The Role Of Women In A Doll's House

Back then women were not allowed to speak as often as they would have liked to. They were expected to be caregivers, have and raise children, and do household duties such as cleaning and cooking for the family. Basically that was a women's typical role, men were constantly seen as being way above women, so therefore they would always be the ones who commanded or had the final word in what would be done. Women were seen as passive and weak, and not as able to accomplish physically or mentally all that men

Women were viewed inferiorly compared to men. They were expected to do all household chores, bear children, and obey their husband’s wish

Women were supposed to be seen and not heard. They cared for the home, their husband, and their children. Anything outside of those 3 areas stumbled upon by women were frowned against. Such as politics, jobs, and education. They were supposed to always submit to the will of their husbands without regards to their own feelings or thoughts. If they did not, which they rarely did, men were allowed to beat their wives. Common law gave way to the 'Rule of Thumb ' that stated that it was a husband 's right to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb and was often done and was normal. They could be beaten as if they were children or animals, not a fellow peer. It is in this rule that clearly illustrates men 's superiority over women. Women were not equal and were thought of as less than, fragile and weak. They were property, just like the land. Women barely had any rights, and in the eyes of the dominant male figures, that is the way God intended it to be. Divorces were rarely executed and if they were, in some towns the women were cut off and shunned upon. They also couldn 't keep custody of their children if they got one. The idea of family was very important. In

In Norway during the 19th century, Ruler Christian V. (1670-1699) issued a law proclaiming that unmarried women were minors. This law changed in 1845 to grant majority to single women of the age 25; shortly after women started to work in factories in jobs for small hands. There were 2 waves of feminism from 1879-1890 and 1960-1990. Literature played a role in inspiring women around the world; Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House (1879) grabbed attention from many Norwegian women at the time, and inspired them to stand up against the sexist society. The protagonist of the play, Nora, starts off following the societal norms and has a restricted voice; however, by the end of the play Nora’s transformation signifies the breakthrough Ibsen wants to see in “new women” in 19th century Norway. In A Doll’s House, playwright Henrik Ibsen uses symbolism, direct characterization, and internal conflict to promote the idea of women needing to challenge the power imbalance in a patriarchal society.

Books and novels often have a profound impact on society. They broaden perspectives and expose the readers to problems which demand attention. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen attempts to explore the gender inequality and position of women in contemporary society. Written in the 19th century, during a period when revolutionary thoughts had just begun raging in Europe, “A Doll’s House” proved to be bold for its time. Nora’s controversial decisions of rejecting marriage and motherhood appalled contemporary audiences.

“ As I am now, I am no wife for you”( Ibsen 887) This statement is from Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll House, is a play based in 1879, and it sets the tone of the remainder of the story. Ibsen seems to be making a statement that women need to mature and be independent before they have a family of their own. All of the women in this play leave their loved ones behind to gain their independence. Ibsen’s statement and character portrayal helps make Ibsen’s play take on feminist characteristics. Ibsen’s play shows that women must mature and be independent before they are ready to have a family. This is exemplified through Nora, minor characters such as Krogstad’s wife and the Nurse, and Christine. With this being one of the major themes running through out the play, it allows for the feminist reading of the play.

Women were expected to basically be merely an object, even a trophy for their husbands. They were expected to stay home and clean, as well as cook. With all these expected tasks, women hardly had any time to branch out and figure out what they wanted to do with their life. They had no time for leisure activities of any kind because, of course, their activities involved taking care of the house. Women were also seen as the weaker sex, always submissive to their dominant male counterpart. Although the women were submissive, they were held to a higher moral standard. Adultery was twice shamed upon if committed by a woman rather than a man. (Hughes par.3) A woman could be stoned to death, but people would turn their cheek for a man while the woman still was expected to stay beside the man.

Henrik Ibsen explores the feminist movement of his time throughout A Doll's House. He shows the feminist movement in all acts by many of the characters. The feminist movement is the movement to have women and men treated equally across all aspects of life. A Doll's House follows Nora as she deals with the effect of a decision she made years ago about borrowing money. Nora must find a way to change the perceptions others have about her actions. Ibsen uses figures to make the audience understand their feelings of society. He also uses the opinions of the characters to connect to those of the audience. The aims of Ibsen are to make the audience understand how the movement has affected their own lives. The play also shows specific actions that

In the story “A Doll’s House” that was written by Henrick Ibsen, a lot of individuals that have read the play or watched it visually, might say that feminism isn’t a huge theme that takes place. But then again, is it? I actually think it is, because, throughout the whole entire play, we see a lot of instances where Nora’s husband Torvald treats her terribly and somewhat offends her for the simple fact that she is a woman. Torvald never addresses her by her actual name, except when he is scolding her. He also would call her his little skylark or his squirrel; names that you would give your child. Not only does he call her childish names, he also says that she is very fragile. Nevertheless, Nora could not do anything unless it is to Torvald’s approval or his standards. For example, we see this happen when they were going to the ball and, what she planned on wearing. Torvald not only makes Nora feel bad about herself, he also makes a lot of rude comments which

In A Doll’s House Henrik Ibsen paints a vivid picture of family life in the nineteenth century. Many critics of the play choose to focus on the submissive role played by women throughout the piece. However, Ibsen also draws attention to the role portrayed by men in society. Some might say that to question these gender roles is to question the very foundation of family life; thus questioning the very concept of a home in itself. The overwhelming majority of A Doll’s House subscribes to these traditional gender roles, yet in the end Nora breaks free of these constraints forcing the reader to reevaluate the necessity of these “stagnant” roles. Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House questions the concept of gender roles in all aspects of life: in parenting,

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is defined as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and viewed as “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests”. During the early 1960s, many women began to advocate for feminist rights and social equality. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe passed away, and the following year journalist Gloria Steinem auditioned undercover to become a Playboy Bunny, through which she exploited the dirty, male-run system (Cochrane, 2013). Pre-feminism, men were often in control of the actions and decisions women made, and they usually had to approve and oversee any legal matters the women were involved in. The men in the household were considered the workers and the breadwinners, and women were viewed as the homemakers and caregivers. Feminism argues that the roles can actually be reversed. Feminism was also marked by the literature of Sylvia Plath, who passed away in 1963. Speaking of feminism and literature, Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian playwright, is credited with having written perhaps the first feminist play: A Doll’s House. Through the independent decisions made by the female characters Mrs. Nora Helmer, Mrs. Kristine Linde, and Anne Marie, Ibsen revolutionized the role of women in society, as well as their rights to take control of their own lives.

In the Victorian era, women were expected to fulfill specific gender roles. Women possessed feminine qualities such as being nurturing, pure and docile, while men were expected to be bold and independent.

In the initial publication of A Doll’s House, in 1879 the author Henrik Ibsen cited cases of inequality and oppression in the modern family. It is a play that that gives a day to day brief of the lives and anxiety of oppressed women in Victory Norway. Feminism is a key theme in the play and Ibsen narrated the challenges and advantage of being born female in a society where they handle them like a doll. In the essay, we will be establishing the role of Nora in the play positive role model to the premise of feminism. These shall be done through a concrete argumentative narrative of both arguments and counter arguments on the premise.

Throughout the 18th and 19th century, having a good reputation in the society played a significant role in people’s lives. Particularly, having a happy and a successful marriage, and a family was a crucial factor to have power and an influence in the society. Therefore, people usually tried to disguise the imperfections of their house and attempt to portray a false reality. Similarly, in the play A Doll’s House, Torvald tries to protect his reputation and honor by disguising his house into a perfectly happy and a successful family. Also, the name of the play is a parallel to his house, as it looks perfect to the rest of the world when what is inside the house remains unknown. The characters in the house therefore plays a role as a doll that are convincingly perfect to the outsiders. --- Ibsen uses the symbolism of the house to uncover the reality that Torvald tries to conceal through his superficial nature.

Henrik Ibsen's play, "A Doll's House," written in 1879, portrays the unique set of challenges women faced in a patriarchal society. While men have the control, women are left at the mercy of their provider. However, Nora makes a bold move that was rare and controversial for a women of her time. Symbolism plays a role in the ever evolving Nora as she distances herself from her husband, Torvald. From indulging in small treats and a undecorated Christmas tree to Torvald's doors, we see a transformation in Nora's character as she makes her way to self-realization.