When people think about parenthood now, people usually consider it as a responsibility for both parents to raise children. However, back in nineteenth century, society did not endorse that. Society believed that women had to take care of children while males could just provide money instead of actually raising their children. Since society considered the motherhood function was such an important duty for women, Ibsen, one of the promoters of the woman revolution, expresses his ideas of motherhood function in his literature works. His two plays, A Doll House and Hedda Gabler shows his point of view of motherhood function. Ibsen compares and contrasts new women’s belief about the motherhood function as an optional and nonessential decision with
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Ibsen shows audiences the transformation of her attitude toward motherhood function in A Doll House. She was just as like society: believes that motherhood function is her priority job. After she knows she actually commits a crime, the first thing she considers it is not her own sake, but her family’s. She gets “pale with terror” and worries about Krogstad will “hurt [her] children—! Poison [her] home?” (Ibsen 71) However, after she finally realizes that she is as important as the others and she should leave the house and educate herself before she fulfills her function of motherhood. Nora has transformed to a new woman after she understands these In the contrast, her husband, Torvald, stands for society. To argue his belief, Torvald states that “[Nora] [is] not even thinking what people will say” (Ibsen 110). This argument not only shows audience Torvald’s conflicts with Nora, but also implies Torvald’s belief is as the same as society. Torvald believes that Nora should put her children and family before herself. He claims that Nora’s “duties to [her] husband and children” is her “most sacred duties”, but Nora is not restricted by that anymore because she knows that her duties to herself are “equally sacred”. Torvald tries to convince Nora with his idea, so he says to Nora, “before all else, you are a wife and a mother”, but Nora “[doesn’t] believe in that anymore. [She] [believes] that, before all else, [she] [is] a human being” (Ibsen 110). At the end of A Doll House, Torvald still believes that he is right and he would convince Nora. Even though Nora “[knows] the majority thinks [Torvald] is right, and plenty of books agree with [him], too” (Ibsen 111), “[She] [is] not up to the job. There’s another job [she] [has] to do first” (Ibsen 110). After Nora sees things clearly, she is not controlled by her duty of motherhood anymore. No matter how many times Torvald tries to control her by emphasizing the importance of her duty
Ibsen shows audiences the transformation of her attitude toward motherhood function in A Doll House. She was just as like society: believes that motherhood function is her priority job. After she knows she actually commits a crime, the first thing she considers it is not her own sake, but her family’s. She gets “pale with terror” and worries about Krogstad will “hurt [her] children—! Poison [her] home?” (Ibsen 71) However, after she finally realizes that she is as important as the others and she should leave the house and educate herself before she fulfills her function of motherhood. Nora has transformed to a new woman after she understands these In the contrast, her husband, Torvald, stands for society. To argue his belief, Torvald states that “[Nora] [is] not even thinking what people will say” (Ibsen 110). This argument not only shows audience Torvald’s conflicts with Nora, but also implies Torvald’s belief is as the same as society. Torvald believes that Nora should put her children and family before herself. He claims that Nora’s “duties to [her] husband and children” is her “most sacred duties”, but Nora is not restricted by that anymore because she knows that her duties to herself are “equally sacred”. Torvald tries to convince Nora with his idea, so he says to Nora, “before all else, you are a wife and a mother”, but Nora “[doesn’t] believe in that anymore. [She] [believes] that, before all else, [she] [is] a human being” (Ibsen 110). At the end of A Doll House, Torvald still believes that he is right and he would convince Nora. Even though Nora “[knows] the majority thinks [Torvald] is right, and plenty of books agree with [him], too” (Ibsen 111), “[She] [is] not up to the job. There’s another job [she] [has] to do first” (Ibsen 110). After Nora sees things clearly, she is not controlled by her duty of motherhood anymore. No matter how many times Torvald tries to control her by emphasizing the importance of her duty