Feminism In Nora Helmer's The Awakening

Feminism, by its very definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities: politically, socially, and economically. Today, this idea is almost second nature to us. However, it hasn’t always been this way. Ever since the creation of humankind, women have been viewed as fundamentally less than men, and their lives were limited in almost every aspect, especially in the home. Women were expected to live a “decent and proper” life: to marry early, have children, and devote their lives to maintaining their home. Women were legally subject to their husbands, and virtually had no rights. Two female characters of the late 19th century who diverted from this social norm were Edna Pontellier from the novel The Awakening …show more content…
Both Edna and Nora were characters who came to terms with a huge flaw in their culture and were strong enough to do something about it. Both characters realized that the role of women in their worlds didn’t fit who they wanted to be. Edna and Nora wanted more for their lives than a house, a husband, and children, and through the actions that they took, the sought to make their desires a reality. However, in the actions she took, Nora Helmer was more of a modern day feminist, because she made her decisions solely based on what she wanted her life to be, contrary to Edna who basically did everything for the love of Robert. At the end of A Doll’s House, Nora finally understands that her life is empty. Yes, she has a beautiful home and lovely children, but she is missing out on truly knowing who she is. She has no idea what she believes in, because she was never allowed to form her own opinions. She has never worked for her own money, because she has never had to. All her life, she was someone’s toy: first her father’s, and then Torvald’s. Nora’s leaving her home is her taking a huge step toward finally learning who she truly is, away from Torvald’s grasp, and what could be more feminist than