preview

Patriarchal Society In A Doll's House

Decent Essays

As the story of Nora Helmer, and her struggles against societal norms begins to unfold, the reader is able to conclude many personality traits about Nora and her husband Torvald. Through the inclusion of timeless issues, the author, Henrik Ibsen, effectively portrays a female protagonist battling a male dominated society. Although the historical setting in A Doll’s House depicts a patriarchal society much different from today, underlying issues such as the search for one’s identity continue to pose a problem in the modern and more accepting world today. Through intentional inclusion of patriarchy, gender norms, as well as historical aspects, Ibsen introduces Nora’s journey of self-discovery and its progression throughout the play. When analyzing …show more content…

At the time of its creation, one of the first waves of feminism began to spread across Norway. This is extremely important to recognize in relation to the context of the play. Ibsen considered this movement, and wrote the play to reflect the issues of the time period and setting. Set in a mid-upper class household, A Doll’s House stresses the significance of social standing/class. The patriarchal foundations behind their society dominated their every decision within their household. Torvald is the strong father figure who manages the finances, while Nora is required to listen to her husband, clean, cook, and raise the children. When Nora decides to loan out money behind Torvald’s back, she defiles the expectations set by both the society and her husband. In order to fully explore her newfound personality, she tells Torvald, “I must try to educate myself. You are not the man to help me in that. I must set about it alone” (Ibsen 115). Ibsen purposefully depicts Nora in this scene as independent as to show her development throughout the play. Not only does she develop her own ideas, but she is able to make decisions for herself, and find out who she truly wants to be in life. Ibsen was extremely intelligent when including the climax of the play. In his unique approach to Nora’s personality, he depicted a controversial topic that allowed the audience to engage in the subject matter of the work, as well as relate to a struggle for self-discovery. Furthermore, as the play comes to an end, the “heavy door closing” represents Nora’s previous life coming to an end, and her future starting. One door closed, another opened, and Nora decided to walk out and take a chance on a new

Get Access