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A Doll's House: Changing View Of The Role Of Women - Term Papers

A Doll's House: Changing View Of The Role Of Women

"A Doll's House" is classified under the "second phase" of Henrik
Ibsen's career. It was during this period which he made the transition
from mythical and historical dramas to plays dealing with social problems.
It was the first in a series investigating the tensions of family life.
Written during the Victorian era, the controversial play featuring a female
protagonist seeking individuality stirred up more controversy than any of
his other works. In contrast to many dramas of Scandinavia in that time
which depicted the role of women as the comforter, helper, and supporter of
man, "A Doll's House" introduced woman as having her own purposes and goals.
The heroine, Nora Helmer, ...

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in order to emphasize the need to reform their role in society.
Definite characteristics of the women's subordinate role in a
relationship are emphasized through Nora's contradicting actions. Her
infatuation with luxuries such as expensive Christmas gifts contradicts her
resourcefulness in scrounging and buying cheap clothing; her defiance of
Torvald by eating forbidden Macaroons contradicts the submission of her
opinions, including the decision of which dance outfit to wear, to her
husband; and Nora's flirtatious nature contradicts her devotion to her
husband. These occurrences emphasize the facets of a relationship in
which women play a dependent role: finance, power, and love. Ibsen
attracts our attention to these examples to highlight the overall
subordinate role that a woman plays compared to that of her husband. The
two sides of Nora contrast each other greatly and accentuate the fact that
she is lacking in independence of will.
The mere fact that Nora's ...

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woman.
Nora's child-like manner, evident through her minor acts of disobedience
and lack of responsibility compiled with her lack of sophistication further
emphasize the subordinate role of woman. By the end of the play this is
evident as she eventually sees herself as an ignorant person, and unfit
mother, and essentially her husband's wife. Edmond Gosse highlights the
point that "Her insipidity, her dollishness, come from the incessant
repression of her family life (721)." Nora has been spoonfed everything
she has needed in life. Never having to think has caused her to become
dependent on others. This dependency has given way to subordinateness, one
that has grown into a social ...

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A Doll's House: Changing View Of The Role Of Women. (2007, December 30). Retrieved January 5, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Dolls-House-Changing-View-Role-Women/76674

"A Doll's House: Changing View Of The Role Of Women." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 30 Dec. 2007. Web. 5 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Dolls-House-Changing-View-Role-Women/76674>

"A Doll's House: Changing View Of The Role Of Women." Essayworld.com. December 30, 2007. Accessed January 5, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Dolls-House-Changing-View-Role-Women/76674.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/30/2007 06:55:46 AM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 1316
Pages: 5

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