In 1879, Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece “A Doll’s House” was published. It is about a central figure Norwegian family in the middle ages. Torvald Helmer works as a provider, whereas Nora Helmer babysits to raise the children and property. As the piece unfolds, it becomes clear that Nora’s marriage is seriously problematic and not as robust as she assumed (Akter 79). Women’s only duty in the 1800s was cooking, cleaning, and raising children. It was deemed indecent and unthinkable to do any other thing else. In 1879, Henrik Ibsen chose to go against the trend and wrote a musical about an average, mild-mannered woman who grows dissatisfied and unappeased with her condescending husband and leaves her fate in his hands. Through the masked ball, the phrase doll, the croissants, and Dr. Rank, Ibsen utilizes symbols to express the overarching issue of gender.
In modern society, women are anticipated to be male supporters. Nora, the central protagonist, has been living in a world that she considers fortunate, but she has been oblivious to the fact that she has tasks to fulfill. The masquerade event represents Nora’s attempt to conceal her actual personality from her spouse, Torvald. The objective of a private event is to disguise oneself, thus becoming someone like oneself by wearing a costume. When Nora is in Torvald’s presence, she acts infantile, naive, and childish, which is common among women in the current era. When Torvald chastises Nora for spending more money, she demonstrates this. Torvald ultimately gives in and offers Nora additional money, to which she enthusiastically exclaims as a toddler might. When she speaks to Dr. Rank and Mrs. Linde, though, she exhibits her actual intelligence and experience.
Work Cited
Akter, Saima. “Re-reading Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: A Modern Feminist Perspective.” International Journal of English and Comparative Literary Studies, no. 2.3, 2021, pp. 79-87. Web.