A Doll's House Gender Roles

Dolls represent the way women were treated back then, the way women are seen as and behave. Women behaved in such a way because men and society molded them in that direction. Dolls have lifeless lives without someone that interacts with them; in the play we can see how Nora and Christine represent those dolls in society. Christine, a widower, is a doll because she is lifeless at first because nothing motivates her to work or do something about her life; she doesn’t have anyone to work or support for. That’s why she is lifeless, but as soon as she agrees to go back with Krogstad, she feels that she had “Someone to work for and live for- a home to bring comfort into” (65). She needed someone to string her. Nora has also a lifeless life just because of the idea that her father and husband run her life for her; decide everything for her as if she is a little child, “I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was papa’s doll-child” (77). She is influenced and is being treated like a doll, a little child, from her “male figures”. Nora did not have a mind of her own, and didn’t approach everyday life situation just like every other women in that era. She is being sheltered like a child; she is sheltered like a doll would be protected by a child. Ibsen portrayed the idea of women being treated like dolls through the title of

In Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, Nora Helmer is a traditional “angel in the house” she is a human being, but first and foremost a wife and a mother who is devoted to the care of her children, and the happiness of her husband. The play is influenced by the Victorian time period when the division of men and women was evident, and each gender had their own role to conform to. Ibsen’s views on these entrenched values is what lead to the A Doll’s House becoming so controversial as the main overarching theme of A Doll’s House is the fight for independence in an otherwise patriarchal society. This theme draws attention to how women are capable in their own rights, yet do not govern their own lives due to the lack of legal entitlement and

During this period, women were subjected in their gender roles and were restricted over what the patriarchal system enforced on them. Everyone was brought up believing that women had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must capitulate to the control of dominate gender. The ideology that “God created men and women different - … [and they should] remain each in their own position.” (eHow, Ibsen's Influences on Women's Rights) is present in A Doll’s House with Nora’s character, as she is seen as the ideal women during the Victorian Era, who is first dutiful as wife and mother before to her own self. Whenever Torvald gives Nora money, she spends it on her children so that they are not “shabbily dressed” (Act 1). Though she loves her children it is all the more shocking when she leaves them.

From the title alone, Henrik Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, carries an adolescent connotation, with dolls holding immediate association with young girls and youth. In this controversial playwright, Ibsen portrays his Danish protagonist as an ignorant juvenile. Set in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the 1880’s, Nora’s childlike character suggests what the lifestyle of many women during that time may have been. Ibsen reveals Nora’s innate, childlike nature incorporating strategic set placement and direction, significant symbols, an array of revealing dialogue, and elaborate description, healthy in detail.

A Doll’s House, by Henrik Ibsen, creates a peephole into the lives of a family in the Victorian Era. The play portrays a female viewpoint in a male-dominated society. The values of the society are described using the actions of a woman, Nora, who rebels against the injustices inflicted upon her gender. Women’s equality with men was not recognized by society in the late 1800’s. Rather, a woman was considered a doll, a child, and a servant. Nora’s alienation reveals society’s assumptions and values about gender.

   In his play, A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen depicts a female protagonist, Nora Helmer, who dares to defy her husband and forsake her "duty" as a wife and mother to seek out her individuality. A Doll's House challenges the patriarchal view held by most people at the time that a woman's place was in the home. Many women could relate to Nora's situation. Like Nora, they felt trapped by their husbands and their fathers; however, they believed that the rules of society prevented them from stepping out of the shadows of men. Through this play, Ibsen stresses the importance of women's individuality. A Doll's House combines realistic characters, fascinating imagery, explicit stage directions, and

The enforcement of specific gender roles by societal standards in 19th century married life proved to be suffocating. Women were objects to perform those duties for which their gender was thought to have been created: to remain complacent, readily accept any chore and complete it “gracefully” (Ibsen 213). Contrarily, men were the absolute monarchs over their respective homes and all that dwelled within. In Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, Nora is subjected to moral degradation through her familial role, the consistent patronization of her husband and her own assumed subordinance. Ibsen belittles the role of the housewife through means of stage direction, diminutive pet names and through Nora’s interaction with her morally ultimate

Throughout the play Nora’s family is referred to as a doll house. Hence the name of the title, but why is it a doll house? Nora and her kids are like dolls in Torvald’s game. It is like her family is always playing house. It seems to Nora that her life is being used as a game instead of actually getting to live happily. She and her husband have more of a father and daughter relationship, rather than a husband and wife relationship. “The child shall have her way (Ibsen 2.385).” When Torvald says this he sees his wife as a child and not an adult. He does not see her as capable as himself, therefor he does not share responsibilities. This makes him treat her like a child, and he tries to play her into doing what he thinks the story would be best doing. She even says “Surely you can understand that being with Torvald is a little like being with papa (Ibsen 2.217).” She even refers to her relationship with her husband being like her relationship with her dad. It shows that she has respect for her husband like her father, and that she listens to any command he may bark at her.

Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House examines a woman’s struggle for independence in her marriage and social world. Through the use of character change, Ibsen conveys his theme that by breaking away from all social expectations, we can be true to ourselves. When Ibsen presents Nora Helmer, we see a “perfect” wife, who lives in a “perfect” house with a “perfect” husband and children. The Helmer children have a nanny that raises them. By having the nanny, Nora has the freedom to come and go as she pleases. Torvald Helmer, Nora’s husband, will begin a new job as bank manager, so they will be rich, which will make her “perfect” life even better. Torvald even calls Nora pet names like “my sweet little lark” (Ibsen 1567) and “my squirrel”

Her first instinct is to feel pity for Mrs. Linde’s lack of children or husband, classifying her “utterly alone” state as “terribly sad” and inferior to the life she has with Torvald (Ibsen 8). This all changes, however, once Nora agrees to help Mrs. Linde. By binding herself to a woman instead of a man for the first time, she reaches a further state of awareness. When Mrs. Linde mentions Nora’s “lack of trouble and hardship” and calls her a child, Nora becomes defensive, alluding to her displeasure with her position in society (Ibsen 12). “You’re just like the rest of them,” she claims, “you all think I’m useless when it comes to anything really serious...” (Ibsen 12). The “them” and “you all” in Nora’s pivotal statement refers to the men who have bound Nora to the state of a useless doll in a dollhouse: dependent, incapable, and unenlightened—merely nice to play with and pretty to look at.

“The play is set in the 19th century, and it explores the unequal gender roles of the time” (Sukhoterina, 2011). Female roles are presented in “The Doll House” through two characters: Nora Helmer and Kristine Linde. First of all, words such as innocent, weak, graceful and soft are commonly used to describe a woman. Ibsen’s female character Nora Helmer portrays these traits magnificently. Nora’s life is a construct of societal norms and the expectations of others. She loves to spend money, dress in elegant clothing and take care of her children, exactly what is expected of a housewife. At the beginning of the play, she is living her life completely for her husband Torvald, which is completely normal for a woman of that time. He treats her like a child and arranges her life as a kid might arrange a doll. Torvald depicts Nora as a pet when he says “is that my squirrel running around?...when did my squirrel get in?” (Ibsen, 785). This shows male dominance and how women were not respected during that time period. In return, Nora accepts the pet names, and the inequality in which she is treated. She is forced to believe that her weaknesses come from the nature of her gender and not imposed by society. Additionally, she feels as though she needs to obey all of Torvald’s rules such as not eating macaroons; although she lies about her unfaithfulness. This minor deception is

Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” is a play about a young wife and her husband. Nora and Helmer seem to be madly in love with one another and very happy with their lives together. Yet the conflict comes into this show when Nora brags to her friend Ms. Linde about how she had forged her father’s name to borrow money to save her husband’s life and how she had been secretly paying off this debt. Helmer finds out about this crime and is furious, until he finds that no one will ever know about it. This entire conflict is written to bring to light the ridiculous social expectations demanded of both women and men. Ibsen expertly leads the audience into accepting that these social expectations are foolish and wrong. The audience

Written in the late 19th century, Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House addresses flaws within Norwegian society. Ibsen specifically highlights the symbiotic relationship between social oppression and deception. Many groups within the 19th century Norwegian culture felt social oppression, but women were among the most heavily judged. In this time period, it was illegal for a married woman to be employed, so she was forced to the monotony of home making and child bearing. This law has a central role in the play as Nora struggles to break free from her stagnant lifestyle of following social expectations. Like Nora, many people felt obliged to lie and deceive people to seem as though they were following the rules of society. Ibsen’s negative depiction of social oppression and deception throughout different scenarios within the play contribute to the play’s major themes. Ibsen utilizes Torvald’s study, the masquerade ball, and Nora’s dress change to symbolize and develop the overarching themes of social oppression and deception in A Doll’s House.

The Play A Doll House is acted out in three different acts which all provide insight on the feministic world in the early 1900s. From the beginning of the play the readers can see how Torvald is strong successful banker who has just received large promotion, while he treats his wife like a child like doll. He calls her names such “sulky squirrel,” “sweet little lark,” “song bird,” and “little scattered brain” (Ibsen 785). These names portray Nora a weak individual who is nothing but an unintelligent housewife and can suggest that Nora is

In “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen was created during 1800s time period. This play helps shine a light on the gender roles of the 1800s while also creating a twist that was uncommon for this period. During this time period, women were left home to oversee the domestic duties, while men went to commuted to work (Hughes). Men were seen as physically superior but morally inferior to women; which is also portrayed within this book (Hughes). This play marks the beginning of Henrik Ibsen’s realist period, which he explored the ordinary lives of small-town people (Kirszner and Mandell 881). This “modern tragedy” helped make Ibsen famous internationally because of the real-life story it captured (Kirszner and Mandell 882). Henrik Ibsen uses an array of literary devices to help keep the reader captivated from beginning to end. Three of the most prominent literary devices used by Henrik Ibsen are symbolism, foreshadowing, and an array of themes. These literary devices help transform a basic play into a complex story of lies and deception.