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A Doll's House


            During the late 1900's, men and women were not looked upon as equals. Women were often seen as a possession to flaunt around and show to the world. By keeping the women out of the government as well as the work place, men were able to make women inferior to them. This made the women helpless and dependent upon men. In the play A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen, Nora's dilemma is directly affected by this male-dominating society.
             Growing up in a male-dominated society, Nora was adored by her father and raised by her nursemaid Anne Marie. At the time Nora though her life was pleasant and perfect, but in reality she was just her father's "baby doll, and he played with [her] as [she] use to play with dolls" (Ibsen 1124). Her father viewed Nora as a possession to amuse him. He played with her like children play with their toys. She was simply there to make her father happy and keep him happy. Nora also says, "At home, Daddy use to tell me what he thought, then I though the same" (1124). Again, Nora must keep her father happy. She thinks whatever he thinks regardless if she agreed with him. Being raised in a male-dominated society, Nora was unable to become nothing more than her father's baby doll.
             Nora's husband Torvald did not treat her any different from her father. He called her pet names such as his pet, his little squirrel, and his singing bird. By using these words to address Nora shows that he sees her more as a possession than his wife. He talks down to her just as one would talk to a child. He is calls her and sends her away just as a father would do with his daughter. Dr. Rank say to Nora "I thought [macaroons] were forbidden here" (1085). This statement shows that Torvald and Nora's marriage is not a husband and wife relationship, but it is more of a father and daughter relationship. Since Nora was passed from her father's arms to Torvald's arms, she remains dependent on a man.


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