Woman Question in A Doll's House

This article explores the theme of the woman question in Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House. It analyzes the portrayal of women in society and their struggle for emancipation. The play reflects the lives and anxieties of bourgeois women in the Victorian age, highlighting the dominance of patriarchy and the lack of gender equality. The article also compares the portrayal of women in other works of literature, such as Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Running head: WOMAN QUESTION IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
WOMAN QUESTION IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
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1WOMAN QUESTION IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
In the play by Ibsen ‘A Doll’s House’ the playwright has mentioned about the
situation of the women in his contemporary society. The play revolves round the character of
Nora through whom, Ibsen is developing the idea of women situation of his time. It is the
reflective of lives and anxieties of the bourgeoisie women in the Victorian age. In this paly,
feminism has been the dominant theme which is marked by the unfortunate situation of the
women in the society particularly ruled by the patriarchy diminishing any aspect of equality
of gender.
This paly by Ibsen revealing the woman question of the contemporary society, can be
analyzed through four perspectives that include, double standard, marriage, emancipation of
woman and motherhood. In all these aspects, the most exploited persons are all the women
characters of this play. This play has provided support to develop the idea of feminine
helpless and childishness versus manly strength as well as resourcefulness by creating the
image of a doll representing the ineffectiveness and subhuman category.
The character of Nora is truly feminist character who in spite of being a tormented
and fragile character aspires to have her right to life or individual existence. Her husband
Torvald Helmer’s most avid concern is for keeping the appearance regardless of
psychological cost. However, it is important to keep in mind that Ibsen’s play is not only a
play but reflection of a true incident of life of a female journalist Laura Peter san Kieler from
Norway. Unlike Nora, she also had married to a man for whose recovery from tuberculosis
she had to borrow money to finance the Italian journey (Ibsen). In order to reimburse the
money, she worked fanatically but when al her earnings proved not sufficient, in desperation
Laura forged a check. In Ibsen’s play also, Nora forges her father’s check to finance the
recovery of her husband Torvald.
Ibsen has identified incurable rift among the true values of life and standard of
conduct implemented by the society. It is the conflict of love and law, head and heart and

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feminine and masculine values that has made the play so important (Shah). The play revolves
round the character and discloses that that the women cannot be themselves in the modern
society as they are under the guidance of cruel brute but kind guardian husband. The value of
women is nullified in the society and there are accepted as the show piece in the household
having no say to the welfare of the family, no ability for decision making and no capacity to
back up financially from saving life.
This sub human classification is not only the effect of modernism or industrial
Europe. This portrayal of women to be weak, abiding and inferior to men both physically as
well as psychologically, is the feature of both ancient as well as Elizabethan societies
(Loomba). Both Sophocles as well as Shakespeare in their works have portrayed the women
as the subject of pleasure and victims of the patriarchal dominance. In Sophocles’ Oedipus
Rex, presents the irony of fate through the attempts of Oedipus to avoid the prophecy that he
would kill his father and marry his mother. He ironically kills the man on the way
unknowingly that he was his own father. Later Oedipus is offered the queen’s hand in
marriage who was his own real mother. In this regard it can be understood that the queen in
spite of being a queen cannot protest against the society as she is an object of win. She is an
asset which needs to be protected by the strongest man and does not have the scope to forget
her loving husband and marry another man.
In Hamlet by Shakespeare also, Gertrude and Ophelia reflect the general status of the
women in the Elizabethan age. In this paly, the protagonist of the play Hamlet has showed his
understanding of women as associated with frailty. Both Gertrude, the queen and Ophelia a
woman of high born family have little power to speak their mind and work freely (Bilgin).
They are restricted by the legal, social and economic policies of Elizabethan England. Both
these two character are used to show the height and power of masculinity. Unlike Nora these
women are the burden of the misjudgment.

3WOMAN QUESTION IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
The role of Nora is completely opposite of her husband Torvald, he is considered to
be stronger side of the role play whereas Nora has to be timid and obeying housewife.
Initially Nora remains the ideal woman and wife hence follows her sacred duties to manage
her households. It is evident from the conversation of Nora with her husband.
NORA: What do you consider is my most sacred duty?
HELMER: Do I have to tell you that? Isn't it your duty to your husband and
children?” (Ibsen).
This is the most common understanding of the contemporary western culture where women
are responsible for looking after the household being subjugated to the power of their fathers
before marriage and to their husbands after marriage. Throughout the play, Nora is referred to
doll by every one of the characters. Being infuriated with this role play, Nora towards the end
reveals her own situation. In act three she states,
“Here I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I used to be papa's doll-child. And the
children, in their turn, have been my dolls.” (Ibsen)
She states that in her entire life, she has been in the illusion that this protect from her
father as well as her husband is the reason of love but she realizes it is not the love that made
the protect Nora but the feeling of possession or owning a prisoner in hindrance (Daulay and
Saladin). To quote Aristotle, the fame is a female in the virtue as they have certain lack of
qualities. Hence they are considered to be the second sex who can never overcome the
success or abilities of their male counterpart bur only play the supporting role in their action
or decisions. Nora as a woman seems to be vulnerable in the society. Like Ophelia, Gertrude
and Queen Jocasta, she is pressed to be the subject of sacrifice. She sacrifices her fame to
Krogstag as he is blackmailing for her forgery to support her ailing husband as well as Doctor
Rank who wants to take advantage of her loneness. With a rich husband and no care, she

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becomes an easy trap for both Doctor Rank who is in love with her. He influences her with
words and try to convince that he can more caring husband than Trovald.
“That is just what led me astray. You are a riddle to me. It has often seemed to me as
if you liked being with me almost as much as being with Helmer.” (Ibsen).
Similarly, as a woman with no financial and psychological power, Nora is dominated
by her husband and Krogstad also who is blackmailing her for a fraud. Krogstad influences
her to pay money otherwise he will tell everything to her husband and “it would be very
foolish. - Just one domestic storm, and it's all over”. It is the threat to the fake doll house
where the doll named Nora stays victimized with the fragile idea of having a stable and
loving family.
The situation become more problematic in case of a widow. Nora’s friend Mrs.
Cristina Lindin, the widow also seems to be helpless after the death of her husband and as
come to get help from Nora (Holledge). This woman also plays a sacrificial role to love a
person and marrying another for money and save her ailing mother along with young sibling.
The helplessness of the women in such intense, that sustaining in the society becomes
difficult. She loved Krogstad but could not marry due to her social and financial duties to her
family. However she is unable to make her lover understand that she had to subjugate to the
financial crisis having the responsibility of supporting all other family members, Krogstad
states,
KROGSTAD. [Clenching his hands together.] So that was it? And all this- for the
sake of money!
MRS. LINDEN. You ought not to forget that I had a helpless mother and two little
brothers (Ibsen).
Similarly the situation of the old nurse Anna is also plays a sacrificial as she has left
her own children for strangers to look after the others. The women characters thus show the

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helplessness to the social norms, financial crisis and inability to get freedom from the male
dominated framework. They are the victims of situation created by their male protectors and
who do not have male protectors are the most suffered ones.
The situation in which Mrs. Lindin is going through for not having a shelter or support of
husband, she does not want her friend Nora to face the same. She tried to save her friend from
getting caught from the fraud therefore, she is trying to convince Krogstad not to destroy the
lives of the other (Holledge). Lindin wants the shelter of a male figure to survive the
victimization of a widow life. This is the situation of the women of the society where they
cannot sustain without the help of men but remain as puppet in their hands. There is no way
to live independently but mostly plat the role of being the second sex. It is evident in the case
of Nora where she is the ideal wife Nora who knows that her husband cannot stand that being
a women she has arranged money for his treatment, but steals her father’s money to save her
husband. Now she tries to save her black mailer Krogstad from being sued from the bank.
The feeling of love for each other has been ended between Nora and Helmer. After he has
found out that Nora has saved his life by arranging money for his treatment in Paris. It is
clear for Nora that it was not love but the feeling of duty to keep a wife and household
(Muñiz).
Finally, Nora understands the place of the woman is below the men and they are for
sacrificing their lives for the household and husband. She expresses displeasure to remain
only a wife but not a human being of individual thought. She states,
“I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being, just as you are--or, at all
events, that I must try and become one.” (Ibsen).
It is the moment of self-realization which the women throughout history had quested.
Nora is the representation of the situation of the women in victimized situation in the hand of
the oppression tier father, husbands and sons. She, does not submit like Jocasta and Gertrude

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but triumphs over all obstacles to recognize her duty to herself rather than to her family and
mostly her husband (Shah). She rebels against the social convention and subjugation laid by
the patriarchy. She fights against the entire system that wants the women to be inferior and
silent.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the idea of dominating women in the society by
men is clearly detailed in this play by Ibsen. Whatever work they do, are done only for the
welfare of their household and it is their sacred duty or religion to abide by the orders of the
men. The idea of showing disgrace against the social structure of women being dominated by
men was questioned in this play making it to be the most meaningful and relevant of that time
where the lives of women will not be guided by their male guardian, or protector. Ibsen’s
paly thus remains disturbing for the age it was first published as it speaks the mind and
situation of the ‘other’ or the ‘second’ sex revealing the rue oppressive nature of male
dominance in the society.

7WOMAN QUESTION IN A DOLL’S HOUSE
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