Page "A Doll's House" Paragraph 1

The play was controversial when first published, as it is sharply critical of 19th century marriage norms.

Michael Meyer argues that the play's theme is not women's rights, but rather " the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is and to strive to become that person.

" In a speech given to the Norwegian Women's Rights League in 1898, Ibsen insisted that he " must disclaim the honor of having consciously worked for the women's rights movement ," since he wrote " without any conscious thought of making propaganda ," his task having been " the description of humanity.

" The Swedish playwright August Strindberg attacked the play in his volume of short stories Getting Married ( 1884 ).