A doll house is a feminist play.

 

Henric Johann Ibsen is without a doubt one of the leading playwright of the 19th century. After Shakespeare Ibsen is the most frequently performed playwright in the world. His best play A Doll 's house has earned him international acclaim and acceptance as the first major innovative playwright in the history of international literature. The play focuses on patriarchal, confusion, rebellion and self worth.

Feminism 

   Feminism is a movement that says to define and establish social,  legal,  cultural freedom  and equality for women. It advocates for the rights of women on the basis of gender equality in all spares of life. The goal of feminism as a literary movement is to rebel against  a patriarchal society. The play "A Doll House " focuses on feminism in different aspect. 

Concentrate on the marital relationship.

    A doll's House is a drama about marital relationship between Nora Helmer and Torvald Helmer. Untill the end, Nora is presented as a dutiful wife who fulfills every need of her husband and patriarchal society. She loves her husband and does everything to make him happy. The following statement of Nora shows her love for husband

"I am free from care now. To be able to play and roamp with children.  To be able to keep the house beautiful and have everything just Torvald likes it.

The desire for identity

  In the play, Henrik Ibsen's feminist attitude is revealed through the character of Nora. Ibsen artistically depicts a woman's plight, tied to her husband home, through which her freedom is diminished

" And, think of it, soon the spring will come and the big blue sky. Perhaps we shall able to take a little trip."

       Nora's desire, here, symbolizes all woman's desire for identity and freedom. Ibsen also ridiculed the irrational patriarchal ideology by which woman was considered a trivial sexual object. 

Economic dependence

   Another concern of feminism is woman's economic dependence on influential male members of society.

"Well, Then I have found other ways of earning money 

      From this, it is understood that a woman seeks liberation from her domesticity. When Krogstad threatens to tell  the secret of lending two hundred fifty pounds loan to her husband, she shows her confidence in her husband. In the second of the play, Torvald assures Nora that he will bear any inconvenience from Krogstad and he will accept everything for her. However, all these have been proved false. When Torvald finally finds out that Nora has taken a loan from Krongstad and forged her father signature. She scolds her being a liar, a hypocrite and a criminal.

Reasonable advocacy for woman

   It is at this point that real character of Nora emerges into view. She now wants to have a serious talk with Helmer and she begins to speak to him in a very self conference and self assertive manner. It is now her turn to indict Helmer. She tells him that like her father he had wronged her greatly. Her father had treated her as his baby doll and thereafter Helmer has been treating her as his doll wife. She says that her duty to Helmer and her child is no bigger to her than her duty to herself.

Conclusion

We can assert that 'A doll house ' is a representative feminist play.  On the other hand, the title of the play symbolizes the stinginess of a woman's freedom. It suggests that women are considered as  puppets in a patriarchal society. The play is a critique of patriarchal prejudice and discrimination.