Tiegan Blake

Examine how Ibsen presents women and attitudes towards

women in Act 1 of ‘A Doll’s House’.

Ibsen believed that ‘A woman cannot be herself in the society of the

present day, which is an exclusively masculine society.’ As 21st century
readers we are familiar with such social comments and gender issues, yet
one might be surprised by this kind of radical thinking expressed in the
late 1800s. In the opening Act of ‘A Doll’s House’ it becomes evident Ibsen
felt that husband and wife should live as equals rather than conform to the norms
of society where the man holds the power and autonomy in the relationship. This
mindset is clearly apparent in ‘A Doll’s House’, and although knowing that it
would stir criticism due to its controversial principles, Ibsen shed light on the
aspect of theatre - realism. In this play, Ibsen employs themes and structures of
classical tragedy while writing about the lifestyle of the average family.
Furthermore, Ibsen’s concern for women’s rights is manifested, which is what
makes the play so interesting for people studying it in a modernized society with
different understandings.

‘A Doll’s House’ portrays marriage as more of a social requirement and

displays the lack of humanism and a women’s right to be her own person
within a patriarchal society. Signs of this can be seen from the very start,
as Helmer repeatedly refers to his wife, Nora, as different small animals.
He calls her his pet, stating that ‘it’s incredible what an expensive pet she
is for a man to keep’, which clearly shows that he views her as more of a
female commodity rather than a partner. The noun “pet” conveys the idea
of possession and that Nora belongs to Torvald in the sense she is
dependent on him in terms of society and everyday life as a woman. This
connotes the idea of insignificance and lesser importance in Nora, and in
turn places more power in Helmers position, which links back to the quote
in the question that relationships are always complicated by power
struggles.

Moreover, Ibsen showcases the position of women and more specifically

the position of Nora within the marriage and more widely – society –
through Torvalds direct speech and his antonomasia of Nora in order to
belittle her. The animal imagery within the phrase “my little skylark”
highlights Helmer’s perception of Nora as almost insignificant and a pretty
thing, which dehumanises Nora and showcases her lesser value within
society. The employment of the possessive pronoun “my” indicates
Helmer’s almost proprietorship of Nora, his dominance and higher status
within Ibsen’s era’s social order. Additionally, “skylark” is a symbol of
awakened freedom; therefore, it can’t be domesticated which is a symbol
of and foreshadows how Nora cannot be domesticated and kept as a
“pet”. These techniques coupled with the adjective “little” to describe
Nora creates the insight of women being less significant and that they are
not elemental to important aspects of life, except in the domestic roles.
Tiegan Blake

Likewise, the societal view of women is clearly presented through the

exclamatory phrase “How like a woman!” which is simultaneously a
simile, to present Torvalds and consequently the wider society’s primary
prejudiced view of gender roles. The simile conveys a patronising attitude
towards Nora, depicting her as less capable and almost laughable, which
indicates Torvalds outlook and mind-set towards Nora and women in
general. Ibsen employs this linguistic technique in order to present the
inequality of women and the perception of women as less worthy than
men in terms of their contribution to society due to the patriarchal,
dictatorial, oppressive societal norms in the 19th century.

In addition to this, from the very start, Torvald is referred to most

frequently by his last name, whilst Nora is only known as ‘Nora’. This
further emphasises the difference in respect and authority possessed by
each partner in that marriage. However, rather than rebelling against this
treatment, Nora conforms to Helmer and his assertion of dominance and
control over her as she states “you know I could never act against your
wishes.” Ibsen includes this as a way of showing how people have been
brought up to blindly follow the social models of the time. He sexualises
her, seeing her and “maintaining” her for her aesthetics, as if for show to
other people, but again, Nora conforms to these ideas as can be inferred
by her saying “I’ll get him in the right mood” and “when a girl’s as pretty
as I am.” The simile referring to her irresistible appearance is employed
by Ibsen to indicate the shallow depth of their relationship and Torvalds
preoccupation with her societal feminine perfect image, which links and
highlights the themes of love and marriage with lies and deception. It
indicates the necessary façade and image within society. In addition, it
showcases Nora’s position in Torvalds life as his “skylark” to show off, to
have for the aesthetic. The obvious imbalance in autonomy within their
marriage is clearly caused by Helmer trying to maintain his reputation as
a successful man as well as asserting his masculinity.

In conclusion, Ibsen cleverly manipulates and utilizes language to present

women and the position of women within the 19th century society through
the lens of realism, which is an aspect of theatre to present and put
emphasis on behaviour and tough decisions within society. Ibsen’s
purpose was to highlight the lack of humanism in terms of the scarcity of
equality within the everyday life and marriage.