An account of toxic masculinity portrayed in Henrik Ibsen’s a doll’s house
Abstract
This study is based on analyzing A doll’s house by Henrik Ibsen in light of socialist feminism and the second sex. It aims to highlight toxic masculinity portrayed by Ibsen and its impacts on women by their subjugation and marginalization. The impacts of toxic masculinity on women in Victorian society will be discussed along with factors causing this. It would focus on sufferings of women due to the dominant psychology and toxic masculinity. Moreover it would cover the practical inclusive socialist feminist approach towards this misogyny. The role of misogyny in giving birth to a gender bigoted society and treatment to women as second sex will be analyzed. As a theoretical framework for the present research Socialist feminism and the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir are used. This will help in discovering factors born on hands of patriarchy in causing women marginalization and the causes of toxic masculinity. Socialist feminism suggest the combination of capitalism with patriarchy as seen in play to be the subject of analysis in study. Qualitative method of research is used for the study and play is used as the instrument of this research. The findings of study aim at highlighting portrayal of toxic masculinity and its causes by explaining the marginalization of women due to it.