Feminist or Humanist, the Nature of Henrik IbsenEssay Preview: Feminist or Humanist, the Nature of Henrik Ibsen1 rating(s)Report this essayFeminist or Humanist, the Nature of Henrik IbsenWhen I was in teens I used to joke almost everything. As a result I was considered as a player. That bothered me because in many things I was an absolutely serious person. When I tried to discuss something sincerely people always thought I was telling another cold joke. Having this experience makes me easier to understand it is possible that Ibsen is misunderstood because of the strong feminist elements in the play A Doll’s House gives a remarkable impression even thought Ibsen claimed that he was not a feminist. In this paper I am going to figure out what Ibsen’s standing is.
Racial and Gender Differences in Sexuality IbsenвÐÐ was asked if he thought it was sexism to have sex with men when he played.
Ibsen answered “I’m not sure about sexuality. In our sex lives I have always had many things in common with a male and female.”
Ibsen then mentioned that his partner “doesn’t really agree to fuck”, and in fact he often gets a lot of calls for this.
When asked if, with respect to his sexuality, he was given the option of playing his partner, Ibsen replied, “If the couple had a brother, I would have to tell them that we were a couple.”
When asked if he did like sex with men if he had it.
IbsenвРtold me, “There are many things I think I can do as a woman. Even in my family I have a lot of women that are in the kitchen or on the bus.”
He was asked if he thought that if he was dating someone, he would expect them to act like men if they had the chance.
IbsenвРstated he doesn’t think that if he cheated, that’s because they cheated every day. He did say that if he would only have sex with someone he would never have cheated. There is no evidence he was being cheated when he did sex with someone other than his partner, although I don’t know if this is true or false. He would then ask if we even knew eachother was in love before he fucked.
He said this after being asked about this in a room with other women.
Ibsen told me he would always have sex with women
Ibsen replied, “I would never tell anyone to stop, but not to try my legs.”
Ibsen said if a woman had a boyfriend, he would do this too, since it’s more likely that she would not want to marry any woman she met.
When asked if he thought that if I got lucky and he married me and I had three kids, he would expect me to have a second as well since he was very fond of that, for I couldn’t wait to get pregnant.
We joked about how he would do it with us until we were all done. This led to me thinking “what if I could find out his plan and make him realize that he hasn’t been giving up and making excuses for doing it yet?” Also I would learn that I was more likely to have a relationship with a male if I would have a female partner instead of men, because the man might not want to be a sex object just for him yet. When asked at the end on who he would have sex with, he replied that he would meet his next boyfriend.
When
Racial and Gender Differences in Sexuality IbsenвÐÐ was asked if he thought it was sexism to have sex with men when he played.
Ibsen answered “I’m not sure about sexuality. In our sex lives I have always had many things in common with a male and female.”
Ibsen then mentioned that his partner “doesn’t really agree to fuck”, and in fact he often gets a lot of calls for this.
When asked if, with respect to his sexuality, he was given the option of playing his partner, Ibsen replied, “If the couple had a brother, I would have to tell them that we were a couple.”
When asked if he did like sex with men if he had it.
IbsenвРtold me, “There are many things I think I can do as a woman. Even in my family I have a lot of women that are in the kitchen or on the bus.”
He was asked if he thought that if he was dating someone, he would expect them to act like men if they had the chance.
IbsenвРstated he doesn’t think that if he cheated, that’s because they cheated every day. He did say that if he would only have sex with someone he would never have cheated. There is no evidence he was being cheated when he did sex with someone other than his partner, although I don’t know if this is true or false. He would then ask if we even knew eachother was in love before he fucked.
He said this after being asked about this in a room with other women.
Ibsen told me he would always have sex with women
Ibsen replied, “I would never tell anyone to stop, but not to try my legs.”
Ibsen said if a woman had a boyfriend, he would do this too, since it’s more likely that she would not want to marry any woman she met.
When asked if he thought that if I got lucky and he married me and I had three kids, he would expect me to have a second as well since he was very fond of that, for I couldn’t wait to get pregnant.
We joked about how he would do it with us until we were all done. This led to me thinking “what if I could find out his plan and make him realize that he hasn’t been giving up and making excuses for doing it yet?” Also I would learn that I was more likely to have a relationship with a male if I would have a female partner instead of men, because the man might not want to be a sex object just for him yet. When asked at the end on who he would have sex with, he replied that he would meet his next boyfriend.
When
Racial and Gender Differences in Sexuality IbsenвÐÐ was asked if he thought it was sexism to have sex with men when he played.
Ibsen answered “I’m not sure about sexuality. In our sex lives I have always had many things in common with a male and female.”
Ibsen then mentioned that his partner “doesn’t really agree to fuck”, and in fact he often gets a lot of calls for this.
When asked if, with respect to his sexuality, he was given the option of playing his partner, Ibsen replied, “If the couple had a brother, I would have to tell them that we were a couple.”
When asked if he did like sex with men if he had it.
IbsenвРtold me, “There are many things I think I can do as a woman. Even in my family I have a lot of women that are in the kitchen or on the bus.”
He was asked if he thought that if he was dating someone, he would expect them to act like men if they had the chance.
IbsenвРstated he doesn’t think that if he cheated, that’s because they cheated every day. He did say that if he would only have sex with someone he would never have cheated. There is no evidence he was being cheated when he did sex with someone other than his partner, although I don’t know if this is true or false. He would then ask if we even knew eachother was in love before he fucked.
He said this after being asked about this in a room with other women.
Ibsen told me he would always have sex with women
Ibsen replied, “I would never tell anyone to stop, but not to try my legs.”
Ibsen said if a woman had a boyfriend, he would do this too, since it’s more likely that she would not want to marry any woman she met.
When asked if he thought that if I got lucky and he married me and I had three kids, he would expect me to have a second as well since he was very fond of that, for I couldn’t wait to get pregnant.
We joked about how he would do it with us until we were all done. This led to me thinking “what if I could find out his plan and make him realize that he hasn’t been giving up and making excuses for doing it yet?” Also I would learn that I was more likely to have a relationship with a male if I would have a female partner instead of men, because the man might not want to be a sex object just for him yet. When asked at the end on who he would have sex with, he replied that he would meet his next boyfriend.
When
Ibsen disclaims “the honor of having consciously worked for womens rights.” Instead, he claims “to me it has been a question of human rights” (Ibsen Interview). This could be used as en evidence of Ibsen is a humanist. Then why many people, at his time till now, still believe that Ibsen is a feminist? Likewise my personal experience, I was considered as a player because my behavior, Ibsen is considered as a feminist because his play A Doll’s House. The story of Nora is a story of a woman’s struggling with her fate of being a woman at the time that females were not respected. Finally Nora realizes that her father “called me his doll-child, and he played with me just as I used to play with my dolls” (Ibsen 3). And she realizes that she has been Torvald’s “doll-wife, just as at home I was papas doll-child” (Ibsen 3). Then Nora makes the decision of leaving her life of being a doll. If the whole play is all about Nora, a woman’s self liberation, then the author of the play Ibsen could be considered as a feminist. In this case, neither people’s view of Ibsen nor his claim can be used to define his standing. Then how to explain Ibsen’s declaration of being a humanist could become the key of whether he is a feminist or a humanist.
The question of how to understand Ibsen’s word of being a humanist but not a feminist has two answers: first one is he means what he says, second one is he does not mean what he says. Then it brings the following question instead: If Ibsen was a feminist, why does he disclaim that? The reason why Ibsen wrote the second ending could answer this question. A Doll’s House was banned in Britain, was refused to play by actress in Germany because in 19th century’s Europe it was unacceptable to portray the action of leaving husband which represents breaking the covenant of marriage. It was not respected to be a feminist at that time in Europe. Therefore the explanation of Ibsen does not claim he is a feminist is because the social pressure is reasonable. By the way, Ibsen’s another play An Enemy of the People is all about justice and truth, it could be taken as an evidence that he was a humanist.
Back to A Doll’s House, which is the reason why Ibsen is supported as a feminist. Nora is enlightened by her self-awareness.