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Feminism and Marxism in the book "A Doll's House" by Henrik
Introduction
Henrik Ibsen attained a unique place among various dramatists, and he is quite famous because
of his enlightening philosophical and revolutionary concepts. He was well known to air some
of the significant tragedies people experience in society. The major style adopted by Henrik is
dramatically incorporating different societal problems. For instance, some of Henrik's two
themes represented within the play "A Doll's House" include Marxism and Feminism. The
major aspect explained in Marxism is that economic conditions generally undermine people's
consciousness as a result of social situations and their relationships. Marxism involves various
political and economic concepts. The vital idea behind it is that the world is divided into social
classes, including workers and the rich capitalists who exploit their workers.
This theory was developed by Carl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who played a critical
role in fighting for the classless society to eradicate the class struggles in most Western
societies. Various pieces of literature have incorporated Marxism as a significant theme, and
Henrik’s play, “A Doll's House,” effectively analyses this concept. On the other hand,
Feminism is perceived as advocating for females' rights on gender equality grounds. Hendrik's
play effectively analyses the feminist social problem that is passively linked to women in a
male oriented world. Therefore, it is right to state that the world is dominated by various social
issues such as social class wars and Feminism. This paper will explain these social problems
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by critically analyzing the Marxism theory and Feminism as depicted in the play "A Doll's
House" by Henrik Ibsen.
The Feminism theory
The feminist theory became common in the mid-1980s, and it assists in understanding the
nature of inequality among females in any society. It also concentrates on gender politics,
power relations, and sexuality (Shah 53). Some of the significant issues Feminism theory deals
with include reproductive rights among females, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay
at work, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination. The central feminist themes are
discrimination, stereotypes, objectification, oppression, and patriarchy. Feminism theory
vouches for the idea that rights, privileges, status, and roles should never be determined by
gender. Contemporary Feminism theory has also faced criticism for being predominantly and
not exclusively linked to the western middle-class. However, such activism traverses across
different social classes and racial identity since it is culture-specific and deals with important
female issues in any society.
Henrik Ibsen and Feminism
Hendrik's identity as a feminist is debatable. For instance, it is perceived that such a proposition
is wrong when it comes to Hendrik’s attitude as a quasi-socialist and humanist (Hassan, Saman,
and Nafser 35). Ibsen’s literary play, A Doll House, brings the feminist aspect by depicting
that female cannot be themselves in contemporary society due to the exclusive masculinity and
laws developed by men and a judicial system that judges females from a masculine perspective.
In the 19th century, Feminism and socialism were closely linked, and most socialists believed
that sexual equality required crucial changes in societal structures. However, regardless of
Feminism being an important theme in his work, he identifies as a humanist and not a feminist.
Hendrik explains the women's status in society, their treatment by men, lack of true love and
respect for wives by their husbands, and the absence of justice and dignity while dealing with
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women.
Analysis of Feminism in the play “A Doll's House.”
Showalter, a feminist critic, divided Feminism criticism into two, including the feminist
critique and gynocritics. The critiques focus on females as readers, and gynocritics deal with
them as writers (Hassan, p.33). However, the play, “A Doll's House” does not apply to
Feminism criticism as per the gynocritics category. Hence, the feminist critique will be
effective in analyzing Feminism within Hendrik's literature. This play incorporates the
stereotypical representation of women as irrational, naïve, and dependent on males. The public
and private spheres diminish women’s domesticity and deny most of them a political voice
while it is a different case to men.
In the play, Torvald spends most of his time in his demesne, and while he is at home,
he rarely spends time with his wife and children, which leads to less interaction among them.
For instance, when his children came from a walk with their nurse, Torvald stated that the
house would only be bearable for a mother (Ibsen, p.1211). This statement seems
discriminatory and harsh on the females. It brings the aspect that females are the only ones
justified in dealing with domestic duties such as caring for children. When Nora asked Torvald
to go check whatever she bought, he replied, "do not disturb me," and came out later on (Ibsen,
p.1200). This scene depicts that his major role as a man is to ensure the family's financial needs
are satisfied. In the case where Nora explained that she expected her husband to blame her for
the crimes, Torvald made it vivid that his reputation was more important than the love for his
wife.
Hendrik develops Torvald as a rational, imperious, and emotionally cold character. He
treats his wife rudely and with a lack of love. For example, he tells Nora to save money and
does not allow her to eat sweets to avoid ruining her teeth. His treatment of his wife or women,
in general, makes them look intellectually inferior to men. Torvald explained why he disliked
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borrowing and spending too much money while using himself as the reference and asked Nora
how she can repay the money if he had an accident and died (Ibsen, p1200), however, Nora
cares less and states that she will have no concern with them since she does not know them.
Torvald’s answer is astonishing as he replied by saying, "That is like a woman!" and also called
his wife a featherhead.
In most cases, Nora is confined in the house since she rarely made contact with the
outside world throughout the play and only went out while shopping or visiting neighbors, as
depicted in the opening scene of Act 1 and 3. She is also defined as irrational, submissive,
naïve, and childish from a superficial outlook. For instance, Mrs. Linde, Nora’s friend, and a
woman in a loveless marriage, calls her a child, and Torvald calls her a child and wife within
the play. Nora ignores laws. Her husband states that she does not understand the world’s
conditions as she justified her crime in forging her father’s signature and stating that she was
saving her dying father’s anxiety and her husband’s life (Ibsen, p.1236).
However, it is correct to state that not every woman in the play is given an immature
and submissive trait as Mrs. Linde is one of the females who contrasts the vulnerable and
impetuous trait depicted by Nora. Linde is older than Nora and has a sad and timid character,
and Torvald describes her as a frightful bore (Ibsen, p.1237). He does not support Nora having
secrets from her husband and does not allow Krogstad to recall his letter in Act 3. The other
significant variation between Linde and Nora is that her relationship with her husband. The
two can easily, honestly, and openly speak to each other even after a long separation. However,
Nora and Torvald only have a serious conversation in the final scenes in Act 3, which was after
eight years in marriage.
Nora’s confinement in a private circle relates to women’s subordinate status since her
absence in the public eye makes her economically dependent on her husband. Torvald controls
his family's private and public affairs and criticizes Nora for buying Christmas gifts (Ibsen,
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p.1200). Nora's economic dependence was not only on his husband. When Torvald fell ill, she
had to borrow money from Krogstad, and she had to secretly save some of the money Torvald
gave her and performed feminine jobs such as needlework and embroidery to pay back the
borrowed money. Krogstad is an antagonist in the book and has been wronged by society and
committed similar crimes of forgery as Nora. Nora was excited when she earned her money
and told Linde that it was an amazing feeling to sit, work and earn money, referring to it as a
man (Ibsen, p.1217). Feminism is also evident in Nora's statement to Mrs. Linde, stating that
"He's so proud of being a man and it would be painful and humiliating for him to know that he
owed anything to me, and it would entirely wreck their relationship,” (Ibsen, p.1206). It depicts
that Nora did not tell Torvald about the money she borrowed because their relationship was
based on Torvald playing a traditionally male role in a household as a provider and showing
male dominance in society against Feminism.
Generally, women do more than taking care of the home and children, but most male
characters in the play do not appreciate their efforts. For instance, they acted as moral and
religious guides to their husbands. Torvald states that everyone who has grown bad early in
life had a deceitful mother. This statement is discriminatory as it seems that only the mother
contributes to a child's development. After Nora’s crime of forgery, Torvald could not trust her
in raising his children. The division places females on a pedestal and a cage which is the play's
reference to “A Doll's House”. At the end of the play, Nora discovers that their home was a
playroom and she was a doll-wife to her husband, and previously in life, she was her father's
doll-child.
The major stereotypes linked to females include the angel of the home and the
madwoman in the attic. Female characters in the play revolve around two stereotypes. Mrs.
Linde had to work after her husband’s death to support her family. She believes that she cannot
survive in life without work. However, it is a different case for Nora, who transitions from an
angel to a madwoman. She is depicted as a cheerful and innocent angel, but in the end, she
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turns out to be no angel. Her desperation and love for her husband were tested when she
considered suicide to save Torvald’s reputation. However, when she realized her husband did
not reciprocate it, it led to dynamics in her life. At first, this play does not seem feministic, but
as the plot builds up, it challenges the modern misconceptions about women and builds Nora’s
transition to a “doll”. At the end of Act Three, Nora states, “I would gladly work for you night
and day, and endure sorrow and hardship for your sake, but no man is expected to sacrifice his
honor for the person he loves, and Nora claims that women have done it," (Ibsen, 1246). This
statement explains how women are looked upon in a male-dominated environment and society.
Marxism in the book "A Doll's House" by Henrik Ibsen
Marxism majorly believes that the human consciousness results from social conditions, and
their relationships are subverted through economic statuses. Henrik's literary work in "A Doll's
House" can be understood and criticized in various ways, such as the Marxism approach. This
approach can be acknowledged by stating that money brings dynamics in people's thoughts
and actions (Witham and Lutterbie 1252). This aspect impacts the characters in the book, and
it drives them to acquire money, and higher social status is crucial to most of them. Therefore,
the Marxist theme is vivid throughout the play from the actions and speeches of Nora, Torvald,
Mrs. Linde, and Krogstad.
Mr. Tolvard
In the play, Tolvard is the breadwinner in his family and Nora's husband, a former lawyer and
banker responsible for controlling the means of production. His role as a banker was because
he was in charge of hiring workers at the bank, where he offered Mrs. Linde a position. He
found himself in a system where others could control him, and at the same time, he could
control other people. Marxism is evident in Tolvard’s traits since he cares so much about his
status as the higher class when he was concerned about Nora’s appearance to maintain his good
name. The Marxist element is also present in his workplace, where there is a production and
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distribution system.
Nora
Nora turns out as a character who gets dominated by her greed for money and wealth. The book
starts with Nora getting home from shopping, and she asked Tolvard for money immediately
after she met him to purchase Christmas tree decorations (Ibsen, p.1200). Nora is excited about
Christmas gifts and celebrations since they could afford that luxury. Initially, she used to make
the decorations, but after Tolvard’s promotion, she believed their social class was elevated and
considered herself a higher-class woman. Within the play, it is evident that she is a spendthrift
from Tolvard’s comments regarding how Nora spent her father's money.
Nora's friend, Mrs. Linde, also remembers some of their memories from school when
Nora used to be referred to as a spendthrift bringing the aspect that she has an obsession for
money. She also risked borrowing money from Krogstad to cure her husband's illness and a
trip to Italy. Nora's thirst for money is also evident in a conversation she had with Mrs. Linde,
where she states that she does not require enough but stacks of money (Ibsen, p.1204). She
perceives that she requires money to be happy, but it turned out to be wrong when she found
out that money could not bring her happiness after finding out her husband enslaved her. The
Marxist theme is evident in Nora’s character from her love for money and her husband's
promotion to a higher social class.
Krogstad and Mrs. Linde
Krogstad is the man who Mrs. Linde left to marry her husband who had money to take care of
her family. The Marxist theme depicts itself in Mrs. Linde and Krogstad’s traits. For instance,
Kristine opted for money rather than love when she left Krogstad and married a rich man.
However, even after their reunion, she could not leave her job for Krogstad since she perceived
her financial status as more important to her than Krogstad. Therefore, it proves that Mrs. Linde
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considered financial status a major life objective in establishing a good and normal life. When
it comes to Krogstad, even after getting arrested for corruption, he could still do away with his
greed for money and fame. He blackmailed Nora to attain a position in the bank and secured
his title. Krogstad's behaviors aim to prove that all that matters is money since it is the only
way he will elevate his social class.
Anna (Housekeeper)
Anna also plays a role in elaborating the Marxist theme. For instance, she abandoned her
daughter to begin a new life and get assured about her financial status (Ibsen, p.1215). Anna’s
situation is an elaboration of capitalism and how capital owners exploit workers. She worked
out of her consent, but she had no option of living life with her own choices since she was
poor, and the societal system led to her exploitation in ways that she had to behave and act as
a poor woman linked to a lower social class. Therefore, Marxism raises particular societal
questions such as who has power? Who attains profit, and at whose cost does the profit occur?
These are some of the crucial questions that effectively criticize the Marxism theme among
various characters in any literary work. Mrs. Linde sacrifices genuine love to fend for her
brothers' needs, and Krogstad commits a crime to support his children. Anne is also a victim
of her economic background. Since she comes from a low-income family and previously found
herself in trouble, her relationship with her child was short-lived and destroyed. These
situations depict that the urge for money associates with the ability to exist. However, while
the characters embrace the social realities of their misfortunes, they do not question how their
human attitudes developed through their socio-economic statuses.
The connection between Feminism and Marxism in "A Doll's House."
This play explains the conflict between the dominant socio-economic debate of men and the
supporting aspect of females through Nora's situation. There is a deep connection between
Feminism and social class wars. Nora is a middle-class woman who prevails in patriarchal
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gender discourse. Female protagonists have identities such as loving mothers, obedient
daughters, and wives to male-dominated societies that prevent individual and economic
freedom among women since most females get entrapped in domestic duties. Nora’s subjection
is in two different aspects as she faces both the patriarchal and capitalist power criticisms. She
is economically and sexually degraded by her husband, who perceives himself as more superior
in gender and financially. He attempts to control her by claiming himself as the family head
responsible for managing all the financial issues (Düzgün .93). A good example in the play
explaining the connection between Marxism and Feminism was Nora's statement when she
said, "Oh, I often got so tired, but it was great fun sitting there working and earning money
since it almost felt like being a man." This scene depicts the link between these two aspects. It
highlights the challenges females face in a male-dominated and the monetary aspect linked to
females not having financial freedom.
Tolvard abuses his economic potential like a capitalist master to dominate his
economically deprived wife. Therefore, he identifies as a capitalist patriarch and imprisons
Nora within domestic obligations where she assumes inferior roles and depends more on her
husband. Nora's deprivation of socio-economic freedom makes her more obedient to her
husband, whom she entirely relies on for sustainability. However, she revolts against such
obedience after understanding the failures of the dominant social system. Tolvard condemns
Nora for imitating her father's signature to borrow money for his recovery. It made her aware
that her husband is a mouthpiece to conventional discourses of law, religion, and morality.
Therefore, the connection between Feminism and Marxism is depicted in Nora's situation with
her husband. Her husband has a character against Feminism and female empowerment and
follows the classical patriarchal social systems where females were specifically meant for
domestic roles and not financial obligations.
Conclusion
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From a narrow look at the play “A Doll's House.” It does not seem feministic. However, as the
plot develops, the play critiques the modern misconceptions regarding women in society. Nora
acts as a good explanation to Feminism as she transforms into a “doll”, which depicts a female
who entertains and follows her husband even when oppressed. The female characters in the
play have different objectives and themes to showcase. For instance, Mrs. Linde goes against
odds by challenging the traditional public/private division in society. As opposed to common
societal perceptions facing females, her morality is not deprived even after entering a maledominated private sphere. However, Nora’s case is different since she faces various
disadvantages and has mostly been restricted to her private sphere, which has to make her pure.
Marxism is also a central theme in the play as it is a social notion that divides people
into social classes. Different characters have varying identities when it comes to social classes.
For instance, Nora is greedy for money, but she cannot afford to earn her own money due to
the patriarchal nature. She believes that her husband’s job promotion elevated their social class
and wants to spend more on Christmas. Torvald is segregated as an individual from a higher
social class since he is the breadwinner and worked as a lawyer and controls production in a
bank through hiring workers. He is also very concerned about his high social class, as depicted
through Nora's appearance. Other characters are associated with the low social class, such as
Anna, who worked out of her consent, but she had no option of living life with her own choices
since she was poor and the societal system led to her exploitation. The connection between
Feminism and Marxism in the play is portrayed in Nora’s and her husband’s relationships. Her
husband has a character against Feminism and female empowerment and follows the classical
patriarchal social systems where females were specifically meant for domestic roles and not
financial obligations.
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Works Cited
Düzgün, Şebnem. "A Cultural Materialist Approach to Gender Relations in Ibsen’s A Doll's
House." Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 35.2 (2018): 85-94.
Hassan Balaky, Saman Salah, and Nafser Abdul Mosawir Sulaiman. "A Feminist Analysis of
Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House." Beytulhikme: An International Journal of Philosophy
6.1 (2016).
Shah, Arif Rashid. "The Concept of Feminism in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House." International
Multidisciplinary Research Journal (2016)
Witham, B., and J. Lutterbie. "A Marxist Approach to A Doll House." ChinaPower Project,
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Annotated Bibliography
Shah, Arif Rashid. "The Concept of Feminism in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House."
International Multidisciplinary Research Journal (2016)
Rashid Shah is a scholar who performed multidisciplinary research and concentrated on the
Feminism theme in the play "A Doll's House.” Rashid investigates the women's roles and their
rights and uses Ibsen's work, who was considered the father of contemporary drama and the
most significant female supporter. The article reviews some of the untrue aspects of marriage
while focusing on women, championing for their freedom, and protesting against the
restrictions they face in society. Shah incorporates Ibsen’s concepts of individuality and
humanity as social problems in his work. It further highlights that social instructions and
convention are people’s enemies since they impact the characters’ identities and freedoms.
This article focuses on Nora as a woman, wife, and mother who controls the pressure that arises
from the patriarchal system in society. It also protects against the masculine society, which
mistreats females due to male dominance. This article is significant in my research because it
concentrates on the feminist aspect in Henrik's play and intensely focuses on Nora's case, and
criticizes the patriarchal system in society.
Hassan Balaky, Saman Salah, and Nafser Abdul Mosawir Sulaiman. "A Feminist Analysis of
Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll's House." Beytulhikme: An International Journal of Philosophy
6.1 (2016).
Hassan and Nasser are scholars from Salabaddin University concerned with philosophical
studies. They aim at giving a feminist analysis of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House using the
Anglo-American approach. This article explains the feminist literary theory as a term, practice,
and its function in literary criticism and the Anglo-American approach. It offers a clear
explanation of Henrik's involvement in women's plight in society. The feminist analysis of the
article adopts the Anglo-American approach and Showalter's feminist critique. This article is
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vital to this research since it clarifies how Henrik challenges females' stereotypes and their
representation in literature, hence offering a feminist outlook of the play.
Düzgün, Şebnem. "A Cultural Materialist Approach to Gender Relations in Ibsen’s A Doll's
House." Hacettepe Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 35.2 (2018): 85-94.
Düzgün is an assistant professor from Ankara Bilim University who attempts to explore gender
relations which had fierce debates for a long while. In this article, Düzgün depicts that the play
A Doll's House majorly deals with female oppression. It also explains the socio-economic
conditions of various characters in the play. For instance, it focuses on Nora, who lacks the
freedom to earn her money and has to obey her husband, who imprisons her in the domestic
sphere. She is depicted as an inferior being who requires intellectual and moral guidance.
Helmer is represented as a character who benefits from his superior ranks in gender and
economic status. He represents a dominating patriarch and capitalist master. On the other hand,
Nora becomes a character who receives male domination since she builds counter-discourses
against her husband's patriarchal concepts that make females inferior. The frustrations Nora
has due to the dominant moral and legal discourses of patriarchy make her move from the
restrictive domestic world to an outside world of power, money, and business. This article is
significant to this research since it offers details on the connection between Feminism and the
Marxist aspect of the play. It explains the link between gender issues and the capitalistic nature
of the characters in the play.
Witham, B., and J. Lutterbie. "A Marxist Approach to A Doll House." ChinaPower Project,
Witham and Lutterbie, professors of theatre arts, explain how they adopt the Marxist approach
in teaching the play A Doll's House in their drama class, where they teach plays from a critical
perspective. The article explains the principal tenets of Marxist criticism as a product of social
conditions. Witham and Lutterbie highlight Nora's situation when she gets enslaved
economically with Torvald and highlight that Nora considered wealth acquisition as individual
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freedom. The crucial aspect in this article is that financial enslavement is symptomatic of other
types of enslavement. It also expounds that Anne-Marie accepts her position in society and the
alienation she attains from her child due to the class circumstance and imperfections regarding
susceptible changes. This article is significant to this research since it effectively highlights the
Marxist theme in the play through the various social classes depicted among characters.