A Doll's House Analytical Essay

For a play in 1879 feminism was a huge aspect in everyone’s lives, especially within a marriage. In A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, showcased Nora a character in the play to be heavily influenced by

Nora finally seeks indaendance from Helmer "you're not the man to help me with that, I ust do that alone". Nora experiences somewhat of an enlightenment reflecting on how she has been treated in life: "he called me his doll-child... I went rom Daddy's hands to yours". Helmer is blind to how his controlling behaviour has had the oppiste effect and has forced Nora from him.

In addition to the Helmer's monetary struggles, Nora always tried to make it appear to others that her life was perfect and she had no worries, but in reality Nora and Torvald's relationship was strained. He was constantly putting her down and making her feel like a child. Although the time period suggests that men were superior to women, many husbands of the era still respected their wives' opinions. However, Torvald continuously undermined Nora's intelligence by calling her pet names and sending her off to do heinous chores around the house. The title further shows that appearances do not always reveal what is going on

However both woman had endured abuse and are victims of a male dominated society. Nora the wife of a banker and a mother of three children seem to have it all. Her family lives in a fancy well-furnished home and they seems to well of financially, and her husband loved her very much. However the reader soon find out that he is an egotistical controlling man that sees Nora as an absent minds child.

“ Free, to be free, absolutely free. To spend time playing with the children. To have a clean, beautiful house, the way Torvald likes it ” (page 23). This is a quote extracted from Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House, which was said by the protagonist of the story, Nora, to her childhood friend, Mrs. Linde. This play was written in 1879 and it was first acted out in Stockholm, Sweden in 1880.

Most critics around the world believe the play led to increase awareness on the need for women’s rights in all continents, on the other hand some critics opine that the play depicted women as inferior creatures and dolls who have no personality of their own. Nora Helmer the main character strives to achieve the perfect concepts of life set by the society and her husband. Nora is trapped in her home where her Torvald has built a wonderful life for his ‘doll wife’. Nora’s transformation comes when she discovers the role in doll house imposed on her by the society and her husband and she is desperate to free herself in order to discover her identity.

Her existential choice seems to be forced upon her by society, but in adopting her husband‘s and society’s language, so often used to contain in control women, she now speaks of her duties towards herself, even sacred ones. In a radical refusal to stick to inherited notions of women’s role in family and society, Nora rejects the other identities available to her, both as a doll and as self-sacrificing wife and mother, and of her husband’s pet names for

The reader becomes very aware of the situation Nora is faced with as Ibsen challenges us to think about the societal times women were a part of during the late 1800’s. As Unni Langas states in her article describing gender within the play, “..this drama is not so much about Nora’s struggle to find herself as a human being, as it is about her shocking experience of being treated as a woman..” (Langas, 2005). This gives the reader an insight into Nora Helmer’s character. She is evidently perceived as the Doll trapped in the Doll house, as she is viewed as an entertainer rather than her own person in the eyes of her husband and children.

Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve girl, yet as the play unfolds, we see her as strong, independent woman, willing to make sacrifices for those who she cares about as well as herself. Henrik Ibsen uses symbolism in order to portray Nora’s sovereignty from the strict social guidelines of morality and appearances in 19th century Norway. The Helmer household is portrayed as the ideal and typical family in 19th century Norway. The Helmer’s home represents the standard middle class home, which is described in the stage directions as a “comfortable and tastefully, but not expensively furnished home.”

Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House was far ahead of its time in its examination of the socio culturally enforced and psychologically re-enforced roles of men and women in the late 19th century. Ibsen utilizes his trademark realistic prose in order to develop the characters in such a way that the reader or viewer can easily identify the social stereotypes prevalent at that time. Rather than conforming to these stereotypes, however, Ibsen uses his play as a vehicle for social change, shedding light on the caging effects these predetermined gender roles had by allowing the characters to challenge them. Though the play mainly focuses on Nora Helmer’s growing self awareness, Ibsen also explores the restrictive roles of men in this time period through her husband Torvald. Both characters provide insight into the

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a play set in 19th century Norway, when women’s rights were restricted and social appearance was more important than equality and true identity. In A Doll’s House, Nora represents 19th century women entrapped by society to fulfill wifely and motherly obligations, unable to articulate or express their own feelings and desires. Ibsen uses Nora’s characterization, developed through her interactions with others as well as her personal deliberations and independent actions, language and structure in order to portray Nora’s movement from dependence to independence, gaining sovereignty from the control of her selfish husband, deceitful marriage and the strict social guidelines of morality in 19th century Norway. Initially, Nora appears to be a dependent, naïve, and childlike character; yet, as the play unfolds, she appears to be a strong, independent woman who is willing to make sacrifices for those she cares about as well as herself.

A Sophisticated Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen 's A Doll 's House In the play A Doll 's House, Henrik Ibsen pens a tale revolving around the lives of a middle-class married couple during the nineteenth century. A Doll 's House focuses primarily on Nora Helmer, a seemingly flighty young woman who is often overshadowed by her overbearing husband, Torvald. Over the duration of the play, consequences of Nora 's past actions begin to impact her supposedly carefree life, corrupting the balance in her marriage. Based on Nora 's initial whimsy and apparent lack of individuality, many critics view Nora as a child wife to Torvald.

Nora is portrayed as powerless and confines herself through patriarchal expectations,

A Doll 's House", is a play by Henrik Ibsen. “A Doll 's House” by Henrik Ibsen represents the first signs of the rise of feminism. The play reflects his social, economic and political views of women 's setting free in his time. In this play, Ibsen makes many hints about the roles of society and how the female gender was treated at the time. Feminism is a social

Struggles in life often motivate people to do the best that they can in whatever they do so a better future can be achieved. In the 1870’s, however, it was very difficult for women to better their lives because of the oppression of men and society in general. Women basically had absolutely no rights and lived at the mercy of their husbands. This is very obvious in the play A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. In this play Nora wars against many problems she has in her life.