Societal Views of Women in the Victorian Era in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s

Societal Views of Women in the Victorian Era in Henrik Ibsens A Dolls HouseA Dolls House, by Henrik Ibsen, creates a peephole into the lives of a family in the Victorian Era. The play portrays a female viewpoint in a male-dominated society. The determine of the society are described using the actions of a charwoman, Nora, who rebels against the in furtherices inflicted upon her gender. Womens equality with men was not recognized by society in the late 1800s. Rather, a woman was considered a doll, a child, and a servant. Noras alienation reveals societys assumptions and values about gender. A woman was considered by society to be a doll because she was expected to be subordinate to her husbands whims. Referring to a ball that she would attend, Nora asks her husband, Torvald, if he would take me in hand and decide what I shall go as and what sort of dress I should wear (26). Nora relies completely on how her husband would dress her, just like a doll. Just as Nora is treated as a doll , she interacts with her children as such. She doesnt raise them, she merely plays and romps with the children (13). She tells Torvald, our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll wife, just as at home I was Papas doll child and here the children have been my dolls (67). In this conversation, she shows her alienation as a woman in society by expressing discontent with her role in life. In addition to being treated like a doll, Nora is also regarded as a small child. Victorian society looks upon womens intelligence as no better than a childs. Torvald tells her, You talk like a child. You dont understand the conditions of the world in which you live (69). Yet, he does nothing to rectify the situation. While ... ... a heedless child (70). Because of Torvalds inability to grasp the notion of equality, Nora leaves him. Societys values are revealed by Noras declaration of equality and independence. Through Noras rebellious declaration and departure, she removes herse lf from societys standards and makes a move towards equality. She renounces societys views of a woman as a child, doll, and slave. Men in Victorian society told a woman how to act as a parent to a child, how to dress for a public event as an owner to a doll, and how to keep her thoughts to herself as a master to a slave. Henrik Ibsen portrayed qualities of the Victorian era through the alienated female gender, represented by Nora. Works CitedHenrik Ibsen, A Dolls House. Dover Thrift Edition, 1992Northam, John. Ibsen. A Collection of sarcastic Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice-Hall. 1965.