"For whatever one's opinion of A Doll's House as a play may be, there can be no question of it's startling unconventionality." ('Flashes from the Footlights' Licensed Victuallers' Mirror, June 1889 ). Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, was unconventional in its themes and in the way in which they were presented. Ibsen questioned contemporary Norwegian society's conventional male and female roles, the morals of marriage and challenged all human beings, particularly females, to strive to be one's self and to be responsible for themselves. The tragedy he wrote also had technical originality. The characters were ordinary people, who spoke simple, everyday language and the play was a first in that it didn't have the traditional theatrical happy ending. It can be understood that this 1879 drama was excessively criticised by its audience.

At the time the play was produced, Norwegian society was undergoing social and political reform. T

Ibsen uses techniques such as irony and foreshadowing to contribute to the revelation of themes. When Helmer speaks of Krogstad, "Because an atmosphere of lies like that infects and poisons the whole life of a home. In a house like that, every breath that the children take is filled with the germs of evil," he is unaware that Nora is suffering from guilt because she has lied about the borrowed money. In another example, the audience draws parallels between the equal and healthy marriage between Krogstad and Ms Linde at the end of the play, and the marriage between Nora and Helmer, in which Nora must act child-like and completely dependent on Helmer for it to remain stable. Techniques such as these means the play differs from the Romantic period, 'well-made' style play to be more like a 19th century Realistic play.

hroughout the 1860s there had been growing agitation for legal rights for women. The rights for women to work on the same terms as males had been granted only in 1866. However, it was a patriarchal society. Men still had authority over their wives. Women were commonly regarded as superficial objects, whose main concerns were with their family and home. The small towns that had developed in Norway lead to women, in particular, leading a lonely, shut-off life. The people suffered from 'small town claustrophobia' and prying neighbours. Ibsen was subject to narrow-mindedness and selfishness from his culture and this prompted him to reconsider 'old certainties'.

It is to be noted that the female characters in this play succeed in gaining control of their own life. Ms Linde marries Nils Krogstad for love, despite his criminal record and low social status and Nora leaves her home, husband and children in search for the person she wishes to become. It is the men that remain victims of the determinants in their society. Dr Rank is biologically determined with an inherited disease. He makes no attempt to even enjoy his moments of life, let alone take control and become well. Torvald Helmer is left with a choice. He may change his attitudes so that Nora and he may live together in a real marriage or he may continue as he

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Approximate Word count = 1443
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)