"A Dolls House" feminist critics and the social conventions Of marital life.

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 “A Dolls House” feminist critics and the social conventions

Of marital life.

In Ibsen's symbolic play “A Doll House”, Nora is the bird, and her marriage is the cage. A bird may have beautiful wings, but within a cage, the beautiful wings are useless. Within the cage, the bird is not fulfilling the potential for which it was created - it is merely a household decoration.  Externally, Nora is a beautiful creature entertaining her husband with the beautiful images of an obedient wife, but internally, she is a desperate creature longing to explore her potential outside the cage of her marriage. In a society dominated by the expectations of men, Nora must choose between the obligations determined by her role as wife in disagreeing to the obligations of self, in determining her true identity and Christine’s identity within the social convention of marital life. Nora’s flight to personal freedom is considered useless to some feminist critics, due to the decision of Christine to re unite with Krogstad. However Nora is praised for leaving Torvald. In some ways I agree with this statement though both Christine and Nora’s characters differ immensely allowing them to take different actions according to their character.

        The role of women in late 19th century marriage was very stereotypical, providing your husband with children, and caring for one’s family, the perfect mother and wife, honest, loving and loyal to her husband. Women didn’t have the same equal rights as men, and Ibsen portrays Nora as the total opposite, as a bird which escapes and fly’s away, leaving behind an empty cage only to experience new ways. Never was a woman to have a good paying job and deal with money, which was a man’s job. Nora was isolated from the real society she lived in, she knew not of what it was like to survive in the real world. Money was an enormous issue towards Nora, she would have it in her fingers and it would just slip away, she knew not the value of money, so she carelessly spent it at times. Nora is in actuality a child, fully grown, unaware of the law, and the society. Nora was a stereotypical 19th century woman and obeyed her husband, everything Torvald had achieved was what Nora had achieved as well, his success of promotion, at a good paid job and a high social status, was overwhelming for Nora. “Oh, Christina, I feel so light hearted and happy! It’s delightful to have lots of money, and no need to worry about things, isn’t it?” (213)  Nora boasts about how successful they are, when Christina is isolated with no family and no money.  

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Christine on the other hand is embracing into marriage, she has had experience of how hard life can be without relying on a father or husband, like Nora did. She married for her family’s sake. She saw an opportunity of a better, wealthier life and took it. It shows Christina’s loyalty to her family when she did not think that she “had the right” to refuse her husband’s marriage proposal. After taking into consideration her sick mother, her brothers, and her husband having money. She married for the welfare of her family. Hence, family is top priority in this society. ...

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