A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen is often considered to be a strong feminist novel from the Victorian Era because of Nora breaking from the traditional roles of women in the family and society. However, there are different opinions on whether A Doll’s House is truly a feminist work or not. The opinion that A Doll’s House is a feminist novel is often supported by the strong images of women in the play. Use images of Nora or other women throughout the play and/or their actions to either prove or refute that A Doll’s House is a piece of feminist literature. Use textual evidence to support your side of the argument.
Posted by Shane Winslow and Kelly Manno
Henrik Ibsen created a huge debate on whether or not “A Doll’s House” is feminist. Through his vivid images of Nora, it is easily seen that this play is feminist. Nora is seen throughout this piece of literature torn between the life she has, and the life that she wants. As she “Poises” between her longing, and her life she has, she attempts “to move toward the door”, but for some reason she can not make the break from her family, and she then “remains irresolutely standing”. (1733). Though Nora does not immediately make the break from her family you can see how torn she is between the two options. As Nora finally decides the final push for her to leave, the conclusion is reached that it is a feminist piece of literature. With the final image of Nora “shaking her head” and then stating “You never loved me”, the reader comes to a realization that the play is truly a feminist piece of literature. (1757). Through Ibsen’s detailed imagery of Nora’s actions, it is concluded that the play is feminist in its nature.
ReplyDeleteIbsen’s, A Doll House, can be interpreted in two ways: as a feminist piece of literature or as not feminist at all. The other opinion believes that Ibsen’s novel is not feminist; it is only stressing the importance of achieving individual desires. However, throughout the story, Ibsen includes many details of females overcoming restrictions placed on them by their male-dominated society. The novel, therefore, clearly has strong feministic ties. The most obvious example of feminism is when Nora tells Torvald that she can no longer “‘spend the night in a strange man’s room’” (1760) and leaves her husband and children. This is a clear demonstration of feminism, as women in the Victorian time period were dependent upon their husbands to live, but Nora is strong enough to abandon hers. While Nora’s leaving is the most glaring feminist event, Ibsen also includes other examples. One occurs when Nora persuades Torvald to “‘do a little something for Kristine’” for “‘[her] sake’” (1725). Ibsen includes Nora’s persuasion of Torvald to get Kristine a job to illustrate the slight power that she has over her husband, another rarity of the time period. In addition, the very example that Kristine replaces Krogstad at the bank is another instance of feminism, as women rarely worked in the Victorian time period. Through these images of Nora and Kristine Linde, Ibsen is able to effectively reveal to the reader the feminist ties in A Doll House, as Nora and Kristine break from a society where men have all the power.
ReplyDeleteDespite an author's intent on what he or she what his or her works to become, public interpretation runs rampant. Such is the case for "A Doll's House." While Henrik Ibsen did not intend for this to be a piece of feminist literature, "A Doll's House" obviously is considered to be in this category by many. He intended for the play to be about Victorian society's oppression on the individual and probably found the main female character to be the easiest way of presenting this message. The female character being the easiest person to portray as oppressed shows how Victorian society oppressed females more than males. Nora's going against societal duties and expected moral obligations of the Victorian era is symbolic of women overcoming the patriarchal society in which they live. Nora does just this by abandoning her husband and children because she believes that, "...before all else, [she's] a human being, no less than [Torvald]" (1759), and that she has, "...other duties equally sacred" (1759), to being a wife a mother. She can be seen to show independence by leaving her family to be on her own and rejecting her expected duties as a homemaker, especially in the Victorian age. Even before this moment where she tells Torvald her plan to leave and how she has felt during their entire marriage, she shows feminism by providing financially for her family when she borrows money from Krogstad to send her ill husband to Italy. Interestingly, this act of feminism leads to her big moment in feminist rebellion, when she leaves her family. Nora also rejects the idea of the marriage norms during this time. She believes that the only way she can stay with Torvald is if, "...[their] living together could be a true marriage" (1761), a marriage where they talk and act as equals, which of course also is a major theme in feminism.
ReplyDeleteThough today Nora is often seen as a feminist character, Ibsen likely did not directly intend to portray this modern element of society in 1879. Perhaps, rather than representing a feminist character from the start, Nora has evolved over time into a feminist icon. The parallels between past and present make this difficult to prove; and evidence for both sides of the argument is vague and circumstantial when you consider this duality: the predominant themes and societal elements that Ibsen criticizes in A Doll House take the form of feminism in the 21st century. What separates it from hard-line feminism, then? In most feminist works, the female figure is more defined, emotionally and spiritually. All we know of Nora is through her actions and our interpretations of these actions. She is corrupt, erratic, and strong-willed, only of which the latter is considered a classic feminist property. When contemplating this brief characterization of Nora, it lends one to believe that she is simply a conduit by which Ibsen criticizes Victorian societal limitations. She does not represent the core, idealized fundamentals of a true feminine heroine, but rather represents the external rejection of Victorian society, “I don’t believe in [my duties] anymore. I believe that, before all else, I’m a human being” (1759). It is the violent, repressive nature of the Victorian façade that is under attack in A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. The disabled circumstances of a woman in this time period are simply an effective means to communicate this theme, not the primary purpose of the work.
ReplyDeleteGood job guys! Be sure to use the images of women to prove your argument. You can also use symbols from the play to help you. If the posts start to become too repetitive, compare how the images of women you chose are similar to Edna in "The Awakening".
ReplyDeleteNora in " A Doll's House" is a feminist and is portrayed as one by portraying a sense of independence. on page 25 Nora talks about how it was a "tremendous pleasure" to sit and work like a man. she enjoys making her own money, and being independent. it gives a woman, man, or child, a sense of pride and is addicting. She ends up leaving her family. which is one of the most independent actions a woman can take, especially in this time period because women were suppose to be completely dependent on men for their source of monetary income. Nora even realizes that in order to truly be her own woman she must be educated and when asked to look at her religion, she replies, that she does not "know what religion is". so she takes it upon herself to, "educate [herself]"(107). Nora begins her journey into finding herself by leaving her family and has taken on the role of being a true feminist.
ReplyDeleteWill Russell
In "A doll's house" Mrs. Linde could be seen as a strong woman. Before, Mrs. Linde got married to support her family instead of for love, and it was a mistake. She now has to work to support herself, which is unusual for most respectable women during the victorian era. When given a second chance she tells Krogstad that she still wants to be with him. She "knows about [his] past" and even though everyone else thinks he's worthless, she'll "risk everything" with him (1749). She is firm in her decision while still facing reality. She realizes that they will have problems, but wants to do this for herself. She "sold" herself for others once and "isn't going to do it again" (1749).
ReplyDeleteIbsen questions whether "A Doll's House" is a feminist novel or not because of the Victorian ways of society towards women. Women are looked upon as the "housewife". They live up to their moral duties of being a mother and a wife. Men in the novel, especially Torvold, degrade women and see them as powerless where the man has full control over the household, financial issues, and his wife. The woman is supposed to do everything to the husband's liking, "To know you’re carefree, utterly carefree; to be able to romp and play with the children, and to keep up a beautiful, charming home – everything just the way Torvold likes it! (1722). Nora feels obligated to make everything she does be to Torvold’s liking. Torvold refers to Nora as his “squirrel” or “little lark” which downgrades women from society. Calling Nora a little lark puts him at a higher position and lowers Nora’s position. Also, at the end of the novel, Nora decides to leave her husband and he children because she has “duties to herself” (1759), which shows Nora is searching for her independence. She separates herself from the moral standards of society of being a mother and a wife because she is trying to find herself. This shows Nora’s rebellious side ad that women didn’t have much independence during this time. Nora’s action of going against her moral standards makes this a feminist novel and proves that the Victorian era degraded women.
ReplyDeleteI believe that A Doll's House is a feminist play. It can be seen through Nora's actions and Ibsen's symbols, that this is breaking free of the Victorian Era woman. Helmer said, "...are you clearheaded and sure - you're leaving your husband and children?" (1759). This shows that she is gaining independence from Torvald. There are symbols in the context such as the coming of spring. "...spring is coming, with big blue skies. Maybe we can travel a little then. Maybe I'll see the ocean again. Oh yes, it is so marvelous to live and be happy!" (1722) Spring is a new beginning for Nora. It represents change. In her case, change is the absence of Torvald in her life.
ReplyDeleteJust because a woman in a Victorian Era novel does something that is a little against what society deems as appropriate, doen't mean she is a feminist. A feminist is someone (not always a woman) that takes action in society to support the civil rights and equality of women, but I don't believe that was Nora's motive for leaving. She left because she got into a big scandal with her money and didn't love her husband anymore. Personally, I wouldn't consider "A Doll's House" to be a strong feminist novel. Sure, Nora does rebel against her husband and leaves him, but I don't that that should be defined as a bold act of feminism. Having read other feminist stories recently, such as "Their Eyes Were Watching God," I would consider Nora to be a rebel in her own home; but she doesn't take a stand against society by leaving the house. On the other hand, Janie was most definitely a feminist because her actions were bolder, and impacted the whole town she lived in. That being said, I would not consider "A Doll's House" to be a strong feminist novel.
ReplyDeleteDespite Ibsen's intentions, Nora is a feminist character, because she is an individual in during a man controlled society. In a Victorian Society, women were passed from there fathers to their husbands. Their minds controlled and individuality stifled. Nora feels as if she was her father's doll, and then she became Torvald's pet. She bore him three children, weather she wanted to or not. However Nora shows an inner strengh that most women in society did not show because they were afraid to leave there security. When she tells Torvald, she is not a good mother or wife, she omits that she is not the morally correct women. Although this is not positive, she decided it for herself. Nora is not afraid of telling her husband that she needs to leave. Nora was a strong willed, opinionated women, during a period where women were silent. This is why she is a feminist.
ReplyDeleteWhen a novel or play is analyzed so thoroughly as Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House", there is a tendency, in the quest for new, interesting information, to read too far into a play's message or characters. Nora is one such character that is subjected to this level or over-analytical study. There is, naturally, room for such conflicting opinions in literature. It is within our nature to constantly question one another and develop personal beliefs. However, it is also within our nature to believe in our convictions wholeheartedly, providing that we have not been swayed to a new side by a particularly convincing argument. With these concepts in mind, it isn't possible, without a direct interview with Ibsen himself, to decisively deem Nora a feminist or vice versa. It should be said, however, that in my personal study of this work of literature, I found a great deal of evidence that supported a different theory surrounding Nora's character, one that lies somewhere in between the two. It is inarguable that throughout the play, Nora is consistently put at the mercy of the men around her, often submitting to their will immediately or putting up a weak resistance that is almost always overcome by pressure. It is not until the final scene of the play that Nora takes any action regarding the pursuit of her own personal happiness and understanding, and a journey that leads to an eventual acceptance of the self and empowerment is typical what defines a feminist character in literature. For this reason, I suspect that this play follows a woman who is on the brink of self-revelation, and is finally pushed to the point of actively pursuing it.
ReplyDeleteWe were hoping mostly for how "A Doll's House" was or was not a feminist work through the images of women such as how Nora was perceived to be a possession of Torvald, the names Torvald called Nora, and how Nora was subservient to Torvald. We were also hoping for symbols such as Nora acting as a doll rather than how Nora broke from the societal and marital expectations during the Victorian Era. But overall, good job! The posts were really good!
ReplyDelete@Clayton- We liked your discussion of Nora's struggle throughout her marriage to seek independence.
@Jeffrey- We liked how you mentioned the point when Nora gained some dominance over Torvald by influencing him to give Mrs. Linde a job at the bank.
@Natalie- We like how you pointed out that Ibsen most likely didn't intend for the play to a feminist work but turned out to be by using a women who breaks from societal expectations.
@Brennan- We liked how the play has evolved into a feminist piece of literature.
@Rachel- We really liked how you decided you discuss the feminist role of Mrs. Linde instead of the obvious choice Nora.
@Kelsey- We really liked how you answered the question. You were probably closest to the actual prompt by implying how Nora was a possession of Torvald proven by his names for Nora.
@Maura- We liked how you embraced the use of symbols to prove your point and avoid repetition.
@Grant- We liked how you defined Nora as a rebel rather than a feminist.
"I don’t believe that just because a woman goes against the grain, she is a feminist. That is the equivalent of saying that every man who sits instead of stands is some sort of rebel towards society as well. Nora, who does break societal standards, but not moral ones, demonstrates that anyone, not just woman, can make change and not show any regret about it. Nora had the right to be scared of Torvald’s reaction if he had received the note, but afterward, the question comes if she was justified to walk out on him. Knowing that she was the victim of a “jimmy-rigged” loan scandal, Nora not only brings herself to a more human level, but shows that even the seemingly prosperous have skeletons in their closets. Like Janie in There Eyes Where Watching God, Nora must find herself and figure out what she wants and needs, before she can cater to her husband, friends, and society as a whole."
ReplyDeleteThis is what I said last week to the blog post...but this week, I feel that maybe it can be classified as a feminist piece of work. Nara does exhibit the seemingly typical actions of a woman in destress when faced against society, and from other novels we have read like TEWWG, it seems that there is a message that these authors and playwrights want to get across. The answer is really with them, but the overall analysis appears to focus on the "trials and tribulations" of women during the time period where women were just becoming more outspoken and gaining more rights. I think that possibly, this underlying culture of women who are simply "sick and tired of being sick and tired" has been in existance since before the actual liturature arose to support it. The fundamental idea of independance could not have just sprout into one womans mind out of nowhere in the late 1800s, it doesn't just occur on a whim. I think this is a way of saying, women have been silent for too long, not just a "feminist story".