A Doll House Gender Analysis

Literature normally touches on traditional gender stereotypes and the role of the society in building those gender biases. From earlier centuries, gender stereotyping is closely intertwined with every aspect of the social fabric. The play, A Doll 's House by Henrik Ibsen presents a critical reflection of marital norms of the nineteenth-century. This three-act play revolves around the need of every individual, particularly women, to discover oneself, and how they have to strive to establish their identities. This aesthetically shaped play depicts traditional gender roles and the subsequent social struggles that every woman encounter in a stereotyped society. Though, Nora fits rightly to the nineteenth century social norm of submissive housewife

However, when he is fired, he details Nora’s deceit to Torvald through a letter, upon which Torvald and Nora get into a conflict. Torvald accuses Nora for bringing shame and disgrace to him. However, the arrival of Nora’s contract from Krogstad calms the situation, but Nora isn’t. The harsh words and insults of Torvald trigger Nora into a full understanding of her role in their marriage, and she makes the decision of leaving him. “As Nora awakens fully to her own needs, which are incomprehensible to her husband, she concludes that she must leave what now strikes her as a false marriage” (Shapiro 99). Eventually, she walks out of the house, despite Torvald’s persuasion, as she declares, “There is another task I must undertake first. I must try and educate myself--you are not the man to help me in that. I must do that for myself. And that is why I am going to leave you now” (Ibsen). It is evident she has to make sense of her own self and everything around

However, soon it is obvious that the frivolous ‘doll’ like nature that Nora exhibits in front of Torvald is not her real nature and she is not really the play thing that he thinks. Ibsen portrays Nora as submissive to her husband, as she is confined by the societal values of their era. Females during the nineteenth century displayed an inferior gender role when compared to males. Nora fits rightly to this submissive role even sacrificing her own happiness for her husband. For instance, when Nora is in a situation to make a tough decision in life, she sacrifices her own self-worth and respect to serve her husband and family. In this way, she sacrifices her desires and confines to the values of the society purely for the well-being of her