The imposition of specific gender roles by societal norms on 19th-century married life proved stifling. From the beginning, the reader can sense that this family drama in simple appearance can turn into a kind of tragedy which can raise serious questions The apparent love of the couple at the beginning of the play is further exposed as a compromised relationship between man and woman governed by certain rules imposed by the. male member of the family Ibsen uses the character development of Nora Helmer, the protagonist, and Torvald Helmer, the antagonist, to emphasize the importance of communication in a healthy relationship. The female member changes roles as desired. and the choice of male partner Sometimes she is a talkative “lark” on the other hand, she is a beautiful doll who decorates the environment in which she lives. Gender roles must be established from the beginning. 'one of the couples must dominate the scene; the other must modify himself, sacrifice his inner desires and think only of himself. well-being of others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The characters in the play demonstrate the male and female roles and expectations that produce a marriage based on gender inequality. Torvald is the typical male stereotype who is expected to control his family's affairs, including his wife's. As a husband and father, he considers himself the primary breadwinner and source of authority within his family. He greatly values ​​his role as breadwinner because in his society, a successful man is someone who has a significant income and high social status. He tells his wife: “It is wonderful to feel that you have a perfectly secure appointment and a fairly large income” (Ibsen Act 1). Society conditions men to think about money most of the time because money gives them power, and so Torvald wants to control the source of money in his household. Additionally, Torvald's patriarchal attitudes can be seen in the way he treats his wife, for example when he calls her "little lark" or "little squirrel" (Ibsen Act 1). He also believes that it is “like a woman” not to consider the consequences of her actions (Ibsen Law 1). Torvald views his wife as a “small” object, someone who is inferior to him because she is a woman. Furthermore, Torvald even thinks that immorality comes from women and not men. He tells Nora: “Almost everyone who had difficulties early in life had a cheating mother” (Ibsen Act 1). Nora is quite offended by this belief, but Torvald honestly believes that bad people are usually the product of bad mothers, indicating his poor perception of women. Torvald does not want Nora to grow as a person because she could pose a threat to his authority. Instead, he keeps her locked in their house and ensures that she is dependent on him for money and social connections. The writer presents the characters as stereotypes, which should be in line with the existing beliefs of Norwegian society which believed in male dominance and gave the husband the role of a worker. The superiority of the husband over his wife is evident in Torvald's speech and his chosen metaphor which represents the wife as a weak or tiny creature. The husband in the story has the right to impose any kind of sanctions on his wife. Siddall (2008) explains it this way: “Gender in a doll's house is crucial to the meaning of the play. Gender is simplified to define marital roles: men work and women play; the husband is responsible and knowledgeable, while thewoman, as an adult child, decorates her life with charm” (p 13). A woman of the weaker sex, Nora was described as “little squirrel”, “little lark”. Such tiny roles portray her as the weaker sex. Torvald's supposed notions about the fair sex make her believe that she is a weaker sex who always needs the protection of the male sex. She's a pretty doll and she should be confined to her house. She should think about the well-being of her home, her husband and her family. Woman as Creature of the Home Mayer (2008) reflects that “Ibsen's Nora Helmer is a doll locked in her house, a condition underscored by the fact that all the action of the play takes place in her own living room. Repressed by a husband who expects her to fulfill her roles as wife and mother according to strict guidelines of morality and appearance” (p 3). The male roles are also quite pronounced. The husband is the worker in the family, just like Torvald who feels it is his duty to provide for his family. According to his typical masculine thinking of the time, women had no role in family finances. They are used only to manage household affairs. They don't have to worry about earning money for the sake of the family, even the idea of ​​his wife lending him money can harm his man. Nora switched this role with Helmer when he was ill. She did sewing work to support her family. But Torvald took this sacrifice for granted, and in the moment of crisis, he even forgot to acknowledge her selfless efforts for the family. For Meyer (2008); this is because it “highlights the cultural conflicts” of the time (p 3). Traditional middle-class morality, based on the dominance of the male gender, bases the institution of the family not on feelings of love and affection, but rather sees the well-being of the family institution under the form of certain established power relations. Besides characters, symbols further help readers understand the gender roles and expectations that dominate the characters' lives. Macarons are symbols of childhood innocence. They suggest the childishness that her society has taught her, which is clearly Torvald's perception of her. Nora said to Torvald: “I have been your doll-wife, just as at home I was daddy's doll-child; and here the children have been my dolls… This is what our marriage has been, Torvald” (Ibsen Act 3). She forgets what makes her happy because as a woman, it seems unimaginable to her. Some people think that Nora dancing for Torvald is a symbol. The dance is done solo. This symbolizes how Nora feels. She feels alone in her life because her husband does not listen to her. He does not respect her opinions and beliefs. This symbol affirms the impact of gender norms on women's ability to grow as individuals. Ibsen also uses metaphors to explore the theme of marriage and its reinforcement of gender inequality in society. The doll's house is a metaphor for their marriage, in which they are all imprisoned, and the women are the worst off because their main role is to serve their husbands and children. Men, not just women, are trapped because they have to meet social expectations. Torvald is too aware of how society views him, which is why he gets so angry at Nora for forging his father's signature to get a loan. Nora is correct in her assessment of how he would have reacted if she had "saved" him, which she tells Mrs. Linde: "And besides, how painful and humiliating it would be for Torvald, with his manly independence, to know that he owed me anything! (Ibsen Act 1). Nora is trapped in her marriage and is.