The Struggle for Identity in A Doll’s House :: A Doll’s House

The Struggle for Identity in A Dolls House A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, is a play that was write ahead of its time. In this play Ibsen tackles womens rights as a matter of importance. Throughout this time period it was neglected. A Dolls House was written during the movement of Naturalism, which comm and reflected society. Ibsen acknowledges the fact that in 19th century life the role of the woman was to stay at home, raise the children and attend to her husband. Nora Helmer is the character in A Doll House who plays the 19th woman and is portrayed as a victim. Michael Meyers said of Henrik Ibsens plays The common denominator in many of Ibsens dramas is his interest in individuals try for and authentic indistinguishability in the face of tyrannical kind conventions. This conflict often results in his characters being divided between a sense of tariff to themselves and their responsibility to others.(1563) All of the aspects of this quote can be applied to the play A Doll Hous e, in Nora Helmers character, who throughout much of the play is oppressed, presents an inauthentic identity to the audience and throughout the play attempts to discovery her authentic identity. The inferior role of Nora is extremely important to her character. Nora is oppressed by a variety of tyrannical social conventions. Ibsen in his A Dolls House depicts the role of women as subordinate in order to emphasize their role in society. Nora is oppressed by the manipulation from Torvald. Torvald has a very typical relationship with society. He is a smug bank manager. With his job arrive many responsibilities. He often treats his wife as if she is adept of these responsibilities. Torvald is very authoritative and puts his appearance, both social and physical, ahead of his wife that he supposedly loves. Torvald is a man that is worried about his reputation, and cares little about his wifes feelings. Nora and Torvalds relationship, on the outside appears to be a happy. Nora is treate d like a child in this relationship, but as the play progresses she begins to realize how phony her marriage is. Torvald sees Noras only role as being the subservient and loving wife. He refers to Nora as my little squirrel (p.1565), my little lark (p.1565), or spendthrift(1565). To him, she is only a possession. Torvald calls Nora by pet-names and speaks down to her because he thinks that she is not intelligent and that she can not think on her own.