A Doll's House Propaganda

634 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Gender roles in the dolls house by ibsen

Humanity A Doll’s House is undoubtedly one of the most relevant books when it comes to establishing the rights that a woman had not only in Norway, but in the whole world back in 1879. I do agree with Henrik Ibsen about the fact of him not making propaganda about women’s rights with regard to his book. In fact, the beginning of the book unravel a story of how much power and control a man had over his wife, and also how worthless his wife’s opinion was when it came to his reputation; nevertheless, it is the twisted scenes in act three that could lead anybody to believe that Ibsen was making some statements about women’s rights. Per instance, one of the more remarkable sentences on act three was when Helmer told Nora, “Before all else you are a wife and a …show more content…

Most men thought that women were only able to be a wife and a mother with any right to do any other kind of job beside the home-tasks. On one hand, it could be the last dialogue between Helmer and Nora that could create the misunderstanding concept of Ibsen making some claims for women’s rights and makes us believe he was making propaganda of women’s rights. On the other hand, the book could be a story about a woman who was seeking for somebody to live her life with, in which Ms. Linda could fit very well into. We could make a statement that Ms. Linda came back to the town to be with Krogstad, and this claim could be backed up when Ms. Linda said to Krogstad, “I want to be a mother to someone, and your children need a mother. We two need each other” (pg.53) Or perhaps because Nora is a very flirty person with everybody, it could be about a woman cheating on her husband. The fact is, there are plenty of theories and statements that could be behind the story of this book, but I am certain that Ibsen was not trying to make propaganda of women’s rights at all. However, I believe Ibsen when he said in his speech at the Banquet of the Norwegian League for Women’s rights, “It has seemed a problem of mankind

Show More
Related

  • Leaps and Bounds towards Feminism

    1642 Words  | 4 Pages

    “There are two kinds of spiritual law, two kinds of conscience, one in man and another, altogether different, in women. They do not understand each other; but in practical life the women is judged by man’s law, as though she were not a woman but a man.” Those words were said by the great Henrik Ibsen himself. Henrik Ibsen was born on March twentieth eighteen twenty eight in Skien, Norway. He grew up in poverty following the demise of his father’s business. He was exiled to Italy, and then moved on to Germany. Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House in 1879, while in Germany. He sought to question social practices in the real world, and women’s position in society. He was commonly known as “The Father of Modern Drama”. Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was published in 1879 and first performed shortly after in the same year and month. The play turned out to be very controversial, which lead Ibsen to write an alternate ending. The play was later turned into a television show and multiple movie adaptations. (Galens 106,107 ) Ibsen creates many static and strong characters that help convey his message. Nora Helmer is the play’s protagonist and wife of Torvald Helmer. Torvald, Nora’s husband, is shown to be extremely controlling and dominating. He often treats Nora like a doll or child. There are many relevant themes in the play such as: appearance and reality, pride, honor, sexism, and the search for self-identity. Nora’s life as a married woman is overall symbolized by a doll. Henrik Ibsen’s characters Nora, Christine, and Torvald perfectly depict the marital and societal trends of the 19th century; while further explaining the choices some made leading to a more feminist and gender equal nation.

    Read More

  • Taking Sides: An Analysis of A Doll’s House

    1960 Words  | 4 Pages

    Time can have a way of changing people sometimes. It can cause people to forget, learn new things and even change views on topics. Such was the case in my own life over the course of two years. When I was a junior in high school, I read A Doll’s House (1879) by Henrik Ibsen for a literature class. The play is about a woman who illegally borrows money to save her demeaning husbands life. Later being blackmailed by a banker, she reveals what she did to her husband who is horrified. In the end, she decides to leave the family to further find herself. After reading and analyzing it as a class, I came to the conclusion that Nora was right in what she did. She was a pioneer of her time in that she spoke her mind and was able to voice her independence. However, two years later after rereading it for this class, my view has changed of Nora. Instead of being strong and independent, I am now viewing her as childish and a poor mother. By using a Readers-Response approach to analyzing literature, I will compare my views between each time of reading the play. Just as I have viewed Nora differently, other readers can create their own take on the play based on their knowledge and life experiences. Due to many views on the play’s ending, Nora can be viewed as either a strong, independent woman or a childish woman that does not realize the impact of her actions.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Truth in A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler

    3087 Words  | 7 Pages

    Although Ibsen has alluded to the fact that he was not a part of the women's movement, his brave portrayal of women in their socially confined positions can earn him the title of 'feminist writer.' In two of Ibsen's most famous works, A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler, the main characters are females who strive to be self-motivated beings. Because of the male-oriented society that dominates their lives, which resembles the world women had to deal with at the time when Ibsen created his works, the confined characters demonstrate their socially imposed roles. "Ibsen's Nora is not just a woman arguing for female liberation; she is much more. She embodies the comedy as well as the tragedy of modern life," insisted Einar Haugen, a doyen of American Scandinavian studies, over twenty years later, after feminism has resurfaced as an international movement (Templeton 111).

    Read More

  • Investigation of Power in Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    and the transition of control between characters Ibsen is able to create a commentary on the rights and values of a society devoid of many gender equality that are present today. The change in Nora. from being under the power of Krogstad and Helmer to eventually. leaving the house and the children was a ground breaking power shift. to portray in the social setting of late 1880’s

    Read More

  • On Ibsen's A Doll's House

    9638 Words  | 20 Pages

    I say this because there is no doubt that A Doll's House has long been seen as a landmark in our century's most important social struggle, the fight against the dehumanizing oppression of women, particularly in the middle-class family. Nora's final exit away from all her traditional social obligations is the most famous dramatic statement in fictional depictions of this struggle, and it helped to turn Ibsen (with or without his consent) into an applauded or vilified champion of women's rights and this play into a vital statement which feminists have repeatedly invoked to further their cause. So in reading responses to and interpretations of this play, one frequently comes across statements like the following:

    Read More

  • Evolution Within a People in A Doll's House and An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Doll?s House presents a revolutionary change for Norway in the 1880?s. During this time period women were seen as second or even third class citizens, and though numerically this is not true, a minority . Ibsen presents his character Nora as a plaything, sorely manipulated by the men in her life. As the play pro...

    Read More

  • A Doll's House Gender Roles Essay

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Today women are being mistreated for just the gender roles and stereotypes that revolve in the human society. Depending on the time period and culture, women are expected to act in a certain way. Throughout history, many relationships can be found in different cultures regarding the way women were treated. In Ibsen’s A Doll’s house, Nora reflects the responsibilities and roles of Norwegian women during the late 1870s. Torvald, Nora’s husband, also shows the way men treated women and what roles they played in a marriage. Here, women are portrayed as dependent on men, they don’t have much freedom, and they are not allowed to have opinions. Women are taught to rely on men and be acquiescent to their husbands. Many stereotypes and gender roles found in A Doll’s House can also be observed in

    Read More

  • A Doll's House Research Paper

    802 Words  | 2 Pages

    The literary work, A Doll’s House, was written by Henrik Ibsen and has been a historical work of literature since the late 1800’s. There are many themes through out the story that impose the different ideals of the 1870’s. Many of the characters reflect the time period through the positions they hold, the activities they do, as well as how they behave and act. Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora traditionally represent the upper-middle class in the way they present themselves, what types of activities they engage in, as well as what they do as an everyday task.

    Read More

  • A Look at Women's Rights in A Dolls House by Ibsen

    1261 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women of the 19th century were trapped in their societal roles. There was no way out. Rights were unattainable: no matter how many rights movements occurred, such as the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights. A women’s place in society was determined by their husband’s status; there was little to no way to obtain a job, a women could not even decide for herself whether or not she wanted to be married or have a child. The male role in the woman’s life took over all decisions and property. Women were seen as the property of men, like their dolls. This idea of a women being a doll was especially evident in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian dramatist, he became known as the father of modern realistic drama. He became popular because of the ridicule he received for “revealing a women’s need for independence from male authority” (feminist literature). While most characters in the play remained obedient to their societal roles, one woman took her life into her own hands. Mrs. Linde, after the death of her husband, learned to stand on her own two feet with no ones help. She got a job, a house and learned to stand on her own two feet. Even though Mrs. Linde played a minor role in the play, her life became a model for the feminist movements because she defied female stereotypes for her time period.

    Read More

  • Being An Outcast In Today's Society

    896 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Everybody feels like an outcast because the world is so large and every fingerprint is so vastly different from one another and yet all these standards and beliefs, and dogmatic systems of judgment and ranking in almost all the societies of the world” -Ezra Miller. All around us, cliches and standards are seen throughout culture. This is because judgment is a constant challenge in today's society. If one dress, acts or plays out of the considered normal, then those people are put into rankings and are distanced from everyone else. In today’s world, the experience of being an outcast is universal.

    Read More

  • On Ibsen's A Doll's House

    9635 Words  | 20 Pages

    I say this because there is no doubt that A Doll's House has long been seen as a landmark in our century's most important social struggle, the fight against the dehumanizing oppression of women, particularly in the middle-class family. Nora's final exit away from all her traditional social obligations is the most famous dramatic statement in fictional depictions of this struggle, and it helped to turn Ibsen (with or without his consent) into an applauded or vilified champion of women's rights and this play into a vital statement which feminists have repeatedly invoked to further their cause. So in reading responses to and interpretations of this play, one frequently comes across statements like the following:

    Read More

  • How Shakespeare and Ibsen Treated their Women

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    While Shakespeare depicted women as ignorant shrews, Ibsen gave them the credit that they deserved as being human beings. In the time period that A Doll’s House was written, women’s roles were still limited to those of the “house-wife.'; Ibsen ignored these stereotypes and gave women the credit they so deserved.

    Read More

  • The Symbolism of the Christmas Tree in the Transformation of Nora

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    The idea of equality for women has been the subject of countless books, speeches, and performances for decades. The concept of a world in which a woman can be considered equal to a man is not a new concept in today’s society, but it was in that of 19th century Norway. This is the world of noted playwright Heinrik Ibsen, a forward thinking individual with ideas that challenged the restrictions of society time and time again. A forerunner in the women’s rights movement, Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House offers a commentary much before its time on the dangers of a patriarchal society through the evolution of its protagonist, Nora. In his play, Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to symbolize the growing empowerment and independence of Nora, as well as the steady deterioration of Nora and Helmer’s marriage.

    Read More

  • The Role of Realism in Ibsen's, A Doll's House

    727 Words  | 2 Pages

    Is “A Doll’s House” simply another text in which the composer questions the ideals of his society? Or is it advocating the rights of women as individuals, perhaps a pioneer in feminist literature? One may argue that “A Doll’s House” is nothing more than a product of Henrik Ibsen’s examination of his contemporary society’s values and morals, specifically those of the bourgeois class. But Ibsen does more than simply reflect upon these values and morals, and rather uses the setting of a middleclass household for his social commentary, exploring the moral conflict within his characters and the dangers of deception.

    Read More

  • A Feminist Perspective of A Doll's House

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    In "A Doll's House", Ibsen portrays the bleak picture of a role held by women of all economic classes that is sacrificial. The female characters in the play back-up Nora's assertion that even though men are unable to sacrifice their integrity, "hundreds of thousands of woman have." Mrs. Linde found it necessary to abandon Krogstad, her true but poor love, and marry a richer man in order to support her mother and two brothers. The nanny has to abandon her children to support herself by working for Nora. Though Nora is economically advantaged, in comparison to the other female characters, she leads a hard life because society dictates that Torvald be the marriages dominant member. Torvald condescends Nora and inadvertently forces Nora to hide the loan from him. Nora knows that Torvald could never accept the idea that his wife, or any other woman, could aid in saving his life.

    Read More

More about A Doll's House Propaganda

Open Document