Nora and Christina SwitchA Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen questions the gender roles of women in society through its characters, namely Nora Helmer and Christina Linden, before and after marriage. What exactly are gender roles? Gender roles are the combination of specific gender stereotypes that consist of society's perception of what an ideal man/woman should look like (Lindsey and Christy). This article aims to question whether the gender roles of Nora Helmer and Christina Linden from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House are reversed or not. Both women's positions as daughter, sister, employee, mother, wife and partner in society are called into question. A Doll's House focuses on the relationship between Torvald and Nora Helmer, a husband and wife with three children in which Nora ends up leaving her family in order to get an education. Nora Helmer's role as mother, daughter and wife is called into question. Was Nora a good mother by leaving her children? Was she a good wife for Torvald? How does she fulfill her duties towards her husband and children? As a woman, what is her position in society before and after leaving her family? The play opens with Nora bringing gifts to her family. She brought toys for her three children. Her children, Ivar, Emmy and Bob, serve as her dolls in the room. She plays with them and dresses them but eventually pushes them aside in order to save them from herself, which can be seen when Nora says "Corrupt my children! – poison my house!" (Ibsen 165). Nora, as a stereotypical mother, is a strong character because she puts others before herself. This is supported by Eagly and Steffen's statement "According to stereotypical beliefs about the sexes, women are more com...... middle of paper ......use is a three-act play written in prose It premiered on December 21, 1879 and caused controversy at that time due to the fact that Nora had left her family to get an education. Marital Quality." American Sociological Review 60.1 (1995): 58-66. Print. Eagly, Alice H. and Valerie J. Steffen. “Gender stereotypes arise from the distribution of women and men in social roles." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 46.4 (1984): 735-. Print. Ibsen, Henrik (trans. Michael Meyer) (Ibsen Plays: Two) London: Methuen Drama, 2000. Lindsey, Linda L. and Sandra Christy: A Sociological Perspective, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Print.Winett, Heather “Image from “A Doll's House.” » The English Journal 58.3 (1969) : 385..