A Doll's House Women Essay
The role of women in family life and society has long been a controversial topic. The play A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen brings this controversial subject to light from a feministic point of view. The play is focused on a man named Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora. In general, Torvald is very diminishing towards his wife, saying she cannot possibly understand things like work, finances, and anything other than typical housewife tasks. However, a while ago Nora went behind her husband’s back and committed forgery in order to take out a loan to help Torvald when he was ill. Nora tries to spare her husband’s pride by keeping this from him since he is supposed to be the provider for his wife and their children; however, between Torvald’s belittling
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Nora tells her friend Kristine, “…with all his masculine pride—how painfully humiliating for him if he ever found out he was in debt to me. That would just ruin our relationship. Our beautiful, happy home would never be the same” (Ibsen 794). A woman financially helping her husband us unacceptable, which restricts what women can and cannot do. Further into the conversation, Torvald proceeds to question Nora about whether or not she has had any macaroons today—she has had some even though he has asked her not to eat them because they are bad for her health—she replies, “You know I could never think of going against you” (Ibsen 788). It becomes clear early in the play that Nora is beneath Torvald in their relationship. Additionally, according to Toril Moi—a award winning literary critic— Torvald's control and Nora's thoughtlessness work together to theatricalize both themselves and each other in various idealist scenarios of female sacrifice and male rescue (Moi 257), which is a prime example of feminism and unjust gender roles. Moving forward to Act II, Nora is begging her husband to rehire Krogstad—an old friend of her husband that committed a forgery crime and is also the man Nora secretly took out her loan from—so he doesn’t tell her husband about the loan and her forgery. Torvald quickly becomes
Nora tells her friend Kristine, “…with all his masculine pride—how painfully humiliating for him if he ever found out he was in debt to me. That would just ruin our relationship. Our beautiful, happy home would never be the same” (Ibsen 794). A woman financially helping her husband us unacceptable, which restricts what women can and cannot do. Further into the conversation, Torvald proceeds to question Nora about whether or not she has had any macaroons today—she has had some even though he has asked her not to eat them because they are bad for her health—she replies, “You know I could never think of going against you” (Ibsen 788). It becomes clear early in the play that Nora is beneath Torvald in their relationship. Additionally, according to Toril Moi—a award winning literary critic— Torvald's control and Nora's thoughtlessness work together to theatricalize both themselves and each other in various idealist scenarios of female sacrifice and male rescue (Moi 257), which is a prime example of feminism and unjust gender roles. Moving forward to Act II, Nora is begging her husband to rehire Krogstad—an old friend of her husband that committed a forgery crime and is also the man Nora secretly took out her loan from—so he doesn’t tell her husband about the loan and her forgery. Torvald quickly becomes