, is no longer a little sky-lark chirruping or a pretty little pet as her husband calls her. Her decision to confront the truth shows how ambitious, determined, and courageous a woman she is. Elizabeth, who has been trapped by her own prejudice, finally awakens and becomes honest to herself she admits that she loves and feels compassion for Darcy.How despicably have I acted prided myself on my discernment how humiliating is this discovery Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind but vanity, not love, has been my folly Till this moment I never knew myself. (178-179) When Elizabeth acknowledges the truth about herself, her prejudgment vanishes. She allows herself to look back at what she has done and realizes her mistake in the relationship with Darcy. Both Nora and Elizabeth have changed since the begi nning of the novel. They discover the importance of honesty in marriages and relationships despite experiencing different results.The two contrasting consequences not only depend on Nora and Elizabeths honesty, but also depend on their spouses. Nora believed that Torvald would understand her dishonesty because she trusted his love. However, when Torvald learns about the blackmail, Nora and Torvalds marriage falls apart Miserable womanwho was my pride and joy a hypocrite, a liar, worse than that, a criminal they people might even think I was the one behind it all, I who pushed youIve taken such good care of youdone to me? youll go on living hereyou will not be allowed to bring up the children, I cant trust you with them (75-76).In this moment of truth, not only Nora but also Torvald shows his true color. In order to keep his pride and reputation, he makes Nora live with him and pretends that they are married. Even worse, when Torvald receives the IOU letter back, he curtly hides his true color, as if nothing has happened after he had said horrible words to Nora We are saved, Nora I forgive you everything. I know you did what you did because you loved me. (77) Nora understands the truth of Torvald after revealing the truth of herself. She learns that Torvalds love is not genuine, and their marriage has been fake and artificial.Nevertheless, honesty in Pride and Prejudice empowered Elizabeth and Darcys relationship. Although Darcys first proposal to Elizabeth was not successful, he tries once more as he writes a letter with honesty. may be offensive to yours, I can only say that I am sorryI believed it on impartial conviction, as truly as I wished it in reason forgive me, It pains me to offend you (169-170). In this honest letter, he apologizes for the past arrogance and misinterpretation in Jane Elizabeths sister and Bingleys Darcys intimate booster dose relationship.In the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy, honesty enables them to understand each other and to succeed in the goal of marriage. Neither Nora nor Elizabeth was able to accomplish a mightily and lasting connection with their spouses until they knew who they were themselves, and until they learned the truth about their prospective spouses. Two male protagonists opposite reactions and attitudes in honesty shaped the fate of Nora and Elizabeth separation and amaze in relationships. Honesty makes Nora and Torvalds relationship to decline but Elizabeth and Darcys relationship to succeed.Honesty does not always triumph it can also turn a situation. In A Dolls House and Pride and Prejudice, both women learn that they also have to be honest with themselves, not only with other people. They also see the ultimate consequences in relationship will also depend on their spouses, not only on herself. Although both women were equally honest, perhaps Elizabeth was more fortunate than Nora in her choice of spouse and in finding the opportune moment to be honest, which allowed h er to forge a fulfilling and sustained marriage.