Feminism And Humanism In A Dolls House By Henrik Ibsen

The play A Doll’s House, written by Henrik Ibsen, revolves around many themes. The majority of those themes are portrayed through Nora. A major theme throughout the play, is the idea of humanism. There is a fine line between Feminism and Humanism. Feminism is the idea that women should be treated equally or better than men because they are women. Humanism is the idea that all humans are equal no matter their gender, race, etc. Though some people may not be able to see the difference, this particular play portrays the theme of humanism through social position, respect, and equality. One way the play supports the theme of humanism is social class. Although the judgement of people based on social class has significantly†¦show more content†¦Nora is all about power, money, and social class. In regards to social class, Nora shows no intentions of being treated equally. However, social class clearly supports humanism because a person’s rank and their financial status is what garners respect, not their gender. Another element that supports the theme is respect. The play is about disrespect. Nora is constantly looked down upon throughout the story. Whenever Torvald talks to Nora, he disrespects her by treating her like a child. He constantly addresses her using the words â€Å"little† and â€Å"child†. When Nora comes back from being out, he asks if â€Å"‘[his] little spendthrift [has] been wasting money again’† (Ibsen 2). He does not take her seriously and sees her as an irresponsible child who wastes money. Nora is disrespected and not treated like a wife, nor a human. The main reason people do not respect Nora, is that her attitude is immature, in their point of view. Many characters in the play see Nora as â€Å"‘incapable of anything really serious’† (Ibsen 10). For an adult, Nora seems very happy, energetic, and appears oblivious to the struggles of the real world. However, as the story continues, it is clear that this is not the real Nora. The real Nora is a person that deserves immense respect. She sacrifices her time and money in order to save her husband. She saves as much money as she can and later finds â€Å"‘other ways of earning money’† (Ibsen 13). She givesShow MoreRelatedA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1666 Words   |  7 PagesMy understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, was deepened through the interactive oral. We discussed about the cultural values of the time with its emphasis on the position of women, and the play’s influence on feminism in Norway. In fact, A Doll’s House is more relevant than before, since a paradigm shift occurred in the modern society that women are no longer dependent upon men. 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