Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian author, lived in the Victorian era. A Doll's House, originally written in Norwegian, tells the story of a woman living in 19th-century Norway who focuses on appearances rather than upholding morals or values. Ibsen revolutionizes social norms through parallels in relationships. The Victorian era opposed romanticism to the new movement of realism. Realism emphasizes the imperfections of society, a major concern in Ibsen's play. Ibsen transforms the roles of gender and social classes in daily life as well as their importance for society. The upper class allows the lower class to take over. Children and marriages lose all sense of value to a family. The image of the upper class deteriorates and becomes that of any typical group of people. The imperfections are public knowledge, so there are no real standards to judge. At the beginning of the play, Nora represents the typical wife, an innocent housewife devoted to her children and husband. As the play continues, the lack of communication between Nora and the children becomes evident. Children grow up caring for and respecting their nanny rather than their mother. In the ideal image of a family, the mother raises her children and teaches them right and wrong. Ibsen shows how insignificant the family became in the Victorian era, as opposed to the Romantic period. When Torvald mentions, “What a horrible awakening!” During all these eight years – she who was my joy and my pride – a hypocrite – a liar – worse, worse – a criminal,” he emphasizes on the distance and meaninglessness of a marriage. True love no longer defines a marriage, it only means that you belong to someone else. Christine Linde spends her entire life devoting herself to ...... middle of paper ...... inventing her children. The perfect wife and mother transforms completely in thought and action. No one would have dared to abandon her husband and bring shame and embarrassment to him. In addition to scruples, people have also lost the respect they felt they were entitled to. The meaning and emphasis on distinctions between social classes becomes non-existent, the upper class no longer controls the lower class. It becomes more apparent that they are dependent on each other, making it clear to the independent working class that people like Nora and Torvald cannot progress in life without the basic necessities that can only be met by the working class. Through the actions of both groups of characters in the text, Ibsen reveals his opposition to the hypocrisy of the Victorian era.Works CitedIbsen, Henrik. A doll's house. Trans. Michael Meyer. Mineola (NY): Dover,1992.