Failed Speech Acts and The Breakdown of Communication in A Doll’s House

Abstract

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House critiques 19th-century gender roles, patriarchy, and women’s limited agency in marriage. This study applies Speech Act Theory, developed by J.L. Austin and advanced by John Searle, to examine how dialogue reveals these themes. The theory posits that utterances perform actions like promising or commanding, succeeding only under conditions such as sincerity and appropriate context. Failed speech acts in the play signal a lack of mutual understanding and shared values between characters, particularly Nora and Helmer, escalating from minor deceptions to profound ruptures and culminating in their marriage’s collapse.

Keywords

• HENRIK IBSEN
• A DOLL'S HOUSE
• FAILED SPEECH ACTS
• GENDER ROLES
• POWER DYNAMICS

‘BİR BEBEK EVİ’ NDE BAŞARISIZ SÖYLEM EDİMLERİ VE İLETİŞİMİN ÇÖKÜŞÜ

Abstract

Henrik Ibsen’in Bir Bebek Evi oyunu, 19. yüzyıl cinsiyet rolleri, ataerkillik ve evlilikte kadınların sınırlı hareket alanını eleştirir. Bu çalışma, J.L. Austin tarafından geliştirilen ve John Searle tarafından ilerletilen Söz Edimi Kuramı’nı kullanarak diyalogların bu temaları nasıl ortaya koyduğunu inceler. Kuram, ifadelerin söz verme veya emir verme gibi eylemler gerçekleştirdiğini ve ancak içtenlik ile uygun bağlam gibi koşullar altında başarılı olduğunu savunur. Oyundaki başarısız söz edimleri, özellikle Nora ile Helmer arasında karşılıklı anlayış ve ortak değerlerin eksikliğini işaret eder; küçük aldatmalardan derin kopuşlara doğru tırmanarak evliliklerinin çöküşüne yol açar.

Keywords

• HENRIK IBSEN
• BİR BEBEK EVİ
• BAŞARISIZ KONUŞMA EYLEMLERİ
• CİNSİYET ROLLERİ
• GÜÇ DİNAMİKLERİ

References

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