Henrik Ibsen s A Doll s House - 985 Words

Henrik Ibsen’s a doll’s house was one of the first works of drama to seriously take on modern social issues from a realistic perspective. The play was shocking to many because it painted characters and situations as they would be in life. The main character, Nora, is neither protagonist nor antagonist, but has a combination of good characteristics and flaws in the same way as any real person. Nora’s husband is also a complex character who cannot be called either good or bad. From this perspective, the characters can take on social issues that are difficult and complex as well. One of the most obvious issues that Ibsen brings to his audience is that of late nineteenth-century gender roles. The first interaction between Norah and her husband†¦show more content†¦This is not to say that Torvald is a bad man or overpowering husband, but his actions represent those opinions accepted in the male-dominated society of the late nineteenth century. Torvald seems to make Nora’s one duty clear in Act III when he tries to take her to bed. â€Å"You won’t ---you won’t? Am I not your husband?† (page 286, line 9) Otherwise, Nora’s responsibilities in the house are minimal. There are things she does to take care of the household, but as she says, â€Å"The maids know all about everything in the house—better than I do.† Although Nora usually does some shopping for the children and household, the maids can do that just as well. When it comes to Nora’s motherly responsibilities, her nanny spends much more time with the children and is almost solely responsible for raising them. In the brief intervals that Nora does spend time with her children, they are dolls to her in the same way that she is a doll to her husband. She asks the nanny permission to hold her own daughter, and then calls her â€Å"sweet little baby doll† (page 261, line 39). Nora also takes pleasure in dressing and undressing her children like a little girl with a doll. However, when it comes time to instruct or discipline the children, they go back to their nanny. Even in this motherly aspect, Nora is given no responsibility. Nora herself is treated as a child and continues to act like one. This is apparent in the way she sneaks sweets into her pocket and blatantly lies about it to her