A Doll's House Oppression

Playwright and writer, Henrick Ibsen, in his play, A Doll’s House, illustrates how women were oppressed during modern-day Victorian Era. Ibsen’s purpose is to express how Nora, along with thousands of other women, are being being psychologically oppressed by their husbands, creating broken homes controlled by separate minds. He adopts an empathetic tone in order to display his perspective on oppression, and bring deep insight in his audience. Psychological oppression can affect a person in many ways. In the play, A Doll’s House, Torvald sees Nora more like a child than his wife. He treats her as if she were a fragile China doll needed to be taken care of and mended in case she breaks. In the play, Torvald tells her “Be at rest and feel secure, I have broad wings to shelter you under” (Ibsen 74). In addition to this, Torvald also inquires her “Is that my little squirrel bustling about” (Ibsen 17)? All throughout the play, Torvald is making these immature comments oppressing her in the way she thinks. With these comments and remarks, Torvald is treating Nora as his doll for him to protect play with. What he is intending with
Torvald’s oppression makes her realize that they don’t truly love each other. She now knows that all this time, she was just a toy that was passed on in order to be played with. With this awakening, she leaves in order to find her place in the world, but most importantly, she leaves to find herself and who she truly is. Ibsen displayed this oppression in order to make people all over the world aware of the struggles women are going through, and how one individual can have so much power and impact over someone. Ibsen’s goal was to open people’s eyes and make them understand how oppression can destroy a relationship, and how it can destroy people. In the end, oppression can lead to a broken doll with a broken home, creating separate