Torvald and Stanley both believe that men should rule over women. While Torvald controls his wife Nora in a gentler manner, verbally attacking her, Stanley is more aggressive towards women, even raping Blanche. Both men show affection for their wives, with Torvald calling Nora his "little lark" and Stanley referring to Stella as his "Baby doll." However, their communication styles differ, as Torvald verbally abuses Nora while Stanley physically attacks Stella. The authors use these characters to portray different societal views of gender roles during their times through both similarities and differences in how the men assert their dominance.

1. Ploy Phataraprasit<br />20/04/2011<br />English 12 Period 8<br />Mr. Augustine<br />Every Man is a King!<br />Though it is right for men to overpower the women, as the head of the family, there should be limits in which the husband can overstep the bounder. In the plays, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tenessese William and A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, two characters, Torvald and Stanley, show their similarity and differences of themselves through their actions as they interact with women as both believe that men have the right to rule over women and, yet Torvald controls women in a gentler manner while Stanley is more aggressive toward women.<br />The similarity of both character, Torvald and Stanley reveals that both of them treat their wives with love and care during certain situation. As the “frightful[ly] bor[ing]” Mrs. Linde, Nora’s friend left, Torvald is grateful that he “got rid of her” because she has ruin his happy moment to be with Nora alone after the tarantula dance party (Ibsen 27). Ibsen creation of Tovald, being polite and gentle toward others, shows the status in society during that time. While Torvald gossip behind Mrs. Linde back Stanley also treated other women other than his wife aggressively, causing too much problem with love affair, “think[ing]” she was some “queen” of Egypt, Stanley furiously reveals all his hatred towards Blanch and rapes her (Williams 127). Because Stanley dislikes lots of issues about Blanche yet one of the biggest problems is the fact that Blanche ruins his happiness like with Stella, his wife. This may related to the author’s life as well, as Williams also has an in-the-way individual that ruins his family life. Both characters also reveal how much they adore their wife with the uses of item symbol. Torvald’s “little lark” Nora “twitters” everywhere she went; the animalistic symbol of the “lark” shows that Torvald adored cute “little” things that is innocent and pure (Ibsen 1). Similar with Stanley who views his “Baby doll’s” with the symbol of a toy; knowing that the word “doll” reveals how breakable it can be, Stanley’s adds the word “Baby” reveals his view of Stella with the childlike behavior then to show that he is the owner he added “My Baby doll’s” to sum things up that Stella is his property (Williams 59). Though both characters have a similar ways to show their controlled and treatment over their wife, Torvald and Stanley in contrast has different way of communication toward women. <br />The contrast of both characters can be seen through their ways of communicating and their relationships towards women. As Torvald “sink[s] to such miserable depths because of [his] thoughtless” “Little Nora” causing him a misfortunes of dept he blame her for causing him troubles (Ibsen 52, 58). Because of his gentler manner displayed since the beginning, Ibsen therefore makes Torvald attack Nora verbally instead of physically, to show how men ruled over woman should appear like rather than aggressively abuse their wife. Furthermore, this contrast with Stanley ways of communicating, as he dislikes being “give[n] orders” Stella though, has over step the barrier and verbally attack Stanley which in the end causes Stella misfortunes (William 37). During the poker night Stella ignores Stanley due to his bad behavior, Stanley is enraged with madness and after catching up with Stella “ a sound of a blow” is heard before “Stella cries out” (William 57). Stanley, in contrast with Torvald, attacks Stella physically, showing how women should be rule by men as he states that “Every Man is a King!” (Williams 107). This view of Williams toward the world is in contrast with Ibsen’s views. Both authors input the character to be ruled over women, yet having different ways of controlling them. A mention before, Torvald’s treatment of Mrs. Linde and Stanley’s treatment of Blanche are also different. Because as Mrs. Linde the “frightful[ly] bor[ing]” “woman” left, Torvald manners changes while Stanley in contrast, turns aggressive toward Blanche with no manner as a man, as he stating it toward her face (Ibsen 57). Besides Stanley later after the conversation, raped Blanche which Torvald would never have done that because of his worriness over every singles things. Through both characters the appearance of controlling over owmen can be seen in similarities and differences way, the author of both plays has significance displayed the role of men and women in their own society point of views. <br />As both characters may have similar ways of controlling, Torvald is however nicer and gentler manner than Stanley aggressive and furious way. While Ibsen creates society view of men in his time, Williams also creates his society view point of his own character too. As both men characters illustrated perfectly their events of time they are in, with both similarities and differences, it is agreeable to say, that their similarities that is the most unique is the fact that “Every Man is the King!” (William 107) in both men (Stanley and Torvald) perspective and perhaps is always will be as the plays show throughout the book that both men did not withdraw to any of their action or words.<br />