The Importance of Context / The Role of women in the 19th century by Emily McCabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8 A Doll's House context en-us 2016-10-19 11:38:22 UTC 2025-10-24 19:08:02 UTC hello@padlet.com 2 main types of Context e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131741528
  • Cultural
  • Historical/Social
    • ]]>     2016-10-19 11:39:21 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131741528     What is cultural context? e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131741724
  • Context that explores the current society that the characters live in
  • Explores how society can influence human behaviour
  • Cultural context also explores how the characters can conform/challenge stereotypes at the time the fiction is set
  • Culture context can also involve societal views on sex and relationships, wealth and poverty and immigration
    • ]]>     2016-10-19 11:40:39 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131741724     What was society like at the time Ibsen was writing? e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131743907
  • Society was divided into upper, middle and lower class
  • There was also divide between rich and poor
  • Going to church and religion was a big part of people's lives 
  • Most countries were majority Christian
  • Rise of industrialism meant more jobs with hard work and labour, this meant to the rise of the middle class, there was also a high use of child labour
  • The 19th century was a very partirarchal society
  • Women were seen as inferior to men, and there was a lot of gender divide and hierarchy
  • Men went out to work and took charge of the finances, which at this time women weren't allowed to do
  • Women had to look after their children and husbands when they got home from work
  • Social reform was coming into change at this time

    • ]]>     2016-10-19 11:50:57 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131743907     What is historical context? e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131744027
  • Historical context reflects views and attitudes from a previous time

    • ]]>     2016-10-19 11:51:33 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131744027     The role of women in the 19th century e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131762834 Source: https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century
    • Gender roles were clear cut for men and women in the 19th century
    • Men were known as the breadwinner and the family's source of income
    • Whereas women were expected to do domesticated jobs around the house 
    • It was common thinking in the 19th that women were weaker than men
    • Women's lives were seen as caring for the husband and raising the next generation the follow that way

    ]]>     2016-10-19 13:01:16 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131762834     Are Nora and Mrs Linde stereotypical of the time? e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131777302 Nora
    • Women in the 19th century were seen as objects, they were just seen for their domestic role
    • This is Nora to an extent, at the beginning of the play she is seen as a little Victorian housewife, a little doll
    • For example when he refers to her by "your dear eyes and your pretty little hands"
    • But I think you could also argue that towards the  end of the play she isn't a stereotype as she thinks about there being more to her life than her being someone's housewife
    • She was also very manipulative, when she borrowed the money from Krogstad, and had to forge her dad's signature, behind her husband's back
    • And she isn't stereotypical when she leaves Torvald, that was why the play was so controversial because no women at that time would have thought about leaving their husband
    Mrs Linde
    • Mrs Linde is not much of a stereotype either because she has no children, Nora even shows off to her almost by saying "I have 3 lovely children ", she doesn't have a stereotypical lifestyle

    ]]>     2016-10-19 13:38:28 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/131777302     The role of women in the 19th Century / How is society reflected in the play? e_mccabe https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/132001915
  • Women married in their early 20s with a husband a few years older to reinforce a hierarchy, like Nora and Torvald, 
  • This also meant men were in charge of the finances, like Torvald
  • Women had to take a vow of chastity up until marriage, they weren't allowed to enroll in higher education and they even had to have a chaperone when talking to other men
  • In summary life for women in the 19th century was one of restriction and suffering, women were seen as the lesser sex and they had no life outside of their domesticated gender roles
  • This is reflected in Nora, whose life revolves around kids, and not allowed to spend money ("my little spendthrift")

    • ]]>     2016-10-20 08:50:29 UTC https://padlet.com/e_mccabe/u4epqii5hxe8/wish/132001915