ENG 362 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: True Names, Dover Publications, Institute For Operations Research And The Management Sciences
Document Summary
The victorian era was a period of time between 1837 and 1901 when people struggled with their identity because of the strict moral uphold of society. From the aristocracy to the working class, respectability was the topmost thought on people"s mind. Anyone not conforming to the rules dictated by society were ignored or judged. Women, especially, as they were seen as inferior to the male gender. The plays a doll"s house and the importance of being earnest comment on and criticize these roles. Throughout a doll"s house, nora, the protagonist of the play, didn"t have an identity of her own because she was raised to believe she couldn"t by her father. Helmer, continued this mindset by undermining her and treating her as more of a daughter than a wife. He talked to her like a child in her own home, dressed her up for social events and spoke for her, never giving her the chance to have her own opinions.
