Feminism And Criticism In A Doll's House

The play A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen in 1879, recounts a story of a woman who is struggling to exist within the life she has accustomed herself to. The main character Nora is depicted as a woman that has accepted the way things were being held in her household without questioning the fairness or morals of the situation. Ibsen addresses the roles of woman in society and shines a new light on the concept of feminism in the time period. Nora represents the new light on feminism that was not quite popular during the time period in which Ibsen wrote the play. Nora’s character illustrates a concept that was foreign to most women during the time, and allowed for women to realize that they should be living to their full potential. Ibsen portrays Nora as childlike, tolerant, and loyal throughout the play, defining her true essence and eventually leading her to make a decision that would change the course of her life. Nora’s childlike character is made apparent from the very beginning of the play through her own nature, as well as her actions. When Nora “puts the bag of macaroons into her pocket and wipes her mouth” (928), she acts

Because of her character, she failed to see the constraint that Torvald had put on her and failed to see what she was missing out on. As the play progresses, Nora is able to think in a more mature manner and realize the confined state she has been in for so long. Critics viewed her childlike character in a different light. Joan Templeton stated, “she was denounced as an irrational and frivolous narcissist; an abnormal woman” (Templeton 29). Nora’s childlike nature was viewed as the reason she left her behind, instead of the reason she was oblivious to her confinement. Other critics argue that Nora was not childlike because she was “a woman who works hard for years and stints herself without her husband and children” (Dukore