Topic > Realism and Feminism in A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

At first glance, Ibsen's A Doll's House seems to allude to feminism, talking about the differences in the roles of men and women. Waves of feminism and readers' subjective perception led many people to draw feminist motifs from the text as they were more inclined to connect the work to personal experiences. In reality, ADH was simply a tributary realist work describing the story of his lifelong friend Laura. Ibsen's work is an example of realism rather than feminism because it truthfully portrays the characters and their conflicts. Everything is presented realistically as it is, and this is demonstrated in various aspects of A Doll's House. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The marriage of Nora and Torvald is just one of the examples of realism described by Ibsen. Despite the frequent use of nicknames and friendly teasing, Nora's deception and the secrecy of her illegal bank loan contrast with that of a "loving" partner. She even goes so far as to convince Christine and Dr. Rank to help her keep the secret after finding out. Likewise, after realizing what Nora had done, Torvald's only concern was his own reputation and his job. He lashes out at Nora, calling her a “miserable creature” and exclaiming, “Now you have destroyed all my happiness,” unable to find any worthy motivation for his actions. As a result, both their marriage and Torvald's true character are revealed for what they truly are: simply a fiction. Nora herself underlines this in the conclusion of the work, proclaiming: “But our house has been nothing more than a playroom. I was your wife-doll, just as I was daddy's little girl-doll at home. . . This was our wedding, Torvald. ”Ibsen makes no attempt to glorify their relationship and simply states the facts. Nora and Helmer “played” a marriage rather than living in a true husband-wife partnership. Ibsen also treats the character of Torvald realistically as his vanity and selfishness are revealed throughout the play. His concern for Nora is not driven by love, but rather by the fact that he treats Nora as an inferior person. Since she herself cannot make reasoned judgments, she must take care of her and tell her what to do. “You never loved me. You just thought it was nice to be in love with me. " As Nora points out, Torvald never truly loved her for who she was, he just found the idea of ​​having a submissive wife to do his bidding amusing. As a genre, although common, realism does not specifically require an unhappy ending Rather, it is more important that the conclusion remains coherent and reasonable given the circumstances presented. Indeed, the fact that Nora leaves Torvald is consistent with the way her character has been developed over the course of the play Laura Kieler's ending, Nora does not have such a "happy" ending with her and Torvald embracing each other as husband and wife. Even when Torvald vows that he will change and begs Nora to stay, she rejects his promises, unable to put any faith in the her integrity. Not even Ibsen tries to romanticize Nora's departure, leaving behind her children who she loves and having to face the cruelty of the world alone. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The realism built throughout the plot results in this moment of final suspense, devoid of sentimentality or sympathy, just painful choices. AND.