• What do you believe to be the three most important facts about 19th century Norway?
• Why do you think the concept of respectability became more important as the middle class expanded?

I think that the most important facts of 19th century Norway include the expansion of the upper-middle class which shows the expansion of the population that lives to abide by these rules. More people are working their way up only to be held to that high standard by the rest of the higher classes. In this, we realize that it becomes easier for them to lose the status as well since they’re, in a way, competing. The second fact is that not only did the economic boom help the country money-wise, but the idea of money became detrimental to society’s structure. You can see the focus on money and materialism in today’s society, and so imagine the beginning of this greed and hunger for money that started in a split second historywise. The third is to keep in mind the two whilst realizing the expectation of moulding into the patriarchal model of what a woman should be. Following the patriarchy was not only a social tradition and a way of being in 19th century Norway; there are also laws that back up this ideology and weaken the presence of the feminine in comparison to the masculine.

The concept of respectability became more important as the middle class expanded because people strive to climb up the social ladder naturally and, in this form, strive to mimic aristocracy. The social climate only affected the few people in the middle class before its expansion, and as it grows, the limit between upper and lower middle class seem to blur. People want to be perceived as the better half of the middle class and want to seem more respectable and, ultimately, rich. Being money-centric led people to view class as a general form of social standing.

“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men, and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view” – Henrik Ibsen, 1878

Looking at Ibsen’s quotes, including the one stated above, we know that Ibsen was conscious of his surroundings and wrote about it well. He seems to take steps back and see the world in a third point of view where he criticises his species. The key point of his messages seem to always be controversial in the time that he lived in as well as juxtaposing that time. He seems to view that world as unjust to every human. Values I can pull out from these quotes include the urge to always question, being always conscious of how materialistic people are and how narcissism occupy the bigger part of society.  He criticises how lenient people are on bringing other people down to boost themselves up in status for their short lives; questioning people’s morals and priorities.

He seems to be a product of his times. The concepts that he believe in are, in fact, ahead of his time; however, I believe that in order to bridge that gap between ahead and present, there must be a link of questioning. Ibsen seems to be that. His times have provoked his curious thinking and self-awareness.

“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view.” Henrik Ibsen, 1878

To what extent are Ibsen’s words still true today?

Before finding concrete facts about the laws that were made exclusively for the female body, I can already begin to describe how much this resonates with the issues of today. There are double standards that exist throughout the genders that, when thought about, are completely absurd. Women are portrayed as objects that are to meet the satisfaction of men in the media which heavily reflects on the conduct, or rather misconduct, of people in society. One example is that many men who disagree with makeup, on a woman, claim that it is a mask and that the beauty of a woman with said makeup on is selling a lie. The first mistake here is the assumption that makeup is a means for one to impress another, the second is that they assume that other person is men in general. Not only this, but it seems that a big number of men feel as if it is their duty to dictate a women’s body as seen in the debate over abortion, which essentially is the debate on whether a woman can have control over their own body.

The difference between the society Ibsen references and current day is that we now recognize that the double standard happens both ways. Toxic masculinity is an idea that is now more understood and rooted as the basis of the urge to dictate women. Though women do not hold more, or even equal, political power. Which is why it is not an issue that stands on its own. So yes, Ibsen’s words still ring true but the situation nowadays is different.