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Elena Barnes

IB English Period 4

Mrs.Woelke

9/19/18

A Doll’s House Prompt 6

In 1879, Norway witnessed a play that was nothing like they have ever seen

before that challenged gender roles and social norms at that time. Henrik Ibsen’s ​A Doll’s House

encountered mostly negative views, because he introduced a woman with an individual sense of

identity. Back then, this was not in accordance with society’s views on women, however this

play progressed society’s views with the portrayal of a typical housewife in a whole new light.

Ibsen intends to reveal the protagonist, Nora, as a symbol for the liberation of not only women,

but for individuals for their right to their control of their sense of identity with the help of

strategies.

To start off, Norwegian society had set expectations on the role of a housewife. In the

nineteenth century, it was common to believe that a wife belonged to her husband and to her

father before marriage. Nora is well aware of her position as under a man and is willing to admit

that she belongs to her spouse. Take for example when, Nora refers to herself to Torvald as

“your little squirrel” and as his “lark,” and provides second person pronouns that dehumanizes

Nora as a pet of his. Nora being called a creature of Torvald’s possession eroses Nora’s

individualism, because she is not belonging to herself and also in the fact that she listens to

Torvald under his commands and follows his orders even if she is not pleased with them. This is

expected of a housewife in this era, although Nora does not remain obedient to him. At the end
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of the play, Nora declares, “The woman I am now is no wife for you,” (117). Finally, Nora

utilizes first person pronouns and speaks up in concern for her self identity. No more is she

subjected to animal nicknames that reveals her as less of a person, but she stands up for herself

as a woman and disowns herself from Torvald. This ties back to Ibsen’s meaning of

individuality. He shows Nora as a character who progresses into a self identity.

In addition, patriarchal structure at home was the norm in Norway in 1879 and Nora has a

responsibility in society to take care of the house and children. The purpose for Nora in the house

reveals her sense of identity as a person. She is there to attend to her husband and not to herself.

The end of the play, however, involves Nora finding a purpose outside of the care for her family

and home. Torvald’s view on her identity when Nora is ready to abandon to Torvald is clearly

seen as he asks, “Is this how you neglect your most sacred duties?” (113). Torvald, being a

representation of Norwegian society, believes Nora’s identity is found in the fact that she is a

woman and that is it normal for her purpose to be attending to the family. Although, Nora does

not agree, she announces her need for “the duty to myself” (119). Her action of standing up for

her duty, elicits how she viewed herself, as an individual with the right to self identity that she

may figure out for herself.

To conclude, Ibsen’s work challenged the expectation for a wife to be obedient with her

husband’s desires and to carry an identity that society creates. The identity of a woman and

therefore the identity of a person, if even that, to not belong to herself, but to belong to the man

in the house. Nora was the symbol for a new identity of women. A self identity.