Difficulties in Love Relationships Due to Gender Roles

Ibsen and Rossetti both explore how 19th-century gender roles created significant challenges in love relationships.

Rossetti's poetry vividly illustrates the predatory nature of men towards single women. She employs powerful imagery to convey this idea:

Quote: "Goblins = 'cats', 'rats', 'dogs': life, doubly black in a woman's lot" (from "An Antique")

This metaphorical language emphasizes the perceived danger and darkness that men represented to women in Victorian society.

Highlight: The Aggravated Assaults Act of 1853 was introduced to combat violence against women, but its lack of enforcement demonstrates the persistent challenges women faced in abusive relationships.

Rossetti also expresses frustration with gender limitations:

Quote: "I wish and wish I were a man" (from "An Antique")

This line encapsulates the desire for greater freedom and agency that many women felt during this period.

Vocabulary: Simile - A figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually using "like" or "as."

Example: Rossetti uses a simile likening women's voices to doves, an animal associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual love. This comparison suggests both the beauty and vulnerability of women in love.

Love Relationships Provide Pleasure and Hope

Despite the challenges, both Ibsen and Rossetti acknowledge the pleasures and hope that love can bring. Rossetti's poetry, in particular, celebrates the joy of love:

Quote: "My love is like a singing bird, my love is like a rainbow shell, my love is like an apple tree, because my love is come to me" (from "A Birthday")

This exuberant imagery conveys the transformative power of love and its ability to bring happiness and fulfillment.

Rossetti also emphasizes the strength found in familial love and sisterhood, as exemplified in "Goblin Market":

Quote: "For there is no friend like a sister in calm or stormy weather; To cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray, to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands"

This passage highlights the comfort and support that sisterly love can provide, offering a different perspective on love beyond romantic relationships.

Highlight: Critics note that Lizzie's self-sacrifice for Laura in "Goblin Market" has Christ-like symbolism, emphasizing the redemptive power of familial love.

The Difficulties and Pleasures of Abstract Love

Both Ibsen and Rossetti explore more abstract forms of love, including religious devotion. Rossetti's faith plays a central role in her understanding of love:

Quote: "O God, O God, how shall I bless thy name?" (from "Twice")

Definition: Agape - A Greek term referring to the highest form of love, often associated with selfless, unconditional love as exemplified by God's love for humanity.

Highlight: Critics such as Aline Downey argue that Rossetti's concept of love is closely aligned with agape, emphasizing self-sacrifice and devotion to her faith.

Rossetti's poetry often grapples with the tension between earthly desires and spiritual devotion:

Quote: "Longing and love, pangs of pleasant pleasure" (from "Soeur Louise")

This line encapsulates the complex emotions associated with abstract forms of love, including both the joy and the challenges of religious devotion.

This analysis explores the multifaceted nature of love as portrayed in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House and Christina Rossetti's poetry. The comparison reveals:

• The impact of 19th-century gender roles on romantic relationships
• The pleasures and comfort found in familial and sisterly love
• The significance of abstract forms of love, including religious devotion
• The hope for freedom and equality in relationships
• The detrimental effects of societal expectations on love

Key themes include the oppression of women in marital homes, the power of familial bonds, and the struggle between personal desires and societal norms. Both Ibsen and Rossetti critique the limitations placed on women while also celebrating the transformative potential of love.