The Doll House
The Doll House
When The Doll House was written in 1879, the world was still completely in the clutches of many horrific gender stereotypes. Women in particular were confined to very narrow roles, and were thought to be incapable of anything outside the scope of those roles. The Helmer household was founded upon these stereotypes, and as we eventually see, could not stand without them. Women were raised to believe that their place was in the home. Their primary functions were to cook, clean, bear children, maintain a nice home, and adorn themselves accordingly. In Nora?s case, her main function is to keep up the facade of a ?beautiful, happy home.? On the other hand, men were raised to finance the whole charade. Husbands went to work every day, dealt with all of the harsh realities of the world, and brought home a paycheck. Helmer comes home every day to the comfort and entertainment provided by Nora, and that is the only way he knows that a marriage can be. Nora, however, knows that she is capable of more. When she was informed that her husband?s life was in danger, she took a great financial burden upon herself. Although
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