Blog Post 4: A Doll's House

Blog Post 4: A Doll’s House

            The main themes brought up in A Doll’s House deal with the gender role of women in society as made evident in the female characters and the parental roles in society as made evident in the Helmer household and through Dr. Rank’s beliefs regarding his disease. Readers of the twenty-first century are still captivated by these ideas proposed by Ibsen because they shows the contrast and progress of women in society and help historians better understand the female rights movement since the play depicts way women were treated as play dolls. Furthermore, the play still portrays relatively prominent ideas about parenting skills to raise a morally sound child.

            Each of the female characters had to sacrifice their integrity. Mrs. Linde sacrificed her integrity by marrying a man for money instead of her true love, Krogstad, in order to have the financial means to care for her mother and younger brothers. Helene, the Helmer’s caretaker (and Nora’s childhood caretaker), sacrificed her integrity when she left her children to work. Lastly, Nora sacrificed her integrity when she loaned money in secret, as this was illegal for women to do without permission from their husbands, in order to save her husband’s life. Also, Nora sacrificed her integrity when she abandoned her children as she believed (and was told by Torvald) that she would corrupt them and that the caretaker would raise them better. Men were not expected to sacrifice their integrity. For instance, when Torvald found out about Nora’s forgery and Krogstad blackmailing her, he did nothing to stand up to her or try to rescue her. Ultimately, Ibsen is laying out the basis of gender roles during this time period for historians to compare and contrast to today twenty-first modern society. As made evident in the play, women are put in a more pleasing and compassionate role than men. Women are forced to do actions that they themselves do not agree with or want to do solely in their own interest, but have to in order to please others. Compared to the twenty-first century society, women are much more independent and strong-willed in their integrity. While women may still sacrifice their integrity in attempt to please someone else, they do this not because they have to but because they also find it in their best interest as well.

Parental roles in society was another idea heavily stressed by Ibsen. The play stressed that a parent must be morally sound and free of lies and deceit in order for their children to be raised good and properly. Torvald immediately forbade Nora from raising the children upon discovery her act of forgery and keeping the loaned money a secret, as he did not want Nora to corrupt/further corrupt their children. Dr. Rank fully believed and blamed his fathers lack of morality for his terminal disease and suffering. The following lines from Act One depict the idea that children are products of their parents’s morality.

Helmer: Just think how a guilty man like that has to lie and play the hypocrite with every one, how he has to wear a mask in the presence of those near and dear to him, even before his own wife and children. And about the children--that is the most terrible part of it all, Nora.

Nora: How?

Helmer: Because such an atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the whole life of a home. Each breath the children take in such a house is full of the germs of evil.

Nora [coming nearer him]: Are you sure of that?

Helmer: My dear, I have often seen it in the course of my life as a lawyer. Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a deceitful mother.

Readers from the twenty-first century are still intrigued by this idea because it is still a prevalent idea among society. Parents are supposed to be honest and good examples for their children so their children grow up well mannered and moral. Morality is also learned from observation of parents. While a disease is probably not the repercussion of one’s parents immoral acts, Ibsen most likely used this as a way to strongly get his idea across that good, healthy children are raised by good, morally healthy parents.