A critical look at Ibsen's "A Doll house"

        A Dolls House is classified under the second phase of Henrik

Ibsens career. It was during this period which he made the transition

from mythic 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 line than any of

his other works. In contrast to many dramas of Scandinavia in that time

which depicted the spot of women as the comforter, helper, and supporter of

man, A Dolls House introduced woman as having her own purposes and

goals. The heroine, Nora Helmer, progresses during the course of the play

eventually to realize that she must discontinue the role of a doll and seek

out her individuality.

        David Thomas describes the initial image of Nora as that of a doll

wife who revels in the thought of luxuries that can now be afforded, who

is become with flirtation, and engages in childlike acts of disobedience

(259). This inferior role from which Nora progressed is extremely

important. Ibsen in his A Dolls House depicts the role of women as

subordinate in order to emphasize the need to illuminate their role in society.

        Definite characteristics of the womens subordinate role in a

family relationship are emphasized through Noras contradicting actions.



Her

infatuation with luxuries such as overpriced 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 widening to wear, to her

husband; and Noras 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...

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