English A1 Transcript of Oral Presentation Portrayal of Sexism in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House Ibsen was a pioneer of realistic social drama. Unlike the playwrights who preceded him, he was very interested in portraying realistic social settings and illustrating conflict arising from social pressures and mores. Ibsen also makes an effort to show the blatant sexism rampant in the country at the time. This is demonstrated in part by the unequal nature of Torvald and Nora's marriage. At first glance, you might think that the Helmers have a successful marriage, but only on a superficial level. Once we move beyond the comfort of middle class security, we see that the foundation of marriage is built on the total submission of the woman. Furthermore, Nora's actions demonstrate that she rightfully does not truly respect her husband's value system. Her day is filled with constant acts of subterfuge: some minor, like furtive macaroons, and some of the utmost importance, like repaying a loan that saved her husband's life. No matter the level, deception is a constant in the relationship. This seemingly typical and happy marriage is anything but. Indeed, the interactions between husband and wife serve a specific purpose: they illustrate the banality of the discourse between the two. Torvald does not address his wife regarding any substantive matter. Instead, he gives her nicknames that often begin with the personal pronoun "my" and often include the diminutive "little": "Is that my little lark?" In this regard, Torvald may think of flattering his wife. However, in reality he is reducing her to a cute, harmless pet, clearly his property. And like a pet, Nora is expected to obey her owner/husband and his petty tyrannical r...... middle of paper ...... The show demonstrates this in the following lines: Helmer: Before anything else, you are a wife and mother. Nora: I don't believe it anymore. I believe that before anything else, I am a human being, just like you are... or at least I will turn into one... I want to think about everything myself and make my own decisions. Nora must be true to herself in order to participate in society in a meaningful way. Her relationship with her children was ruined by her relationship with her father and husband; he treats his children like dolls, and they tend to grow up the same way, with the same inability to be true to themselves. At the end of the show, Nora realizes that she cannot adequately fulfill her duties as a mother until she first learns to become a person. In this sense, his abandonment of his children is an act of mercy.