Would You Rather Be a Doll or a Human?

    In the play "A Doll's House", Henrik Ibsen portrays the stereotypes of gender roles, some of which persist today. At the end of this play, Nora Helmer decides to leave her family to educate herself and find her identity other than a wife or mother. I believe her actions were right, "right" meaning to put what you believe to be correct with reasoning into action. Her actions were right because it wasn't just for her desire to gain freedom from her husband's control but to find her identity.

    Nora puts a lot of effort into portraying herself as the perfect wife and mother, playing the role society expects from women. However, at the beginning of the play, Torvald Helmer (Nora's husband) refers to Nora as "the little lark" and "sulky squirrel" displaying how her husband treats her more like a child and a possession of his rather than his wife and a lifetime companion (Ibsen, 101). Torvald's words show how women were treated in the 19th century and how normalized it was to treat women as a possession of the men in the household. This stereotypical belittlement continues to this day, women as seen as needing to be dependent on a man to navigate their lives. 

    Nora realizes that she should not be treated as an accessory of her husband after Torvald finds out about the loan Nora took out forging her father's signature. Torvald reacted with disgust towards Nora rather than trying to understand what led her to take these actions. Nora begins to see the truth of how Torvald never really loved her but liked the idea of being in control. In Act III, Nora says "I've been your doll-wife here, just as at home I was Papa's doll-child" (Ibsen, 145). After realizing the truth, Nora is forced to choose between living at home as a puppet of her husband or leaving and finding who she truly is.

    Abandoning her children might seem irresponsible for a mother, but Nora does not know who she is, so what role can she play as a mother to her children? Even today many women struggle with the decision between sacrificing themselves for others or fulfilling their desires. A family is made with the effort of many people, why is only the mother or the women in the household expected to take full responsibility for caregiving, while men are free to grow their careers and explore their interests? Nora's decision to walk out that door showed her bravery, she prioritized self-respect over submission despite knowing she would be judged by society. By doing so, Nora not only changed her own life but also the way society as a whole views women, both then and now.