What Is Gender Roles In A Doll's House

Henrik Ibsen 's “A Doll House” played a significant role in the late nineteenth-century when it explored different aspects of gender roles in society. With his stage play, Ibsen 's observation on society shows the audience, of what happens when one lie can turn into a multitude of lies, and how secrets can destroy a family. In the opening act of “A Doll House”, the main character Nora comes off as a sweet, naïve woman who hums and prances around in the kitchen like someone who doesn 't have a care in the world. When her husband Torvald gets the sense of her presence, right away he refers to her as being his rummaging squirrel (Ibsen 1190-1191). He seems to have several different pet or nicknames that he calls her throughout the play. She

Linde, a long time friend of Nora comes to visit her. But she comes with a heavy heart after losing her husband to death. She confides in Nora about her financial woes. Nora doesn 't waste any time with bragging about her family and her husband 's recent success at the bank to Mrs. Linde, as she tells her, “Oh, Kristine, I feel so light and happy! Won 't it be lovely to have stacks of money and not a care in the world?” But even Mrs. Linde had acknowledged Nora 's irresponsibility and careless spending from prior years when she replied, “Nora, Nora, aren 't you sensible yet? Back in school, you were such a free spender” (1195). It would seem to many that Nora had everything in the world a person could only dream about. But the truth of the matter is that there was an underlying little secret that she was hiding from everyone, especially her husband. As soon as Krogstad, an employee at the bank arrives at the Helmer 's household, the reader or audience member can almost feel the intensity between Nora and Krogstad. She becomes suspicious of his meeting with her husband. In the meantime, Mrs. Linde recognizes Krogstad but doesn 't tell Nora about her past relationship with him (1199). And, yet, another secret

It is the means of one threatening to tell a person 's secret if their own selfish needs aren 't met. In this scene, it is obvious that Ibsen wanted his character Nora to experience what it would feel like if a person is faced with blackmail. Krogstad 's confrontation with Nora leaves her feeling like she 's between a rock and a hard place. The plot thickens when Krogstad questions Nora about her dead father 's signature that 's been forged. Nora doesn 't deny her forgery and stands up to him. Krogstad gives Nora a reality check when he reminds her of the money she borrowed from him, and what a shame it would be if Torvald would ever find out. Although she pleads with him, he blackmails her in order to hold some security (his job) at the bank. With the little dignity Krogstad has left, he refuses to be cast out of society once again. Nora 's world begins to unravel, as she finds herself going into a frenzy. She paces back and forward, trying to figure out of what to do, as she does her best to keep this secret away from her husband (1203-1206). Another dark secret begins to unfold between Nora and Torvald 's best friend, Dr. Rank, a dying man who admits that he 's been in love with Nora for years. Why would Dr. Rank risk his friendship with Torvald by telling Nora his true feelings? Perhaps, it was Nora 's flirtatious ways over the years that led Dr. Rank into feeling like this (1217). By this time, Mrs. Linde has