Conforming to gender stereotypes rooted in Victorian society is the ideology that one must behave in a certain way which is considered socially "acceptable" by Victorian society The exploration in this essay is whether society shapes the individual in a "Doll's House" and "Murder in the Red Barn" are either consistent. to Victorian gender stereotypes, or presented as unconventional Both plays initially give the audience the impression that Nora and Maria both conform to the gender stereotypes ingrained in Victorian society. 'Ibsen, Nora appears to conform to gender stereotypes at the beginning of the play. In contrast, in "Murder in the Red Barn", Maria is portrayed as a submissive woman who conforms to the gender roles of Victorian society. throughout the melodrama. "A Doll's House" Nora is portrayed as a "childish" wife incapable of managing her finances. This is shown when she asks Helmer if they "can be a little extravagant" and her immaturity is demonstrated by his suggestion to "wrap the notes in nice gold paper". Likewise, Maria herself is revealed to be childish when she "jumps" towards Marten. The fact that Maria "jumps" shows her childish and carefree nature, which also suggests that she is completely innocent. There is also a comparison in the fact that in the melodrama, Maria is very feminine in the sense that she plays "hard to get" and this is demonstrated by her actions when she "trips" with her "nose in the air » when Corder asks her to dance with him while Nora in "A Doll's House" flirts with Helmer and this is reflected in the middle of the paper...... "you can't believe I forgave you"? Here he demonstrates his vanity as he only "forgives" Nora because the "IOU" has been "torn up" and therefore there is nothing that can harm his "unassailable reputation". , Maria is very concerned about what "people will say" when they see her with "rich Mr. Corder's son." Victorian society's beliefs regarding social class were that an upper class man should only marry a woman of his social class. the working class was considered inferior and immoral. In conclusion, there is a conformation of gender stereotypes ingrained in Victorian society. In "Murder in the Red Barn", gender conformation is evident throughout the melodrama, while in "A Doll's House", the aim is to "expose" that certain characters perform "actions" which are " in opposition to general gender norms".’.