English A1 Oral Presentation Transcript Representation of Sexism in Henrik Ibsen's 'A Doll's House' Ibsen was a pioneer of realistic social drama. Unlike playwrights who preceded him, he was very concerned with depicting realistic social settings and illustrating conflict resulting from social pressures and mores. Ibsen also strives to show the blatant sexism that was rampant in the country at the time. This is demonstrated in part by the unequal nature of Torvald and Nora's marriage. At first glance, you might think that the Helmers have a successful marriage, but only on a superficial level. Once we move beyond the comfort of middle-class security, we see that the foundation of marriage is based on the woman's total submission. Furthermore, Nora's actions show that, with good reason, she does not truly respect her husband's value system. Her day is filled with constant acts of subterfuge, some minor, like hiding macaroons, and others of the utmost importance, like paying off a loan that saved her husband's life. Regardless of the level, cheating is a constant in the relationship. This happy and seemingly typical marriage is anything but. In fact, the interactions between husband and wife serve a specific purpose: they illustrate the banality of the discourse between the two. Torvald does not speak to his wife on any substantive subject. Instead, he gives him nicknames that often begin with the personal pronoun "my" and often include the diminutive "little": "Is that my little lark?" In this regard, Torvald may think he is flattering his wife. However, he actually reduces her to a cute, harmless pet, who clearly belongs to him. And like a pet, Nora is supposed to obey her owner/husband and his tyrannical little regime...... middle of paper ...... The play demonstrates this in the following lines: Helmer: Above all thing, you are a wife and a mother. Nora: I don't believe it anymore. I believe that above all else, I am a human being, just as much as you... or at least I will transform into a human being... I want to think everything for myself and make my own decisions. Nora must be true to herself in order to participate meaningfully in society. Her relationship with her children was marred by her relationships with her father and husband; she treats her children like dolls, and they grow up the same way, with the same inability to be true to themselves. At the end of the play, Nora realizes that she cannot properly fulfill her duties as a mother until she first learns how to become a person. In this sense, abandoning one's children is an act of mercy..