In A Doll’s House, Ibsen exposes a patriarchal society in which gender roles serve to oppress both men and women. Ibsen reveals and condemns that men are made to focus excessively upon their own honour, and women, being limited by their expected domestic lives and reliance on men, are further bound by the sheltered life this provides. Nora is upheld as the prime example of the outcome of these constrictions placed upon women, and contrasts with Mrs Linde, who Ibsen champions as a woman who has escaped these constrictions.
Ibsen exposes that men are constrained by honour and shit and in doing so become oppressive to others. Krogstad demonstrates the necessity for men to uphold their social status, his lost reputation resulting in his demotion …show more content…
Mrs Linde is the character through which Ibsen explores the harmful consequences of this, as she was forced to leave behind her lover “all for the sake of money”. This was done so Mrs Linde would have enough money to provide for her mother's and her brothers. The death of Mrs Lynde's husband, for which she demonstrates little sorrow, suggests further that her marriage was done entirely out of the “bitter necessity” that Mrs Linde feels beholden to. This description emphasises that Mrs Linde is constrained in a variety of manners due to her limited access to wealth. This limitation is due to the societal expectation not need to work, which is suggested by Nora only being able attempt to repay her debt with “odds and ends of needlework”. A task that contrasts strongly with the more formal, and higher earning, employment of her husband. Therefore the societal expectation not to work constrains women by forcing them to rely on men to provide for them. This further limits women because they are required to maintain the good favour of these men for money. Nora’s asking for Torvald to “give [her money]” is especially revealing, as it indicates that without Torvald she’d have very little money, and be even more incapable of paying off her debt. In this way, even Torvald’s petty demands, such as Nora spending less or not eating …show more content…
This is achieved by Ibsen through contrast of Nora and Mrs Linde. Nora, having been provided for both by her father and then Torvald, faces relatively little of the world outside of her own home. Ibsen condemns this, because it results in Nora having “made nothing of [her] life”, as is demonstrated by her unfamiliarity with many matters, such as religion and accountancy. This motivates her to leave her domestic life with Torvald, as her desire to “become [human]” rather than simply a housewife is indicative of a want to develop, as Mrs Linde did. Mrs Linde is used by Ibsen to further condemn this societal pressure upon women, as, having escaped life under the care of others, she has matured and developed a greater sense of self. Particularly, Mrs Linde’s sorrow at having been left with no children after the death of her husband reveals she has a desire to provide for others. Mrs Linde’s desire to have children to care for is further emphasized by her joyous claim of “someone to live for” when she agrees to assist Krogstad and help raise his children. Notably, Mrs Linde’s desire to find someone else to take care of comes after having been made to work tirelessly to provide for her family. The significance of this is made apparent by Nora’s claim that she was never happy with
Ibsen exposes that men are constrained by honour and shit and in doing so become oppressive to others. Krogstad demonstrates the necessity for men to uphold their social status, his lost reputation resulting in his demotion …show more content…
Mrs Linde is the character through which Ibsen explores the harmful consequences of this, as she was forced to leave behind her lover “all for the sake of money”. This was done so Mrs Linde would have enough money to provide for her mother's and her brothers. The death of Mrs Lynde's husband, for which she demonstrates little sorrow, suggests further that her marriage was done entirely out of the “bitter necessity” that Mrs Linde feels beholden to. This description emphasises that Mrs Linde is constrained in a variety of manners due to her limited access to wealth. This limitation is due to the societal expectation not need to work, which is suggested by Nora only being able attempt to repay her debt with “odds and ends of needlework”. A task that contrasts strongly with the more formal, and higher earning, employment of her husband. Therefore the societal expectation not to work constrains women by forcing them to rely on men to provide for them. This further limits women because they are required to maintain the good favour of these men for money. Nora’s asking for Torvald to “give [her money]” is especially revealing, as it indicates that without Torvald she’d have very little money, and be even more incapable of paying off her debt. In this way, even Torvald’s petty demands, such as Nora spending less or not eating …show more content…
This is achieved by Ibsen through contrast of Nora and Mrs Linde. Nora, having been provided for both by her father and then Torvald, faces relatively little of the world outside of her own home. Ibsen condemns this, because it results in Nora having “made nothing of [her] life”, as is demonstrated by her unfamiliarity with many matters, such as religion and accountancy. This motivates her to leave her domestic life with Torvald, as her desire to “become [human]” rather than simply a housewife is indicative of a want to develop, as Mrs Linde did. Mrs Linde is used by Ibsen to further condemn this societal pressure upon women, as, having escaped life under the care of others, she has matured and developed a greater sense of self. Particularly, Mrs Linde’s sorrow at having been left with no children after the death of her husband reveals she has a desire to provide for others. Mrs Linde’s desire to have children to care for is further emphasized by her joyous claim of “someone to live for” when she agrees to assist Krogstad and help raise his children. Notably, Mrs Linde’s desire to find someone else to take care of comes after having been made to work tirelessly to provide for her family. The significance of this is made apparent by Nora’s claim that she was never happy with