The Outdated Views in a Doll House

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The Outdated Views in A Doll House
There once was a time when females had basically no rights or opportunities. Women were expected to stay at home and keep their interests purely on chores at home involving cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the kids. American Women have come a long way since this time in only around 90 years. Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House depicts most of the outdated views on women’s rights compared to the equality women have in this day and age.
Before the 19th Amendment for women’s rights was passed in America, women had no right to be involved in their family’s financial situation. In the cultural context of Ibsen’s play it states in the 1800’s
“Women could not vote, and they were not considered able to handle their own financial affairs. A women could not borrow money in their own name, and when she married, her finances were placed under the control of her husband” (786).
Due to women having no rights if one tried to get a credit car or load they needed their husband or father to sign their name for her to receive one. This is outdated idea is clearly depicted in the play through Nora forging her father’s signature to get a loan without her father or husband’s permission. She is forced to hide the loan from her husband because he believes if you take a loan you lose a piece of your freedom.
Presently everyone now has the right to apply for a loan, credit card, or financial aid, but this wasn’t the case before 1974. In a New York Times article, Gail Collins recalls an experience of this occurring to her many years before. Just after being married Macy’s offered her the chance to apply for a Store credit card. When she accepted the offer the first questions was “What’s your husbands name”. Althoug...

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...ange of women in the work force since the mid 90’s.
“Four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released Wednesday. This share, the highest on record, has quadrupled since 1960.”
Roles seem to be changing gradually over time and no one is sure if this will be a positive or negative effect for the future. Women have come a long way from being house wife’s and being under the control of men.
Nora had no power over her life; it is obvious that her father had total control and then he handed that control over Nora to Torvald when they got married. Torvald’s behavior towards Nora and her own actions make this play outdated. Nora would have had a lot more options and rights if she were born in today’s world.

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