Henrich Ibsen and Feminism

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On May 26th, 1898, Henrich Ibsen attended a banquet held by the Woman’s Rights League. At the banquet, a toast was made to him as having had worked for the woman’s right movement. The women had taken his works, most notably A Doll’s House, as being a feminist play. Ibsen, however, denounced the toast as not accurately describing his purpose.

I thank you for the toast, but must disclaim the honor of having consciously worked for Woman’s Rights movement….. True enough, it is desirable to solve the woman problem….but my task has been the description of humanity.
(Ibsen, 1898)

If solving the “the woman problem” – what feminism in the 1800’s was called – was not Ibsen’s theme for A Doll’s House, then what was? Well, as the author said so himself, the description of humanity, a person finding who (s)he is, but why is A Doll’s House not a feminist play? A Doll’s House is not a feminist play because women, especially Nora, are portrayed too flawed.

Before delving into the analysis of Nora, it is important to know who Henrik Ibsen meant Nora to be, “Nora, Nora! What a woman yo...

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