Women's Role in A Doll House

A detailed Summary of Women's Role in A Doll House

Throughout the history of the world in most cultures women have been considered the

submissive figure. In this role the female character would commonly have the main duties

of caring for the children and pleasing her husband. Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House shows

one of these stereotypical marriages and the eventual realization of the life that is being

lead by the woman submissive, in this case, Nora. Nora's realization at the end of the play

is not a sudden epiphany but a long journey in which she regained her self-esteem and self

worth. This essay will attempt to show that throughout the play Nora's frustration had

been building and that in reality, the one act of sacrifice which Nora so desperately craved

from Torvald might have delayed the destruction of the marriage, but nothing could

The play opens and the reader quickly can see how one would get frustrated in the

environment Nora lived in. Torvald is characterized as the typical male provider, strong

and respectable. Meanwhile, Nora is degraded time and time again by Torvald's language.

He consistently refers to her with pet names, "little featherbrain, "squirrel sulking", and

"song bird". All of these references make Nora seem ignorant and she seems

Her last show of independence before she is ready to break free is almost a dress

of self-confidence associated with her character early in the book when she hides her love

away from her "doll house" and start a life of her own.

"miracle" she had hoped for. After she experiences she finally has the strength to break

Approximate Word count = 878
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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