Happiness is a luxury that only the powerful can afford. In light of this point of view, compare the representations of happiness and power in Paradise Lost and A Doll's House. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In both Paradise Lost and A Doll's House, to say that only those in power truly experience the luxury of happiness would be a somewhat reductive statement. Probably, there are reasons to argue that Eve, as the embodiment of the weak woman in a patriarchal society, never receives the power she desires, despite all efforts to strive for independence, knowledge and, subsequently, happiness. Adam, however, forgives her towards the end of the poem and their love grows stronger, perhaps signifying a version of a happy ending. The title of the poem, however, first and foremost, “Paradise Lost,” suggests a loss of complete happiness. and the fulfillment and, due to their own actions, the Utopia and Paradise of Adam and Eve are altered and corrupted. Like Eve in A Doll's House, Ibsen's Nora symbolizes the patriarchal stereotype of a repressed woman. Nora openly declares that she has never been truly happy under the restrictions of her role as a housewife and mother, but when she leaves her family in search of herself, she arguably gains power. Despite the lack of resolution at the end, the reader is given the impression that Nora will at least find a happier life than that at Torvald's side. On the other hand, saying that Nora's abandonment of her family makes her powerful might be contested considering the patriarchal context in which the play was written. Nora perhaps finds happiness by leaving her family, but from a patriarchal point of view, for a woman to leave her "duties" as a wife and mother is a woman abandoning her purpose which, arguably, makes her weak and helpless. Patriarchal and male power is a central theme in both texts that arguably leads to misery, not happiness as repression of women causes their wives to wander off in search of independence. Both men at some point lose the women they love, albeit temporarily, due to their pride and desperation to maintain patriarchal power. Arguably, Torvald interprets this stereotype as the strong and heroic protector who wishes that "sometimes some terrible danger may threaten Nora so that he can offer her life his blood, all for her sake." Nick Worrall argued that "his security depends on feeling superior", and since Torvald indulges in this patriarchal concept of the male hero, this statement rings true, describing the idea that for a man to feel powerful, he must thus attract power and "superiority". ' about their wives. It seems, however, that Torvald's words are false and empty as when faced with the opportunity to save his wife by providing the "miracle of miracles", he is apparently unable to exchange his pride for happiness of his marriage. Instead, he declares, "no man can be expected to sacrifice his honor, even for the one he loves." Arguably, Ibsen intended to use Torvald to represent gender inequality in the period in which he was writing, and the importance of patriarchal male pride placed even above the importance of family and marital love. Perhaps by making Nora leave, Ibsen was trying to say that giving too much importance to the stereotypical male figure and neglecting women's rights would only lead to unhappiness. Arguably, this is seen where Torvald's masculine pride leads Nora torealize that he is unable to provide for her (Have you not been happy here? / No; never. I thought I was. But I have never been happy") and consequently his misery, as she abandons him in search of his freedom. Likewise, following Eve's transgression ("he quenched, he ate, the earth felt the wound") Adam initially fails to put aside his manly pride for the happiness of their relationship, and so despite maintaining the power does not seem to be presented as happy. This becomes evident when Adam addresses Eve by changing from "Eve unique" to "Eve ungrateful" while blaming and scolding her: "bad woman". beyond Eva's transgression, which makes him bitter rather than happy since, probably, he is driven by his sexism and desire for power, and not by his love. Weathers was of the opinion that "bitter anti-feminism accompanies young masculinity". , a statement that seems to describe not only Adam's behavior, reflected in his twisted nicknames, but also that of Torvald who mocks Nora's femininity with offensive comments: "thoughtless woman." In both texts, the male characters use the noun "woman" to reproach and mock their wife's sex, probably to feel powerful and therefore happy. This attitude of male superiority was common in both contexts, but particularly in the 1600s highlighted in Milton's divorce treatises: "who can ignore that woman was made for man, and not man for woman". Arguably, Milton's views are clearly expressed throughout Paradise Lost as Eve is put down and put back in her place, "safe and proper beside her husband" and one gets the impression that if she had listened to her husband, the fall would never have happened: "If you had heartened my words (Adam)." We see however that this power, as in the case of Torvald, brings not happiness but anger and resentment and only when Adam is able to forgive his wife and let go of his pride is he able to overcome the test of excess love' and improve their relationship. We therefore see that for both male characters in these texts, the desire for patriarchal power does not provide them with the luxury of happiness but alienates their wives and makes them bitter and resentful. For Torvald, he is unable to mend his relationship and remains unhappy and disempowered at the end of the play, but for Adam, despite the fall and his subsequent loss of power, his relationship with Eve is rebuilt and we, the readers, remain. with the impression of being happy. On the other hand, the patriarchal stereotype classifies women as weak, but in both texts the female characters empower themselves by fighting for independence, knowledge and happiness. Especially towards the end of A Doll's House, we get the impression that Nora will find happiness when she realizes that she has "another equally sacred duty, a duty to herself". Jakovlievic argued that "Ibsen presents the image of a happy family haunted by unhappy performers" but arguably, as the play draws to a close this image is shattered and patriarchal claims are revealed as Nora states: "you have never been in love with me, you just thought it was fun to be in love with me.' Nora's realization that her marriage is a facade likely leads her to the decision to distance herself from her husband in search of the independence, knowledge, and happiness that this entails. It could be argued that Nora's search for independence points to Ibsen's view as a humanist and, as some have argued, a "proto-feminist", who believed that it was not a "question of women's rights" but of "human rights" however, that although Ibsen's desire was for equality.