Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House is a comprehensive examination of Victorian females. The play revolves around Nora Helmer and her journey into liberation from the restrictions that hold her back as a female. The play begins with\ Nora being characterized as the perfect Victorian female. Nora loves her husband and her domestic role as the Victorian housewife. When her husband questions her obedience towards him she responds with "I should not think of going against your wishes" (Ibsen 6). Here Nora shows that she is the perfect obedient female. She allows herself to be the inferior to her husband never even considering to disobey his wishes. She as the female is subordinate, her husband as the male is superior and thus knows best. Nora is also innocent and naive. When expressing her troubles to her friend Christine she is told "Small household cares and that sort of thing!--You are child, Nora" (Ibsen 11). Here Ibsen portrays the childlike innocence expected of the average Victorian female. Nora talks of her domestic felicity as if those are the largest cares in the world. She seems to know nothing outside this life. She does not know the type of harsh life that her friend Mrs. Linde has had to suffer through. Those around her treat her in the same manner. Her husband treats her like a delicate spoiled pet, and her friend Christine clearly recognizes the naivete found in Nora's character. Nora also characterizes the clear cut gender roles found in Victorian society. When speaking of how she paid for she and her husband's journey to Italy she says, "how humiliating it would be for Tourvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything...our beautiful happy home would no longer be what it is now" (Ibsen 13). Here Ibsen specifically spells out what the female's role is she is to be dependent while the male is to independent. The female is to do all that she can to create domestic bliss within the home, her role is always within the home. Nora again emphasizes the Victorian female's dependence when she says " Yes Tourvald, I can't get along a bit without your help" (Ibsen 27). Nora is a clear example of all the qualities a Victorian female is expected to have. As the play develops she must throw these qualities away in order to become the woman she really is.
As the story comes to an end Nora finally throws aside the role of the Victorian female which has been thrust upon her. She finally stands up for herself. The first sign of this change is in her passage from innocence. After her husband assented to Krogstad's blackmail, she tells him of she wished he would have been willing to sacrifice his honor for her. When Tourvald responds with " But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves" (Ibsen 66), Nora leaves her naive ways behind completely. She quips back with " It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done" (Ibsen 67). Here Nora recognizes that women have suffered serious injustice in their subordinate roles to men. Nora further tramples her Victorian female role when she tells Tourvald "I am no wife for you" (Ibsen 67). Here Nora completely renounces her claim to the domestic sphere. In so doing she renounces her dependence upon her husband and the inferior role that restrained her. Nora further asserts her independence when she tells Tourvald "You are not to feel yourself bound in the slightest way, any more than I shall. There must be perfect freedom on both sides. See, here is your ring back. Give me mine" (Ibsen 67). Finally Nora frees herself from the subordinate role given to her by society and her husband. She chooses complete freedom. She does not allow her husband responsibility for her. She is a free woman. In a final and symbolic act of liberation she gives back her wedding ring removing the chains of marriage that kept her in the dependent domestic role. With this act Nora tramples society's expectations which held her back. Nora drastically changes from the perfect Victorian housewife to a modern day independent woman.
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