A Doll's House Gender Roles

An admired United States President, by the name of John Adams, once stated, “Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.” Based off of a relevant perspective, it is evident that Adams’ opinionated declaration reflects that of a member of a Victorian society. During the prosperous era of the notorious Queen Victoria, a society arose in which men were the superior beings and women had little to no voice. Women were expected to vulnerably exist as cliché housewives—relying solely on their male betters. On the contrary, men held jobs, dominated the political sphere, and reigned over the ostensible “inferior” female counterparts. Such a restrictive culture exemplifies itself throughout the depiction of the standard, day-to-day existence of the characters in A Doll’s House. Nora Helmer strives to free herself from …show more content…
Throughout Henrik Ibsen’s realistic play, entitled A Doll’s House, a systematic examination of the rigid gender roles and expectations that infect the Victorian society in Norway forces an analysis of prominent characters, such as Nora Helmer, Torvald Helmer, Kristin Linde and the Nanny. Without the impact of the three aforementioned characters, the entire comprehension of the restrictions of a Victorian lifestyle would lose its respective substance.

Since the initial introduction of Nora Helmer, the impact of her oppressive, yet somehow admired, Victorian society prevails through her every action. Due to the expectations pertaining to women rendering dainty, dependent people, Nora Helmer frequently reflects on her short-term job. She quickly recognizes that “it was really tremendous fun sitting there working and earning money” (Ibsen 1.?). Under her Victorian society, Mrs. Helmer refuses to take