A Doll's House Prejudice Analysis

Prideful Prejudices in Victorian Society During the age of Victorian Society, social norms forced men and women to conform to strict roles. In 1800’s Europe, men were expected to be the breadwinners, and be masculine in appearance and personality, while women were to be homemakers, keep an air of femininity and never question her husband. In Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House, symbolism is used to portray gender roles placed on men and women by Victorian Society. Significant symbols used within the book include the lamp Nora brings out, the deal struck between Nora and Krogstad, and Torvald’s interest in embroidery. Dr.Rank and Nora are close friends, and Dr.Rank visits her and Torvald’s Home nearly every day. When Dr.Rank and Nora are …show more content…
These symbols include the lamp illuminating (figuratively and literally) the sexual tension between Nora and Dr.Rank,The contract between Krogstad and Nora, and Torvald’s interest in embroidery which is considered taboo by Victorian expectations of men, yet is revealed when he is drunk. Victorian society placed strict roles and ethics upon the populace, shunning sexual behavior, such as with Nora and Dr.Rank, women from attempting to act in independence (even to assist their husband) requiring Nora to go behind her husbands back to help him, and conversely requires men to keep a masculine character, causing any feminine characteristics to be repressed, only to come up when drunk, such as with torvald’s interest with embroidery (something which would typically be considered inappropriate for a man to be interested in during the era). These standards may be difficult for modern readers to comprehend, as well as audiences during the time of the play’s initial creation, who grew up with these gender roles as being the standard and accepted practice. Symbolization can help the audience better understand the deeper messages behind certain plot points, and make the themes more