A Doll’s House Essay Topics

The problem of gender roles has become popular in the 20th century and still remains acute. Sociologists, psychologists, and anthropologists discuss various ideas and suggestions about women’s plight. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen was a really shocking piece of writing in the 19th century because of the theme of women’s role in society and the author’s views on this issue. But nowadays, no one feels surprised when it comes to discussing the “glass ceiling” or “gender stereotypes.”

So what has made us focus on Henrik Ibsen’s play and provide you with some good essay topics for “A Doll’s House”? The Norwegian playwright doesn’t concentrate on the problems of women only. He touches on a wide range of social and moral problems: familial corruptions, friendship and love, honesty and deception, and others. “A Doll’s House” is not simply a manifest of feminism. This play is a highly artistic criticism of bourgeois society based on the laws and principles that limited human rights and put duty and norm above personality.

We have divided “A Doll’s House” essay topics into three parts according to the appropriate essay type. Of course, you are welcome to interpret and change our topics the way you want to create titles more suitable for your needs.

Analytical essay topics for “A Doll’s House”

1. Justice and injustice in the relationships between the main characters of “A Doll’s House.”
2. Analyze how the nicknames given by Torvald to Nora determine his way of looking at his wife.
3. Analyze the symbols and their role in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
4. How do the feelings between Kristine Linde and Nils Krogstad reinforce the theme of true love in “A Doll’s House”?
5. Does the title “A Doll’s House” allude to Nora Helmer only or to her husband and children too?
6. How does Henrik Ibsen demonstrate his view on the plight of women in the society of the 19th century in his play “A Doll’s House”?
7. Analyze how Nora’s inner world has changed at the end of the play in comparison to the beginning.
8. How does the ending of the play “A Doll’s House” illuminate the author’s worldview?
9. The development of Nora’s moral code in “A Doll’s House.”
10. Is the title “A Doll’s House” at the same time a main symbol of the play?
11. Explain Nora’s phrase “the most wonderful thing” at the end of the play. What does she mean?
12. How does the play “A Doll’s House” reject the traditional values of society?
13. Individualism as a central theme of “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
14. How can you describe the concept of “true marriage” depicted in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen?
15. Doctor Rank as a symbolic character in the play “A Doll’s House.”
16. Why does Nora hide her problem with the loan from Torvald? What is she afraid of?
17. Unity of place and time in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
18. In which ways does the play “A Doll’s House” reflect the ideas of modernism?
19. How does the author develop the theme of self-sacrifice in “A Doll’s House”?
20. Why was the ending of the play “A Doll’s House” shocking for the audience in the 19th century?
21. Analyze the impact of Nora’s attractiveness on her interrelationship with Torvald.
22. Why doesn’t Henrik Ibsen provide the readers with the details about Torvald’s appearance? How does it characterize the evaluation of men and women of that time?
23. What traits of Nora’s character does she hide from her husband Torvald? Why?
24. How is the role of women in marriage depicted in “The Storm” by Kate Chopin and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen?
25. The limitations of women in the bourgeois society of the 19th century in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.

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Argumentative essay topics for “A Doll’s House”

1. Is Nora’s behavior at the end of the play more probable for a modern woman than for one from the 19th century?
2. The conflict between appearance and reality as a driving force of the plot in “A Doll’s House.”
3. Why are readers meant to sympathize with Nora Helmer, even though her decision to leave her family could be called selfish?
4. Will Nora be able to maintain independence and make a living after leaving her husband?
5. Argue why Torvald is as much of a “doll” as his wife.
6. Why does a comfortable house seem to be a cage for Nora Helmer?
7. Is “A Doll’s House” a play about women’s rights?
8. Why does Nora Helmer have every right to leave her family?
9. Why doesn’t Nora feel obligated to save her marriage for the good of her children?
10. Is Nora Helmer a culprit or a victim?
11. Can “A Doll’s House” be classified as a domestic drama? Why?
12. What events over the course of the play “A Doll’s House” show the true nature of Nora Helmer?
13. What role does Nora play as a mother? Does she participate in child-rearing somehow?
14. What keeps Nora from committing suicide?
15.  How will Nora’s decision help her to become a better person?
16. Why were Nora’s expectations toward Torvald’s behavior at the ending of the play futile?
17. Is there any chance that Torvald will win Nora back in the future? What does he have to change?
18. Which characters in “A Doll’s House” exemplify the issue of familial corruptions and how?
19. What makes Nora falsify the documents? Does she think about the consequences?
20. Why can’t Nora call her life with Torvald a “true marriage”?
21. Would the feeling of guilt make Nora return home if Henrik Ibsen wrote one more act?
22. Do the ideas of “A Doll’s House” overlap with the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments (1848)?
23. Is there any subtext in the final phrase of “A Doll’s House” – “door slam heard around the world”? What does the author hope for?
24. Why does the drastic transformation of Nora’s character seem to be unrealistic?
25. Why are the characters of Nora’s children significant for a plot in “A Doll’s House”?

Compare and contrast essay topics for “A Doll’s House”

1. Compare and contrast how gender roles are defined in the society of the 21st century and in the society portrayed by Henrik Ibsen in “A Doll’s House.”
2. Compare and contrast Nora Helmer and Othello as the characters who are motivated by questionable judgments.
3. Compare and contrast Torvald Helmer and Doctor Rank. How do they face misfortune?
4. Compare and contrast Nora’s behavior toward her husband at the beginning and at the end of the play “A Doll’s House.”
5. Compare and contrast Kristine Linde and Nora Helmer from the perspective of their understanding of love.
6. Compare and contrast the role of lies in “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde and in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
7. Compare and contrast female protest against social laws in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen and “Antigone” by Sophocles.
8. Compare and contrast how the female characters are manipulated by the male heroes in “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen.
9. Compare and contrast the protagonists’ attitudes toward marriage in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen and “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.
10. What are similarities and differences between Torvald and Krogstad in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen?

Two amazing samples of A Doll’s House essay for you

We are glad to provide examples of a correctly written and structured Doll’s House essay. Reading each Doll’s House essay sample we offer will boost your knowledge on the topic and help to see the core peculiarities of this type of paper.

The first sample of a Doll’s House essay will show you how to write a flawless and detailed outline. You will collect many ideas for your papers by going through the text. In particular, you will learn more about how Nora relates to her financial condition and wealth. Some parts of the essay will tell you more about Nora’s obsession with money and how it reflects in her life decisions. You will get an idea of Nora’s behavior related to borrowing money and how she feels about being financially enslaved to her husband.

A Doll’s House Essay Sample

The second sample is oriented toward students looking for an effective Doll’s House essay sample about Nora’s behavior. This essay will let you find many exciting statements related to the topic. One of the main questions to answer would be comparing Nora’s behavior to modern women’s attitudes to similar situations. You will see how to find answers to such questions as the role of gender equality in stating a woman’s financial independence in the 19th century compared to the way of things nowadays. You will also see how the joy of becoming an independent person correlates with the self-realization of a character.

Is Nora’s Behavior More Probable for a Modern Woman than for One from the 19th Century?

Doll’s House essay writing help from experts

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