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The Still Slamming Door: Relevance Of A Doll’S House In The 21st Century, Hope Morris

Student Scholarship – English

The infamous slamming door at the end of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House has been controversial from its beginning, leaving audiences with uncertainties about the meaning of family, morality, and personal responsibility. Written in 1879 when the “women’s issue” was still a relatively new subject, the play was met with criticism for its radical female protagonist and her decision to abandon her marriage. In a society where a woman’s primary role was one of domesticity and subservience to her husband, the ending of A Doll’s House was disquieting to audiences. However, Ibsen’s masterpiece remains just as controversial and important today. …