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A Doll's House reflects Ibsen's feminist conception. State your feminist or anti-feminist view of the play.

Although Ibsen made it clear that he intended A Doll's House as a statement relating to human freedom and respect, the play is frequently examined in terms of feminist themes. Nora's life was one of social repression. The social structure into which she was born and continued to live did not recognize her intelligence or human dignity. She was, after all, only a woman, and as a result, she was denied legal rights and a voice in determining her own future. Torvald, her insensitive, selfish husband, played the role expected of him by society in that he supported the family and acted as the authority figure in their home. Nora left her father's home, where she held a subservient position, to marry and assume her next subservient position. In her roles as daughter, wife, and mother, Nora functioned as expected, compliant and powerless.

The social structure that marginalized Nora was both unjust and destructive. All that she could have accomplished and contributed as a real partner to her husband was lost, and all that she could have achieved in her own personal growth was stifled. Only by taking the extreme action of leaving her home and children, could Nora claim her own life and dignity. It was a choice she should not have been forced to make. The irony, of course, is that Torvald's "doll wife" had been, from the beginning of their marriage, a strong woman of courage who acted independently to save his life. Because of her position in society, she was forced to commit a crime to follow her conscience and save her husband, another choice that never should have been forced upon her. 

Ibsen was right. To reduce A Doll's House to a feminist statement does the play a disservice. Nora's story surpasses that. She was not a "brave, independent woman." She was a human being of intelligence, courage, and dignity.

For me, it is more anti-social than it was anti-feminist. The setting of the family put too many burdens on them and they never did have a successful foundation for a successful family life. It was such a destructive society, that the play's outcome was a natural consequence of the horrible conditions the play's characters found themselves in.

feminism

When I read this story and each time I re-read it I do feel the sentiment of feminism being quenched and repressed. Truly, the novel is more than that, but in fact the main character was dealing with problems which only happened if you were a woman: Not being able to get a loan, depending on a husband, making decisions without a man's consent, negotiating with a man..All these were problematic because Nora was a woman- it was not "everyone's" freedom, but the freedom of this specific female in her society.

When she reacted in the end to her husband's hissy-fit the first thing that came to my mind was: HOW is she going to make IT, when the children will be taken away, and she won't ever be forgiven by her peers? It frightened me as much as it must have frightened the character, and it made me upset too. This is how the novel, to me, is a call towards women's rights.

I think Isben focuses more on the restrictions of Victorian society, rather than the lack of women's rights. Although Isben makes several pointed remarks about the unfairness of the law in regards to women, he does not ignore the men in A Doll's House. Torvald will go to any length to keep up appearances; he will even continue living with Nora after she supposedly betrayed him. Society has forced him into the role of being an authoritarian, and fully in control of his household and affiars at all times.

Ibsen does focus on the oppression of women aplenty. The only independent woman in the play is Kristine, who had to be a childless widow for that to work out. Nora, on the other hand, is forced to break the law to save her husband's life. However, Ibsen hints that men may also have rather empty lives since, even if they do love their wives, they may not be loved in return. An example is Kristine, a practical woman who admits to Nora that she did not love her husband and later to Krogstad that she only married her now-dead husband for his money so she could take care of her family. Men are also suffering in a society where money and status are the only criteria considered by women. Since women are forced to be completely dependent on their husbands. they can not afford to marry poor men. As such, poor men get very little choices about women and rich men mostly get gold diggers.

Ibsen is obviously trying to point out the problems with the treatment of women during this 19th century time period. He portrays Nora and Kristine as women who are tied down by controlling men and sexist laws. However, he takes the play to a new level by having Nora rebel by what may seem as simple as eating a macaroon and borrowing money, but in fact was jaw-dropping during his time.

I believe Ibsen wrote the play more as a commentary or criticism of the pressures and mores of Victorian society than as an outright feminist discourse.  The feminism that arises comes simply from Ibsen's protest of Victorian society.  To say that it was the sole or even the primary focus takes away from the plight of Dr. Rank, Korgstad, and even Torvald.  Each of these characters is, in some way, restrained or severely subjected to the unkind societal pressures of the time.  That said, Nora is, of course, faced with the most difficult and unpleasant situations because she is a woman.