19th Century Women's Roles

19th Century Women's Roles

Ibsen's A Doll's House shook the foundations of 19th century social expectancy and the way women were perceived at that time. Women's roles in society, the household and the workplace are apparent in A Doll's House but Ibsen also shifts and helps change the way women were perceived. The audience and critics (which were mostly men) were worried about the possibility of other women following Nora's lead and walking out and so the play was banned. The role Nora takes and what she does in the end was not seen as the appropriate thing for women to do at the time. Women were seen as the subordinate sex and were expected to stay at home and not work; especially if the woman was married. What Nora does in A Doll's House is comparable to the stand Natasha takes in The Bridegroom. Natasha takes a stand against arranged marriages and helps put a murderer in jail even though she was treated like an object. The role of women in society, in the household, and in the workplace has drastically changed since Ibsen's time in that women were treaty as objects and as an unequal, weaker sex than men.

Women in the 19th century did not, or were not allowed to; prosper in society or the workplace. They were expected to stay home and care for the home only. This means that women had no freedoms to work and earn there living, they are expected to work at home ( Encyclopedia of European Social History 1350-2000). In a Doll's House, Nora has to sneak her work. She copies things for money but not around Torvald. Women and men existed in separate spheres. They were inferior to men, had no protective legislation for the harassment women experienced. This means that Torvald sees himself separate from Nora, not as husband and wife but more as Husband and child. To objectify women was always the norm and women were looked down upon if they were married and working. There job was in the home, raising children and keeping things clean (Encyclopedia of European Social History 1350-2000). For women, there roles in society, home and workplace were decided and run by men. They had no say because they were not seen as intelligent enough; after all, school opportunities were rare for women.

In A Doll's House, Nora is prohibited to work, and must work in the home by cleaning. Torvald is worried and focused on the social appearance of the marriage. Nora has no control over the finances. This is apparent when she says, "You could give me money Torvald. No More than you think you can spare; then one of these days I'll buy something with it" (Ibsen 971). Nora must ask Torvald for money because she cannot work to earn her own. Even though Nora is rarely involved in the upbringing of her children and we rarely see her clean in the play, she is still prevented from doing something productive with her time. In the end, Nora's decision to leave Torvald shocks him and is supposed to shock the readers of the play. Torvald says, "And-clearheaded and sure-you're leaving your husband and children?"(Ibsen 1016) Women were not supposed to leave their husband and children as Nora did. They were expected to serve their husband and raise there children without any question. Torvald expects Nora to be perfect, appearances are all that matter to him. This is noticeable when he says, "What's important is, she made a success, an overwhelming success. You think I could let her stay on after that and spoil the effect?" (Ibsen 1008)Nora is expected to appear perfect and flawless. She is also expected to obey her husband, when he says its time to leave, Nora must leave. Nora's life is lived through Torvald. What he wishes to show her is all she knows.

One of the leading feminists in all of history, the woman who woke the world up to the objectification of women is Simone De Beauvoir who wrote The Second Sex. According to De Beauvoir, men see women's work as in the home. Women are restricted to their home and the only way for them to express there personality is through decorations in which men see as useless (De Beauvoir). Nora's domain is her home; she never once leaves it in the entirety of the play. De Beauvoir suggests man and wife relationships should be reciprocal and that women need to be equal to there husbands. The marriage contract should be between man and wife, not man and father-in-law (De Beauvoir). Nora often refers to her father in that both him and Torvald have treated her like a child and repressed her in many ways. Most of De Beauvoir's themes in The Second Sex resemble the major problems and themes in A Doll's House.

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