Symbolism and Sexism in Ibsen’s “a Doll’s House” Essays

ENGL 2337 April 15, 2010 Symbolism and Sexism in Ibsen’s â€Å"A Doll’s House† Henrik Ibsen, the author of the controversial play â€Å"A Doll’s House† said, â€Å"There are two kinds of moral laws, two kinds of conscience, one for men and one, quite different, for women. They don’t understand each other; but in practical life, woman is judged by masculine law, as though she weren’t a woman but a man†¦A woman cannot be herself in modern society.† Isben created the plot of â€Å"A Doll’s House† from those ideas. Ibsen was viewed by his contemporaries as a moral and social revolutionary who advocated female emancipation and intellectual freedom. He believed that freedom must come†¦show more content†¦Since Nora’s father was dying, she was forced to forge his signature in order to secure a loan that would eventually save her husband’s life, which only led to more problems in the future because in order for her to be able to repay the money she must lie about how she spends her household accounts and also lie about taking odd jobs to earn extra money. Also, the way Torvald treats Nora in the play depicts the way women were treated in the nineteenth century. For example, In Act I, Nora is little more than a child playing a role. She is a â€Å"doll† occupying a doll’s house, a child who has exchanged a father for a husband without changing or maturing in any way. Torvald treats his wife literally like a doll, calling her pet names and occasionally scolding her as if she were a child. His primary interests are his new job as a bank manager and his social standing. When he learns that his wife is involved in a legal problem that would embarrass him if it became known to the public, he reveals who he really is. He comes off as a hypocrite preoccupied with his own welfare. Also, Torvald says that Nora is now his property which is when Nora realizes she is much too good for him. Nora then decides to leave because they have been married for eight years and h as suffered enough injustice from both her father and Torvald. Nora explains to Torvald that she has been merry, not happy, being with him. She explained to him howShow MoreRelatedA Dolls House Feminism Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pagesistory has shown that prejudice has existed for a long time; progresses have been made for the better but in past years the existing prejudice was a societal norm. There are obvious types of sexism and issues which affect gender rights, but more delicate and inconspicuous elements are often swept under the rug as issues which do not need to be changed, as they are ‘tradition’. Marriages are often the subject of controversy regarding gender rights because of their grey area regarding gender roles