Nora’s Decision: A Revolt for both Women and Human Oppression

The topic of this paper is the pursuit of feminist autonomy in a marital relationship.  It will also raise the issue of whether feminist oppression in marriage is unique or is representative of other forms of human oppression.   The objective is to analyze, using feminist theory and other approaches, Ibsen’s A Doll House in order to come to some conclusions about depictions of gender expectations and the marital relationship. The research focuses on Nora’s psychological paradox in Ibsen’s A Doll House: an irreconcilable conflict between the individual’s need for autonomy and the emotional and social expectations of motherhood and marriage.  The questions on this aspect of this paper are the following: 1) how is Nora depicted initially in the play? 2) what are the forces that affect her? 3) what is the nature of her choice to leave?  Nora is depicted as passive and dependent and behaves as a good wife.  But Nora’s husband is an angry and self-absorbed man who is unkind to her and whom she believes will not change, and therefore her behaviors as a good wife cannot achieve a happy marriage for her.  This is the source of her irreconcilable conflict.  Ultimately, she “buys” her autonomy by sacrificing her relationship with her children.

In addition, this paper will include a discussion of the extent to which Ibsen’s play can be read on more than one level as being about feminist oppression or about human oppression.  Nora can be understood as a woman fighting against patriarchal oppression, or she can be understood as a representative of a broader class of victims of human oppression, whether male or female.  Do other victims of human oppression face similar paradoxes as Nora face? And do they have to make equally tragic decisions.