A DOLL’S HOUSE by HENRIK IBSEN Inspires the society to re-

evaluate the role of the woman

GAURISHA GUPTA
BD/19/222

The play ‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen is one piece of that shows a different perspective
of how the society assumes feminine and masculine roles, especially at the family unit
level. In the play, Ibsen raises questions about the freedom of personality and establishing
identity. Women did not have a place in the career world or in entrepreneurship that is why
‘A Doll’s House’ becomes a book of interest as it portrays the woman as a strong being who
can do more than man.

The author brings forth a sophisticated exploration of the protagonists’ souls culminating into
a profound personal transformation for each of them. At a first look at the characters in the
play, the reader gets the notion that each character plays their roles by the expectation of the
society. But a deeper analysis of the circumstances surrounding each of these characters
reveals the reality on the ground. Every single Ibsen’s character; Nora, Torvald, Krogstad,
and Christine is laden with the societal perceptions of propriety which eventually come into
irreconcilable conflict with their true identity and self-discovery. The most intense depiction
of this conflict is embedded with the character of Nora.

Nora, the doll, is at first seen as the quiet wife with little knowledge of the world and is part
of a very happy marriage. The Helmer’s are both happy with their new development; Torvald
gets a job since they now have a manageable income.  It is only later in the play that we
discover she is a strong woman who readily takes a big risk, without the husband’s
knowledge, to pay his medical bills. The fact that she forges her father’s signature to get a
loan from the bank shows that’s she has worldly experience and is not as naïve as earlier
portrayed. She secretly pays up the debt by doing little side jobs and skimming from the
allowances her husband gives for the house. Torvald, Nora’s husband, on the other hand,
takes his wife for granted and does not care to protect her when he discovers what she did for
his sake.

This twist of events gives Nora a clear picture of how the society and her husband view her
and from this she gathers the courage to free herself from the unfruitful marriage and stand on
her own. Her decision shows her willingness to go against the traditional norms oppression of
women in marriages. Torvald is this traditional husband who clearly cares about how the
society views him and his status, regarding Nora as just a doll or an accessory for admiration.
In the process, he fails to appreciate his wife’s love and ends up losing her, an unexpected
move. Krogstad also values women less since he readily exposes Nora to her husband yet he
knew the negative effects this would bring on Nora.
From these three main characters, it is evident that Ibsen shows concern of the woman’s role
in the society which often a self-sacrificial role. The author has a strong conviction that
women ought to be allowed the right to self-development socially and economically. Females
are not allowed to own business or even have their money that they can control since it was a
requirement that they always have authorization from a man, husband, father or brother. It
shows that women were inferior to men even economically since only a man could be in
charge of economic activities. Females are not as educated as the males hence cannot be put
in high professional positions that have multiple responsibilities. Women who are not in
marriages seem to be more independent although the few job opportunities are restricted to
low poorly paying positions. At list, the single women could handle their money without
being forced to give it their men for ‘proper accounting’ purposes. A woman who bears
children out of wedlock is stigmatized while the man responsible walks away.

A Doll’s House therefore, is a lucid example of how personal aspirations clash with the often
insensitive laws of morality governing the society.  Ibsen brings up the question as to whether
it was moral for Nora, the protagonist, to have forged a signature on the loan agreement, even
though the money she had borrowed helped save her husband’s life. This idea of unjust laws
contradicting the person’s inner sense of what is right becomes a leitmotif throughout the
entire story.

From an overall view, all the women characters in the play had to sacrifice, socially and
financially, so as to be accepted in the society without criticism. Women get shamed for the
same acts that men go without condemnation. The woman is economically powerless with a
very low social status. This notion is changing over time due to the presence of organizations
and upcoming societies that promote women empowerment. Women of the present day have
access to education and more career opportunities than before. There are so many women
entrepreneurs as the world slowly but surely accepts that both male and female are equal
genders. The author, Ibsen, does not find solutions to the social and economic problem of the
woman, presented in her book, but instead seeks to enlighten the society on the plight of the
woman. It is for the global community to take up the challenge presented and find solutions
to attain gender parity.