Introduction
A Doll’s House is a play by the Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen. The story of Nora, a married woman with three children who, despite having a seemingly happy life with her husband, Torvald, suffers from her role both in her household and society. The play exemplifies a reflection on major themes such as marriage, gender roles, the role of women, and the limitations experienced by minorities.
In the play, there is a significant distinction between Nora and her husband, Torvald, regarding the opportunities, lifestyles, and decisions both can make. Hence, the differences between a man’s position in society are juxtaposed with that of a woman’s, which, in turn, emphasizes the contrast between the two notions. The current paper highlights the subject of gender inequality, which is portrayed in A Doll’s House through the characters and the plot, highlighting the injustice as the diminishment of women as individuals.
Characters
One of the measures in which the author highlights the topic of gender issues is through characters. Namely, their description and how others interact with them portray the subject above. The contrast between the two characters, Nora and Torvald, exemplifies the norms that different genders were to adhere to in society when the play is set. Thus, by highlighting said differences, the theme of gender inequality will be more comprehensively illustrated.
Nora
Nora is introduced in the play in the sequence where she shops for Christmas presents, for which her husband jokingly scolds her. Namely, she calls her “little featherhead” when she shows what she purchased (Ibsen 2). Researchers have reported that such language partially constitutes the formation of societal gender roles (Munir 19).
While the term does not imply offense, the fact that Helmer, her husband, uses it in the first dialogue of the play emphasizes his attitude towards her for the rest of the conversation. Another character, Kristine, Nora’s friend, refers to her by saying, “You are a child, Nora” (Ibsen 13). Thus, it is certain that Nora is viewed as someone infantile, with no adult qualities or responsibilities, and someone to care for rather than form healthy relationships with.
On the other hand, Nora’s actions highlight her qualities, which are far from childish. Besides being a mother of three and taking care of her household, Nora’s decision to loan money to her husband to recover from a disease in Italy highlights her determination and loyalty to the family. Since loaning money was forbidden for women, she did it secretly and had to work to pay it back.
Moreover, Nora states, “It was a tremendous pleasure to sit there working and earning money. It was like being a man” (Ibsen 17). Thus, she is hard-working and determined and exemplifies a desire to be independent and self-sufficient despite having a relatively comfortable life as a wife and mother. Researchers call Nora the first feminist character in modern literature (Akter 79). Thus, her strong qualities contrast with societal norms.
Torvald
Torvald Helmer is the family’s husband, father, and leading provider. He is introduced to this varied position as Nora addresses his new position as a way for him to “have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money” (Ibsen 2). As a bank manager, Torvald does, indeed, provide his family with a comfortable life. However, he is illustrated as someone who is rather dismissive toward his wife and more egotistical in terms of their relationship. For example, he refers to the Christmas in which Nora was busy making ornaments as “the dullest three weeks I ever spent!” despite her happiness with how busy she was (Ibsen 6).
In this instance, Torvald is portrayed as a person who views himself as someone entitled to his wife’s attention because he is the one providing for her. At the same time, he views Nora as a wife and mother and not much else. When she tries to discuss research with Doctor Rank, Torvald diminishes her thoughts by stating, “Just listen!—little Nora talking about scientific investigations!” (Ibsen 80).
Torvald does, indeed, feel entitled to Nora and expresses his dominance and intellectual power over her by mentioning that “lesson time shall begin” (Ibsen 90). Thus, despite believing he loves his wife, he loves the idea of having her as someone present from an esthetic and theoretical standpoint. However, Torvald’s marriage is practically a play in which Nora has a well-defined role, and he does not let her change and stray away from her duties and obligations as he sees them.
Plot
Needless to say, the topic of gender inequality and roles is primarily exemplified in the play’s plot. It begins with the scene in which Torvald and Nora discuss Christmas expenses. As mentioned, the conversation is rather dual since it is loving from a particular perspective while dismissive and diminishing from another. Specifically, the dialogue resembles that of a father and daughter rather than husband and wife. However, it is later revealed that while being a stay-at-home mother and wife, Nora is also secretly working today off the load she took to pay for her husband’s medical expenses.
One of the instances in which gender roles are portrayed is in Nora’s discussion with Krogstad, who manipulates her into talking to her husband regarding maintaining his position at the bank. Namely, he states, “If I lose my position a second time, you shall lose yours with me” (Ibsen 32). In this instance, Nora is viewed as a tool to be used to get to the more powerful figure, her husband.
Another plot element that highlights gender inequality is Nora’s friend’s approach toward her. Specifically, besides calling her a child, Kristine views Nora as a tool to manipulate her husband into finding her a job (Ibsen 13). In this case, gender inequality and dismissal are portrayed from a woman’s perspective. Namely, as the more independent person aiming for employment, Kristine views herself as more adapted and mature than Nora.
Nonetheless, the plot twist that directly exemplified both societal and personal barriers women at the time encountered was Torvalds learning about his wife’s loan. Namely, he believes he is in danger, so he treats Nora by stating, “All that concerns us is to save the remains, the fragments, the appearance“ (Ibsen 85). However, after learning that the incriminating documents are no longer a threat, he decides to forgive his wife even though she took a load to save his life. A somewhat ambiguous plot twist that is still discussed regarding the theme of gender roles concerning future continuation is the ending.
The play ends with Nora leaving her husband and children to find her way. She asks herself, “How am I fit to raise the children? (Ibsen 90). Nora realizes that because of how her father brought her up and how her husband treated her, she has little experience or understanding of life. Thus, she goes on a quest to learn more about herself as a person since nobody treated her as one but rather as a doll.
Researchers have highlighted that by doing this, Nora has redefined femininity by rebelling against patriarchy (Kafshgarkolaie and Kami 201). From a particular perspective, her decision is guided by the crumbling of the world she thought existed. Namely, Nora felt protected and loved by her family despite losing specific opportunities. However, the situation in which her husband was ready to disown her opened her eyes to the fact that her happiness was a self-induced lie.
Researchers have examined the proposed ending to the play that different authors have written. A common phenomenon was observed regarding the desire to domesticate Nora (Christian 82). For example, one of the endings is illustrated as one in which Nora sees her children and decides to say as she cannot bear the thought of leaving them (Räthel 67). Based on these notions, it can be observed that the plot twists not even in the play itself but were constructed by other authors do, indeed, support or portray the traditional gender roles that Ibsen himself was somewhat critical of in his original work.
Conclusion
Ibsen portrays gender inequality and injustice through the play’s characters and plot. Needless to say, A Doll’s House is a rather feminist play because the main character is exemplified in juxtaposition with her traditional husband and the overall strict society. The author illustrated the lack of opportunities, inequality, and suffering experienced by women, particularly through the plot of the play and its characters. Nora’s decisions, her desire to become more thoughtful and insightful, and the realization she had regarding her marriage directly correlate with the main topic of gender roles.
Annotated Bibliography
Akter, Saima. “Re-Reading Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: A Modern Feminist Perspective.“International Journal of English and Comparative Literary Studies, vol. 2, no. 3, 2021, pp. 79–87. Web.
The article highlights a modern feminist commentary on A Doll’s House. It argues that the ideas remain relevant in today’s society. The study’s peer-reviewed status highlights the author’s credibility, which is also its main positive aspect. The arguments are effective, as the author supports them with additional sources. The study’s strength is its validity, which is why it can be incorporated into the current paper, and its weakness is its potential subjectivity.
Christian. “‘A Doll’s House Conquered Europe’: Ibsen, His English Parodists, and the Debate over World Drama.“Humanities, vol. 8, no. 2, 2019, p. 82.
The article illustrates different versions of endings and other elements of A Doll’s House. Moreover, approaches from different countries are provided. The author is valid as the source is peer-reviewed and published recently. What is mainly linked to the source is the research that went into it, which is also what makes the arguments effective. Since support is its strength, its weakness may be its qualitative nature, yet it can still be incorporated into the current paper.
Kafshgarkolaie, Fatemeh Dargahi, and Azadeh Kami. “The Female Bildungsroman: An Analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House through the Lens of Luce Irigaray.“International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, vol. 5, no. 3, 2022, pp. 201–207.
The source is an analysis of Ibsen’s Play. The authors conclude that women are viewed based on strict roles, such as mothers or wives. The authors are credible, as the study was published in a reputable journal, which makes the arguments effective. They are supported through direct citations from the book, which is a strength. The weakness is also a somewhat subjective tone, yet the paper can still be applied to support present arguments.
Munir, Haniya. “Language Shapes Socially Constructed Gender Roles: Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House‘ in Focus.“Journal of Communication and Cultural Trends, vol. 2, no. 1, 2021, pp. 19–30.
The article focuses on language as it relates to gender inequality in Ibsen’s work. It is found that it, indeed, shapes societal overviews. The article’s strengths are that the author is credible by being published in a high-quality journal and the element of supporting arguments through secondary sources, which makes the arguments valid. No weaknesses have been detected, so the source can be applied to support current viewpoints.
Räthel, Clemens. “Redecorating ‘A Doll’s House‘ in Contemporary German Theater—Multiple Authorship in Ibsen’s Nora.“Ibsen Studies, vol. 20, no. 1, 2020, pp. 67–87.
Clements has examined how Ibsen’s Nora can be presented in the context of German theatre. Namely, different takes on the character are illustrated. The author’s credibility and the strength of the source are the fact that it is published in a journal focused on the author of the play. Thus, the arguments are compelling and well-supported by secondary articles. Its subjective tone is a weakness, yet it can be applied in the current paper for additional information.