Femininsm Free Write by Jamie Mallette

Last semester in Introduction to Literary Study, I read The Doll House by Henry Ibsen. Ibsen managed to write a piece of feminist literature without being a woman, a feminist or even a supporter of feminism. He did so by writing about a strong female character who saves her husband's life, manages to fool him by playing sweet and naive and then leaves him in search of herself. The Doll House is not a traditional piece of feminist literature in that it does not campaign for equal rights or even put a positive light on the female character. Ibsen's work has feminist themes and in my opinion can be considered a feminist work. I believe this because the main character is a woman and Ibsen captures the essence of how women (those who were feminists or those that just faced the harsh inequities of the world) felt to be in a relationship in which the man was automatically dominant and one could be judged for the slightest notion of stepping out of place. Feminists wanted women to be able to step out of the shadow of men and express themselves. They also wanted females to be protected under the law and be given the same rights as men. Feminist literature tried to highlight the special attributes of women. The idea was to show that women could be a mother, a provider and a valuable citizen. With these conclusions in mind, feminists argued that women should be protected in the workplace and be given the status of citizens (e.g. the right to vote).