Henrik Ibsen

About the Author  Norwegian playwright in the 1800s  Had an alcoholic father/submissive mother  Family was in debt and went bankrupt  He became critical of those who controlled society  Married an independent, dominant woman

Europe During Ibsen’s Time  Great change in Europe  Growth of an educated middle class  Women began to question submissive behavior, although still expected to be passive

Ibsen’s Writing Style  Believed drama needed to address “modern” problems  Used “piece bien faite” (well-made play) style tightly woven melodramas, designed to entertain and keep playgoers on the edge of their seats  Piece bien faites contain no unnecessary scenes or dialogue- every word or action sets up a later action  Portrayed “everyday”, “ordinary” characters in middle class lives

Ibsen’s Writing Style continued  Used contemporary, everyday language  Resurrected and modernized the “retrospective plot” major events take place before the story starts; the plot focuses on how the characters deal with the events

Ibsen’s A Doll’s House  Marked the birth of modern drama  Questions women’s place in society and traditional women’s roles  Outraged church and government officials Ibsen was forced to write an alternative ending  Represented a “problem play” One that examines modern, social, and moral problems of middle class people confronting controversial societal issues

A Doll’s House  Setting The Helmer’s apartment  Major Characters Torvald Helmer ○ lawyer who has been promoted to manager at the bank Nora Helmer ○ Torvald’s wife; treated like a child by Torvald Krogstad ○ The man Nora borrows money from Dr. Rank ○ An admirer of Nora

 Minor Characters Christine Linde ○ A friend of Nora’s who comes to visit The children ○ Nora plays with her children and treats them like dolls  Symbolism Italy ○ Good memories of Nora’s life Norway ○ Nora’s reality Doll House ○ The tendency of the characters to play roles Toys ○ The act of pushing the roles onto the children

 Macaroons Nora’s deceit to her husband  Tarantella Nora’s agitation with her husband and Krogstad  Christmas tree The mood of the play  Embroidery Stereotypes pressed on women  Skylark The way Torvald treats Nora like a child