Henrik Ibsen(TM)s portrayal of a changing society through the characters of his play, A Doll(TM)s House

Henrik Ibsen’s portrayal of a changing society through the characters of his play,

A Doll’s House

Gender inequality, patriarchy, and the subordination of women were part of regular society during the Victorian Era. Society operated according to a set standard of morality, and the status of an individual in such society was dependent on his/her adherence to this set standard. In 1879, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen published his controversial work, A Doll’s House. The events and characters of this play defied the accepted standards of morality and the roles of men and women, and were used by Ibsen as a representation of the changing society in order to reveal his disapproval of the rules that discouraged individuality and self-expression. Ibsen consistently challenged the ideals of Victorian society by juxtaposing the stereotypical 19th century character against the character of the changing individual. Ibsen’s characters Nora and Torvald Helmer, along with the character of Mrs. Christine Linde, portray the transformation awaiting Victorian society and its current shortcomings.

Ibsen’s main, and most controversial, character in the play is the protagonist, Nora Helmer. Nora is first shown as a frivolous young wife, who is completely dependent on her husband Torvald. She is in most ways, a typical woman of the time, uneducated and under the control of a male figure, whether it is her deceased father or her husband. Once however the truth is told about her debt, and her forgery, she immediately becomes atypical. Her final action of leaving Torvald of her own free will, and for the reason of self-discovery, makes her the antithesis of a typical woman of the time. Nora’s goes against the expectations forced upon her when she makes the decision to leave Torvald, saying “In any case, I am setting you free. You’re not to feel like a prisoner in any way. I will not feel that way at all” (Ibsen 118). This highlights that the ending of the marriage is the wife’s decision, and that she is leaving her husband even though he does not wish to do so, which was a shocking idea in Victorian times. The way in which Nora contradicts the assumed role of societal woman at the time supports Ibsen’s position against the suppression of women and their subordinate roles.

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While Nora first took on the role of the typical woman, Mrs. Linde was introduced as a symbol of the way in which society was transforming. Mrs. Linde is a widowed woman with no children, who works in order to provide for herself, and previously in order to provide for her family. She visits Nora to ask that Torvald find her a job at the bank, and when Torvald meets her and learns of this, he immediately asks, “I presume you are a widow, Mrs. Linde?” (36). This almost automatic reaction shows that since Mrs. Linde is a widow, the rules of society no longer apply to her, as it is acceptable for her to work. In this way, Mrs. Linde represents what society will transform into. Ibsen also seems to suggest the direction in which he desires society to head, by creating the romantic plot between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad. “Nils, I have faith in the real you – I can face anything with you” (91). The relationship between Christine Linde and Nils Krogstad contrast that between Nora and Torvald Helmer in that the former is based on love, not on the expectations of society or the natural order of events, whereas the latter is based on a need to conform and fit into the roles assigned. By creating the more desirable romantic relationship between the two characters most ostracized and atypical in Victorian society, as opposed to between the ‘normal’ couple, Ibsen introduces another unconventional event to the play. Mrs. Linde’s character adds a completely unfamiliar persona to the play’s Victorian audience, which further displays Ibsen’s stance against society’s status quo.

Ibsen does not only point out the transformation that he sees fit for society, but he also criticizes the current standard through the character of Torvald. Torvald is cast as the model image of the Victorian Era-type male. He conforms to the standards of society, including a strong urge to obey the laws of perceived morality, and believes that his true worth is wholly dependent on how society judges him. In contrast to Ibsen’s contemporaries, he displays these characteristics as negative, leading to Torvald’s ultimate rejection, as opposed to agreeing with the ideals of society and portraying the characters that follow them as noble and deserving. However, Torvald’s strict obedience of the laws of society leads to the end of his marriage in the play. Torvald’s reaction to Krogstad’s threat to expose Nora is heavily reliant on society’s expectations, once again, “All there is now is saving what’s left of our shattered lives, keeping up appearances” (106). This reaction was what finally pushed Nora to understand Torvald’s true nature and leave him. Ibsen uses this situation to show that Victorian ideals were not necessarily right, nor were they the only way to happiness, as Torvald’s adherence to the society’s rules led to him getting rejected by his wife. Ibsen juxtaposes Torvald’s Victorian character against Nora and Ms. Linde’s characters, with one acting as criticism of current society, and the others acting as its needed change.

Henrik Ibsen created a new kind of character in A Doll’s House, one that did not conform to the ideals of Victorian society, and introduced a potential new way of thought to conventional audiences. His personal distaste for the lack of individuality and inequality between genders is conveyed through the play’s characters, who were developed in such a way that audiences could not judge immediately based on romanticized understandings of right and wrong. While Nora’s act of leaving her marriage would be considered scandalous, her argument that it is unreasonable that the actions she committed in trying to keep her husband alive constituted a felony provokes thought. Ibsen manipulates the audience’s emotions in a manner completely opposite to theater of the time, in which there was always a moral that agreed with society’s standards.

Word Count: 1,002

Works Cited

Ibsen, Henrik . A Doll's House. Trans. Nicholas Rudall. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1999.