A Doll’s House by Henrik Isben

A Doll's House

Often in literature characters are presented as victims of society. There are many examples of this in Henrik Ibsen’s controversial play, “A Doll’s House”. Written during the Victorian era, Ibsen’s play would have raised a lot controversy on the roles of males and females in society. The audience would have noticed the constant similarities between themselves and the characters that are presented as victims of society. A lot of the audience would have found the play shocking and disturbing.

Torvald, a character who is a typical Victorian era husband, with a sweet wife, three children, a nanny, a maid and a well paid job; would have represented a large percentage of the play’s male audience. Only people, who were well off as Torvald, could go to the theatre and have such luxuries, in that period of time.

Torvald is a victim of society, forced by the need to fit into society’s circle and to be classified as high in social status. Torvald is aware of the pressures of society and is willing to adhere to them. Although Torvald is a victim of society, it’s quite evident that he is happy and comfortable with the idea.

Torvald has everything he could possibly want, and everything society could possibly expect him to have, in life. A family, a beautiful wife, a home, a good respectable job, which has given him a higher status in society, a office of his own, to do his man to man business, and plenty of money so that he can spoil his pet, Nora. This is the major reason why Torvald does not want to do anything such as “touch any case that isn’t - well - nice” in case it affects his image and gives his name a bad reputation. Torvald would do anything to stop having to “cut costs to an absolute minimum” and “save every cent”, ever again. This is evident in the last scene when he tries to cover up Nora’s actions, so it doesn’t leave a bad mark against his name. “ I must try to buy him off somehow. This thing must be hushed up at any price.” (Act3, pg94)

Torvald tries his best to live up to every expectation society sets for him. The idea of maintaining a strong and crucial role in the family, is an image, which is important to Torvald. He feels if he maintains this image, he will be comfortably similar to everybody else, in society. As the male and husband of the family, he feels that it is his duty to be the breadwinner, the provider and...

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...ose what he had worked so hard to achieve. Krogstad talks about society as it were his life. “ Now I’m a shipwrecked man, clinging to a spar.” (Act3, pg81).

In the end of the play, we become aware that Krogstad isn’t a villain but just struggling in society, trying to get back some of the pride he has lost.

Dr Rank is probably one of the most upstanding characters represented in the play, because of his status being a respectable doctor. Along with his job comes a conception that he is a respectable and important person to society. It’s ironic that he is the result of society actions and is a victim to both his father’s actions and society. Dr Rank is dying of a disease which his father passed onto him, because he was doing what Torvald did and followed society’s trend and slept around with as many women as he please.

The exploration of the character’s choices in society, whether to follow the crowd or be an outcast, often displays them as victims of society. No matter how large or small, most of the characters in “A Doll’s House” are presented as victims. ‘A Doll’s House” magnificently illustrates the need for a change in society’s view of males and females in society.