Dolls House and Bernarda Alba
Nora from A Doll's House, and Adela from The House of Bernarda Alba, were women who went against their male-dominated society. Both Russia and Spain were not open to a women's movement. They were highly oppressive societies for women and dictated a women's place is in the home. Even though both women were held down by their culture, they were able to free themselves by the end of the dramas, going against the social standards of the time. Women were second class citizens in Russia. Women were considered more backward then men and ascribed a collection of negative qualities such as gossiping, nagging, and small-mindedness. Despite those negative qualities, their role in the household and family was important. The mistress or "gospozha" of the house could not be replace by any one else since without her, the house would be cold and inhospitable. Priviliges in matters such as divorce, inheritance, and lawsuits were applied to a small percentage of women; those of nobility, clergy and mercantile estates. Middle class (such as Nora) and peasant women continued to live under customary law. The majority of women needed the signature of their husbands to receive a passport which allowed travel outside their village
Being treated as second class citizens, they were relegated to Page 2the status of pets. His pet names turned to cruel jabs such as "hypocrite, a liar- worse, worse a criminal!" This helped to awaken Nora to the fact that Helmer was not all she had in life and that she did not owe her entire being to him. She had seen how Kristine lived on her own and made her own money and it intrigued her. They thought only what the men in their life told them to think. Nora was not stupid, she was only fulfilling her roll as taught by society. Women in Russia were treated more like dogs than human beings. Helmer's forgiveness was not going to put Nora back into her doll roll though. After Krogstad sent back the note and erased the debt, Helmer's whole additude toward the situation changed. " Torvald is not a bad man, it is Russian society that makes him treat his wife like a pet. " He treats her like his doll which was common of the time. She now knew that she could survive on her own like her friend Kristine. This is shown in Act One of A Dolls House where Nora asks Helmer, her husband, "Torvald, couldn't you take over and decide what I should be and plan my costume?" Helmer replied, " Ah, is my stubborn little creature calling for a lifeguard?" Because it has been drilled into Nora's head by society that she cannot survive without her husband, her reply is "Yes, Torvald, I can't get anywhere without your help. In Act One, Nora is called a multitude of pet names by Helmer, such as "my little lark" "my squirrl" and "my little spendthrift.
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Acceptance Essays
