Role of Women in A Doll´s House and Blood Relations

The role of women had been defined for centuries as whatever men desired them to be. It was not until the 20th century that women united to become independent from men and dependent on themselves. A Doll’s House by Henrick Isben and Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock are both plays that have a central theme of a woman’s role in the late 1800s. Regardless of what the 19th century society dictated about men being in charge of women; Nora and Lizzie used their roles as submissive women to their advantage to acquire what they truly desired. They are able to successively manipulate the men in their lives to gain what they want. By doing so, they prove that they are smart, capable individuals that can make decisions for themselves.

Henrick Isben wrote A Doll’s House in 1879 based on the life of a friend of his; contrary to Sharon Pollock who wrote Blood Relations in 1980 based on a real life event that took place in 1890. The time period of both of these plays is set in a patriarchal society. Women in the 19th century were supposed to be loyal to their duties as wives and mothers and caretakers of the home. They were to be submissive and obedient to the wants and desires of their husbands and yet remain delicate beings who were not allowed to think for themselves or express their opinions as equals in relationship. If they were not married, they were to be submissive and obedient to their father’s who took care of them. The men were to be the head of the household dealing with money and affairs inside and outside of the house. Women were not allowed to own property or borrow money without the consent of their father or husband. It is on this foundation that Nora and Lizzie were able to use their weaknesses bestowed upon them ...

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... independence from men.

Nora and Lizzie are two examples of women who defeated the patriarchal system on their own terms. They believed that women had rights outside of what were accepted by society and proved that women could achieve their rights in a patriarchal society. They believed in the concept of feminism a century before feminism was taken seriously by society. Their stories and many others like it are all part of the feminist movement that finally in the 20th century changed the role of women in society forever.

Works Cited

Isben, Henrick. “A Doll’s House.” The Broadview Introductions to Literature. Ed. Lisa Chalykoff, Neta Gordon, and Paul Lumsden. Toronto: Broadview P, 2013. 529-587.

Pollock Sharon. “Blood Relations.” The Broadview Introductions to Literature. Ed. Lisa Chalykoff, Neta Gordon, and Paul Lumsden. Toronto: Broadview P, 2013. 684-731.