Introduction
Social norms, mainly as they related to women, were experiencing drastic changes during the turbulent late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through the adventures of its protagonists, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” highlight the symbolism of imprisonment and the widespread struggles women encounter in their respective eras. Gilman and Ibsen use potent literary devices to explore the subtleties of domesticity, gender roles, and societal expectations to highlight the significant effects of oppression on women, especially inside the house.
Themes
The Yellow Wallpaper
Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” investigates how societal expectations negatively impact women’s mental health. In “Domesticity under Siege: Threatened Spaces of the Modern Home,” Downey, Taylor, and Meade clarify the story’s wider ramifications. The novel’s examination of domestic abuse and cultural views toward women is relevant, the writers emphasize, pointing out that changing views on parenting, political position, and contraception are all essential aspects of women’s problems (17). This is consistent with Fludernik’s claim in “Metaphors of Confinement” that the book is complete with allegorized prison scenes that emphasize the horrible situations in which women found themselves (254).
A Doll’s House
Similarly, “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen explores the limitations placed on women in the home. In “Creating Your Own Space: The Metaphor of the House in Feminist Literature,” Davis highlights how crucial it is to comprehend particular metaphors in feminist writing to fully appreciate the complexities of Nora’s journey in the play. As Davis points out, Nora’s journey from a deferential wife to an independent woman is representative of the more significant problems women face in defying social norms (9). Furthermore, Haberman’s “1930: Europe in the Shadow of the Beast” places Ibsen’s examination of discriminatory views toward women and domestic abuse in the larger historical backdrop of the 1930s. This emphasizes the widespread problems covered in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “A Doll’s House” are.
House as Imprisonment
The Yellow Wallpaper
Both Ibsen and Gilman use the symbolism of imprisonment as a powerful literary weapon. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the metaphorical prisons represent the social norms limiting women’s autonomy and the physical confines the protagonist faces. Fludernik’s observation encourages a reflection on the significance of these metaphorical prisons. It reveals broader societal attitudes towards women: “I am, unfortunately, one of those much-berated New England women who have learned to think as well as feel; and to me, at least, marriage means more than a union of hearts and bodies—it must mean minds, too” (Gilman 47). This quote exemplifies the complex expectations placed upon women during the era depicted.
The protagonist is frustrated with society’s low expectations of women, especially regarding marriage, which is highlighted in the quote. The focus on being “one of those much-berated New England women” points to a pervasive societal tendency to denigrate or condemn women who want to pursue intellectual endeavors (Gilman 47). Yet, the main character makes it clear that she is a woman who appreciates relationships that have both intellectual and emotional components.
A Doll’s House
In “A Doll’s House,” the house metaphor is used extensively to symbolize the constraints and expectations placed on women by society. According to Davis, “A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society” (47). The spirit of Nora’s fight for independence within the boundaries of her home is captured in this moving statement.
The path taken by Nora can be seen as a bit of a representation of the more significant social norms that restricted women in that period. The remark implies that women are marginalized and have fewer opportunities to express who they are since society is built mainly from a masculine perspective. Enclosed within the house’s symbolic boundaries, Nora struggles with the expectations placed on her by society that define her as a submissive mother and wife. The phrase suggests that women are intrinsically denied the agency to be actual persons by the societal framework.
Conclusion
The symbolism of Nora as an object in “A Doll’s House” contributes to the broader metaphor of her confinement. The way Torvald and even her father treat her proves this objectification. Torvald affectionately refers to Nora as his “sweet little lark” and “squirrel” (Ibsen 6, 8). It is common for small animals to be kept as pets in confinement; these endearing but diminutive terms essentially position Nora as a small, docile creature existing solely for Torvald’s amusement. Nora’s father affectionately called her “his doll child” (Ibsen 114).
Similarly, this term is condescending and reinforces the idea that Nora’s identity is constructed for the pleasure of the men in her life. As Nora realizes that she has been objectified, the metaphor of confinement becomes more profound: Nora notes that she “passed from father’s hands” into Torvald’s, much like an object that can be handled (Ibsen 114). At the play’s conclusion, Nora leaves, signifying her rejection of the objectification and the confinement accompanying it.
Works Cited
Davis, Maria. Creating your Own Space: The Metaphor of the House in Feminist Literature. Lexington Books, 2021.
Downey, Georgina, Taylor, Mark, and Meade, Terry. Domesticity under Siege: Threatened Spaces of the Modern Home. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2022.
Fludernik, Monika. Metaphors of Confinement: The Prison, in fact, Fiction, and Fantasy. OUP Oxford, 2019.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Xist Publishing, 2015.
Haberman, Arthur. 1930: Europe in the Shadow of the Beast. Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2018.
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Translated by William Archer, T. Fisher Unwin, 1879.