Gender Norms In A Doll's House By Henrik Ibsen

Gender norms have always been an issue in society. When the colonists first arrived in America, men viewed women as inferior. At this point in time, women were viewed as property, which meant that they possessed no rights or freedoms. In addition, women were often forced to stay in their homes and work specific jobs. Colonial women washed clothes, took care of their children, and cooked food. Women also began to be viewed as inferior, childish, and unintelligent. Over time, these beliefs became the gender norms. To this day, most women remain to be viewed in this way. In the play A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen brings these gender norms to the reader’s attention. Through various literary devices, Ibsen displays a woman’s lack of freedom, necessary

The Christmas tree is an early example of this. The shiny decorations and beautiful ornaments adorning this tree relate to Nora herself. She has trouble convincing others to take her seriously. When she attempts to become involved in financial business, her husband ignores her merely because she is a woman. In other words, he is married to her for her beauty and playfulness as if she is a Christmas tree. This is displayed when he calls her his “‘little squirrel’” and enjoys dancing with her (1.1 71-74). In addition to the Christmas tree, the Tarantella dance possesses a deeper meaning. When Nora “dances more and more wildly,” Helmer “gives her frequent instructions” (2.1 768-770). Because she is forced to complete domestic tasks and is viewed as inferior, she rebels during her dance. In retaliation, her husband attempts to express his power over her by giving her instructions. In general, this dance explains the struggle between Nora’s desire for freedom and her husband’s desire for gender norms. As a result of this symbolism, Ibsen displays the gender norms of the time clearly. Once again, readers are forced to think about the morality of an unequal view of