
The Criterion: An International Journal in English
World Literature
The Conflict between Individual Desires and Social Expectations: A Psycho-realistic Reading of Ibsen’s Female Characters
Abstract
Henrik Ibsen, the father of Modern Drama, is regarded as a social reformer, critic and agitator for women’s rights who explored the inner pressure and conflicts of the individual in modern society through his works. The present study aims to interpret the author’s profound observations of his contemporary society and its effects on human psychology, particularly women’s psychology in his most famous plays: The Pillars of Society, A Doll’s House, Ghosts, Hedda Gabler. In other words, his plays delve into the complex interplay between individual desires and social expectations, portraying the psychological struggle faced by his female characters. with social conflict, dilemma of freedom and necessity, marriage problems, unwed motherhood and divorce, career and family, and freedom and fairness in expression of salvation, vicissitudes of human life, universal rights and suffrage of women in modern society. Social issues and women’s questions are the central points in his plays while portraying some powerful female characters: Lona, Nora, Mrs. Alving and Hedda Gabler in the model of New Woman. Thus, the portrayal of the character’s internal turmoil, their attempts to reconcile their own desires with societal demands, and the psychological consequences of this conflict made his plays controversial and shocked conservative critics and audiences.
Keywords
psychological realism, individual desires, social expectations, truth and freedom, self-realization
How to Cite
Dr. Swarna. “The Conflict between Individual Desires and Social Expectations: A Psycho-realistic Reading of Ibsen’s Female Characters.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 1, Feb. 2026, pp. 1010-1028. ISSN: 0976-8165.
