Ibsen and Feminism: "A Doll's House"
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For years, literary critics have tried to reach some sort of conclusion on questions concerning the text and Ibsen's personal views: Was Ibsen a feminist? This paper attempts to examine whether "A Doll's House" is a work that supports feminist views and whether Ibsen intended Nora to be a campaigner for the feminist cause. It shows how, a closer inspection of both the play and Ibsen's preliminary notes about its construction reveal that Ibsen did not intend Nora to advocate women's rights. He intended her to be the catalyst for human betterment, a movement which he felt both men and women needed to participate in before any type of true union between the sexes was possible.
From the Paper:"The fact that Torvald, like Nora, is not allowed to break from his role either indicates that he is also a slave to the roles which society dictates, and that freedom for both sexes from these roles is tied up in the release of the opposite sex from their role (Baruch 34). Baruch points out that in this play, the home, traditionally believed to be a place where one is allowed to be oneself, is instead a training ground of sorts for both little boys and girls in which they learn their sexually dictated roles (33). Ibsen himself champions the need to liberate both women and men in Norwegian society in a letter written to Bjornstjerne Bjornson, "Norway is both free and independent enough; but a great deal needs to be done before we can say the same of Norwegian men and Norwegian women" (Sprinchorn 179). "
Cite this Analytical Essay:
Ibsen and Feminism: "A Doll's House" (2005, August 16) Retrieved May 30, 2016, from http://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/ibsen-and-feminism-a-doll-house-60352/
"Ibsen and Feminism: "A Doll's House"" 16 August 2005. Web. 30 May. 2016. <http://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/ibsen-and-feminism-a-doll-house-60352/>