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The New Woman
The New Woman was the term used at the end of the nineteenth century to describe
women who were pushing against the limits which society imposed on women. Today she might be
called a liberated woman or feminist. Gail Finney
gives a concise description of her:
The New Woman typically values self-fulfillment and
independence rather than the stereotypically feminine ideal of
self-sacrifice; believes in legal and sexual equality; often
remains single because of the difficulty of combining such equality
with marriage; is more open about her sexuality than the 'Old
Woman'; is well-educated and reads a great deal; has a job; is
athletic or otherwise physically vigorous and, accordingly, prefers
comfortable clothes (sometimes male attire) to traditional female
garb.
Ibsen supported greater freedom for women and expressed his belief in his plays. In his notes
for A Doll's House, he asserted, "A woman cannot be herself in contemporary society, it
is an exclusively male society with laws drafted by men, and with counsel and judges who
judge feminine conduct from the male point of view." Ibsen's contemporaries associated him
with the New Woman and women's rights. In 1898, the Norwegian Women's Rights League gave a banquet to honor him
for his support of women's rights. How identified he was with this issue is suggested by Max Beerbohm's
exaggerated, if witty statement, "The New Woman sprang fully armed from Ibsen's brain."
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