Category: Writers Block
a mirror of first wave feminist situations
“No more the meek and mild subservients we We're fighting for our rights
militantly Never you fear” (l.l. 16-18), This is from the song Sister sufferagette
from the Disney Movie Mary Poppins. This movie highlights and reflects on what
the females and their families in the first wave movement must have gone
through. There were three waves in the feminist movement, the first was
focused on the basic rights of women. The Most basic rights were sought, such
as womanhood, women’s basic rights, and the most basics of independence.
This struggle is demonstrated in many women’s’ lives, even women in fiction.
such an example is Henrick Ibsen’s Nora in the 1879 Play A Doll’s House, which
to give it some historical grounding was written at this historical time in history,
in Europe. Nora discovers through the play a sense of herself, a need to act, and
then leaves her husband. This epiphany is the result of her gender through her
oppression and limitations she faces as a woman, and the role she must play in
the marriage she is trapped within.
Feminism has been an issue that mattered since the mid nineteenth century.
Globally The feministic movement has been generally similar, because according
to Natasha Thomsen “the issues women have been dealing with have been
similar worldwide but varied by the pace of change allowed by political climate
and cultural beliefs” (3). All countries eventually grant women rights, but some
were slower to do so. There were three ways of feminism ranging from 19th
century, up to the time this paper is written. The third wave is still ongoing
rapidly. The first wave lasted from mid 19th century to mid twentieth century.
The second wave began in the mid twentieth century and lasted until the last
decade. The third wave commenced at the end of the twentieth century and has
not relented. Much of what feminism has evolved in to also crosses over in to a
revolution concerning sexuality, gender, and identity.
The First wave had no real set beginning date, as according to thomsen,
because things were different in each country “the call for women’s rights began
at different times in different countries, often coinciding with the demand for
other rights, such as political freedom or economic reform” (3). This makes
sense, because often such reforms did not consider women’s place in the
reforms. There is according to Katrina Honeyman And Jordan Goodman, “a
clear, yet complex gender division of labour existed in the nineteenth century”
(617). This was prevalent in many aspects of society, many sector of
employment,, and the political sphere. An example of this according to
Honeyman and Goodman is “European garment trades which distinguished
workers both by the tasks they performed and by the location in which they
performed them” (617). Women were given less trusted tasks, easier more
generic work and many performed them at a separate location from men,
mostly at home. The statistics show that according to Honeyman and Goodman,
“in 1887, for example, 75 percent of all homeworkers were married, widowed,
or separated” 616). Another example is that women were not allowed to be
seen as professional academics such as historians. according to Ida Blom at this
time “only university graduates were considered professional historians, and it
was not until the 1870s that Scandinavian women were accepted as university
students in Sweden in 1873 and Denmark in 1875” This was because women
fought for their rights. Women were not allowed to be considered as
professional historians for example. Even at this point in time, professional
women were sparse. Women who had their own freedom who had some amount
of rights according to Thomsen believe “they would lead the world into social
and sexual freedom” (33). In a sense, these women had some limited freedoms
and wished that other women would have the same rights, but also, to fight for
more rights which would help all of them. these protests did not have much
success at first even though, they would later would result in a powerful shift in
society. At first, however, according to honeyman and Goodman, “The possibility
of restructuring gender relations in the labour market was momentarily
indicated by changes in production methods, but ultimately men retained their
monopoly of the more rewarding occupation. This was what the first wave was
about, merely the rights of the women to be part of society, to help the men
earn their keeps, to be acknowledged, and to have voting and landowning
rights. The second wave was over equality with men, having a presence as a
professional women, seen as their own at work, and a good pay. The Third wave
is about fairer working conditions, sexuality, defining more clearly what gender
is, abortion rights, and Being seen just as men is, having an equal status in
society.
The society at this time was still overwhelmingly a patriarchy; in fact, men
had rights which women did not have, women’s rights were limited, and
patronizing condescension towards women kind was common even toward’s
one’s own wife. The fact is according to Katrina Honeyman and Jordan Goodman
“women face discrinmination are of very long standing and were not the
creation of the forces of industrialization” (608).A Doll’s house captures this
atmosphere, and we see Torvald Helmer having such a disposition towards his
wife, who is clearly not her own, as she is merely a wife, who has to play her
role, in his eyes. The pet names and the condescending tones is blatant
throughout this play. The first thing the reader hears Torvald Helmer say to Nora
is “Is that my little lark twittering out there” (569). This remark already seems
condescending, despite the fact he believe he is being humorous. At this point
this could still be possible, however this patronizing tone only populate the rest
of the pages. At the end when Nora decides she rather leave him, he is still
being condescending.
even readers from the first wave, of feminism would know he is speaking to
a child; on the contrary this behavior was just fine in men’s view, because
according to Ida Blom, who quotes Ragna Nielsen, “apparently, women have
nothing to do with the past anyway” (581), which is to say they make no impact
on society.They are not important or good enough to do so. This was more the
reason to patronize them, due to their natural inferiority. Furthermore, His little
pet names for her continues throughout the play and even at the end, he
belittles her by trying to counsel her, as a good father would counsel one’s own
child after some traumatic event. He tries to sooth her by saying, “try to calm
yourself, and ease your mind again, my frightened little songbird” ((596). If this
was his child this would have been acceptable, even loving. This is disrespectful
and condescending to a women who has rights, but at this time, it was all but
acceptable, because the fact of the matter, is they didn’t have their rights
established yet. For this reason and the amount of control and condescension
which is dealt out according to Thomas such figures as by John Stuart Mill “who
addressed the rights of women in his 1869 book The Subjection of Women and
wrote articles on the subject for the press” (35), were able to use “his work
[which] was translated in to danish, Inspir[ed] the movement in denmark” (35).
Not only did Helmer patronize Nora but so did the rest of society. They did not
think much of Nora and her abilities, especially in terms of employment.
Because Nora took out a loan and had to repay it, She had to find work. She
also enjoyed working to support Helmer by repaying the loan that was borrowed
in order to go on the vacation to Italy, and this is indicated byy her statement of
“it was a tremendous pleasure to sit there working and earning money” (574).
Like most women however, according to Honeyman and Goodman “suffered
very irregular employment” 617), which was no real surprise, because of how
women was generally viewed. Nora claims as evidence of her own struggles that
“last winter I was lucky enough to get a lot of copying to do” (574). This
indicates that Nora doesn’t usually get much copying or as much, and that it
may be a job hard to get. This is the way How Patriarchal societies patronize
women like Nora, and not only do they patronize them, but they are also seen
as in need of not being able to hold their own counsel.
Helmer also delighted in instructing Nora on the ways of life. Because NOra
finally decides that he is far to controling and restrictive, Even when Nora
proposes that she shall leave him, he still proposes to her, “Playtime is over, and
now it’s lesson-time” (597). Because once more this shows his manipulation and
control, This did not rectify the situation; moreover, it serve to show his
continual desire to direct and manipulate instead of allowing her to help make
the decisions as an equal. This was how men behaved in a patriarchy, which
according to Honeyman and Goodman “can be defined as a pervading societal
system, … which accept, reinforce, or structure male hegemony” (509). and
Helmer one could clame was only acting as one would in such society. Helmer’s
idea of counseling her on how to spend, by saying “if you spend it all on the
housekeeping and all kinds of unnecessary things, then I just have to open my
wallet all over again” (569). This is a way for him to get her to play along with
him and ask him for more money, but nevertheless it’s still counsel. telling her
that is condescending. However, he doesn’t only suggest on how she spends her
money but he also advises, that, “if you really did save some of the money I
give you” 569), he would not have to continue to waste his money on her. This
may be a reasonable request, but the fashion in which it was proposed was
patronizing. Nora like other women were not trusted in society, and society as a
whole set guidelines so that according to Honeyman and Goodman “esteemed
productive work was to be a male sphere and domestic duties a female and less
respected one” 612). Like Helmer men in society tries to put women in a place
in which they belong, and men tells the women what they are permitted to do in
society. Another example of such dominance of Nora by Helmer, He also sees it
fit to counsel his wife on how to eat and limits her on her sweets consumption.
Under this premise He says to her “has little miss sweet tooth been breaking
our rules in town today” (570). This may be appropriate behavior towards one’s
child, but to control and limit one’s wife as such is certainly degrading
In this time period, woman was indeed nothing but status objects. One
would marry and have a wife to have a higher status and for professional
reasons. Status represented much at this time in society; Moreover, it took
women and money to achieve these goals. societal roles were organized
according to this principle because according to Honeyman and Goodman,
“while women were allocated low status secretarial jobs, men moved into high
status office work in banks and insurance companies” (615). This even shows
how much women meant less and women were not as important or could
possess a status as high as men were able to. This is reflective in A Doll’s
house, and Henrik Ibsen uses Nora as a representative of this phenomenon.
Because Helmer had both nora and a good position, he claims that “it’s great to
feel that you have a completely secure position and a big enough income”
(570). This is an example of how status operates in such a society. Moreover,
Women were more of a valuable asset. This is even the case not just in the
home but in society and work. Society set up work that according to Honeyman
and Goodman “Not only did it allow women to reconcile domestic functions with
wage earning, and to comply with the late nineteenth-century moralists,
feminine ideal, but it permitted the clothing manufacturers to make full use of a
cheap and flexible labour force at a time when the expansion in the demand for
ready-to-wear clothing placed great pressure on existing methods of production
and suggested greater subdivision of tasks” (617). This effectively made women
useful in the workforce but allowed and encouraged them to also fulfill the
chores which makes them useful and an asset domestically. The readers Of A
Doll’s house get a glimpse of this natural tendency in thought and values at the
time, which is borne by Torvald Helmer as he expresses outloud, “one would
hardly believe how expensive such little creatures are” (569). He loves her and
their marriage because it’s concerns his status and pride, and gives him the
wholesomeness he needs as a male in this society. He also feels as if he’s
ultimately in control. When she asks if it was nice that she did what he asks, his
reaction was as follows: ‘nice, because you do what your husband tells you to”
583). This tells of his belief of his powerful dominance, and how he believes that
women must submit to their husbands including nora, of course. Another
example is Nora’s father, because a father also has great command and
influence over a daughter before she becomes married. Nora recounts when
living with her father, that “it was great fun to sneak down to the maids’ room,
because they never preached at me” ((586). Her father on the contrary did
preach at Nora. During a woman’s life, in this time period, Men in general,not
just Nora’s father or Helmer, at this time were so much about the command and
influence of the female, and demoting them, that according to Honeyman and
Goodman men “by setting artisanal work apart from work in general, guildsmen
were also equating women with the unskilled: (613). This was a way to control
and command women and to exert the maximum amount of influence and
dominance over them. she’s kept in society by the presence of men and their
influence. First they are kept at home and restricted by their families, especially
their father. Nora describes her treatment by her father up to the time that she
married helmer by saying that “he used to call me his doll-child, and he played
with me the way I played with my dolls” (597). Then as with nora most women
feels as nora does “that I was just passed from papa’s hands to yours” (597).
This implies that from birth to death women’s exisstence was very sheltered,
controled, and dominated by men in their lives. Because Women are kept as
status objects, this system is in place to aid this along. Helmer makes himself
feel better by saying “still, one has to take you as you are” (570), as if resigned
to the idea. On the contrary, Women are powerless status objects, and they can
do little outside the house. According to Ida blom in society there was an
“understanding that women would work as assistants to men, preferably to
husbands,permeated education in france, even at the academic level” (582).,
making women second class to men and only to serve them. This makes women
powerless and not important in academia, and they are unable to make changes
unless their male academic, who they work under, is willing to sponsor their
ideas. Ibsen uses Nora as an example of women in general who are status
objects and are necessarily under men in her society. Nora is in this situation,
whether she realises this or not. Helmer uses her as his pretty wife, where her
looks matters the most. This is evident when he states, “I think she’s worth
looking at” (592). The women’s beauty and charm glorifies a husband and helps
his status. The husbands with beautiful women are perceived better and this is
the reason why helmer dresses her up and shows her beauty and charm off at a
dance; moreover, it was significant for him that “everyone thought so at the
dance” (592), and agreed with him concerning her beauty, because this helps
his status. We see this voiced when Mrs. Kristine Linde explain to nora that “no,
a wife can’t borrow money without her husband’s consent” (573). Because men
must ultimately make the decision to borrow money to be legal, This then,
makes the women in society somewhat useless. Because no real power is
allowed them, this subjects women to be under men, and in many ways, they
are not able to effect any major workings in society. Nora finds this to be
restrictive but she wasn’t the only one who thought so. Ibsen uses her to
represent feminists at the time who also wish for more legal rights for Married
women. According to Thomsen because women were willing to advocate for
themselves and protest, “economic independence for single women and
improved legal position of married women” (33), actually occured.
Women, who has been for a period of time, were satisfied by this type of
husband in this type of society. The readers see NOra playing along at the
beginning of this text. Torvald Helmer expects her wife be light and
irresponsible, so this is the act she plays, and she obliges to play the role he
wishes. Helmer uses her also to entertain himself, because as an object of pride
there isn’t much else she’s allowed. Because Nora has good entertainment value
such as “my dancing and dressing up and reciting” (573), he is fond of and
devoted to her. In adition, her charm and skill at dancing helps his status,
because a wife such as Nora shows that she’s a refined lady and that the man
who married her has class. Helmer in this way tells Mrs. Linde by way of
praising her wife, “She danced her tarantella and it was a huge success, as it
deserved to be” (592), he is proud of her because she was able to make his
household image. Her preformance was not something he enjoyed personally
but rather a success, which means it did something for him. Nora is the perfect
spendthrift even her answer reflects such, as when Torvald Helmer asks her,
what would we do if we owed people money, her answer is “If that happened, I
don’t suppose I’d care whether I owed anyone money or not” (569). This is
certainly an answer that someone who loves spending money would give. This
role is consistent throughout the first part of A doll’s House. One would imagine
that it would be tiring to fill in such roles, and needing to act continuously this
way to fill this role constantly. It’s a bit restrictive, because much of this
interaction seems to be limiting her to a certain type of response. Helmer also
expects her to tend to the house and perform her domestic duties, and she does
this well. This includes keeping house, buying things for the house, preparing
the house for guests and holidays, and caring for their children. This is what
most men in the nineteenth century expected of women as well; in fact this
expectation carried over to the working sphere, because this was the only type
of work viewed as fit for women, According to Honeyman and Goodman women
“clustered in the clothing industry,in various forms of retail trading, and in
menial occupations (like laundressing) that resembled household chores, a
pattern reminiscent of the early modern period” (616), which kept women in
semi-domestic roles. This was a way to keep women in that type of controled
position, and it was seen as what they are able to do best as well. She plays the
role also of a rebellious but subservient wife by purchasing macaroons. this
being her secretly rebellious action is guilty for it and denies that she ever does
it; In fact, she claims that she “wouldn’t dream of going against your wishes”
570). Upon being confronted for her action, she says, “no, what makes you
think that” (570). In fact, on the contrary, he had just seen through her little
rebellious secret. Being so restrictive, the role here is to play that rebellious
woman who secretly goes aganst her husbands wishes as a guilty pleasure. It
shows of her struggles and how trapped she feels in her role, which she has
little choice but to follow; moreover, she has been following this type of
restrictive set of guidelines all her life, beginning with her father. For most
women, of this time, they have been suppressed as nora has been, because
these rebellions “according to Shulamith Firestone may appear as a superficial
inequality,one that can be solved by merely a few reforms, or perhaps by the
full integration of women in to the labour force” (3), even if it is in a very
passive role. This in a sense is similar to Helmer’s view, where a quick small
amend was sufficient, and at the end, his solution was to allow her to be more
present in his life, but in a sense still highly controled. She admits to Doctor
Rank, A long time family friend, that “being with Torvald is a little like being with
papa” (586), in the way she is trapped and undermined. She feels it is the same
type of social rules and roles she has to play, and this is a tiring and tedious
position to be inn; therefore, she sometimes needs a break from it, so she
spends it with the nursemaids when she lived with her father and Doctor Rank
as a wife to Helmer. This isn’t unusual with women in her time, This is fairly
common as there is no way out of this lifestyle, because it is very difficult to be
educated. According to blom “opposition to women at universities was strong
and male historians directly attacked the idea of women attending lectures:
(582), which really does not help them get a better life without an opportunity
to be educated. This subjugation is also blatant when Nora challenges what they
have already established. Nora had promised helmer to not bring a topic up with
him anymore, but she does; Thus challenging his authority, and to him, this is a
cause for offense. He proceeds to accuse nora that “You Really have the nerve
to bring that up again” 583). It is helmers desire to not give her choices, but in
another sense, society expects the same. Society expects that Women should
have little if no power over their men. When Nora insist he works on her wishes
in deciding who to fire, Helmer inquires, “Do you think I’m going to let them all
say that the new manager has changed his mind because his wife said to”
(583). Listening to his wife, when Helmer had decided already to fire Krogstad,
his employee, showed how week he was as a man. As Helmer points out that
this is “going to make myself look riddiculous in front of my whole staff, and let
people think that I can be pushed around by all sorts of outside influences”
(584). This is a dreadful thing to be upon oneself when a manager of a bank,
especiallyy when one is new. Men were suppose to be the reliable workers who
did reputable work. It was unfit to listen to women who were the more ignorant
and lesser in society. Women worked in less skilled capacities such as in the
garment industry according to Honeyman and Goodman, “operated mainly in
the mass production sector, at home, making women’s garments, underwear,
millinery and standard workmen’s clothes” (617), because they were less
trusted, deemed to have less skill, and unable to be able to perform like men.
So, why should men trust the women, much less be influenced by them? They
were not suppose to; In fact, It would be a sign of weakness. She is also kept
from knowing much about society, and never taught of society’s laws and ways
of life. She shows this through her ignorance of the law, which she broke,
because she had to forge her dying father’s signature for her husband’s health.
This was the only way she was able to borrow an expensive lone, so they could
travel to Italy for the sake of Helmer’s Helfth. Nora deems “the law must be
very stupid” (579). She considers it that because the law does not make
provisions for her desperate situation; hence, she believes the law is inflexible.
She then admits, “I don’t know much about the law, but I’m sure there must be
provisions for things like that.” (579): this shows her innocence and her naíve
ignorance of the law. Towrds the beginning, when Dr. Rank was speaking to Mrs.
Linde and her, Nora indicates when asked, “what do I care about your boring
society” (575. This shows apathy towards the society she is in. This was the
state of things all of her life and throughout the play, until the end where she
realizees there is a better alternative and takes action.
Towards the end of the play, nora realises that she was being controled,
manipulated, and treated as Helmer’s dol. She realizes this from an argument.
Because the letter was dropped in to the Helmer’s mailbox about Nora’s guilt of
forgery, Helmer was angry and upset. Forgery is a crime and thus judged very
severely. Nora was his wife and thus was under him. Everything she does is
associated with his name, and her status was tied to his own. Because Nora
commited a crime, it could be associated with him, and society may perceive it
as his influence. He claims, “Now you’ve destroyed all my happiness. You’ve
ruined my whole future.” (596). Helmer is concerned and angry at not the
principles or even Nora, but the fact that his status and place will be stained.
What is also a rude awakening is that not long before this attitude shift Nora
was his precious jule. His attitude changes completely when he receives this
news, even though, before this evidence was shown he claimed that he’d work
hard to defend, love, protect and work with her; However, this was not the case,
especially because his status was effected. He was the one to blame and to be
held responsible, and we find out that Nora could have little to do with it. We
find out that whether Nora was in the picture or not, that he would still be
effected, because he states “what good would it do me if you were out of the
way, as you say” (596). Previously Torvald had promised Nora that he would
support her through anything and defend her; however, when it was time to be
tested and his security in society was challenged he did not wish to keep his
promise. because soon after another letter arived to appologize for the previous
letter which was sent and the forged document was handed over, Torvald was
no longer in any danger of society’s condemnation. Nora noticed how quickly the
shift of attitude was back to normal and casual as helmer declares, in Nora’s
favor, “what difference does it make what he says?” (596). He is able to toll the
old line because he is now safe in his place in society in no jeopardy of any
shame by society. He is secure and this matters more to him more than his
wife. at this point, all was over and her eyes was opened to the truth of the
entire situation. Nora comes to grasp, as stated by Honeyman and Goodman
“that the economic, political, and social subordination of women has been at
least partly determined by patriarchal forces” (609). She realises that
something must be changed concerning her situation. She has changed in her
perspective and mindset which is represented in a literal way by her admition of
“yes, Torvald, I’ve changed” when he asks her if she had changed her clothes.
Nora realises and verbalizes that because he’s been treating her like his
precious doll and a prized prize that “we’ve been married for eight years.
Doesn’t it occur to you that this is the first time the two of us, you and I,
Husband and wife, have had a serious conversation” (597). This tends to be a
problem because couples should discuss serius issues with each other, and the
decision making shouldn’t be up to each separately or up to one of the two
spouses. Nora observes “you’ve never loved me. You just thought it was
pleasant to be in love with me” (597), because of all the interesting things she
could perform especially at the dance; Furthermore she observes that “it’s as if
I’ve been living here like a beggar, from hand to mouth” (597), where she has
to beg for his love, attention, and money by being the wife he wants. She does
this by keeping his tastes, charming him by tricks, and allowing him to be
charmed by her presence. Nora is far from being alone however in her
suppressed position, which was the reason they fought for their rights. Women
had not much rights, and thus fighting would mean that it would be according to
Thomas “guaranteeing women rights over their children and control of property
and wages, which gave them impetus to the movement” (35), from the
examples of other countries. Her situation has lead her to believe that her
suppression is unjust and that something drastic has to be done in order to
solve this dilemma. This also leads her to realize that she is unfit to be a parent,
because she is ignorant as to the ways of life. In this way she suggests “I have
to try to educate myself” (598), on the ways of life, and learn and try to
become” (598), a human being. Nora isn’t alone in wishing to learn about the
world and operating on her own merits, even if she wanted a more basic and
practical education than formal education systems offered. Because according to
Tomsen “education has been among the first priorities of the women’s
movement in most countries” (6). Women found education to be an important
right. She has concluded to leave him and the city for a distant place and a new
life because she finally realizes “no, I’ve never really been happy. I thought I
was, but it wasn’t true” (597). Nora feels or wants to feel as Ragna Nielsen
does, according to Blom that “in the future, women will also become part of
history, if only they themselves want to” (581), which is what Nora wishes to be
herself. Here we have the story of a woman who has realized where her place is
and have finally decide to begin her struggles against society.
Thus it is the author’s conclusion that this work is a critique of feminism and
is amongst one of the first wave feministic protest pieces. Because it really
focuses heavily on struggles of the woman and it matches issues and concerns
of the day rather than a humanistic piece. This piece of literature amongst many
others has helped shaped and formed the feministic movement and literature.
Amongst others such as this protest song Bread and Roses sung by a woman’s
march due to deaths and careless behaviors in the factories towards women, it
echos and reenforces the main theme of a Doll’s house: “No more the drudge
and idler Ten that toil where one reposes But the sharing of life’s glories bread
and roses, bread and roses” (l.l. (20-24).
Interesting article. Just one additional point. Wccmen were actually treated as property, and the law itself often viewed them as the property of either there husband or father. This made them less even than status symbols and objects. It meant men _icense to abuse without limit up to and including murder. The implications of a person being viewed as property are profound.
It was indeed an interesting article. It shows just how far women have come over the past hundred years. Obviously the patriarchic society model still exists. Like racism of the 21st century it's just slightly more subtle, and that's only in North America. There are of course many countries where Womens' rites are still highly disputed. As a 21st century man I find it utterly baffling that we aren't more equal in society. As if women are this lesser species. Unfortunetly there are enough men who either still think that way, or are so used to the status quo that they don't think of it at all that this third wave of feminism is still necessary.