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Torvald's Argumentative Essay

588 Words3 Pages

Torvald is a victim of his society making him incapable of being the antagonist. Ibsen wrote about the inequalities of men and women within the Victorian age. He focused on the disparity between how women are viewed in comparison to men. However, this does not make the man immediately the oppressor. For example, within the play Torvald says, “I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora- bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves” to which Nora responds, “It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done” (3.70). This shows how Torvald is completely unaware of the sacrifices women have made as he is taught to overlook women’s struggles and only focus on his life and aspirations. Clearly, Torvald is a victim of his own society as he is completely oblivious to his own ascendency over his wife within his society. Joan Templeton explains in her article about the play that the play itself is “not about Everybody’s struggle to find him- or herself but, according to its author, about Everywoman’s struggle against …show more content…

While this is true, the article “Recasting "A Doll House": Narcissism As Character Motivation in Ibsen's Play” suggests that Victorian standards have caused Torvald to have a need for Nora to inflate his masculinity and narcissism while Nora needs a miracle due to what the perfect Victorian marriage makes them believe. Both characters have similar aspirations within their marriage both of which are disappointed making it so that the two are victims of the ideas given to them through their society. While Torvald may be sexist, they too are victims as he lives in a society that confines his view so that he is incapable of understanding women’s

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