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Sexism In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

Decent Essays

In the Victorian society, restrictions were in effect for most married women. It is the time when sexism is very predominant. Men liked to dominantly control their wives and tell them what to do, and women didn’t have the authority to disobey their husband because they were subordinate to their husband. Henrik Ibsen, famous playwright known to be father of modern drama, wrote the play A Doll’s House. Nora, the protagonist, portrays the life of a women who is controlled by her husband Torvald. She is blackmailed by Krogstad, the antagonist, and is forced to go through the struggles to fix the situation by considering suicide, but soon realizes the truth to who she and Torvald really are and leaves. Nora is a woman who seems to be very childish …show more content…

Nora is a women who acts very childish. In the beginning of the play, Nora is having a conversation with Dr. Rank and Kristine; when she pulls out some macaroons Nora asks “Dr. Rank, a little macaroon on that? “See here macaroons! [Rank] thought they were contraband here”” (958). Nora is lying and rebelling just how a child would act to get out of trouble or get what he/she wants; proving that she is in fact a very childish person. She wants to say “to hell and be damned” to Torvald, but she is too scared (958). She is scared what Torvald might say, just how a child would be scared to curse in front of their parents; she isn’t acting like an adult and is very rebellious to get what she wants. Nora is asking the kids “what shall we play? Hide-and-seek?” and the kids answer by running and screaming to hide …show more content…

When Nora is talking with Anne-Marie, the maid, she says “if the babies didn’t have [a mother], then I know that you’d…” (976). Nora doesn’t finish her sentence because she doesn’t want to think about losing her children; even though she acts like a child, she is willing to save Torvald twice by thinking of suicide. She also doesn’t want to think about losing everything she has because she likes it the way it is. When Krogstad comes to Nora’s house and delivers the letter telling Torvald everything about the forged contract that Nora signed, Mrs. Linde comes in after Krogstad leaves. Nora tells everything to Mrs. Linde “so that [Mrs. Linde] can be [her] witness” (993). The only way to help Torvald is to have Mrs. Linde help be the witness so that rumors and suspicions will not be looked upon Torvald as the forger and Nora as the accomplice. Nora is already planning to commit suicide to save Torvald from embarrassment and loss of pride. When Krogstad and Nora is still talking about the letter Krogstad has in his hands Krogstad tells her that he “still [has Torvald] safe in [his] pocket” and Nora is there questioning “Afterwards? When I’m no longer?” (992). Nora is not scared of Krogstad anymore and she knows that if she is gone, then Torvald will not be in anymore trouble. She isn’t afraid of dying, but she is afraid that Torvald might stand up for Nora and take the

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