Reflections of social issues of modern people in the play “A Doll's House”Deneme
It seems that just surviving and sleeping with a full stomach are not the main problems of developed civilizations since the first formations of societies. ‘Surviving in a good condition’ is the key for modern women and men and death is mostly ignored or perceived as an end from a scientific point of view. Social status, economic level of individuals or some characteristics of modern era can provide people advantages or cause to have disadvantages in society. We can see some of these modern issues' reflections in 20th century art, literature and especially in drama. A Doll's House is one of the examples in which modern times' social issues are reflected. Henrik Ibsen, the playwright aimed to explain these problems to the audience through characters. Married couples, alone women and men are all struggling with money issues, loneliness and especially sexism in the play. Of course, these social issues are nothing compared to war, famine and natural disasters. However, these issues may appear as factors that deeply affect the mental health and psychological state of individuals that keep society alive.
Since the Lydians, money has always been the determinant of social roles. In modern age, we experienced industrialization, technological developments and capitalism. Consequently, money started to control everything including women and men’s relationships. At the very beginning of the play, we see that how money determines men's dominant role. Torvald is the one who has financial power in the family. We can see the clear social difference between Nora and her husband by Torvald’s discourses; “What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper? - (Taking out his purse.) Nora, what do you think I have got here?”(p.3) He can make Nora happy just by giving money. Also Torvald abuses Nora with calling him bird names as if she is a bird in his cage. The main reason why Nora can’t say a word to Torvald as a passive character and is humiliated by him is that she needs him financially. Consequently, at the end of the play, she divorces Torvald and in order to be completely free, she doesn’t demand anything from him financially; “Helmer: Let me help you if you are in want. Nora: No. I can receive nothing from a stranger.”(p.96) In capitalist modern society, even in between women and men, governments or son-father relationships, what determines the dominance is money itself. Money can even push people to do evil things in some occasions. Another character who faces with problems due to the influence of money is Krogstad. He blackmails Nora in order not to lose his job, that is, his financial power. When he threats Nora by uncovering her forgery, he tries his chance to get his position back. So we can’t say that Krogstad is an evil character but he is driven to do evil as a victim of the capitalist system.
Sexism appears as another social issue presented to the audience in the play. In fact, this problem is one of the most emphasized problems in the literature in all ages. It is possible to say that the characters Nora and Mrs. Linde are subjected to this gender discrimination in the play. In male-dominated societies, besides the decisive role of money, almost all jobs -considered as males' jobs- that require power and risk-taking determine this sexual discrimination. Women are not given the opportunity to prove themselves. One of the reasons that Nora tries to prove herself at every opportunity by saying "I did it" and "thanks to me" is her repressed emotions. By saying these; "That is like a woman!"(p.3) "Almost everyone who has gone to the bad early in life has had a deceitful mother."(p.36) Torvald shows that he is a very patriarchal man. Not only men but also women use sexist words as they are under the influence of patriarchal society. Nora’s discourse is an example for this; “…working and earning money. It was like being a man.”(p.17) In patriarchal society we can say that there is a men triangle (father-husband-son) of a woman that chained her from behind. Even in 21st century, a woman is considered as a property given to her husband by her father. In the play, Nora also complains about this men triangle by saying; “I have been your doll‐wife, just as at home I was papa‘s doll‐child; and here the children have been my dolls.”(p.90) On the other hand, it is possible to say that the character Mrs. Linde was alone for a long time, had financial freedom and had the opportunity to prove her. Thus, the union of Krogstad and Mrs. Linde is a good relationship created by two individuals who have realized their inner selves in a patriarchal society.
Loneliness is another problem that our characters have to face. Side effects of industrialization and world wars created alienation and spiritual loneliness in societies especially in western culture. Trust in religions decreased and the term of existential crisis appeared. People became more aimless than past. Despite this loneliness occurred by lack of spirituality, marriage and reproduction still matter like in the old ages. Mrs. Linde who divorced her husband and had no children suffers from this feeling of loneliness by saying; “no one to mourn for, no one to care for.”(p.71) Nora also feels pity about Mrs. Linde’s loneliness, saying "Poor Christine, you are a widow"(p.8) in their first conversation. Having children and getting married are shown as the way out of loneliness in the play. Shakespeare also stated in the 116th sonnet that the union formed with love will save one from loneliness; "Let me not to the marriage of true minds - Admit impediments."(L1-2) We can say that both of them get rid of loneliness when Mrs. Linde and Krogstad come together. However, on the other hand, Nora leaves her husband and goes for a quest alone at the end of the play for the sake of her well-being. In Nora’s situation, not loneliness but failed marriage is a problem. We can’t know whether she will turn back or not but I suppose she will realize her inner self in loneliness, away from men's dominance and she won’t turn back. So we can say that the constructive side of loneliness is that it makes you a mature and logical person. Unhappy endings are inevitable for the relationships of women and men who are very influenced by the culture and who weren't alone enough to get mature.
A Doll's House, in which we see reflections of feminine issues of individuals in the 20th century, especially touches upon the essential problems of modern woman. These feminine issues have been maintaining for ages in the male-dominant societies. Besides, loneliness and money issues are reflected to the audiences. In conclusion, we can make the following inference about the play; characters are created to show the each problem. Also, using a house as setting is a perfect way to show familial issues. Some tricks and hidden events in the plot are increasing tension and make the play a well-made play. Also mentioning the problems of society make the play a didactic and a satiric play. Authors like Henrik Ibsen have always been the voice of social problems in all ages.
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