A Doll’s House was written and presented to the public in 1879. It was a time when women had few rights. Ibsen used it as the central theme for his play, which was met with some criticism. However, we can’t ignore that the social issues he highlights weren’t relative back then. Moreover, they still are.
Ibsen’s play was created during the Victorian age. It means that strict social codes and laws dictated how people should live. Reputation and status were more important than anything else. The author successfully points it out by introducing Torvald’s character. Moreover, women’s rights were so restricted that they were barely considered as individuals. Some women got to keep their income only at the cost of avoiding marriage. Others could only find financial security with their husbands. One way or another, only men could deal with money freely. Ibsen shows in on the example of Nora. Her actions of secretly taking a loan and faking her father’s signature are illegal.
Not only that, but women were not seen as wholesome persons with their own opinion. According to socially acceptable norms, all women were supposed to be obedient and clueless housewives. Husband would never consult with his wife and take her advice seriously. Ibsen’s representation of the Helmer family follows all those ridiculous rules. Even though nowadays women have much more freedom, there are still some efforts to make to achieve total equality. There are a lot of places when men don’t take women seriously. Besides, it’s no surprise that people still get married for mutual benefit, just like Mrs. Linde and Krogstad do. Therefore, we can claim that A Doll’s House is still as relevant as it was.
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