Gender Inequality in
The roles of men and women in the play, "A Doll's House", written by Henrik Ibsen, are very different compared to what they are now. According to Ibsen, "A woman cannot be herself in modern society. It is an exclusive male society, with laws made by men and with prosecutors and judges who asses female conduct" (pxli). The play was published in 1879, a time when there was an increasing concern with individual liberty and gender equality. Both Nora and Helmer are victims of society and their social roles as husband and wife, and tried to live according to convention by developing a marriage which is just an illusion and not reality. When Nora leaves behind her "doll house", she is opening the gate for the life of a woman, and by doing this she showed that a true bond between men and women is perfect freedom. The play shows an act of feminism. Ibsen effectively brings out the issue of gender equality in their society and marriage. The title of the play already gives away hidden meaning of how their marriage is about superficiality and how each doll is made to perform different social roles. "Our home has never been anything but a playroom" (p 98), clearly emphasizing that Nora and Helmer are living this false doll's life when Nora
Helmer treats Nora like a child, calling her "squirrel", "songbird", "skylark" and other names of little small pets that run around and amuse observers. Ibsen purposely used this technique of color to show her self-development, and the breaking down of her shell to her true feelings. Ibsen shows societies delusion of romantic love, which limits one's free development to individuality. I think Helmer did believe that he loved her, but he could only act as the sentimental side of love and not be the "protector" as he visions himself to be. When she appears later in her everyday clothes, her responses to his words are very strong. Helmer plays the father figure of the house and he gives Nora presents, with the expectation of being entertained in return. with judges who assesses female conduct from a male standpoint". (pg xli) Nora had committed forgery, and did it through the love for her husband to save his life, but had not realized the social consequences of her actions. Since his death, she experienced life and poverty forcing her to earn her own living, and ironically, when Nora chooses to face the reality of the world, Christine couldn't bear to stay any longer and chose to confess her love to Krogstad. It is shown clearly that this "admirable" man is a fraud when straight away after knowing that Krogstad had given back the "IOU", he returned to his role as protector and says "I shall watch over you like a hunted dove which I have snatched unharmed from the claws of a falcon" (p96). Therefore, Ibsen uses both Christine and Nora to act as each other's foils in the end by helping to bring out their individual traits. "Nearly all young criminals are the children of mothers who are constitutional liars" (p53), shows his perception that if anything goes wrong in the family, the women are to blame according to what society taught him.
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Acceptance Essays
