Theme 1: Gender Roles & Patriarchy — A Doll’s House Act II Flashcards
(10 cards)
1
Q
What quote in Act II reveals Nora’s loss of control?
A
2
Q
“I must sink or swim.”
A
3
Q
What does “sink or swim” say about patriarchy?
A
4
Q
Despite the illusion of choice
A
women are set up to fail within a patriarchal system.
5
Q
What legal context supports Nora’s entrapment?
A
6
Q
Matrimonial Causes Act (1857) – allowed divorce
A
but with severe double standards for women.
7
Q
What does Simon Humphrey argue about gender in A Doll’s House?
A
8
Q
“The play exposes the paradox of a woman who acts yet remains trapped.”
A
9
Q
What staging moment in Act II reinforces patriarchal surveillance?
A
10
Q
Torvald’s constant presence; Nora’s frantic dancing (Tarantella) shows emotional breakdown under control.
A
