Like many women of this time, Hedda lives in a world where " men propagate the idea that freedom to be unconventional and to participate in a fulfilling vocation is a unique prerogative of manhood" (Walkington 65). These circumstances demonstrate the fact that the powerless woman is not a natural creation, but rather a product of the patriarchy. Hedda has been rendered helpless not due to her own personality, but because of the oppressive male forces in her life who represent the even more powerful force of society.
Although she is heavily restricted by the men in her life, Hedda is clear about her rejection of society's expectations for women. It is obvious that "bourgeois domesticity holds no charm for her.nor does motherhood seem to offer Hedda any hope of fulfillment: she shrinks with disgust whenever anyone even hints at her pregnancy" (Barstow 397). There is a very feminist reason behind Hedda's pointed hatred toward the concept of childbirth. Pregnancy can be seen as a traditional way men deny women access to power. When women are busy with pregnancy and child rearing, it is more difficult for them to have a sufficient amount of participation in social power outside the home. Hedda's opposition to such norms make her easily comparable to "Nora, the equally infamous heroine of A Doll's House, and many of Ibsen's other heroines, Hedda says no to marriage, motherhood, selflessness, and separate spheres" (Barstow 397). Hedda is not the only character from Ibsen's work who illustrates the difficulty of overcoming patriarchal standards for women. .
Nora Helmer of A Doll's House has faced extreme criticism as a feminist icon. Although this story demonstrates the undoubtedly A popular view upon the premiere of this play was that "A Doll House did not have to be taken as a serious statement about women's rights because the heroine of act 3 is an incomprehensible transformation of the heroine of acts 1 and 2" (Templeton 28).
In 1850, Ibsen applied to medical school, but failed his exams. ... Someone reading the play might say that feminism is a large theme in the story. ... Krogstad, a morally diseased man who works for Torvald, also uses Nora to gain a higher position at work. ... I don't want all this,"" (Ibsen 1534). ... ,"" (Ibsen 1534). ...
Feminism in A Doll House: A 19th Century Womans Struggles A Doll House, by Henrik Ibsen is regarded as a feminist text despite Ibsens statements to the contrary. ... These instances reflect Ibsens theme that in this play, a woman is faced with many choices. ... A Doll House is a feminism text because of how Ibsen chose to tell Noras story. ... Works Cited Ibsen, Henrik. ...
The Transformation of Nora A Doll's House, by a Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen, traces the transformation of Nora Helmer-childlike, desperation, and her awakening- in which Ibsen effectively creates a dramatic argument of feminism. ... Works Cited M.C. ... "Ibsen," in Drama Criticism 2. ... Ibsen, Henrik. ... "Ibsen," in Drama criticism 2. ...
By amalgamating the works of separate theorists it is possible to prove this, as I will shortly proceed to do so. ... For example, in the late nineteenth century Henrik Ibsen wrote "A Doll's House" for a male-dominated, class-orientated society where emphasis was given to reputation and social status. ... To a contemporary society, in which feminism and equal opportunity laws govern the treatment of the sexes, this form of address is patronising, arrogant and insulting. ... The final act of Nora leaving her family and home in Ibsen's "A Doll's House", when viewed by a modern,...
