A Doll's House
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Ibsen's "A Doll's House" is a powerful drama about a woman's need to be not just a wife and a mother but a full human being. As such it has been hailed as a visionary work, and Ibsen has become seen as a kind of male precursor of feminism. Written in 1879, during a time of revolutionary upheaval in Europe, this play, and Ibsen's work in general are also regarded as some of the earliest examples of modernism. Dealing honestly and directly with social issues considered by conservative convention to be unsuitable for public discussion, the Norwegian playwright's masterful dramas left the rosy entertainments of the Romantic era behind and relentlessly probed the disturbing implications of a civilization losing faith in its own traditional religion and social structure. Nora's choice of turning her back on the core Western values of family and religion for the dangerous attractions of authenticity, integrity, and full selfhood have always stimulated heated discussion. Was she right or wrong to leave her husband and children? I believe she did the right thing. But I will also consider the implications of the contrary conclusion. I must confess that although I have a genuine admiration for Ibsen's dramatic talent, albeit based on a reading, rather than a staging of A Doll's House, I have a major quibble with the plausibility of Nora's transformation. It is as if she is two women. The first version of her we see is vain, manipulative, shallow, calculating, coy, a
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in the ancient Greek tragedy "Medea" by Euripedes the heroine kills her children to avenge unfaithfulness on the part of her husband.
Nora's rebellion is indeed her emancipation as a woman, or even a step deeper, as she puts it, as a "human being". She refuses to live the lie anymore. The grievous price paid of the loss of her children and husband, and the total insecurity she faces as a lone woman in the culture of her times is an ordeal she is willing to undergo in order to find her true identity, and perhaps also the man who would love her more than his "honour".
Imagine she had stayed with Helmer. It would have met with the approval of her friends, but not her conscience. It is a lesson of human growth that seeking your highest expression as an individual has a heavy cost in consequences. Nora is indeed a tragic heroine because she is willing to pay the price. I dipped into the last few pages of "A Doll's House" before reading the whole thing, and even out of context and with no knowledge of what led up to the scene I was deeply moved by the power of her words, and the uncompromisingly unsentimental expression of her truth. Of course it was hard on poor Helmer, but he can always follow his own version of the path to integr
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1203
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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