A Doll's House Essay

A Doll’s House Essay

Society is the enemy of everyday lives. Societal issues in Norway during 1879 are revealed in Henrik Ibsen’s play, A Doll’s House. Nora, the main character illustrates how society views women back in the late 1800’s. The interviewee, Lili is married and has two children. She illustrates how society views women in modern society. Nora and Lili share views on money and have contrasting views on female independence, suggesting that modern society’s view on money have not changed, however the stance on female independence have differed over the years.

Nora and Lili’s views on money are quite similar. When Torvald comes home from work, Nora is excited about Christmas and money. Nora expects Torvald “To have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money” (12). Likewise, Lili believes “Men are still expected to be the breadwinners.” Nora relies on Torvald to earn money for the family and Lili concludes that men should be the ones to acquire more money. The expectation for men to provide for their families today have not differed from the late 1800’s. In both societies, women are not pressured to have a generous income or even have an income at all. Nora is a housewife and Lili works fewer hours than her husband to take care of their children. In both societies, it is not a must for women to work. Today, men are still met with a standard to provide for their families while women should stay home and care for the children.

Nora and Lili’s views on female independance differ drastically. When Nora and Torvald are