Victorian Gender Roles

In John Osborne 's 1956 piece, Look Back in Anger, housewife Alison Porter is faced with the difficult decision of remaining in a toxic marriage or returning to live with her parents. Indeed, Alison is the archetype of the 1950s British woman, as depicted in both academic and popular discourse—meek, miserable and resigned to her fate as mother and housewife. While such a paradigm of the 1950s woman has long remained unchallenged, historians have begun to suggest that this stereotype is inaccurate and misleading, and overlooks the complexity of female gender roles during Britain of this era. When reviewing the literature on this topic, what emerges as a clear point of tension between academics is whether the 1950s was a static or a dynamic

The relationship between Torvald and Nora is based on the assumption that women are beneath men. Torvald treats Nora like a girl would treat a doll. Torvald refers to Nora as his "lark," "squirrel," and his beautiful "songbird" throughout Ibsen's play, except when he is angry; then she becomes a woman. Elaine Baruch adds insight:

There’s a positive correlation between the two characters corrupted morality and the depth of the illness of the fictitious person. Algernon bunburied when he found out about the young lady, Cecily, who is guarded by Jack. He had the responsibility to search for a profound woman who lived in the town and is very social. Ibsen uses a different element to Wilde, since the play is only set in the Helmer’s house, Nora can only wear a mask rather than creating an alter ego for herself. Instead her mask plays the role that is expected from Torvald. “a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbours and society could be divided into four cardinal virtues-piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity. Put them all together and they spelled mother, daughter, sister, wife-woman.”₁. She earned money behind Torvald’s back to pay back the debt. This role is not tolerable to be performed by a woman according the expectations of the Victorian society but it is accepted when a man performs this task; a case of double standards.

Gender roles were sharply defined in the 19th century. Women were expected to stay at home and carry out the domestic duties as well as taking care of the children and educate them and provide a peaceful home for their husband. Women were seen as loving and caring. On the other hand, men were expected to work and earn money for the family. They would fight wars and were seen as strong and powerful. Men had more freedom and rights, such as the right to vote, than women in the 19th century. Society had created two completely separate spheres. In the medical field, men were doctors. There were laws in many states, such as, that prohibited women from becoming doctors. Women, who decided to practice medicine in the 19th century had to struggle with much opposition because it went against prevailing ideas about women’s role in society. Women belonged in the private and domestic sphere. Men belonged to competitive and immoral public sphere of industry and commerce. The women in medicine would face accusations that they were abandoning their sphere and threatening society. Due to these arguments and the fear of economic competition from female practitioner, male medical schools and hospitals denied women access to institutions. However, Elizabeth Blackwell, changed this idea of separate spheres when she decided to take on the medical field and become a doctor. Although Elizabeth Black had a natural aversion to the medical field, her

Henrik Ibsen utilizes diction, symbolism, and indirect characterization to show that women were trapped by the stereotypical gender roles of the time period. Ibsen’s use of diction really made parts of the story more detailed and mean more than if he had just used simple and generic words. In Act III on page 179 Torvald says to Nora, “ Oh what a dreadful awakening! For eight whole years---she who was my joy and pride---a hypocrite, a liar---worse, worse---a criminal!

The inferior role of Nora is extremely important to her character. Nora is oppressed by a variety of social conventions. Ibsen in his "A Doll 's House" depicts the role of women as subordinate in order to emphasize their role in society. Nora is oppressed by the manipulation from Torvald. Torvald has a very typical relationship with society. He is a smug bank manager. With his job arrive many responsibilities. He often treats his wife as if she is one of these

The character of Nora 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.

During this period, women were subjected in their gender roles and were restricted over what the patriarchal system enforced on them. Everyone was brought up believing that women had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must capitulate to the control of dominate gender. The ideology that “God created men and women different - … [and they should] remain each in their own position.” (eHow, Ibsen's Influences on Women's Rights) is present in A Doll’s House with Nora’s character, as she is seen as the ideal women during the Victorian Era, who is first dutiful as wife and mother before to her own self. Whenever Torvald gives Nora money, she spends it on her children so that they are not “shabbily dressed” (Act 1). Though she loves her children it is all the more shocking when she leaves them.

Ibsen uses Torvald’s study to symbolize male dominance and superiority in order to connect to the theme of social oppression towards women. The first scene develops this symbol through Nora and Torvald conversation in the study. Nora enters his study to ask for spending money, but she must perform childish tricks as payment.

The Victorian Age marked an era where gender made a difference. While men were able to carry on their business as usual, women faced almost complete exclusion from social and public involvement. The ideal Victorian woman had to stay at home, be morally accountable, pure, modest, and dismiss all sexual initiatives. During the era symbolized by the British Queen Victoria, women did not have the right to vote, sue, or own property. The Victorian era the gender relations of women were idealized through separate spheres, Morgan reported, “. . .

Gender roles are determined by the behavior, attitude, physical strength and the mental being of one. The Victorian era was a crucial time period for gender roles. Men and women’s roles became more strictly defined than at any point in history. Victorian women were known as having the “simple” tasks and not having much “duty”. During this time period, it was all about the “women and the world” and “women and the house.”

In Ibsen’s work, A Doll’s House, the setting is 1879, during the Victorian Era. During this time, women were assigned to an inferior role: Stay home and attend to the children and housekeeping while the men work. This “system” rested on the idea that women were inferior to men, the two genders not socially nor legally equal. Nora is the primary example of a woman constricted by social role. From the very beginning of the play, it is clear that Torvald holds all of the power in the relationship. Nora is treated as a child, being called discriminating names such as “spendthrift”, “squirrel”, “little lark”, etc. “My little songbird must never do that again. A song-bird must have a clean beak to chirp with- no false notes!” (Ibsen 26). She is also set to a certain standard and has to obey Torvald’s rules. For example, Nora is banned from eating macaroons because they will “rot her teeth.” Controlling what Nora may and may not eat shows just how constricted and imprisoned she really is. Not only does he control her and what she does, but he insults her as well. Torvald states, “Of course!- If only this obstinate little person can get her way!” (Ibsen 35).“Do you think I was going to let her remain there after that, and spoil the effect?” (Ibsen 53).

Torvald Helmer is one of the main characters of the play. He is Nora’s husband and father of their three children, and acts as a major factor behind the play’s conflict and Nora’s awakening. Torvald is a incredibly hypocritical and overbearing husband, controlling most aspects of Nora’s life, treating her more like a child than his wife. Torvald represents a typical man of the Victorian society described by Ibsen, as his reputation within the community is his primary concern. In a way, Torvald is a product of society, just like Nora, and thus can be seen a doll of Ibsen’s times.

During the Victorian Era, male dominance serves as a powerful technique to assure that males remain superior to women in a relationship. For the duration of Jane’s life, she continuously encounters relationships where she is under constant oppression of male authority. As a young girl, Jane was orphaned and sent to live with her uncle and aunt; the Reeds.

This quote helps Ibsen make statement that women need to be mature and independent before having a family of their own. Nora, ultimately, ends up packing her bags and leaving her loved ones behind to become her own independent woman. Nora states, “ I can no longer content myself with what people say, or with what is found in books. I must think over things for myself and get to understand them”(885). Nora leaving her family to start this process of maturing and gain independence begins to take hold. At the end of the play Ibsen again emphasizes that Nora as she is now she is not the wife for Torvald or a mother to her children (Ibsen 887). She says, “ Good-bye, Torvald. I won’t see the little ones. I know they are in better hands than mine. As I am now, I can be no use to them” (Ibsen 887). This, once again, a statement that women need to mature and be independent before they are ready for a family of their own. Nora is a prime example of this as she leaves her husband and children behind to begin this process.