A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
Ma. Jennifer S. Yap
Dr. Sherwin Perlas
World Literature
January 14, 2012
A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
Translated by
Rolf Fjelde
I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, “The Subjection of Women”, that women were, “wholly under the role of men and each private being under the obligation of disobedience to the man with whom she has associated her destiny”. This issue of gender roles in the society propelled to the production of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House—a controversial play of a woman who disregards conventional norms of the society. It displays how lies and deceptions could destroy relationships and the need of every individual to possess self-identity. The evident dramatization of a woman struggling to step beyond the limited identity imposed by her husband and society spawned to various arguments as to the true purpose of the playwright in writing the play. Templeton in her article, “The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism and Ibsen”, enumerated arguments that were used to reject the play as a feminist text. After thoroughly scrutinizing the arguments, she did not concur with the ideas and wrote in her journal: “Finally, research on Ibsen’s life proves that, all claims to the contrary, his intentions in A Doll House were thoroughly feminist” (Templeton). Being claimed and lauded by propaganda feminist, some critics argued that Ibsen’s intention in writing the play is not to resolve gender inequality and to liberate women in the society but rather just to illuminate it and reveal a moral issue faced by every person in his life (Cliffsnotes). Moreover, an article written by R. M. Adams explains: “A Doll House represents a woman imbued with
Dr. Sherwin Perlas
World Literature
January 14, 2012
A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen
Translated by
Rolf Fjelde
I. Introduction During the late nineteenth century, women were enslaved in their gender roles and certain restrictions were enforced on them by a male dominant culture. Every woman was raised believing that they had neither self-control nor self-government but that they must yield to the control of a stronger gender. John Stuart Mill wrote in his essay, “The Subjection of Women”, that women were, “wholly under the role of men and each private being under the obligation of disobedience to the man with whom she has associated her destiny”. This issue of gender roles in the society propelled to the production of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House—a controversial play of a woman who disregards conventional norms of the society. It displays how lies and deceptions could destroy relationships and the need of every individual to possess self-identity. The evident dramatization of a woman struggling to step beyond the limited identity imposed by her husband and society spawned to various arguments as to the true purpose of the playwright in writing the play. Templeton in her article, “The Doll House Backlash: Criticism, Feminism and Ibsen”, enumerated arguments that were used to reject the play as a feminist text. After thoroughly scrutinizing the arguments, she did not concur with the ideas and wrote in her journal: “Finally, research on Ibsen’s life proves that, all claims to the contrary, his intentions in A Doll House were thoroughly feminist” (Templeton). Being claimed and lauded by propaganda feminist, some critics argued that Ibsen’s intention in writing the play is not to resolve gender inequality and to liberate women in the society but rather just to illuminate it and reveal a moral issue faced by every person in his life (Cliffsnotes). Moreover, an article written by R. M. Adams explains: “A Doll House represents a woman imbued with
Bibliography: New York. Norton; (1986): 1101-1153. McGraw-Hill, (2000): 879. Meyer, Michael. 1971. Ibsen: A Biography. Garden City, New York. Double Day Company. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature.4rth ed.Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin’s (1997)1133-34. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4rth ed.Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin’s (1997)1130-1132. Hemmer, Bjorn. “Realism and A Doll’s House”. 2008. 18. Dec.2011. 18 Dec. 2011. The Indian Review of World Literature in English.2007.18 Dec. 2011.