Comparing the Portrayal of Women in A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler

In Henrik Ibsen's, A Doll's House, the character of Nora Helmer goes through the dramatic transformation of a kind and loving housewife, to a desperate and bewildered woman, whom will ultimately leave her husband and everything she has known. Ibsen uses both the characters of Torvald and Nora to represent the tones and beliefs of 19th century society. By doing this, Ibsen effectively creates a dramatic argument that continues to this day; that of feminism.

Though Torvald seems to truly love Nora in the beginning, he actually values the reputation he has with his peers. For example, even at the end of the novel, Nora confesses that she would like to leave the family for the sake of her well-being. However, Torvald's reaction turned to insult Nora even more by asking her to stay in the house like brother and sister; he wanted her to stay so that it would appear that Nora and Torvald are still a married couple. "But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves"(Act III, 78), this is what Torvald told Nora which gives another idea of how he finds his appearance more important than his love for Nora. Also, Nora suggests that the love Torvald thinks he has for her is only an infatuation of the fact that he has someone to love. Why

She was a doll on a shelf and was only “played with” whenever her husband felt she was worthy of his attention. Nora tried to put up a front and keep up the “picture perfect family” so that everyone, including herself, would not see the truth and the unhappiness that she felt inside. Torvald dehumanized her by referring to her as his “little Nora”, a squirrel, a skylark, a spendthrift, a child, etc. and does not acknowledge the fact that she is a grown woman who a born him three children and is very capable of living and thinking for herself as an individual. He expected her to look and act the way he wanted and also to be at his beckon call sexually, physically, and emotionally. He limited the number of macaroons she could eat and also made a comment about her duty to please him romantically.

   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

You have ruined all my future... And I must sink to such miserable depths because of a thoughtless woman!” (Ibsen 62) Filled with anger, Torvald ridicules Nora’s father, and calls Nora a stupid hypocrite. This action is very significant for the play because we start to see Torvald’s true nature; he doesn’t care for Nora nor does he truly love her, but on the contrary

In the beginning of the play, Nora was a typical housewife for that time. She would obey her husband and never challenge him.Torvald her husband provides for her and the family, Nora doesn’t have to work she depends completely on her husband and enjoys spending his money on gifts and cloths. Because of that Nora lives to serve her husband even though he constantly belittles her and treats her like a little child that is very inferior to him. He calls her pet names like when he said in the first act “where’s my little squirrel”. Names like these may seem sweet but actually show how inferior and small he sees her.Torvald enjoys being the strong man that provides for his family and when Nora asks him for money or when he gives her money it feeds

   In Ibsen's plays - Hedda Gabbler, A Doll's House and Ghosts - the female protagonists of Hedda Gabler, Nora and Mrs. Alving demonstrate how social expectations and restrictions of women impacts the life every woman on a very personal level.

It is fascinating how a writer 's personal beliefs, upbringing, and era can dramatically change a characters persona. One such character is Nora Helmer from a play called "A Doll 's House". "A Doll 's house" was originally written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen. Henrik Ibsen was born in 1828 in Skien, Norway. Ibsen portrays Nora as a person with very low self esteem, untrustworthy, and self absorbed. During Ibsen 's era women where subservient and listen to what they are told by the dominant man in their life. Ibsen 's own views about women come through in this character. Even though Ibsen attempts to address women 's rights, he fails women by portraying Nora as a selfish woman who ran out on her family to fulfill her own needs.

Torvald embodies the typical Victorian man, given his actions towards his wife and his home as a whole. He symbolizes the dominance that many men hold over their wife and children. He strictly believes that the wife of the man is his property, and he had the right to treat her however he feels she should be treated. He treated Nora like a doll, not his wife, or an actual human being. He confesses to her that she is like his wife... and his child, which defeats the purpose of marriage all together. In a sense, Torvald, just like Nora, is trapped in the Victorian era mindset. He acts just as he is “supposed” to act, and he sees absolutely nothing wrong with it. That was the way the men of the Victorian Era were brought up. Torvald envisions himself

In A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen focuses on the importance of women's roles and freedom in society. Widely regarded as a feminist paean, the play features two major female characters; the most prominent of whom, Nora Helmer, shatters her position as a subservient, doll-like female when she walks out on her husband and children with a flagrant "door slam heard round the world." Nora’s evolution, though inspiring, should not overshadow another crucial woman in the play: Mrs. Kristine Linde. Both women attain freedom in a society dominated by the adherence to conservative marital roles, but do it in different ways. While Nora reaches her consciousness and slams the door on her shackling domicile, Mrs.

Nora bravely enlightens Torvald by stating, “You have never loved me. You only thought it amusing to be in love with me” (Ibsen 42). During the time of the play, men had wives not for love, but to have children with somebody and for that somebody to take care of the children. Nora might’ve loved Torvald, but Torvald never really loved Nora. Also, Nora might’ve been with Torvald because he had money, but after the rude confrontation made by him, Nora masters the thought that she can be independent.

Nora and Torvald have been married for eight years. He has never excelled at being an exceptional husband to her, and talks extremely negative to her. Torvald also screeched at his wife, Nora, for making inadequate decisions that have destroyed his reputation. Torvald says, “You talk like a child, think like a child! You don’t understand the … the whole society in which you live” (Ibsen 105). Torvald has made Nora feel as if she has wrecked

Torvald’s wife Nora is the center of several of the traits that classify him as a morally ambiguous character. Nora is more like a possession to Torvald than a soul mate or wife. She is like a doll to him, something that he can control and shape into what he wants. Nora is treated like a child and as if she can not function a second without him to be there to tell her what to do. Her dependency on him is extremely important to him because that is

When the play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen took place in the late 1800’s, the imbalances between the man and woman in marriage were insane. Women were not allowed to do various functions without their husband's approval. During this time, men and women were not considered equal socially or legally. Women couldn't even complete simple tasks such as take out a loan. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the restricted roles of women in marriage and the unfortunate imbalance between the husband and wife are shown, slowly leading to an end in marriage.

The Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen is an enthralling and dramatic play that illustrates the position of women in the society. On the 17th of July 2012, the Young Vic Theater played host to Ibsen's original play. Starring Hattie Morahan as Nora, and Dominic Rowan as Nora's husband, Tovald, the producer of the play managed to enact The Doll House in a fervent way. Nora, the star of the moment, played her role in a luminous and sensuous manner that elevated the mood of the audience instantly. However, the point of distinction in this production was the playwright's ability to merge contemporary and traditional themes of feminism.