Within his play A Doll’s House, playwright Henrik Ibsen makes a statement regarding the role of women in society in that he exposes its sexist nature. The relationship of Ibsen's protagonist Nora and her husband Helmer exhibits his sexist motif. The two represent sexist men and women because their relationship is atypical for Ibsen’s time. Ibsen also displays the sexism of the nineteenth century through the experiences of Nora, Christine Linde, and Nurse. The hardships of their lives mirror those of an everyday woman in 1879, the year in which Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House. Through Nora’s break from society and Krogstad and Christine’s decision to live as equals at the end of the play, Ibsen shows women as strong and as equal to men, rather
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Ibsen demonstrations this sexism through Helmer’s sexist comments and Nora’s responses to these comments. For instance, Helmer repeatedly speaks to Nora as one would to a child, as seen when he calls her his “little skylark” and “little Miss Obstinate” (Ibsen 229, 255). Nora subordinates herself by responding to these pet names and she even uses them to describe herself, as in asking Helmer for permission in this way: “if your little squirrel were to ask you something very, very prettily” (253). In asking for permission, Nora further subordinates herself by showing that she neither can nor will do anything without first asking for Helmer’s permission. Similarly, Helmer shows his sexism in that he does not think that she can handle many things. Helmer demonstrates this thought in his statement that she “thinks and talks like a heedless child” (282). Additionally, his surprise that “little Nora [could be] talking about scientific investigations” and his later statement that she “had not sufficient knowledge. . . [and should] only lean on” him validate this statement (273, 277). Nora exhibits the obedience that Helmer and other men expect from women by stating that “everything [Helmer] does is quite right” and that she “should not think of going against [his] wishes” ( 271, 231). Furthermore, Helmer embodies the sexist men during Ibsen’s lifetime in that he subordinates Nora, and Nora represents women because she allows him to do
Ibsen demonstrations this sexism through Helmer’s sexist comments and Nora’s responses to these comments. For instance, Helmer repeatedly speaks to Nora as one would to a child, as seen when he calls her his “little skylark” and “little Miss Obstinate” (Ibsen 229, 255). Nora subordinates herself by responding to these pet names and she even uses them to describe herself, as in asking Helmer for permission in this way: “if your little squirrel were to ask you something very, very prettily” (253). In asking for permission, Nora further subordinates herself by showing that she neither can nor will do anything without first asking for Helmer’s permission. Similarly, Helmer shows his sexism in that he does not think that she can handle many things. Helmer demonstrates this thought in his statement that she “thinks and talks like a heedless child” (282). Additionally, his surprise that “little Nora [could be] talking about scientific investigations” and his later statement that she “had not sufficient knowledge. . . [and should] only lean on” him validate this statement (273, 277). Nora exhibits the obedience that Helmer and other men expect from women by stating that “everything [Helmer] does is quite right” and that she “should not think of going against [his] wishes” ( 271, 231). Furthermore, Helmer embodies the sexist men during Ibsen’s lifetime in that he subordinates Nora, and Nora represents women because she allows him to do