Henrik Ibsen's A Doll House

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The play, "A Doll house" by Henrik Ibsen could be referred to as a feminist play even though it was written in the late 1800’s by a man. Even commentaries on the possible feminist outlook have been written by authors such as George Bernard Shaw. Ibsen got most of his ideas for the play from a friend who went through a similar situation, needing money for her husbands health, forging a check to pay off the loan, and being criticized for such an act that it made her an unfit wife and mother. When this play was acted on stage the reaction was almost the same in both men and women. That Nora, the wife, was completely immoral for her role change from submissive, helpless, sweet little doll of a wife, to a human with real emotions and her own creed of morals that differed from men’s and most people’s of that time. It even caused enough controversy that signs were made for men to put up in their parlors saying "No Doll House discussions here" in Germany to discourage arguments about play. In Act One of "A Doll House" we see Nora acting as the typical wife in that time period and culture, always spritefull and endearing, agreeable to her husband, and attending to him, or staying out of the way depending on his beck and call. She would always be there for him if he needed her, which wasn’t very often. Right away she asks to borrow some money and Helmer, her husband shares his opinion of her flighty spending habits, and that she had nothing to show for it. She agrees and pretends she spends it on unimportant trinkets and things for the house. When Helmer is in the other room she nibbles on macaroons, but denies the moment he suspects by tasting it on her lips when he kisses her. Again she denies replying, "You know I could never go against you" (Ibsen 1582) So apparently he has forbidden the eating of macaroons or other sweet things in his house.
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