Gender Roles in a Doll's House Most literary works are heavily influenced by the period in which they were written. They often become subject to multiple interpretations based on historical meaning. In A Doll House, written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen, much of the emphasis is placed on the gender roles present in that time period. Gender roles have only recently evolved from what they have been for many centuries. In the first few years of this play, audiences were quite offended by some of Ibsen's choices. In fact, some directors decided to change the ending so that Nora returned to her husband. This alternative ending better suited society's expectations at the time (Brunnemer 9). Although Ibsen claims that he did not intentionally write this work as a catalyst for women's rights, it has since become an important theme in discussions of this text. The main character, Nora Helmer, is central to the development of gender role theories in this play. Commentators generally classify Nora as “(1) a feminist heroine; (2) a courageous, perhaps tragic human being; (3) [or] a spoiled brat whose decision to leave his home and family is only a pretence” (Lingard). Ibsen uses each of his characters to portray the zeitgeist of his time period; one where women were subject to their husbands and the laws of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The theme of feminism seems abundantly clear and intentional throughout the work. Ibsen begins the story with Nora who is a stereotypical housewife in 1800. In Helmer's first line, he refers to his wife as a "lark". He continues to call her other nicknames such as "squirrel" and "spendthrift" (Ibsen, "A Doll House" 1598-1599). It seems like he is talking down to her to exert his authority over her. By establishing their relationship at the beginning, Ibsen paints a picture of a typical family during this time period and allows the ending to be much more dramatic. It is important to establish Nora as a typical wife early on to get the full effect. that Ibsen meant by the ending. In the final scene, she realizes that she doesn't have to remain her husband's "doll", she can be independent. The courage it would take for a woman to leave her husband in a time when women were so oppressed is what convinces me that feminism is a central and intentional theme in A Doll House. According to Professor Joan Templeton of Long Island University, Ibsen's life serves as a testament to his true motive in writing A Doll House. The story is based on Ibsen's good friend, Laura Petersen Kieler. Laura was married to a man with an extreme fear of debt. She borrowed money in secret to finance a trip to Italy, hoping the holiday would help her husband recover from tuberculosis. Although he worked hard to repay the loan, it wasn't enough. She forged a check and her husband soon discovered her crime. Her husband left her, claiming she was "an unfit mother" and she was committed to an asylum (Templeton, "The 'Doll House' Backlash" 35). Knowing that Ibsen wrote this story about an event so close to his heart, it is hard to believe that he didn't feel anger at how unfairly his friend had been treated because of her gender. She blamed her husband for allowing her to do an “unworthy job” and not caring about her physical well-being. She did everything in love, yet she was treated like a monster (Templeton, “The'Doll House' Backlash” 35). Critics of the feminist theme in A Doll House often quote Ibsen's words at the Norwegian Festival of Women's Rights in 1898. He says: "I thank you for the toast, but I must deny the honor of knowingly being in favor of the rights movement of women". Instead, Ibsen continues, «it seemed to me to be a problem of humanity in general. And if you read my books carefully you will understand it. It is true that it is desirable to solve the problem of women's rights together with all the others; but this was not the main purpose. My task has been the description of humanity” (Ibsen, Discourses and New Letters 65). This statement brings up the theory that A Doll House is not really a play about feminism, but rather a broader message about humanity in general. In this theory, Nora represents Everyman. Proponents of this view, such as Eric Bentley, claim that "the play would be just as good if Torvald were the wife and Nora the husband" (qtd. in Brunnemer 10). Templeton provides one of the best cases for the feminist theme. He spent much of his life studying the text and researching Ibsen's life to develop his argument. One statement that particularly struck me was his idea of ​​eliminating gender altogether. What would remain, then, of the story? He says: “Now let's remove the 'woman question' from A Doll House; let's give Nora Helmer the same rights as Torvald Helmer and let him consider her his equal. What remains of the comedy? The only honest answer is nothing, because if we emancipate Nora, if we free her from her dollhouse, there is no game; or rather, there is the conclusion of the drama, the confrontation between husband and wife and the exit that follows, the only crisis and denunciation that can adequately conclude the action” (Templeton, “The 'Doll House' Backlash” 32). If A Doll House is about the everyman, why is it so important that the main character is a woman? If she hadn't been given a gender identity, there would have been no story. Her departure is significant only because in those days it was so rare for a woman to leave her husband. If a man in this play had left his wife, critics would still be talking about his wife and what a tragedy it is to be a single mother in a time when women had so few rights. In any case, the focus is on the fact that Nora is a woman; that's the backbone of this story. Other critics find their evidence within the work. Comparing the first two acts to the final act, there seems to be a disconnect between the “two Nores”. Early viewers of the play responded that "A Doll House should not be taken as a serious statement on women's rights because the heroine of act 3 is an incomprehensible transformation of the heroine of acts 1 and 2" (qtd. in Templeton , “The 'Doll's House' Backlash” 29). By this reasoning, Nora can be dismissed entirely and her exit in the last scene simply becomes “silly theatricality.” There are certainly some qualities in Nora that can be used to discredit her as a feminist heroine. For example, in the first act she is eating macaroons, but when her husband asks her if she ate sweets, she lies. Even when asked several times, she continually denies having eaten sweets (Ibsen, “A Doll House” 1601). On the one hand, it could be said that the fact that she eats what she wants despite her husband's orders hints at her future feminist actions. However, others say, "Even Nora's gluttony is evidence of her unworthiness, as we see her 'secretly devour the forbidden macaroons,' even "brazenly offer macaroons to Dr. Rank, and finally lie in denying that the macaroons are her '; eating macaroons in secret suggests that "Nora is deceitful and manipulative from the start" and her.