Women of Ibsen and Strindberg: Term Paper

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Because of society, Nora becomes a wife and mother without giving it much though. She did what she was supposed to do. When Torvald calls Nora "hypocrite, a liar . . . A criminal" (Ibsen 190), he is overstepping his bounds, even as a husband. The words sting and it is as if they open Nora's eyes to the truth. He could not see the love behind her act and his hypocrisy is apparent at this point in the play. She is a victim of the social mores of her time and without the incident with the money, Nora might have never opened her eyes. Unlike Nora, Julie's awakening leaves her feeling hopeless. Julie's eyes are open to a mountain of regret and remorse for her actions. She feels no sense of identity, so she cannot defend herself even in her own mind. In short, there is no place for Julie in this world. She admits she is the one who "has to bear the guilt -- suffer the consequences" (Strindberg 276). Nora and Julie are victims of the society in which they live. Rules, expectations, and manners get in the way of women becoming all they could in the nineteenth century and these women demonstrate the consequences of independence.

Both women face difficult truths about life. In a Doll's House, Nora's revelation is mind blowing and cannot be overlooked like Torvald's flippant remarks about her intelligence. Torvald's reaction forces her to realize she does not him or herself. When she stops to think about things, she understands that nothing is clear and nothing is as she thought. She tells her husband, "I must stand quite alone if I am to understand myself and everything about me. It is for that reason I cannot remain with you any longer" (Ibsen 196). She accepts responsibility and is astute enough to realize he is at fault as well. She says, "You don't understand me, and I have never understood you either -- before tonight" (194).

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She feels she can "no longer content myself with what most people say or with what is found in books. I must think things over for myself and get to understand them" (197). In Miss Julie, Julie does not experience a single moment of clarity like Nora, but she does come to realize certain truths by the end of the play. Julie, like Nora, has lived most of her life living by standards others have laid before her. She cannot accept the roles society mandates for women. She hates men but she also hates women and this divided identity will never truly allow her to be comfortable in her own skin. She admits to Jean that she has "no self of my own. I don't have a single thought I didn't get from my father, not an emotion I didn't get from my mother" (Strindberg 276). Her choice, while desperate, seems to be only way out.

Nora and Julie are heroines before their time. While their stories are not identical, we can relate to their struggles. Nora's life with Torvald has been a lie and Julie has no idea who she is. Nora sees a future for herself out in the world while Julie only sees more pain and angst as she faces the truth of her actions. Situations such as these open doors for those later in history. We learn from those who walk before us. Women have come a long way and when we look at those who put in the actual miles, we can appreciate them even more.

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