Love and Power in Marriage as Portrayed in A Doll House

Abstract

Revealing the secrecy of marriage in A Doll 's House Ibsen overturns the customary roles of a woman and a man as they were regarded by the society before . While reading or watching the play the audience starts to realize that habitual roles and seeming happiness of a family life change or even disappear . Ibsen shows us the story where the notions of love and power in family life change their nature

Love and Power in Marriage as Portrayed in A Doll House

Introduction

A Doll 's House by Ibsen

has become a starting moment for a new step in the development of drama genre . Prior to this play , Ibsen 's contemporary drama consisted of behavior plays and historical theatre . But A Doll 's House added a new aspect to the problems highlighted by the contemporary drama . Ibsen in his play introduced a crucial examination of social issues , and the nature of Victorian marriage . By revealing the background of Helmer marriage Ibsen makes the intimate private and stands up for women identity . Revealing the secrecy of marriage Ibsen overturns the customary roles of a woman and a man as they were regarded by the society before

Marriage in Victorian Society

Ibsen provides Nora with the new role different from the role of wife and mother that was an innovation for the contemporary society . As it was customary to refer to woman 's identity in the context of her marital role , Ibsen 's play appeared as a protest , and this play is still regarded as a feminist writing , although the author denied it

The author touched a few intertwined themes , but marital relations are one of the most crucial issues , referred to in the play . Victorian age was cruel towards human identity in general , let alone woman 's individuality . The economical background buried the interest to the individuality within the society . During the period after the French Revolution the thirst for individual freedom was replaced by the economic power , and as the result , women were deprived of the power more than ever

Nora 's changed attitude towards her marriage is not just a problem in the relations between a husband and wife it is the symbol of the most serious problems of bourgeois values of the middle class . By rejecting the marriage , Nora also denies these values , thus demonstrating the opposition between identity and economical stability : I should try to become a human being (Act Three

A Doll 's House reflects Ibsen 's own relation to the problem of woman 's self-expression . He was sure that women could express themselves , their individuality but in a real life woman 's role in marriage came to a sacrifice . Neither husbands nor society treated women as equals with their spouses . The scene of Torvald being afraid of his employers believing that he had been influenced by his wife is a perfect illustration of the relation to women in Victorian society

Marriage in Victorian society became a kind of a social trap , worse for...