Leslie McIntyre

"Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, good mother, good looking, good tempered, well groomed and unaggressive" -Leslie McIntyre

          Unfortunately, McIntyre's quote holds true not only in Ibsen's A Doll's House, but in many society's around the world today as well. It alludes to the belief that yes, women can be great writers, sculptors, and geneticists, but only if they are great wives, mothers, attractive, and "lady-like" first. A man can simply be a great anything without having to be a good husband to his wife or a good father to his children because he is a man and thus, the things listed are unnecessary. It's the story that's been told over and over again, if a woman is successful everyone speculates as to her what her marital status is and how her children are taken care of, almost as if it is impossible to be a successful woman in this world without jeopardizing other aspects of life.
          This idea is prevalent in cultures around the world as woman assume the role of "stay at home mom" and "homemaker" because they are the beta of the sexes, inferior to men: lesser than. The expectation of a woman to give up her social and work life to take care of her family by having dinner on the table by her husband's arrival from work and staying at home to care for the children exists without question.
           Torvald, Nora's husband, wastes no times exercising this idea of female inferiority as he refers to Nora as his "little lark" and "squirrel". Torvald thinks that his wife is just a little pet that he can manipulate and play around with because she is a dainty, feminine woman. Most of the time he doesn't take her seriously and Nora doesn't help the situation by playing the clueless part and pretending that their relationship is perfect.
           McIntyre parallels the view held by many in regards to women and how they should look and act as her quote details the evident prerequisites to being a successful woman. The "little lark" that is Nora is paid attention to throughout this play because she is an attractive, "simple-minded", and "clueless" girl: the definition of the perfect wife to many men. After all, isn't being successful and having a respectable occupation trivial for a woman because what's important is being selfless and caring for everyone else?