A Doll's House Research Paper

1357 Words3 Pages

The 19th Century saw an upheaval in the social order of Western Europe with the exponential rise of the middle class. This great social change saw the introduction of new societal norms and expectations, ideas which were reflected in the literature produced at the time. This was particularly evident in the realist genre, aimed at a newly wealthy middle class who enjoyed viewing their experiences in works of fiction. These societal expectations included an incredibly conservative outlook on women, abhorrent to any modern reader, where they were property of their fathers and later, their husbands. This social expectation of women as subservient to the male breadwinner, is ruthlessly critiqued in Ibsen’s realist play A Doll’s House. This play …show more content…

One person’s shame was transferrable to the entire family unit, an idea articulated in the character Krogstad’s struggle to regain his position in society for the sake of his children. Nora echoes this belief with her fixation on the “miracle of miracles”- that Torvald would love her regardless of the shame she brought upon his name due to ill-gotten loan and forgery. The use of the term, “miracle of miracles” to describe such a hope, illustrates Nora’s belief in the impossibility of it occurring. It connotes the unlikeliness of such a thing happening. Torvald proves her right when he discovers the truth, “…and as far as you and I are concerned, things must continue on exactly as before but only in the eyes of the world of course.” His use of the phrase “in the eyes of the world” demonstrates his belief in the importance of appearances in the public eye, but of course Nora’s crime prevents him from continuing to love and cherish her as his wife. He strips her of her right to raise the children, her primary purpose in life thus far, and espouses harsh sentiments, likening her to late father. Of course, he backflips …show more content…

Nora’s initial construction as the manifestation of these ideals, as shown through her playful, childlike interactions with Torvald, serves to illustrate their flaws when her departure causes the shattering of this characterization. Her dependence on Torvald, due to the unequal power balance is highlighted in an opposing manner when Nora repossesses her self-autonomy and leaves the ‘doll’s house’. Lastly, Ibsen uses the character of Nora to critique the fundamental attitudes and vales of 19th Century middle class society, namely the importance of appearances and the separation of life into private and public spheres. This critique is shown in Nora’s wish for the “miracle of miracles”; that Torvald would love her regardless of the shame she brought upon his name in the eyes of the world. Ibsen succeeds in addressing the flaws in the conservative position of women in 19th Century middle class society, flaws that any modern reader would wholeheartedly disagree

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