Mohammad Ismail
10 October 2014
A Doll's House: A Dated Play by Henrik Ibsen
Written in 1879, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen revolves primarily around the events that take place within the Helmers' household. His work effectively portrays Nora Helmer contemplating her duty to her husband, Torvald, and desiring to escape the oppressive confines of her marriage. The play elaborates on her struggles during her time of marriage and depicts the sacrifices she makes within the play. Ibsen's literary masterpiece dates itself to the Victorian Era by encompassing themes of gender roles that are limited in scope as seen through the social ties between men and masculinity and the sacrificial role of women in society.
The traditional gender roles of society present throughout the play represent those of the Victorian Era and socially constrain various characters. The play defines masculinity as total independence from others. Nora emphasizes the reality of this social obligation within the play when she states to Mrs.Linde,
"I hinted that he could easily borrow the money. But then, Kristina, he nearly lost his temper, he told me I was frivolous, and that it was his duty as a husband to not give in to what I believe he called my 'whims and fancies'.?"(Ibsen 160)
Torvald refers to his rejection of borrowing money as his "duty as a husband" (Ibsen 161). This further indicates the great amount of constrain society's view of masculinity places on him as it suggests that Torvald is compelled by societal norms to uphold his values and abhor the idea of financial dependence on anyone. However, in present day, it is common to see male members of society request loans from banks, family, and friends and is not regarded as being less masculine to do so. Consequently, the limited scope of social ties between men and masculinity date Ibsen's work to the Victorian Era.
In addition to the social implications of masculinity, the sacrificial role of women in society emphasizes the gender roles of the Victorian Era. The female characters in the play are forced to make countless sacrifices forced by the gender norms of society. Nora depicts this within the play when she is forced to hide Krogstad's loan from her husband. She confides in Mrs.Linde, her childhood friend, that she could not possibly let him know (Ibsen 160). Mrs.Linde reaffirms this when she states, "Because a wife can't borrow without her husband's consent" (Ibsen 160). Hiding the loan demonstrates Nora's sacrifice of openness as she is forced to repay the loan through hard work in secrecy. Furthermore, hiding the loan from her husband leaves her vulnerable to Krogstead's blackmail. Krogstead confronts her in the play to regain his post at the bank:
Krogstead: ... But I have ways of making you [help regain my past]
Nora: You won't tell my husband that I owe you money?
Krogstead: Ah ... suppose I did?
Nora: That would be a vile thing to do [With tears in her voice] (Ibsen 172)
Nora's actions illustrate the burden of the sacrificial role of women in society at the time. One can witness this through the phrase, "tears in her voice" which depict her sacrifice of happiness in order to continue hiding the loan from Torvald. In contrast, current society does not impose restrictions that a wife cannot borrow without her husband's consent. The role of women in society is greatly individualized and allow for women to have equal rights as men and as a result, gain increased individual freedom . In effect, the sacrificial role of women in society chiefly dates A Doll's House in the Victorian Era.
In summation, Ibsen's dramatic piece, A Doll's House, the characters establish the gender roles of society on both male and female members of society. This is observable in numerous occasions such as Torval Helmer's reluctant mannerism towards financial dependency on others and Nora's sacrifice of openness and happiness to maintain the secrecy of her loan. Accordingly, Ibsen's play dates itself to the Victorian Era by incorporating themes of gender roles that are limited in scope as seen through the social ties between men and masculinity and the sacrificial role of women in society.
