The imposition of certain gender roles by social standards in 19th century married life proved suffocating. From the beginning the reader may get the feeling that this family drama apparently simple can turn into some kind of tragedy which can raise some serious questions. The apparent love of the couple at the beginning of the play is further exposed as a compromise relationship between man and wife governed by some rules imposed by the male member of the Ibsen family. uses Nora's character development Helmer, the protagonist, and Torvald Helmer, the antagonist, to highlight the importance of communication in a healthy relationship. The female member changes different roles depending on the will and choice of the male partner. Sometimes he is a chatty lark The other is a beautiful doll that decorates the environment in which it lives. Gender roles must be established from the beginning. One of the two must dominate the scene; the other must change himself, sacrifice his inner desires and think only of their well-being of others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The characters in the play demonstrate 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 those of his wife. As a husband and father, he sees himself as the dominant breadwinner and source of authority in his family. He highly values ​​his role as the head of the family because in his society a successful man is someone who has a high income and high social status. He says to his wife, “It is wonderful to feel that you have perfectly secure employment 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 family. Furthermore, Torvald's patriarchal attitudes can be seen in the way he treats his wife, such as when he calls her a "little lark" or a "little squirrel" (Ibsen Act 1). She also believes that it is “womanly” not to consider the consequences of one's actions (Ibsen Act 1). Torvald sees his wife as a “little” object, someone who is inferior to him because she is a woman. Furthermore, Torvald even thinks that immorality comes from women, not men. He tells Nora, “Almost everyone who has gone wrong early in life has had a deceitful mother” (Ibsen Act 1). Nora is quite offended by this belief, but Torvald honestly thinks that bad people are generally the product of bad mothers, which indicates his poor perception of women. Torvald does not want Nora to grow as a person because she might pose a threat to his authority. Instead, he keeps her locked up at home and ensures that she is dependent on him for money and social relationships. The writer presents the characters in a stereotypical way as they should conform to the existing beliefs of the Norwegian society which believed in male dominance and gave the husband the role of a worker. The superiority of the husband over the wife is evident in Torvald's speech and in the chosen metaphor which represents women as weak or tiny creatures. 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 work. Gender is simplified to define marital roles: men work and women play; the husband is responsible and knowledgeable, while the wife, now an adult, decorates her life in a charming way” (p 13). Woman asweaker sex, Nora was described as "little squirrel", "little lark". Such small roles portray her as the weaker sex. Torvald's ideas about the fairer sex make him believe that she is a weaker sex who always needs the protection of the male sex. She is a cute doll and should be confined to her home. She should think about the welfare of her home, husband and family. Woman as Creature of the Household Mayer (2008) reflects that “Ibsen's Nora Helmer is a doll trapped in her house, a condition underlined by the fact that all the action of the play takes place in her 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 of the family, so is Torvald who thinks it is his duty to provide for his family. According to his typical male thinking of the time, women had no role in family finances. They serve only to maintain household affairs. They don't have to worry about earning money for the sake of the family, even the thought of his wife lending him money can hurt his male. Nora changed this role to Helmer when he was ill. She did sewing jobs to support her family. But this sacrifice was taken for granted by Torvald and in the moment of crisis he even forgot to recognize his 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 sees the well-being of the family institution in the form of certain consolidated power relations. Aside from the characters, the symbols further help readers understand the gender roles and expectations that dominate the characters' lives. Macaroons are symbols of childhood innocence. They suggest the childishness that her society has taught her, which is clearly Torvald's perception of her. Nora says to Torvald: “I have been your doll-wife, just as I was Daddy's little girl-doll at home; and here the children have been my dolls… This has been our marriage, Torvald” (Ibsen Act 3). She forgets what makes her happy because, as a woman, this seems to be unimaginable to her. Some people believe that Nora dancing for Torvald is symbolic. The dance is performed alone. It symbolizes how Nora feels. She feels alone in her life because her husband doesn't listen to her. Does not respect his 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 dollhouse is a metaphor for their marriage, where they are all imprisoned inside it, and the women are the worst of all because their main role is to serve their husbands and children. Men are trapped, not just women, because they have to meet social expectations. Torvald is overly 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 right in assessing how he would react 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 nothing to me !" (Ibsen Act 1). Nora is trapped in her marriage and is worse off than Torvald because she is his slave. She tells her husband, "I should not think of going against your will" (Ibsen Act 1). As a wife, she does not has free will and without free will.