Category: A Doll’s House

Introduction

Literature work mostly revolves around specific themes such as violence, love, poverty, revolution and issues that practically affect the characters. The latter are often members of the society, who the authors choose to relay certain social and other messages in the society. The works are often a depiction of the way of life of the people in the society at that particular period of time

In this essay, the author uses the works of chosen authors to analyze the benefits and costs of conforming to the norms of the society or rebelling against them by choosing to follow personal principles by individual characters or communities.

A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen

This work by Henrik Ibsen is seen as a depiction of rebellion against societal norms that do not conform to the humane aspects of life. These are aspects such as autocracy and dictatorship. The author illustrates rebellion using a female protagonist in the writing. The character is searching for her individuality via realizations and hurdles she encounters. This society had created a niche for the woman as a housewife and social partner to her husband (Ibsen 184).

Ibsens story is controversial. The female protagonist represents the entire women folk who feel that the norms dictating that the woman should be the comforter, helper, and supporter of man are oppressive to the woman. The title of the book is symbolic because the protagonist, Nora, refuses to be A Doll to be played with by her husband and other male folk in the society (Ibsen 185).

The play introduces the woman as having her defined purpose and goal, contrary to the social norms in which her subscribed subordinate role in a relationship is to be loving and respectful to her husband, as well as been submissive to him.

The aspect of rebellion in the story helps the reader to realize the importance of deviance from the norms of society. The costs of the same appear to be elusive. This is evidenced through the comparison of the characters of Nora and Mrs. Linden. They were both friends since their childhood, but there was a great difference in how each character handled their life (Ibsen 183).

Mrs. Linden chose to marry a rich man to support her family and helpless mother. On the contrary, Nora, who was treated as a doll all her life, never had the chance to express herself. This is obviated in this quote, look, Nora, in lots of things, you are still a child. I am older than you in many ways and I have had a little more experience (Ibsen 184).

This treatment, which she was subjected to during her childhood and through eight years of marriage, disabled her to enjoy any kind of experience. She was neither exposed to life nor to the outer society. She found herself married to a selfish husband who loves her because she is amusing to him and makes him happy. This results in Nora rebelling at the end of the play, and she develops a different character from the one she was at the beginning (Cummings par. 15).

Mrs. Linden is portrayed to be a practical woman since after her husband passes on, she embarks on some projects. One of them was a school and another was opening a small shop. At the same time, she knew that Helmer, Noras husband, became a bank manager and can help her find a suitable job. She never gives up on searching for a job. These are the results of conforming to the societal norms, which resulted to Nora being a Doll and never having the chance to express herself.

As earlier stated, she did not have any substantial external interactions (Cummings par. 13). The effects of this are well captured when Henrik writes, Because an atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the whole life of a home&& In a house like that, every breath that the children take is filled with the germs of evil (Ibsen 179).

The benefit of rebellion is portrayed when Nora decides to leave the house, desert her family and start a new life. Conformity had served to her disadvantage because she was merely a Doll which made her live a lie (Cummings par. 11).

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

In another exciting work of Shirley Jackson, The Lottery, a story is told of a community that has roots in a culture that they cannot tell when and how it started, but blindly follows it. The society has not changed as it still embraces the culture which segregates women from men. Women are inferior to men. This particular story is about conforming to traditions that appease the gods so they could bless them with enough rain (Jackson 268).

Unfortunately in the story, it is Tessie who is stoned as a sacrifice. In the process of the sacrifice rebellion is displayed by Tessie in different instances. The lottery is run by Mr. Summers. Women are supposed to act as mere spectators. The author tries to portray womens inferiority by describing their clothes. This is portrayed in this quotation, wearing faded house dresses and sweaters and walking shortly after their men folk (Jackson 268).

Tessie arrives late, and it is presumed this is an act of rebellion to the values of the lottery. Her explanation to Mr. Summers is viewed as indecent. Wouldnt have me leave mdishes in the sink, now would you Joe? (Jackson 295).

Women are mere housewives and do not contribute to income generating activities. Tessie inverts responsibility on her husband when their family name is mentioned by Mr. Summers. Get up there, Bill she tells her man (Jackson 297). This is an example of Tessie attempts to overturn the roles of men and women, which is rebellion (Kosenko par. 20).

She raises doubt about the rules of the game, claiming that Mr. Summers is not fair. This is a taboo, and she emerges as the one who is trying to fight for the womens cause from being repressed by culture. Tessie faces death for the rebellion, which is a clear indication that conforming to the societal norms has no escape; the cost of rebellion is death (Kosenko par. 22).

Two Kinds by Amy Tan

The story Two Kinds by Amy Tan is a story of the conflicting relationships between a mother and a daughter. The plot of the story shows how a Chinese mother tries to make her daughter an All-American girl. But the daughter, Jing-mei, does not want to be anything that her mother tries to force her to be. The daughter refuses to conform to her mothers wishes of becoming a prodigy. Of course you can be prodigy, too, my mother told me when I was nine,(Amy 95).

Jing-mei, in her mind, wants to be herself, more than anything. She is strong-willed and eventually shows her mother that she does not want to try to be anything that she is not. A good example of this is found on page 97: I will not let her change me, I promised myself. I will not be what I am not (Amy 97). This strains the mother-daughter relationship, and because of this, the daughter is termed rebellious (Elton 198).

In this book, Amy Tan explores the clash of cultures between a first-generation Chinese-American daughter, Jing-mei, and her mother, Suyan, a Chinese immigrant.

And after I played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song (Amy 42). It is obvious that by conforming to her mothers wishes, the daughter would have had a nice relationship with the mother. But she would not have achieved her dream. She struggled to pursue what she believed in, and it brought conflict (Caravaggio par. 7)

What is Work? By Philip Levinne

In the poem What is work? Philip Levinne simply portrays the need to work. One needs to conform to the hard conditions of work so that they can benefit. Any attempt to rebel will definitely make one lose their job. Thus, the benefits of conforming in the poem are various. One is the status the job gives the person. This is despite the fact that one has to do with adverse conditions like rain.

In the poem The Secretary Chant by Piercy, the author displays the dehumanization of a woman by her work. Despite this, she still has to conform. She does not rebel. She takes it humbly as her job and delivers. This helps her to perform her duties diligently. But rebellion would mean her work is jeopardized. Rebellion has no room if one is in need of the position (Anonymous par. 1 and 2).

The above works have explored the theme of conformity and rebellion to the societal norms effectively by the use of female characters. They portray the results of conforming as unwinding loss of reputation and lack of experience in facing the realities of life. This deprives the characters status and a position in the society. As a result, they tend to rebel so as to find their purpose and claim their position in the society. The consequences are harsh but they do not give up.

Conclusion

Authors have successfully given an account of life in the old days and the social problems and events which were evident in that period of time. This is together with the effects they had on the society and what was done to the consequences or the merits of any actions undertaken in order to make it possible to exist in that society. Many of these actions were either conforming to the laid down protocols of the society or rebelling against them.

Works Cited

Amy, Tan. Two Kind. New York: Free Press, 2003.

Anonymous. What a girl wants; What a girl needs. An analysis of 3 Feminist Poems. 2010. Web.

Caravaggio, Charity. Beyond the differences and conflicts  Beyond the differences and conflicts. London: Goodreads Inc, 2010.

Cummings, Michael. A study guide to a dolls house: Plot summary. 2003. Web.

Elton, Mathew. A Literary Analysis of Two Kinds by Amy Tan. 2008. Web.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Great Britain: Nick Hern Books Ltd, 1994.

Jackson, Shirley. The Lottery and Other Stories. New York: Free Press, 1991.

Kosenko, Peter. A Reading of Shirley Jacksons The Lottery. 1984. Web.

In the literary works A Room of Ones Own by Virginia Woolf, A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, and Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun, each protagonist struggles to achieve personal freedom from a confining and oppressive situation. Two of the protagonists represent females who attempt to realize their dreams, ambitions, and sense of self direction during the heavily sexist social mores and parochial way of life that dominated much of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

The third protagonist is a revolutionary minded male, living in China during the revolutionary period of the early 20^th century. All three works exude the pristine quality of a historical document in which no detail has been expunged, manipulated, or updated. All three are very much documents of their time, and as such, give readers magnificent insight into long dead social and political eras, and how they affected the human beings on the ground that lived through them.

In Chapter Three of Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own, the protagonist attempts to make sense of the nonsensical elements of female history, namely, how it could be that in Athenas city, where women were kept in almost Oriental suppression as odalisques or drudges, the stage should yet have produced figures like Clytemnestra and Cassandra Atossa and Antigone, Phedre and Medea, and all the other heroines who dominate play after play of the misogynist Euripides&where in real life a respectable woman could hardly show her face alone in the street, and yet on the stage woman equals or surpasses man (Woolf 20).

Woolfs protagonist is a wildly intelligent and scholarly woman cursed with indefatigable powers of logic. The absence of women from the history books coupled with their paradoxical treatment at the hands of artists and scholars throughout the ages drives her almost to distraction. A very queer, composite being thus emerges.

Imaginatively she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant&Some of the most inspired words, some of the most profound thoughts in literature fall from her lips; in real life she could hardly read, could scarcely spell, and was the property of her husband (Woolf 20).

For thinking women, personal freedom took on a different meaning in a time when women were not expected to possess the same brain power as their male counterparts. In essence, the protagonist of A Room of Ones Own seeks personal freedom not only from the gender politics indicative of her age, but also from her own obsessive need to understand them.

It was disappointing not to have brought back in the evening some important statement, some authentic fact. Women are poorer than men because  this or that. Perhaps now it would be better to give up seeking for the truth (Woolf 20).

In Henriks Ibsens A Dolls House, the main character, Nora, differs from the protagonist of A Room of Ones Own significantly. Nora is not an intellectual, and spends no time scouring books or libraries or trying to make sense of her situation. She does however feel the double standard that exists between herself and Helmer, as evidenced herein:

HELMER: I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora  bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves.

NORA: It is a thing hundreds of women have done.

HELMER: Oh, you think and talk like a heedless child.

NORA: Maybe. But you neither think nor talk like the man I could bind myself to. As soon as your fear was over  and it was not fear for what threatened me, but for what might happen to you  when the whole thing was past, as far as you were concerned it was exactly as if nothing at all had happened&I was your little skylark, your doll&so&fragile. Torvald  it was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a strange man, and had borne him three children  Oh! I cant bear to think of it! I could tear myself into little bits! (Ibsen 112).

Noras disillusionment resembles the waking up moment for women in similar oppressive situations, those of Noras time who realized they were locked in a role, locked in a dolls house, with each move they made scripted by custom, sexism, and the implicit entitlement of a traditional marriage. At the end of the play when Nora leaves, she takes a revolutionary step forward for all the women of her time.

In Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun, the main character becomes obsessed with the notion that his neighbors and members of his family have set about to eat him. Cannibalism, in Diary of a Madman, largely symbolizes the repressive quality characteristic of Chinese Confucianism in the days before the revolution in China.

In Diary of a Madman, the religious culture as exemplified by the main characters neighbors resembles a man-eating civilization, wherein the dominant members of the community prey on its weaker elements.

Since the main character lives in a disordered state as a result of his mental illness, he feels decidedly vulnerable. In ancient times, as I recollect, people often ate human beings, but I am rather hazy about it. I tried to look this up, but my history has no chronology, and scrawled all over each page are the words: Virtue and Morality. Since I could not sleep anyway, I read intently half the night, until I began to see words between the lines, the whole book being filled with the two wordsEat people. (Lu Xun 4).

Diary of a Madman reflects the spirit of revolution from the perspective of a revolutionary. The main characters drive to save himself from his neighbors, while still simultaneously setting himself apart from them, echoes the progressive atmosphere indicative of any era of great reform, at the political, personal and social levels.

The story resembles an ironic tale, given that the main character seeks personal freedom from his illness itself, since it has given him insight into his oppression which may not have been available, had he been in his right mind.

The three pieces detailed in this essay, A Dolls House, A Room of Ones Own, and Diary of a Madman, represent classic works that reflected the honest experience of protagonists caught in oppressive social systems or political regimes. Each protagonists struggle for personal freedom is different; yet, their defiance toward and ultimate rejection of the roles assigned to them by their society remains the same.

Works Cited

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Maryland: Serenity Publishers LLC, 2009. Print.

Woolf, Virginia. A Room of Ones Own. Susan Gubar, ed. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, 2005. Print.

Xun, Lu. Diary of a Madman. Selected Stories of Lu Hsun. Peking: Foreign Language Press, 1960. Print.

The notion that women cannot play a prominent role in family or society has existed for a long time. Although this trend began to change in the past two centuries, this gender stereotype continues to be very widespread. This paper is aimed at discussing such plays as Trifles written by Susan Glaspell and Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House. These authors show how women can be victimized or discriminated in a patriarchal society.

By depicting family conflictsSusan Glaspell and Henrik Ibsen show how women can be forced into subordination. More importantly, the writers show how women challenge the conventions that are imposed on them. There are several important similarities shared by both works. First, both works illustrate similar themes, namely the subordinate position of women and their response to this injustice.

A Dolls House by Ibsen is a description of a woman who tries to break paternalistic relationship with her husband. Trifles written by Glaspell depict a despair of a woman who murders her husband. This similarity is one of the most important to focus on the structure of the narrative. In both plays, the main actions of the characters are not directly described by the authors.

They can be regarded as past events that help the readers understand the story. For instance, in Trifles, the murder is not depicted by Susan Glaspell. The larger part of the play shows how this murder is investigated. The audience is also introduced to the dialogue between two women who discuss about the possibility of Mrs. Wright having killed her husband. The approach to narrative is taken by Henrik Ibsen.

It should be mentioned that Nora was making debt repayments for almost a decade without the knowledge of her husband. It should be kept in mind that Nora obtained the first loan by forging the signature of her own spouse. In order to maintain peace in their marital life, Nora thought that it would be better for her not to tell her husband the entire truth. She did not want her husband to know that she was burdened with debts.

Thirdly, the supporting characters also play a key role in exposing gender dynamics that unfold throughout the plays. For instance, gender roles have been typically reversed in the A Dolls House by other casts as well. Kristine Linde takes over the position of Mr. Krogstad. She proves to the audience that she is capable, highly efficient and independent-minded person in comparison Krogstad.

She does not need the assistance of men to secure a decent job. She even opts to work while her husband stays back home. Also in Trifles, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters find the truth about murder by investigating small details which called trifles by men. Finally both of them decide to hide evidence to protect their peer. These examples are important for showing that women can cope with the tasks and duties of men.

Additionally, both writers want readers to make their conclusion about the ending of two plays. Instead of providing detailed information about the later life of the characters, Ibsen and Glaspell prompt the audience to think about the possible ending of two plays. For instance, the readers of Susan Glaspells play do now know whether Mrs. Wright was acquitted or found guilty of her criminal trial.

Similarly, in A Dolls House, Nora leaves her husband, but the author does not tell what happens to her in the future. Finally, both plays involve similar symbols that represent the female protagonists and the injustice that they have to struggle with. In Trifles, Mrs. Wright has been described as kind of a bird herself (Glaspell 1054) by Mrs. Hale.

Moreover, broken birdcage indicates that this woman could be confined in various ways. For instance, she could not attend any social event since she was made to wear shabby clothes by her husband. In the A Dolls House, Nora is described as little lark and squirrel by her husband by Torvald (Ibsen 1259). The doll house is literary symbol of Noras life.

Just like what she said to her husband, Torvald: Our home has been nothing but a playroom. I have been your doll-wife (Ibsen 1259). Yet, one can also identify some important differences between these literary works. Both Mrs. Wright and Nora break the law, however, the reason is different. Mrs. Wright kills her husband to protect herself because she is afraid that her husband will eventually hurt her.

In contrast, Nora violates the establish behavioral norms in order to protect her husband. Just as she says:Is a daughter not to be allowed to spare her dying father anxiety and care? Is a wife not to be allowed to save her husbands life? I dont know much about law, but I am certain that there must be laws permitting such things as that. (Ibsen 1270).

Even though both protagonists challenge dominant gender roles, their value and attitudes of these people differ significantly. Mrs. Wright wants to cope with the conventional gender roles that are imposed on her. However, the cruelty of her husband prevents her from achieving this goal. To a great extent, she is forced to kill his husband.

In contrast, Nora seems to be quite different from that of Mrs. Wright. At the beginning, she is a happy mother with three children. Although she wants to pursue liberty, she still acts as a good wife who takes care of the family. Torvalds reaction to secret makes Nora decide to leave her husband. At some point, it becomes cumbersome to predict the complex personality of Nora. Although she is expected to be doll in her husbands house, she refuses to accept that role.

Also, the writing technique has some difference. Instead of depicting main characters directly such as in A dolls house, Glaspell uses indirect way to portray female protagonist. The main character Minnie does not enter the stage. This is another distinction that should be taken into consideration.

These literary works show how conventional gender stereotypes can be challenged. The authors demonstrate the liberation of the female protagonists who get rid of the bonds that are imposed on them. Thirdly, the writers focus on the conflicts within the family since these conflicts are driven by different perceptions of gender roles. Furthermore, the narratives in both plays are structured in a similar way.

For instance, the authors want to create suspense and prompt readers to think about the later life of the main characters. This conflict has been explored many writers living in the twentieth century (Schechet 61). The gender roles have been challenged in two main ways in both A Dolls House and Trifles. It is common message that comes out clearly when both plays are presented to the audience or readers.

Traditional conventions are challenged not only by Nora and Mrs. Wright. Other characters also act in this way. For example, Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hales solve the murder case and hide the evidence in effort to save Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Linde works for her family and persuade Krogstad to help Nora. By focusing on the actions of these people, the authors want to demonstrate that patriarchal view on family and society has been undermined.

These literary works are important because they explain the way in which women try to cope with gender discrimination and oppression. Susan Glaspell and Henrik Ibsen describe the experiences of women who struggle with this injustice. Most importantly, they writers show how they oppose to the tradition according to which only males can play a dominant role in family or society.

Works Cited

Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll House. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print.

Schechet, Nita. Narrative Fissures: Reading And Rhetoric, New York: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2005. Print.

The play A Dolls House, written by Henrik Ibsen, is an interesting piece from the perspective of peoples struggles in society. Their challenges are presented by the need to comply with the norms in terms of appearance and behavior while neglecting their own desires and motivation. Thus, in the story, the main theme, which is the sacrificial role of female characters, is supported by the conflict of societal standards and personal intentions alongside symbolic elements.

The narrative clarifies the necessity for women to be victims in certain ways when telling about the issues Nora and Mrs. Linde face. The latter claims that her existence is unspeakably empty since all she has to think about is her family needs while having no chance to be with the man she loves (Ibsen 12). In turn, the former says that the necessity to conform is determined by mens opinions of her as incapable of anything really serious (Ibsen 13).

Both characters share the same conflict, which is the requirement to comply with societal norms while neglecting themselves, underpinned by symbols. For example, Nora saying doll is taken away from you means the specified attitude of her husband (Ibsen 95). When leaving him, she explains the impossibility of living with a person who does not respect her, and this ending proves that this comparison defines the general perceptions of females in this piece.

In conclusion, the relation between the described conflict and the theme can be viewed as the dependence of the position of victims on societal norms. These components are connected by the inclusion of dolls as the symbols speaking of mens attitudes towards women. Thus, the play effectively presents all these elements intertwined in the narrative to portray the link between the individual and collective needs that cannot be balanced.

Work Cited

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Dodo Press, 2005.

Henrik Ibsens play A Dolls House explores the issue of change in the 19^th century Norwegian society. Ibsens Women characters are discriminated and trivialized to the extent that they feel empty and helpless. This triggers a gradual struggle that leads to their liberation.

Within the play, various characters undergo transformation. Ibsen uses symbols effectively to show how transformation is gradual rather than a radical process. Therefore, through Nora, Ibsen portrays how education leads to enlightenment and the eventual transformation of women.

The role of Women is restricted as compared to role played by men. Women are restricted to domestic chores where they are largely subordinated to men. Women are also forced by circumstances to sacrifice their own freedom and comfort for the sake of their families, and as such suffer in silence.

Miss Linde regrets that & a wife cannot borrow without her husbands consent (Ibsen, 1889). As such, Nora cannot reveal to Torvold that she is currently struggling to repay a loan she had acquired by forging her fathers signature, since women are not allowed to engage in such transactions without their husbands knowledge and consent.

Thus, she suffers in silence. This leads her to contemplate suicide because of the guilt she feels when blackmailed by Krogstad for forging her fathers signature on the bonds she committed to acquire a loan, It was I that wrote papas name (Ibsen, 1889).

This exposes the challenge in their marriage. Whereas Nora is presented as a loving and caring wife, Torvald, on the other hand, views her as a helpless person. As such he refers to her as my little caged song bird (Ibsen, 1889). Reference to small and physically weak creatures amplifies male dominance and superiority.

It is such an attitude towards Nora that leads her to revolt and leave her husband. Furthermore, Mrs. Linde sacrificed her love for Krogstad, to marry a richer man so as to support her mother and siblings. However, after the death of her husband she feels free to reunite with Krogstad who forgives her and delights on the boost this development will have on his social standing.

Gender roles are also reflected through education. Education is meant to be a means of empowerment for individuals. Despite the fact that Ibsens female characters are educated, they are not empowered to utilize their knowledge and skills.

The society does not allow women to work, especially the married. Mrs. Linde doesnt get a chance to meaningfully utilize her education until after the death of her husband. Nora, on the other hand has to work secretly against her husbands will (Marker, 1989).

Ibsen uses a number of symbols to highlight how the themes are portrayed through characterization. One of the symbols used is the door. Nora closes the door whenever she wants to talk.

This signifies that she is s secretive person. Ironically, the last door she closes ushers her to freedom. This signifies the change in gender roles (Durbach, 1991). Furthermore, the direction of light in the play also signifies changes, especially in gender roles.

While in some scenes the lights are turned off, towards the end of the play the intensity of light increases especially when Nora is talking to her husband. This illuminates the gradual enlightenment of women as a result of the education they have already attained, in school and through real life experiences.

Contrary to popular opinion, Noras development is gradual and not radical. At the beginning of the play, Nora is portrayed as a harmless child-like wife. However, her change in character is gradual and is reflected through her manner of expression.

Gradually, Nora expresses her anxiety and the desire to be free (Templeton, 1997). This is escalated towards the end of the story and culminates in her slamming the door on her husband. Slamming the door signifies the beginning of her freedom (Abcarian and Klotz, 2002).

Initially women are portrayed as dolls. However, with time they are transformed to become more vocal members of the society. This is symbolized through Nora who rebels from her husbands enslavement. She largely lacks a grasp of her immediate environment outside the house.

Nora has been misguided and overruled by her dominating husband who limits her to mere doll. However when she experiences a reawakening, she questions the social ideals (Markotic, 1998). By the end of the play she emerges a stronger woman psychologically. Thus, A Dolls House is a conscious reawakening play.

List of References

Abcarian, R. and Klotz, M. (2002). Ibsen, Henrik A Dolls House. Literature: The Human Experience. Boston: Bedford.

Durbach, E. (1991). A dolls house: Ibsens myth of transformation. Boston: Twayne Publishers.

Ibsen, H. (1889). A dolls house. London: T Fisher Unwin.

Marker, F., and Marker L. (1989). Ibsens lively art: a performance study of the major plays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Markotic, L. (1998). Epiphanic transformations: Lou Andreas- Salomes reading of Nora, Rebecca and Ellida. Web.

Templeton, J. (1997). Ibsens women. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Background

A Dolls House drama has been regarded as a composition whose performance in art has a social significance of mapping out lifes issues. It presents an in-depth development of emotional themes which realistic characters are going through. These characters are trying to deal with dramatic experiences in their lives.

According to Butler and Watt, characters in the play are facing myriads of conflicts that are arising from among themselves, the natural phenomena and society at large (181). Those themes include corruption, violence against women, class division, sexuality and moral dilemmas. Numerous examples of key themes, expression of character and practice have been clearly depicted in the drama A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen.

The position of a person based on the established sacred institutions usually indicates an individuals status in a social group. In addition, social mobility describes the ability of an individual to comfortably fit among the popular people in society. This paper analyses the position of a woman in society, the aspect of social life as well as the importance of responsibility in the drama A Dolls House.

A brief overview of A Dolls House

Henrik Ibsen was born in March 1828 in a family of six children (Ibsen 5). His birth took place in skien, Norway. At the age of 23 years, he began working in theatres. By this time, he had written Catiline which was his first five-act tragedy play (Ibsen 15). In 1866, he wrote more dramas such as the Brand and Peer Gynt. In 1878, he wrote the Dolls House which portrayed the classical tragedies of marriage and marriage institutions, human rights and particularly womens rights.

It is imperative to note that Henrik Ibsens three-act play A Dolls House is a significant drama which tends to critique the marriage norms and attitudes that were very popular during the 19^th century. The drama was composed by Ibsen in 1878. It has characters and themes reflecting the occurrence of tragedies during that period (Ibsen 55). He was drawn by the gender bias that explained the inability among women to stand out in society that was male-dominated.

Standard conventions and adaptations of the time

Gender stereotype in society has been in existence for a long time. In the 19^th century, the position of a woman on the male dominated society, her roles and duties in marriage depicted how low they were regarded compared to men. According to Butler and Watt, this was due to the intensively conventional practices and persuasively convincing reference to what the society saw as acceptable at the expense of others (108).

Though these stereotypes were adopted by majority of the people during this period, Ibsen felt that it was wrong. Having married and treated his wife on an equal platform, he felt that such a culture was supposed to be discouraged as it was highly generalized and it gave wrong perceptions on women and discouraged full capacity building among women (Butler and Watt 108).

They are greatly adoptive in different regions of the globe. During the 19^th century, the differences between men and women in the society were very critical and the act of marriage was defined in terms of their roles and position in marriage and society (Calasanti and Slevin 16).

In this historic time, the events in the play are relevant to the occurrences in society. According to the events taking place in the life of Nora, she is a feminine gender who has been socially disregarded in society compared to men (Ibsen 65). She was considered to be inferior and thus unable to hold major positions in leadership and even perform any vital role in the community.

Besides, established institutions of this time gave less regard to women in society and denied them chances to head or participate in any major decision making procedures in their communities or marriages. The roles of women as exemplified in the play were described and determined in their absence since they were not allowed to hold major positions in the leadership structures (Ibsen 35). This factor prompted them to sacrifice their roles, a consideration that men could not undertake.

This would assist in saving their marriages and become economically stable. Currently, majority of the third world countries still give preference to male children with the females being denied chances to get better education and facilities. Until recently, reports showed that the practice is still practiced because land and other types of property ownership in certain areas of the world has been a reservation for men only as opposed to women (Calasanti and Slevin 16).

The authors intent

In their publication, Butler and Watt argue that art has been widely used for artistic purposes as well as for social purposes such as education and acquisition of general knowledge in life skills (67).

Drama has been one of the media being massively used as the key tool in promoting positive attitudes towards different gender while denouncing the stereotypical behaviors. As indicated earlier, Ibsens describes a society that was marred by gender issues and conventions that sidelined and oppressed women (Ibsen 45). Male dominance and institutions played the greatest role in spreading stereotypes in society due to its great availability and massive persuasive and convincing power.

Ibsens intention was to use his work to shed light on these issues and also educate the society on the importance of treating women in a fair manner. His drama A Dolls House highlighted several negative attitudes towards womens roles and the negative outcomes of the gender stereotypes (Ibsen 45). He aimed at showing both sides of the story, the feelings of the womenfolk and the menfolk with regards to their positions and pointed towards the society making informed decision.

Reception of his work and change

One of the key significances of Ibsens work of the A Dolls House is that he wrote it in the middle of the gender issues and appeared to criticize the systems of the that era. His work received varied receptions with many critiquing its role in fighting institutions of marriage.

Over the years, analysts have sought to establish the best method of addressing resistance to change in behavioral studies. In their argument, Butler and Watt pointed out that most plays and drama aimed at changing societal behavior were defined on the basis of the received response strength (47). Response of individuals is often measured through analysis of aspects such as the willingness to adapt to change demands and flexibility.

It is notable that the play received sharp criticism from his community and some analysts who suggested that actual response to change should be used as the correct measure of the employed mechanism. As time passes by, the drama has become widely accepted due to the calls for change by institutions that fight for human and womens rights.

Besides, democracy as described in the classical theories of change has been a major pillar towards equating the roles of women to those of men. It has acted as a major platform for total participation in all developments in the society. Increasing democratic space for women in various decision making activities and work has been widely accepted as the call of the drama A Dolls House. This has massively changed the earlier perception that men are unique and hold positions of advantage than women.

Tone, mood, pace and internal thoughts

The play A Doll House by Ibsen presents important moods and tones from its stage directions, settings and characters. Analysts indicate that Ibsen sets the moods of the characters in the play by using tones. The pacing and alternate agendas are clearly seen by the symbols such as the Christmas tree and the New Years Day, the settings of the residence and the chaos witnessed at the end of the play (Ibsen 45).

One of the attitudes seen by the lack of arguments is misunderstandings at the start and progress of the play. The jovial tones of the characters betray the coming pain and frustrations of gender problems faced by women.

One such expression of joy is witnessed in Nora when she receives the Christmas tree from a young man (Ibsen 75). She expresses happiness at the role of paying for the service given by the young man. According to Ibsen, the settings of this mood as well as the fact that all is well at the house of Helmer creates a cozy and warms feelings in the play (144).

Besides glee, the behavior which Torvald is referring to Nora as his pet or lark creates another mood of shock and disdain among the audience (Ibsen 95). Women are seen to be affected by this type of treatment from men and as such, fail to realize and exploit their main potential in society. In addition, social inequality is being brought out as the main source of internal conflicts.

The reflection of social inequality in the play as expressed by the institutions of marriage acts as a major source of disparagement and depiction of tones used when conversing.

Besides, the play reveals internal thoughts from different characters. One such character is Nora who ends Act One by thoughts that shows she feels she will poison her children by the lies she had been telling in order to save Torvald (Ibsen 65). The thought that Krogstad will reveal her lie to Trovald makes her think suicide thoughts in black water.

From the analysis of the drama, it can be concluded that the author was very keen and focused in addressing the needs and current occurrences in society. While the events in the plot of the play may not necessarily be revealing the extent to which human rights have been violated in society, it is still vivid that an equal platform has hardly be en brought into reality especially when addressing the rights of the female gender.

Annotated Bibliography

Butler, Tim and Paul. Watt. Understanding social inequality. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2007. Print.

The rising levels of inequalities in society present a major problem on the roles and development of women. The book highlights social disparities as a major problem that faced the communities that lived during the 19^th century. It raises the concerns that this practice denied women an opportunity to contribute and participate in economic and political matters. The authors lament that the problem may not end soon because certain communities still cling to this practice.

Calasanti, Tony and Kathleen, Slevin. Gender, social inequalities, and aging.Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001. Print.

This book outlines the emerging reality for many communities, families and households of the gender and social dissimilarities affecting society. The authors are of the perspective that this problem ha over the years been reduced through creation of a centralized consideration of ensuring equality for all genders. They also indicate that creating legislations as means of will act as good option in eradication inequalities.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House (SparkNotes Literature Guide). Bloomsbury: Spark Publishing, 2002. Print.

The book by Ibsen presents a critical analysis of the drama A Dolls House which carefully navigates readers minds on the occurrences in the lives of characters. Particularly, it effectively brings out the interconnectedness of the different characters in accomplishing their needs despite social imbalances. The author seek to provide the answers to serious social inequities issues by indicating that participation of women must be encompassed on a larger framework with an aim of giving all genders an equal platform in all levels.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Maryland: Serenity Publishing, 2009. Print.

This book A Dolls House provides an inclusive review of the scenes of the play in both Act One and Act Two and the major settings, themes and moods of the play. Though written for readers who seek to read the play, it is highly valuable as it digs into historical underpinnings that define the period of the 19^th century.

Works Cited

Butler, Tim and Paul, Watt. Understanding social inequality. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2007. Print.

Calasanti, Tony and Kathleen, Slevin,. Gender, social inequalities, and aging.Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House (SparkNotes Literature Guide). Bloomsbury: Spark Publishing, 2002. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Maryland: Serenity Publishing, 2009. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House: Shmoop literature guide, Sunnyvale, BA: Shmoop University Inc., 2010. Print.

In the literary work A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, the protagonist, Nora, struggles to achieve her own personal freedom from a confining and oppressive situation. Written in 1879, A Dolls House tells the story of a Norwegian housewife and mother who chooses to leave her husband and children rather than continue living in the dolls house that her husband has built for her and expects her to stay in (Ibsen 3).

Nora represents the females of her time, those who attempted to realize their dreams, ambitions, and sense of self direction during the heavily sexist social mores and parochial way of life that dominated much of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen exudes the pristine quality of a historical document in which no detail has been expunged, manipulated, or updated; it is very much a document of its time, and as such, give readers magnificent insight into long dead social and political eras, and how they affected the human beings on the ground that lived through them.

Historically, many critics and readers alike have made the assumption that A Dolls House is best read as a feminist manifesto in dramatic form; however, Henrik Ibsen himself did not consider the play to be about the rights of women per se. Rather, Ibsen understood the play to be about human rights (Forward 25).

According to critic Stephanie Forward, Ibsen addressed a crowd of suffragettes in 1898, members of the Norwegian Womens Rights League, and asserted firmly that he was not a member of the league and had no conscious aim of creating propaganda when he wrote A Dolls House (Forward 25). Ibsen admitted I am not even quite clear as to just what this womens rights movement is. To me it has seemed a problem of humanity in general (Forward 25).

Nonetheless, the play is one of the first examples of a female protagonist that chooses to go forward on her own, without her children, and at the time of its premiere in Denmark, Noras action scandalized its audience. Appalled critics condemned Ibsen as an anarchist bent on abrading the fabric of society, and deemed his character Nora as an unnatural woman for leaving her husband and children, because such behavior undermined and threatened the stability of society (Forward 25).

The year before A Dolls House hit the stage, Ibsen had observed in his journal that a woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws flamed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view (Forward 25).

In Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House, the main character, Nora is not an intellectual, and spends no time scouring books or libraries or trying to make sense of her situation. She is not a suffragette, and does not follow any sort of political or social party, nor does she belong to any league of feminist minded women.

That said, Nora feels the injustice of her situation acutely. She bristles as her husbands denigration of her intelligence when he playfully takes her by the ear and calls her his same little featherhead and my little squirrel (Ibsen 3). Nora experiences the double standard that exists between herself and Helmer, as evidenced herein:

HELMER: I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora  bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves.

NORA: It is a thing hundreds of women have done.

HELMER: Oh, you think and talk like a heedless child.

NORA: Maybe. But you neither think nor talk like the man I could bind myself to. As soon as your fear was over  and it was not fear for what threatened me, but for what might happen to you  when the whole thing was past, as far as you were concerned it was exactly as if nothing at all had happened&I was your little skylark, your doll&so&fragile.

Helmer  it was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a strange man, and had borne him three children  Oh! I cant bear to think of it! I could tear myself into little bits! (Ibsen 112).

Noras disillusionment resembles the waking up moment for women in similar oppressive situations, those of Noras time who realized they were locked in a role, locked in a dolls house, with each move they made scripted by custom, sexism, and the implicit entitlement of a traditional marriage.

Ibsen ends the play with the powerful moment of Nora Helmer leaving her family home and closing the door firmly; in that action, she walks out on her husband Helmer and their three young children, and embarks on a life of her own, dedicated to discovering freedom on her own terms.

Women of the time who witnessed this moment in the play were profoundly moved by it: How well I remember, after the first performance of Ibsens drama in London, with Janet Achurch as Nora, when a few of us collected outside the theatre breathless with excitement& We were restive and almost savage in our arguments. This was either the end of the world or the beginning of a new world for women. What did it mean? Was there hope or despair in the banging of that door?

Was it life or death for women? Was it joy or sorrow for men? Was it revelation or disaster? (Forward 24). At the end of the play when Nora leaves, her step forward is one of revolution, and represents a firm and revolutionary step forward for all the women of her time (Forward 25)

Noras moment of enlightenment and her ensuing action is a breathtaking moment of personal freedom. As Forward explains, although Nora does not know what the future will hold&she realizes that she requires space and freedom if she is to develop morally and spiritually. At the end of the play she resolves to withdraw from the game of Happy Families&and pursue her destiny, to be first and foremost a human being (Forward 26).

In A Dolls House, the moments of Noras quest for freedom detailed in this essay represent a classic work that reflected the honest experience of a protagonist caught in an oppressive social systems or political regime. As the protagonist, Noras struggle for personal freedom is unique to her situation and her marriage; yet, her defiance toward and ultimate rejection of the role assigned to her by her society remains the same for all oppressed souls.

Works Cited

Forward, Stephanie. A New World for Women? Stephanie Forward Considers Noras Dramatic Exit from Ibsens A Dolls House. The English Review (2009): 24-27. Web.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Clayton, DE: Prestwick House, 2005. Print.

Henrik Ibsens play A Dolls House explores the issue of change in the 19^th century Norwegian society. Ibsens Women characters are discriminated and trivialized to the extent that they feel empty and helpless. This triggers a gradual struggle that leads to their liberation.

Within the play, various characters undergo transformation. Ibsen uses symbols effectively to show how transformation is gradual rather than a radical process. Therefore, through Nora, Ibsen portrays how education leads to enlightenment and the eventual transformation of women.

The role of Women is restricted as compared to role played by men. Women are restricted to domestic chores where they are largely subordinated to men. Women are also forced by circumstances to sacrifice their own freedom and comfort for the sake of their families, and as such suffer in silence.

Miss Linde regrets that & a wife cannot borrow without her husbands consent (Ibsen, 1889). As such, Nora cannot reveal to Torvold that she is currently struggling to repay a loan she had acquired by forging her fathers signature, since women are not allowed to engage in such transactions without their husbands knowledge and consent.

Thus, she suffers in silence. This leads her to contemplate suicide because of the guilt she feels when blackmailed by Krogstad for forging her fathers signature on the bonds she committed to acquire a loan, It was I that wrote papas name (Ibsen, 1889).

This exposes the challenge in their marriage. Whereas Nora is presented as a loving and caring wife, Torvald, on the other hand, views her as a helpless person. As such he refers to her as my little caged song bird (Ibsen, 1889). Reference to small and physically weak creatures amplifies male dominance and superiority.

It is such an attitude towards Nora that leads her to revolt and leave her husband. Furthermore, Mrs. Linde sacrificed her love for Krogstad, to marry a richer man so as to support her mother and siblings. However, after the death of her husband she feels free to reunite with Krogstad who forgives her and delights on the boost this development will have on his social standing.

Gender roles are also reflected through education. Education is meant to be a means of empowerment for individuals. Despite the fact that Ibsens female characters are educated, they are not empowered to utilize their knowledge and skills.

The society does not allow women to work, especially the married. Mrs. Linde doesnt get a chance to meaningfully utilize her education until after the death of her husband. Nora, on the other hand has to work secretly against her husbands will (Marker, 1989).

Ibsen uses a number of symbols to highlight how the themes are portrayed through characterization. One of the symbols used is the door. Nora closes the door whenever she wants to talk.

This signifies that she is s secretive person. Ironically, the last door she closes ushers her to freedom. This signifies the change in gender roles (Durbach, 1991). Furthermore, the direction of light in the play also signifies changes, especially in gender roles.

While in some scenes the lights are turned off, towards the end of the play the intensity of light increases especially when Nora is talking to her husband. This illuminates the gradual enlightenment of women as a result of the education they have already attained, in school and through real life experiences.

Contrary to popular opinion, Noras development is gradual and not radical. At the beginning of the play, Nora is portrayed as a harmless child-like wife. However, her change in character is gradual and is reflected through her manner of expression.

Gradually, Nora expresses her anxiety and the desire to be free (Templeton, 1997). This is escalated towards the end of the story and culminates in her slamming the door on her husband. Slamming the door signifies the beginning of her freedom (Abcarian and Klotz, 2002).

Initially women are portrayed as dolls. However, with time they are transformed to become more vocal members of the society. This is symbolized through Nora who rebels from her husbands enslavement. She largely lacks a grasp of her immediate environment outside the house.

Nora has been misguided and overruled by her dominating husband who limits her to mere doll. However when she experiences a reawakening, she questions the social ideals (Markotic, 1998). By the end of the play she emerges a stronger woman psychologically. Thus, A Dolls House is a conscious reawakening play.

List of References

Abcarian, R. and Klotz, M. (2002). Ibsen, Henrik A Dolls House. Literature: The Human Experience. Boston: Bedford.

Durbach, E. (1991). A dolls house: Ibsens myth of transformation. Boston: Twayne Publishers.

Ibsen, H. (1889). A dolls house. London: T Fisher Unwin.

Marker, F., and Marker L. (1989). Ibsens lively art: a performance study of the major plays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Markotic, L. (1998). Epiphanic transformations: Lou Andreas- Salomes reading of Nora, Rebecca and Ellida. Web.

Templeton, J. (1997). Ibsens women. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Background

A Dolls House drama has been regarded as a composition whose performance in art has a social significance of mapping out lifes issues. It presents an in-depth development of emotional themes which realistic characters are going through. These characters are trying to deal with dramatic experiences in their lives.

According to Butler and Watt, characters in the play are facing myriads of conflicts that are arising from among themselves, the natural phenomena and society at large (181). Those themes include corruption, violence against women, class division, sexuality and moral dilemmas. Numerous examples of key themes, expression of character and practice have been clearly depicted in the drama A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen.

The position of a person based on the established sacred institutions usually indicates an individuals status in a social group. In addition, social mobility describes the ability of an individual to comfortably fit among the popular people in society. This paper analyses the position of a woman in society, the aspect of social life as well as the importance of responsibility in the drama A Dolls House.

A brief overview of A Dolls House

Henrik Ibsen was born in March 1828 in a family of six children (Ibsen 5). His birth took place in skien, Norway. At the age of 23 years, he began working in theatres. By this time, he had written Catiline which was his first five-act tragedy play (Ibsen 15). In 1866, he wrote more dramas such as the Brand and Peer Gynt. In 1878, he wrote the Dolls House which portrayed the classical tragedies of marriage and marriage institutions, human rights and particularly womens rights.

It is imperative to note that Henrik Ibsens three-act play A Dolls House is a significant drama which tends to critique the marriage norms and attitudes that were very popular during the 19^th century. The drama was composed by Ibsen in 1878. It has characters and themes reflecting the occurrence of tragedies during that period (Ibsen 55). He was drawn by the gender bias that explained the inability among women to stand out in society that was male-dominated.

Standard conventions and adaptations of the time

Gender stereotype in society has been in existence for a long time. In the 19^th century, the position of a woman on the male dominated society, her roles and duties in marriage depicted how low they were regarded compared to men. According to Butler and Watt, this was due to the intensively conventional practices and persuasively convincing reference to what the society saw as acceptable at the expense of others (108).

Though these stereotypes were adopted by majority of the people during this period, Ibsen felt that it was wrong. Having married and treated his wife on an equal platform, he felt that such a culture was supposed to be discouraged as it was highly generalized and it gave wrong perceptions on women and discouraged full capacity building among women (Butler and Watt 108).

They are greatly adoptive in different regions of the globe. During the 19^th century, the differences between men and women in the society were very critical and the act of marriage was defined in terms of their roles and position in marriage and society (Calasanti and Slevin 16).

In this historic time, the events in the play are relevant to the occurrences in society. According to the events taking place in the life of Nora, she is a feminine gender who has been socially disregarded in society compared to men (Ibsen 65). She was considered to be inferior and thus unable to hold major positions in leadership and even perform any vital role in the community.

Besides, established institutions of this time gave less regard to women in society and denied them chances to head or participate in any major decision making procedures in their communities or marriages. The roles of women as exemplified in the play were described and determined in their absence since they were not allowed to hold major positions in the leadership structures (Ibsen 35). This factor prompted them to sacrifice their roles, a consideration that men could not undertake.

This would assist in saving their marriages and become economically stable. Currently, majority of the third world countries still give preference to male children with the females being denied chances to get better education and facilities. Until recently, reports showed that the practice is still practiced because land and other types of property ownership in certain areas of the world has been a reservation for men only as opposed to women (Calasanti and Slevin 16).

The authors intent

In their publication, Butler and Watt argue that art has been widely used for artistic purposes as well as for social purposes such as education and acquisition of general knowledge in life skills (67).

Drama has been one of the media being massively used as the key tool in promoting positive attitudes towards different gender while denouncing the stereotypical behaviors. As indicated earlier, Ibsens describes a society that was marred by gender issues and conventions that sidelined and oppressed women (Ibsen 45). Male dominance and institutions played the greatest role in spreading stereotypes in society due to its great availability and massive persuasive and convincing power.

Ibsens intention was to use his work to shed light on these issues and also educate the society on the importance of treating women in a fair manner. His drama A Dolls House highlighted several negative attitudes towards womens roles and the negative outcomes of the gender stereotypes (Ibsen 45). He aimed at showing both sides of the story, the feelings of the womenfolk and the menfolk with regards to their positions and pointed towards the society making informed decision.

Reception of his work and change

One of the key significances of Ibsens work of the A Dolls House is that he wrote it in the middle of the gender issues and appeared to criticize the systems of the that era. His work received varied receptions with many critiquing its role in fighting institutions of marriage.

Over the years, analysts have sought to establish the best method of addressing resistance to change in behavioral studies. In their argument, Butler and Watt pointed out that most plays and drama aimed at changing societal behavior were defined on the basis of the received response strength (47). Response of individuals is often measured through analysis of aspects such as the willingness to adapt to change demands and flexibility.

It is notable that the play received sharp criticism from his community and some analysts who suggested that actual response to change should be used as the correct measure of the employed mechanism. As time passes by, the drama has become widely accepted due to the calls for change by institutions that fight for human and womens rights.

Besides, democracy as described in the classical theories of change has been a major pillar towards equating the roles of women to those of men. It has acted as a major platform for total participation in all developments in the society. Increasing democratic space for women in various decision making activities and work has been widely accepted as the call of the drama A Dolls House. This has massively changed the earlier perception that men are unique and hold positions of advantage than women.

Tone, mood, pace and internal thoughts

The play A Doll House by Ibsen presents important moods and tones from its stage directions, settings and characters. Analysts indicate that Ibsen sets the moods of the characters in the play by using tones. The pacing and alternate agendas are clearly seen by the symbols such as the Christmas tree and the New Years Day, the settings of the residence and the chaos witnessed at the end of the play (Ibsen 45).

One of the attitudes seen by the lack of arguments is misunderstandings at the start and progress of the play. The jovial tones of the characters betray the coming pain and frustrations of gender problems faced by women.

One such expression of joy is witnessed in Nora when she receives the Christmas tree from a young man (Ibsen 75). She expresses happiness at the role of paying for the service given by the young man. According to Ibsen, the settings of this mood as well as the fact that all is well at the house of Helmer creates a cozy and warms feelings in the play (144).

Besides glee, the behavior which Torvald is referring to Nora as his pet or lark creates another mood of shock and disdain among the audience (Ibsen 95). Women are seen to be affected by this type of treatment from men and as such, fail to realize and exploit their main potential in society. In addition, social inequality is being brought out as the main source of internal conflicts.

The reflection of social inequality in the play as expressed by the institutions of marriage acts as a major source of disparagement and depiction of tones used when conversing.

Besides, the play reveals internal thoughts from different characters. One such character is Nora who ends Act One by thoughts that shows she feels she will poison her children by the lies she had been telling in order to save Torvald (Ibsen 65). The thought that Krogstad will reveal her lie to Trovald makes her think suicide thoughts in black water.

From the analysis of the drama, it can be concluded that the author was very keen and focused in addressing the needs and current occurrences in society. While the events in the plot of the play may not necessarily be revealing the extent to which human rights have been violated in society, it is still vivid that an equal platform has hardly be en brought into reality especially when addressing the rights of the female gender.

Annotated Bibliography

Butler, Tim and Paul. Watt. Understanding social inequality. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2007. Print.

The rising levels of inequalities in society present a major problem on the roles and development of women. The book highlights social disparities as a major problem that faced the communities that lived during the 19^th century. It raises the concerns that this practice denied women an opportunity to contribute and participate in economic and political matters. The authors lament that the problem may not end soon because certain communities still cling to this practice.

Calasanti, Tony and Kathleen, Slevin. Gender, social inequalities, and aging.Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001. Print.

This book outlines the emerging reality for many communities, families and households of the gender and social dissimilarities affecting society. The authors are of the perspective that this problem ha over the years been reduced through creation of a centralized consideration of ensuring equality for all genders. They also indicate that creating legislations as means of will act as good option in eradication inequalities.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House (SparkNotes Literature Guide). Bloomsbury: Spark Publishing, 2002. Print.

The book by Ibsen presents a critical analysis of the drama A Dolls House which carefully navigates readers minds on the occurrences in the lives of characters. Particularly, it effectively brings out the interconnectedness of the different characters in accomplishing their needs despite social imbalances. The author seek to provide the answers to serious social inequities issues by indicating that participation of women must be encompassed on a larger framework with an aim of giving all genders an equal platform in all levels.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Maryland: Serenity Publishing, 2009. Print.

This book A Dolls House provides an inclusive review of the scenes of the play in both Act One and Act Two and the major settings, themes and moods of the play. Though written for readers who seek to read the play, it is highly valuable as it digs into historical underpinnings that define the period of the 19^th century.

Works Cited

Butler, Tim and Paul, Watt. Understanding social inequality. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2007. Print.

Calasanti, Tony and Kathleen, Slevin,. Gender, social inequalities, and aging.Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2001. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House (SparkNotes Literature Guide). Bloomsbury: Spark Publishing, 2002. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Rockville, Maryland: Serenity Publishing, 2009. Print.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House: Shmoop literature guide, Sunnyvale, BA: Shmoop University Inc., 2010. Print.

In the literary work A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, the protagonist, Nora, struggles to achieve her own personal freedom from a confining and oppressive situation. Written in 1879, A Dolls House tells the story of a Norwegian housewife and mother who chooses to leave her husband and children rather than continue living in the dolls house that her husband has built for her and expects her to stay in (Ibsen 3).

Nora represents the females of her time, those who attempted to realize their dreams, ambitions, and sense of self direction during the heavily sexist social mores and parochial way of life that dominated much of the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen exudes the pristine quality of a historical document in which no detail has been expunged, manipulated, or updated; it is very much a document of its time, and as such, give readers magnificent insight into long dead social and political eras, and how they affected the human beings on the ground that lived through them.

Historically, many critics and readers alike have made the assumption that A Dolls House is best read as a feminist manifesto in dramatic form; however, Henrik Ibsen himself did not consider the play to be about the rights of women per se. Rather, Ibsen understood the play to be about human rights (Forward 25).

According to critic Stephanie Forward, Ibsen addressed a crowd of suffragettes in 1898, members of the Norwegian Womens Rights League, and asserted firmly that he was not a member of the league and had no conscious aim of creating propaganda when he wrote A Dolls House (Forward 25). Ibsen admitted I am not even quite clear as to just what this womens rights movement is. To me it has seemed a problem of humanity in general (Forward 25).

Nonetheless, the play is one of the first examples of a female protagonist that chooses to go forward on her own, without her children, and at the time of its premiere in Denmark, Noras action scandalized its audience. Appalled critics condemned Ibsen as an anarchist bent on abrading the fabric of society, and deemed his character Nora as an unnatural woman for leaving her husband and children, because such behavior undermined and threatened the stability of society (Forward 25).

The year before A Dolls House hit the stage, Ibsen had observed in his journal that a woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws flamed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view (Forward 25).

In Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House, the main character, Nora is not an intellectual, and spends no time scouring books or libraries or trying to make sense of her situation. She is not a suffragette, and does not follow any sort of political or social party, nor does she belong to any league of feminist minded women.

That said, Nora feels the injustice of her situation acutely. She bristles as her husbands denigration of her intelligence when he playfully takes her by the ear and calls her his same little featherhead and my little squirrel (Ibsen 3). Nora experiences the double standard that exists between herself and Helmer, as evidenced herein:

HELMER: I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora  bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves.

NORA: It is a thing hundreds of women have done.

HELMER: Oh, you think and talk like a heedless child.

NORA: Maybe. But you neither think nor talk like the man I could bind myself to. As soon as your fear was over  and it was not fear for what threatened me, but for what might happen to you  when the whole thing was past, as far as you were concerned it was exactly as if nothing at all had happened&I was your little skylark, your doll&so&fragile.

Helmer  it was then it dawned upon me that for eight years I had been living here with a strange man, and had borne him three children  Oh! I cant bear to think of it! I could tear myself into little bits! (Ibsen 112).

Noras disillusionment resembles the waking up moment for women in similar oppressive situations, those of Noras time who realized they were locked in a role, locked in a dolls house, with each move they made scripted by custom, sexism, and the implicit entitlement of a traditional marriage.

Ibsen ends the play with the powerful moment of Nora Helmer leaving her family home and closing the door firmly; in that action, she walks out on her husband Helmer and their three young children, and embarks on a life of her own, dedicated to discovering freedom on her own terms.

Women of the time who witnessed this moment in the play were profoundly moved by it: How well I remember, after the first performance of Ibsens drama in London, with Janet Achurch as Nora, when a few of us collected outside the theatre breathless with excitement& We were restive and almost savage in our arguments. This was either the end of the world or the beginning of a new world for women. What did it mean? Was there hope or despair in the banging of that door?

Was it life or death for women? Was it joy or sorrow for men? Was it revelation or disaster? (Forward 24). At the end of the play when Nora leaves, her step forward is one of revolution, and represents a firm and revolutionary step forward for all the women of her time (Forward 25)

Noras moment of enlightenment and her ensuing action is a breathtaking moment of personal freedom. As Forward explains, although Nora does not know what the future will hold&she realizes that she requires space and freedom if she is to develop morally and spiritually. At the end of the play she resolves to withdraw from the game of Happy Families&and pursue her destiny, to be first and foremost a human being (Forward 26).

In A Dolls House, the moments of Noras quest for freedom detailed in this essay represent a classic work that reflected the honest experience of a protagonist caught in an oppressive social systems or political regime. As the protagonist, Noras struggle for personal freedom is unique to her situation and her marriage; yet, her defiance toward and ultimate rejection of the role assigned to her by her society remains the same for all oppressed souls.

Works Cited

Forward, Stephanie. A New World for Women? Stephanie Forward Considers Noras Dramatic Exit from Ibsens A Dolls House. The English Review (2009): 24-27. Web.

Ibsen, Henrik. A Dolls House. Clayton, DE: Prestwick House, 2005. Print.