A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Introduction

A Doll's House was written in Rome and Amalfi and was published in December 1879. The play was Ibsen's first real international success and is one of the most famous and played marital dramas today. In the centre of events is Helmer family, particularly Nora and her husband Torvald. Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" was published 4 December 1879. The piece is mainly about the relationship between Nora and Helmer and how they get to live together.

About Author

Henrik Ibsen (Henrik Ibsen, born March 20, 1828 in Skien, died on 23 May 1906 in Kristiania) was a Norwegian playwright and poet. He has had a major impact nationally and internationally and is believed to be the most performed playwright in the world, even more played than William Shakespeare. Ibsen is often referred to as the modern drama father. His most famous work is the Brand, Peer Gynt, The People's Enemy, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, Hedda Gabler, Ghosts, The Wild Duck and Rosmersholm. The epic-lyric poem Terje Vigen , with the subject from the difficult years before 1814 when the time rate of Denmark-Norway was at war with both England and Sweden, is one of the most beloved individual poems in Norwegian literature.

The play is about Nora and Torvald Helmer who lives in a seemingly successful marriage. The house also lives their three children they have together, a maid and a nanny, as well as Dr Rank that Torvalds's best friend. Dr. Rank was a sick man, but worked to some extent still. Torvald was the type who liked to show off their status and to have a good reputation.

Analysis

The scene is set in the Helmer's flat, just before Christmas. From the start we are made aware of the strains in Nora and Torvald Helmer's relationship: she eats macaroons and denies having done so when he challenges her, she submits to being referred to as his songbird, his squirrel, and generally allows herself to be treated as a naughty, spendthrift child by her overbearing, father-figure husband; she is clearly the inhabitant of the titular doll's house (Brockett, pp 12-56).

At the beginning of the play, Nora is a doll set in Helmer's eyes while the host begins to call Nora Helmer for his little tingest, suggesting that Helmer seems that Nora is a little thing. Eventually, Nora begins to stand up against the man to say their own opinions. This she did not dare to begin with. Helmer is a quiet guy it seems. He likes to have control over Nora and look after her. But in the end when it is something that could damage his reputation, he is startled and do not know the sea, he should do. But instead of looking after Nora still he lets Nora "review". He gets a little squeamish when it comes to his reputation. It seems a bit like Helmer eventually let Nora have come up with some of their own opinions and say what ...