A Doll’s House

Historical Context and Inspiration of the play

Inspiration of A Doll’s House• Ibsen was inspiration for A Doll’s

House came from the actual traumatic events in life of successful Norwegian writer, Laura Petersen.

• Ibsen called Petersen his ‘skylark’ which is the pet name that Helmer gives to Nora.

• Petersen’s husband was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was advised by his doctor to travel to a warmer climate to recover his health.

• In order to finance the trip, Petersen secretly arranged a loan. When she couldn’t repay the loan she had to forge a check. However, the bank discovered the forgery and refused the payment.

• Petersen confessed to her husband of the forgery and even though her intentions was to save his life, he treated her like a criminal and told her she was not fit to raise their children.

• Petersen was submitted to a public asylum by her husband

• When she was discharged, she begged her husband to take her back. He agreed to take her back only for the sake of the children.

Inspiration of A Doll’s House (Continued)

• Ibsen placed the idea of women taking on male roles at the heart of the play.

• This contributed to the debate in Norway about women’s positioning in society and how their roles are only to be wives, mothers and sexual partners. A Doll’s House was seen received as an outrage because of the notion that a woman can walk out on her husband and children.

• The play was widely received with controversy. Nora’s character sparked outrage by not upholding her societal expectations

• Today it is difficult to understand the shock and outrage that A Doll’s House caused in the Victorian England where Ibsen deliberately challenged marital relationships, sexual politics and male control over women and the overall standards of the Victorian Age.

Inspiration of A Doll’s House (Continued)

Think-Pair-ShareAnalyze the following quote and discuss with a partner what Ibsen is saying. How can this statement relate to Nora?

“A woman cannot be herself in contemporary society; it is an exclusively male society, with laws drafted by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view…” (Ibsen, Notes for the Tragedy of Modern Times.)

Victorian Era

• Romanticism • Idealism• Social Unrest• Social Status

• Lasted from 1837-1901• Lasted during Queen Victoria’s reign in Britain when the

empire experienced peace, prosperity, and innovations• Brought about a new era of romanticism and mysticism in

regard to social value, religion, and the arts. The era came with a strong social and sexual restraint.

• Because of the vast size of the British Empire, the effects of the Victorian Era were felt in many areas outside of the United Kingdom.

Social Norms and Societal Expectations of the Victorian Era

• The Victorian Era emphasized specific gender roles, social status, sexuality, and religion.

• Women were expected to be the house keeper, obedient to husbands, and focus around family life.

• Men were expected to be the provider for the family as well as the head of the family. Men were considered superior to the women mentally and physically.

Norway in the Victorian Era• Women were only given

control of their own money in 1888 (A Doll’s House pre-dates this time, however.)

• A woman was not allowed to borrow money without consent of the husband

• Norway at this time was newly liberated from Danish control in 1814, and therefore issues of personal and political freedom were on the minds of most Norwegians.

What can you associate with these toys based on American Social Norms?

Who would typically have these toys?

How do these toys uphold cultural norms and gender stereotypes?

How do culture norms and societal

expectations affect individual happiness?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v5CSF10ytw&NR=1&feature=endscreen

A Doll’s House

Ibsen criticizes the societal standards placed during the Victorian time period through Nora Helmer. Nora challenges the normal standards of her culture by taking out a loan and lying about it to her husband. Women were not allowed to take out loans without permission of their husbands during this time. She defied this rule and therefore challenges the cultural norms of her time.

Nora

The society of the Victorian Era specifically valued gender roles and economic status. Nora’s happiness is affected directly by the societal expectations placed upon her in this time period. Her happiness comes from pleasing her husband and achieving a higher monetary status through Torvalds's new position at work.

How does societal standards effect Nora’s happiness?

“To be able to keep the house beautifully and have everything just as Torvald likes it!”(Ibsen, Act I) An ideal Victorian woman would be one who keeps a neat home, cares for the children, and is submissive to her husband. Nora lives up to this standard and therefore is pleased by it. She achieves what women in this time period strive for. Due to the standards of her society, she is pleased with the role of “housewife” because that is considered a high and worthy position for females of the time period.

“Its perfectly glorious to think that we have – that Torvald has so much power over so many people.” (Ibsen, Act I)

The Victorian Era largely emphasized the importance of money and social class. This emphasis can be seen in A Doll’s House when Nora expresses her happiness about Torvald’s new position at work because it affords them a larger income and also puts them higher in their social rank.

“Rank. What, macaroons? I thought they were forbidden here.Nora. You couldn’t know Torvald has forbidden them. I must tell you he is afraid they will spoil my teeth.” (Ibsen, Act I)The man in Victorian times has the absolute say in all matters within a marriage. A man is regarded as the ultimate authority in the house hold. Despite Nora’s liking for macaroons, she is forbidden from them on Torvald’s orders, thus stopping her individual freedom and her happiness. Women were subject to whatever the man wanted, and it was not her place to disagree.

What happens when someone breaks a culture norm? How is a person affected when they break a social norm?

Do social norms and standards hurt the happiness of an individual?

“Coning”

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYPcFSAWVBA

DiscussionDoes Nora’s happiness come from the

expectations society puts on her and her ability to achieve them? Is Nora only happy because she feels she is achieving the potential that society gives her?

Prompt

Provide a thesis for the following essay prompt:Why did A Doll's House cause such controversy

when it was first performed? To what extent did the time period influence the way in which the play was received by audiences?