To What Extent Would a Modern-Day Contemporary Audience Relate to ‘A Doll’s House’

Running head: DOLL’S HOUSE
DOLL’S HOUSE
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1DOLL’S HOUSE
The aim of this essay is to discuss the topic “To what extent would a modern-day
contemporary audience relate to ‘A Doll’s House’”. This particular play by Henrik Ibsen
primarily focusses on the role of the woman in this specific social and cultural context. The story
of this play revolves round the personality and actions of the main character Nora Helmer wo is
represented as the homemaker. Through this particular paly, the playwright has represented how
the women used to be treated in the late 1800s society. ‘A Doll’s House’ has an essential impact
on the general roles because it presents the life of woman who were not allowed to work in the
corresponding field. This ideology is perfectly shown through the characterization of the main
character where the women are responsible only to raise their children. They actually do not wok
and spend luxurious time by spending their partner’s earnings.
Ibsen has portrayed this woman character as very dependent on the financial security
given by the husband which Nora cannot arrange herself. Nora in this play has once stated that it
is fortunate and glorious feeling having a husband with fair income. This statement however
indicates that she is happy that she does not need to work has her husband does for her. By
referring the income fat Helmer states that her husband earns right amount of income which
makes her dependent on her husband supporting the Napoleonic code that spread across the
Europe. This shows the actual relationship of Nora with Torvald capturing the woman’s initiative
to break her dolls’ house.
The women never had the same priorities as the men had therefore, when Nora decides to
do the manly job, she feels very tired and this word has been repeated for many times throughout
the play. This indicates that the process of earning money is too hard for the women but when
Nora reflects that “it was tremendous fun”. This Fun contradicts the society’s understanding of
the women and their potential as it has never allowed women to try jobs actually done my men

2DOLL’S HOUSE
only. Therefore, neither society nor the women in the society do not whether their ca perform
these tasks anyhow. This makes Nora happy as she finds out that it is like being a man doing
their tasks or even better than they do. Women in some cases can handled the jobs more easily
than their male counter parts.
The playwright has captured that when Nora is disappointed, she loves to spend her
husband’s money. She shares her feeling stating that “When a poor girl’s been in trouble, she
must make the best of things.” Here in this sentence, the girl refers to the women who seek
support from the men when in distress. This shows the women are fond of sending money rather
than earning them. as Nora is not employed, her husband thinks that she is having a perfect life
without anything to think or bother to earn money. Here Torvald has supports this act as he
thinks that he “is so terribly in love with [her] that he says he wants [her] all to himself.” He is
over protective to his wife and Nora is more an object than a human being. Despite the fact that
Nora does not like to be overprotected by her husband rather wants his love. She wants to be
happy by his love and not his money. Nora’s reference to the phrase "wants me all to himself"
details how she is treated by her husband as an object and how Torvald gets jealous when Nora
mentions by her old friends back home. These phrases detail how Nora as a human being is
treated by her husband. Unlike other women of her times, she is treated like a doll whom her
husband actually manipulates. All her movements are dependent upon Torvald. Nora’s character
is however more submissive as she thinks that it is not unnatural and the husband will be
possessing his wife and control her. She desires to be a perfect wife and conforms the gender
roles even if this comes replacing her own happiness.
Nora is convinced that she needs to man’s help for every situation. therefore, when
Krogstad was blackmailing her, she became desperate for finding a solution. She visited Dr.