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Theme Of Feminism In A Doll's House

Decent Essays

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. The three act play does not waste any time digging deep into the relationship Torvald and Nora share. Torvald is very controlling and manipulative of Nora. He calls his wife by demeaning pet names and controls her emotions through the amount of money he dishes out to her. Baseer outlines in his essay, “The use of symbolic language in Ibsen's A Doll's House: a feminist perspective," that when the idea of men overpowering women is present, like using pet names to belittle Nora, it teaches women to be submissive (Baseer 1). This is an important concept to understand when questioning Nora’s thought process. Along these same lines, the macaroons serve a deeper meaning than what is on the surface. The macaroons alone show a shift in Nora’s character towards the betterment of herself. It all starts when Torvald scolds Nora for a simple indulgence of a macaroon. Torvald says, "Hasn't Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking the rules in town today?" (Ibsen 7). In which Nora replies, "I should not think of going against your wishes" (Ibsen 7). Such a small, seemingly meaningless detail may be overlooked if only due to Torvald's possessive character, however, this also goes to show the childlike characteristics Nora possesses. Not only does she have little self control, but also denies the act when confronted to avoid punishment, and abides by such sick rules Torvald has in place for her as if it is a normal way of life. In fact, she even justifies his rules later by stating, “You couldn’t know Torvald had forbidden them. I must tell you he is afraid they will spoil my teeth” (Ibsen 26). By acknowledging these rules in a positive manner to others, proves she truly believes

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