Analysis
Publication History, Reception, and the Alternate Ending
A Doll’s House is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in 1879. It was first performed at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December of 1879. It was an immediate sensation, selling out every show of its first run. Critics praised Ibsen’s technical mastery and realistic dialogue. However, many people were appalled by the play’s depiction of a woman voluntarily leaving her husband and children. Some saw the play as an attack on the institution of marriage, which was considered sacred in 19th-century Europe. Others viewed Ibsen as a visionary and praised his willingness to criticize social conventions.
When the play was set to open in Germany, famous actress Hedwig Niemann-Raabe was hired to play Nora. However, she refused to perform the play in its original form, claiming that she would never leave her children the way Nora did. In order to prevent another writer from altering his work, Ibsen agreed to write an alternate ending. In the revised version, Torvald forces Nora to see the children before leaving. Distraught upon seeing them, she breaks down and decides to stay so as not to leave them motherless. Though Ibsen himself wrote the alternate ending, he viewed it as a “barbaric outrage” against his original play. The original ending is used far more commonly in stage productions, and Nora’s decisive shutting of the door has become perhaps the most iconic moment in the play.
Women’s Rights in Victorian Norway
At the time that A Doll’s House was written, women in Norway had very little economic agency. Lower-class women were restricted to low-paying domestic and clerical roles, and there was a negative stigma attached to working women. Married women were arguably more financially restricted than single women, who often controlled their own finances. Married middle-class women like Nora were heavily discouraged from working, because it reflected poorly on their husbands. Typically, men controlled household finances. Women and older children were given allowances to cover personal indulgences and housekeeping needs. Nora’s inability to acquire money without going through either her father or Torvald leaves her dependent on the men in her life.
As a result of their financial dependence on their husbands, women often found it difficult to leave unhappy relationships. Though divorce was legal and relatively inexpensive, it required the consent of both parties. Since divorce was heavily stigmatized, many middle- and upper-class couples chose to stay together despite their unhappy circumstances. Due to his desire to maintain appearances, it is unlikely that Torvald would have willingly granted Nora a divorce. As a result, her options were to either stay with him and remain unhappy or leave both him and her children. Many contemporary audiences viewed Nora’s decision to abandon her family as heartless. However, modern critics tend to view Nora’s decision as a radical declaration of female agency.
Ibsen’s Inspiration for A Doll’s House
In 1848, Henrik Ibsen and his wife befriended a young writer and literary critic named Laura Smith Petersen. The Ibsens helped nurture her literary talents. In 1873, Laura married Victor Kieler. Shortly after their wedding, Victor contracted tuberculosis. Much like Nora, Laura Kieler took out a loan with the help of a friend to finance a trip abroad. Her husband eventually made a full recovery. In an effort to pay off the loan honestly, Laura Kieler sent a manuscript of hers to Ibsen in the hopes that he might help her get it published. However, Ibsen was not impressed with the work and declined to help. A desperate Kieler then forged a check. When her husband discovered the forgery, he threatened her with divorce and barred her from seeing her children. As a result, Kieler suffered a mental breakdown and was institutionalized. She was eventually released, and she reconciled with both her husband and Ibsen. She went on to have her own successful writing career. However, she resented Ibsen for using her story as fodder for A Doll’s House.
Dramatic Realism
Henrik Ibsen is often credited as one of the most influential playwrights in the development of modern dramatic conventions. This is largely attributed to his popularization of dramatic realism. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, Romanticism was the dominant dramatic convention. Popular Romantic conventions included poetic language, idealized depictions of life, and archetypal characters. By contrast, Ibsen wrote in a style that was designed to mimic more realistic speech patterns and events. The characters do not have lengthy soliloquies to offer audiences access to their thoughts and emotions. Instead, Ibsen uses the dialogue to add exposition and subtly convey deeper emotions.
Another element of realism is its focus on character-driven stories. Unlike Romantic characters, who tend to be flat and archetypal, Ibsen’s characters are fully developed individuals. A Doll’s House introduces Nora as a silly and childish “featherbrain.” However, this characterization is challenged and deepened throughout the play as Nora is faced with the consequences of the loan she took out. Rather than remaining static, Nora is forced to adapt to Krogstad’s demands and Torvald’s betrayal of her expectations. Her interactions with Mrs. Linde and Dr. Rank give her character a dynamic history, and the play's ending suggests that Nora will continue to grow and change.
Ibsen also took a fresh approach to thematic conventions. Rather than focusing on timeless themes like life and death or good and evil, Ibsen’s plays focus more on contemporary socio-political issues. A Doll’s House is a direct commentary on the financial struggle faced by women in 19th-century Norway. Though Nora broke the law to acquire her loan, she passionately argues that her actions were justified, given the circumstances. Her assertions pose a direct challenge to the legal precedents of the day and represent a direct call to action. A Doll’s House inspired successive generations of dramatists to explore contemporary social issues as opposed to the universalized thematic explorations of the Romantics.
Symbols: The Christmas Tree
The Christmas tree symbolizes Nora herself. When it arrives, it is unadorned, and Nora hides it from Torvald and the children. She doesn't want her family to see it until it is properly dressed, mirroring the way that Nora obscures her true persona around Torvald. Both the tree and Nora use pretty decorations to hide their true selves. Furthermore, both Nora and the tree serve as decorative elements in the home, as opposed to agents capable of action. They are both pretty, flashy things, meant to be admired and then forgotten about. At the start of act II, the once pristine tree has grown disheveled, given that Christmas has ended. Similarly, Nora’s mental state has begun to erode as a result of her stress over Krogstad’s blackmail. Though she tries to keep up appearances, Nora, much like the tree, has been slowly “stripped of [her] ornaments.” She must face Torvald as her true self.
Symbols: The Tarantella and Nora’s Fancy Dress
The Tarantella and Nora’s fancy dress both symbolize deception and performance. Much of Nora’s life is spent keeping up the facade of the silly, spendthrift wife that Torvald expects her to be. However, she also plays the part of the seductive “Neapolitan Fisher Girl,” dancing the Tarantella at Torvald’s behest. After the Stenborg’s dance, Torvald remarks that when he attends parties with Nora, he often fantasizes about her being his young, secret bride. He finds her dancing attractive, and he also seems to take pleasure in the fact that other people are impressed by his wife. When it finally comes time for Nora to confront Torvald, she removes her “fancy dress.” This act of undressing symbolizes that Nora is no longer playing a part. Instead, she is addressing Torvald as herself.
Form and Content
A Doll’s House, a realistic three-act play, focuses on late nineteenth century life in a middle-class Scandinavian household, in which the wife is expected to be contentedly passive and the husband paternally protective. Nora Helmer, however, has subverted this model. At that time, a woman could not sign a legal contract alone; thus, when her beloved husband, Torvald, became ill, Nora secretly obtained a loan by forging her father’s signature so that they could travel to a warmer climate. As the play opens, Torvald is about to become manager of the bank and Nora has almost repaid the loan through odd jobs and scrimping on the household expenses. Nora discloses her actions to her friend Kristine Linde and exults in her accomplishment.
The structure of the play is linear; after the exposition, the action becomes complicated with the appearance of Nora’s debtor, Nils Krogstad, a man disgraced by crimes that he committed to protect his family. Insecure in his position at the bank, he threatens to expose Nora’s loan and forgery unless she pleads his case to Torvald. In her ignorance, Nora had not fully understood that forgery is a criminal act.
The major conflict of the play, concerning honesty in marriage, arises from this situation. Nora cannot discuss the blackmail with her husband, since her role in their relationship is that of a charming child; thus, she must plead for Krogstad. Torvald, however, refuses to hear her plea, labeling Krogstad morally lost for the crimes that he committed and not fit to bring up his children. The parallel is not lost on Nora, who sends her children away from her at the end of the first act.
Nora’s fear increases when Torvald rejects her second plea and fires Krogstad. As Kristine helps with her costume for the Christmas party, Nora confesses that Krogstad has left a letter to Torvald in the mailbox revealing everything. She is convinced that now a wonderful thing will happen—that, when Torvald discovers her actions, he will assume the blame and that she then will commit suicide. As the second act ends, Nora dances a violent tarantella in an effort to distract Torvald from opening the mailbox.
The final act begins with Kristine and Krogstad resuming a relationship formerly hindered by their economic circumstances. Although Krogstad now regrets his blackmail, Kristine decides that the letter should remain in the mailbox and that Torvald must discover the truth. Torvald reads the letter and immediately denounces Nora as a liar and a criminal, the destroyer of his future. When another letter arrives containing the promissory note, however, Torvald realizes that he is “safe.” He forgives Nora, promising to “be conscience and will” to her thereafter. In the classic scene that follows, Nora speaks openly with her husband, the first such occasion in their entire married life, and admits her ignorance of herself and the world beyond. Declaring that she must leave Torvald and the children to find herself, she leaves and slams the door behind her.
Places Discussed
Helmer house
Helmer house. Home of Torvald Helmer, a successful bank manager, and his wife, Nora. The dwelling contains comfortable and stylish furniture and such items as a china cabinet, a bookcase with well-bound books, and a piano on carpeted floor—all of which demonstrate a stable financial situation. However, the house is a mere container, or doll’s house, for Nora, who spends her time entertaining or nervously accommodating (as her nickname “the squirrel” implies) her demanding husband—rather than decorating, designing, or even “taking charge of” her own life.
Sitting areas in the house realistically capture the limitations on Nora’s growth as a woman. For example, in these staged sitting areas, Nora secretly eats macaroons to escape her husband’s upbraiding; she has threatening conversations with Krogstad, concerning his reinstatement at her husband’s bank; and she prepares her costume and practices the tarantella for a Christmas ball she must attend with Torvald. All of these situations in closed rooms psychologically and emotionally demonstrate the manipulation and oppression of this doll in the house, filled with rooms of deception and corruption.
When Nora finally decides to leave her husband, she goes out of the house and slams its downstairs door shut. In so doing, she physically, mentally, and spiritually enters a new space: the unknown. For here she can truly “find herself” now and discover what she wants to do as a woman without Torvald’s rules and codes of behavior.
Helmer’s office
Helmer’s office. Torvald’s efficiently furnished banking office, which is an emblem of his kingdom—the room in which he makes the rules of conduct for his home and for his little doll, Nora. Ibsen’s social realism is evident as in his studio many despotic decisions that further emphasize the theme of female injustice are made. For example, in act 2 Torvald writes a letter dismissing the bookkeeper Nils Krogstad, who has been blackmailing Nora since she forged her dying father’s signature to a bond at the bank, when she needed money to take Torvald to Italy when he was seriously ill.
Expert Q&A
Where does the ball occur in A Doll's House?
The ball in "A Doll's House" takes place at the Stenborgs' home, where Nora and Torvald are invited to attend a fancy-dress event. Nora, dressed as a gypsy-girl, performs the tarantella. Despite her vibrant performance, Nora's mood is dampened by Krogstad's blackmail and Dr. Rank's confession of love. The ball also serves as a distraction for Torvald, preventing him from discovering Krogstad's letter revealing Nora's financial indiscretions.
How is the house described and how do the children behave in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House?
The house in Henrik Ibsen's play is described as comfortably and tastefully furnished, reflecting the Helmers' financial stability without extravagance. The main room features three walls, several doors leading to different areas, and is adorned with furniture like a piano, tables, chairs, and a stove. The children are depicted as joyful and energetic, talking excitedly about their outdoor adventures and playing hide and seek with their mother, Nora, while laughing and rushing through the room.
The time period and setting of "A Doll's House"
The setting of A Doll's House is in an unspecified city, likely in Norway, during the 1870s Victorian Era. The play unfolds in the Helmer household, reflecting the upper middle-class socioeconomic status of the time. The setting significantly influences the characters' actions, with the Victorian mindset impacting their behavior and expectations, culminating in Nora's dramatic exit on Christmas Eve.
Historical Context
Women's Rights
In 1888, married women in Norway finally gained control over their own
finances. However, the Norway depicted in Ibsen's play precedes this change,
presenting a more restrictive environment for women like Nora Helmer. In 1879,
wives were not legally allowed to borrow money without their husband's
approval, forcing Nora to resort to deception to secure the funds she
desperately needed. Although Ibsen consistently denied advocating for women's
rights, he asserted his belief in human rights instead.
The movement for women's rights had already gained momentum in Norway years before Ibsen addressed the issue, with women spearheading multiple reforms. Norway, a newly liberated nation in the nineteenth century after gaining independence from Danish rule in 1814, naturally prioritized issues of freedom—both political and personal. Economic hardship had driven women into the workforce early in the century, prompting the Norwegian government to enact laws protecting and regulating women's employment nearly five decades before the debut of Ibsen's play. By mid-century, women enjoyed the same legal protections as male children, were granted inheritance rights, and successfully campaigned for the right to a university education just three years after the first performance of A Doll's House. However, many of these protections primarily benefited lower economic classes. Employment opportunities for women were often restricted to low-wage domestic roles, teaching, or clerical positions. Middle-class women, like Nora, saw few of these new advantages. It was the institution of marriage itself that curtailed the freedoms of middle-class women.
Although divorce was accessible and affordable, it was still socially stigmatized and only available if both partners consented. The play's ending clearly indicates that Torvald would oppose divorce, further isolating Nora from society. In 1879, there was no organized feminist movement in Norway. Consequently, Nora's departure at the play's conclusion is an especially courageous and perilous act. Lacking the support of a feminist movement, she was entirely alone in her quest to forge a new life.
Christmas Celebrations
Christmas was a significant family holiday in Norway, celebrated as a time of
unity and festivity. Ironically, the play begins on Christmas Eve, only for the
Helmer family's unity to collapse on Christmas Day. Traditionally, Christmas
Day and the subsequent days were reserved for socializing and visiting
neighbors and friends. Costume parties, like the one Nora and Torvald attend,
were common, and the tarantella dance that Nora performs was typically a dance
for couples or lines of partners. Nora dancing it alone underscores her
isolation within her marriage and the community.
Sources
Nora's act of forgery closely mirrors an incident that occurred earlier in
Norway, involving a woman Ibsen knew personally. Laura Kieler, a friend of
Ibsen, borrowed money to fund a treatment for her husband's health. When the
loan came due, Kieler was unable to repay it. She attempted to raise funds by
selling a manuscript she had written, but Ibsen, considering the manuscript
subpar, declined to assist her in getting it published. In desperation, Kieler
forged a check, was caught, and was subsequently rejected by her husband, who
then sought custody of their children and attempted to have her committed to an
asylum. After her release, Kieler begged her husband to take her back, which he
did reluctantly. In contrast, Ibsen endows Nora with more resilience and
resourcefulness than Kieler demonstrated. Nora manages to earn the money to
repay her loan, and her forgery involves her father's signature on a promissory
note rather than a check. Ultimately, Nora is saved by Krogstad's decision to
retract his legal threats, preventing her from being cast out by her husband.
Instead, she emerges stronger, and her husband finds himself in the position of
pleading for a second chance. Ibsen skillfully reverses the original story to
enhance the strength of the "doll" wife character.
Expert Q&A
What social and cultural contexts are important in A Doll's House?
Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" critically examines 19th-century patriarchal norms, particularly regarding female agency and marriage. Ibsen challenges these societal standards through Nora Helmer's decision to leave her husband, Torvald. At the time, marriage focused more on familial alliances than romantic love, and women were treated as inferior and primarily responsible for maintaining morality at home. Ibsen's play was radical for questioning these norms and advocating for women's independence.
What roles could women begin to have outside the home when A Doll's House was written, and how did this influence their entry into politics?
In the late 1800s, women began to take on roles outside the home as factory workers, telephone operators, and sales clerks, reflecting a shift in societal perceptions of women's capabilities. This era saw women advocating for education and political involvement, inspired by broader social movements like abolitionism. The changing economic landscape and technological advancements created opportunities for women, sparking conversations about women's rights and influencing their gradual entry into politics.
What would be the consequences for a woman leaving her husband in 19th-century Norway, as Nora did in A Doll's House?
Reception of Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House from its original 19th-century performances to modern audiences
Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House received mixed reactions during its original 19th-century performances, with some praising its bold critique of societal norms and others condemning its controversial ending. Modern audiences, however, generally view the play as a pioneering work in feminist literature, appreciating its exploration of gender roles and individual freedom.
What is a major issue in A Doll's House and how does it relate to today's society?
A major issue in "A Doll's House" is Nora's search for identity and critique of marriage, highlighting how women's voices are often silenced and dehumanized within traditional marital structures. This theme remains relevant today as it addresses universal anxieties about marriage, partnership, and the struggle for individual identity. The play's exploration of these dynamics resonates with modern audiences, particularly those experiencing difficult relationships, by shedding light on the need for honesty and mutual respect in partnerships.
In A Doll's House, how does Torvald represent the 19th-century stereotypical male?
Torvald represents the stereotypical male gender in the nineteenth century through his diminutive speech, insulting comments, separation from his children, and beliefs that his wife needs his supervision in order to make sound decisions.
Nora and Mrs. Linde's struggles in A Doll's House reflect 19th-century Norwegian women's issues and are influenced by their social classes
Nora and Mrs. Linde's struggles in A Doll's House reflect the issues faced by 19th-century Norwegian women and are influenced by their social classes. Nora contends with the constraints of a middle-class marriage, while Mrs. Linde deals with the hardships of widowhood and poverty. These struggles underscore the limited opportunities and societal expectations imposed on women of that era.
Literary Style
This three-act play features prose dialogue and stage directions, but no internal monologues. There are no soliloquies, so the characters' thoughts and any offstage actions must be conveyed by the actors. The actors in A Doll's House interact with each other, not the audience.
Acts
Acts are the primary divisions in a drama. In Greek plays, the drama's sections
were marked by the chorus's appearance and typically consisted of five acts.
This structure was standard for serious drama from the Greeks to the Romans,
and later used by Elizabethan playwrights like William Shakespeare. The five
acts represent the structure of dramatic action: exposition, complication,
climax, falling action, and catastrophe. This five-act format persisted until
the nineteenth century, when Ibsen merged some acts. A Doll's House is a
three-act play; the first act combines exposition and complication, revealing
Nora's deception and the threat posed by Krogstad. The climax unfolds in the
second act when Krogstad confronts Nora again and leaves the letter for
Torvald. The third act merges falling action and catastrophe as Mrs. Linde and
Krogstad reconcile, but Mrs. Linde allows events to unfold, leading to
Torvald's disastrous reaction to the letter.
Naturalism
Naturalism was a literary movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries that applied scientific principles to literature. In nature, behavior
is determined by environmental pressures or internal factors, which are often
uncontrollable and unclear. This establishes a cause and effect relationship:
behavior is influenced by either nature's indifference or biological
determinism, absolving individuals of responsibility for their actions.
European Naturalism focused on biological determinism, while American
Naturalism emphasized environmental influences. For example, Torvald's
accusation that Nora exhibits her father's weakest moral values is based on the
belief that she has inherited these traits from him.
Realism
Realism, a literary term from the nineteenth century, refers to an author's
effort to depict characters, events, and settings authentically. Realism
emphasizes honest and detailed descriptions at all levels. It focuses on
character, particularly behavior. In A Doll's House, the Helmers'
marital events are presented in a way that feels realistic to the audience. The
events, people, and home are familiar and relatable. The sitting room resembles
one found in any typical home, and Nora is portrayed as an average wife in
nineteenth-century Norway, facing problems similar to those of other married
women at the time.
Setting
The setting of a play refers to the time, place, and cultural context where the
events unfold. This includes elements such as geographic location, physical or
mental environments, prevailing cultural attitudes, and the historical period.
For A Doll's House, the setting is an unspecified city in
nineteenth-century Norway. The story starts just before Christmas and wraps up
the following evening, with all three acts occurring in the same sitting room
at the Helmers' home. The Helmers have been married for eight years. Nora is a
wife and mother, while her husband, Torvald, has recently been promoted to a
lawyer and bank manager. They enjoy a comfortable lifestyle during a time when
society suppresses women, associating men with public success and women with
domestic responsibilities. However, this era also witnesses significant
upheaval as women push for better educational opportunities and greater
equality in the workforce. A Doll's House highlights many of the
conflicts and issues being discussed in nineteenth-century Europe.
Expert Q&A
Style and tone of A Doll's House
The style of A Doll's House is realistic and naturalistic, focusing on everyday speech and situations to reflect real life. The tone is serious and critical, highlighting the constraints and injustices faced by women in society. Henrik Ibsen uses this approach to emphasize the play's themes of gender roles, societal expectations, and individual freedom.
Compare and Contrast
- 1879: Congress grants women the right to practice law
before the United States Supreme Court.
Today: Women attorneys are now as prevalent as men in all legal fields. However, achieving acceptance in the upper echelons of corporate law has been more challenging than practicing before the Supreme Court. Despite significant strides in gender equality, women still earn less than seventy cents for every dollar earned by men.
- 1879: Edison announces the success of his incandescent
light bulb, claiming it will burn for 100 hours. Arc-lights are installed as
streetlights in San Francisco and Cleveland.
Today: Electric lights illuminate theatres, businesses, and homes across the industrialized world. They have become so integrated into our environment that they are often unnoticed and underappreciated.
- 1879: In Berlin, electricity powers a railroad locomotive
for the first time. George Seldon files for a patent for a road vehicle powered
by an internal combustion engine.
Today: Transportation based on the internal combustion engine has been significantly refined, making travel easy, accessible, and fast. Only now is electricity being seriously researched as a power source for more environmentally friendly transportation.
- 1879: Elizabeth Cary Agassiz founds Radcliffe, a women's
college, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Today: The opportunity for women to receive an education is no longer a novelty in the United States and most of Europe. Yet, even in the late 1990s, legal battles continue over women's rights to enter male-only federally subsidized schools like the Citadel.
- 1879: Leroy B. Firman invents the multiple switchboard,
which will help make the telephone a commercial success and significantly
increase the number of telephone subscribers.
Today: Telephone lines are used for much more than transmitting conversations, as communication now includes computers and multimedia technology. Video phones and computers that allow visual as well as vocal connections are now a reality and are likely to become common and more affordable in the industrialized world.
Media Adaptations
- In 1959, A Doll's House was first adapted for television. This adaptation featured Julie Harris, Christopher Plummer, Jason Robards, Hume Cronyn, Eileen Heckart, and Richard Thomas. Produced by Sonny Fox Productions, it is available in black and white on videotape through MGM/UA Home Video, with a runtime of 89 minutes.
- The second film adaptation of A Doll's House came in 1973. This version starred Jane Fonda, Edward Fox, Trevor Howard, and David Warner, with a screenplay by David Mercer. Produced by World Film Services, it is available in color on videotape through Prism Entertainment/Starmaker Entertainment, with a runtime of 98 minutes.
- In 1977, A Doll's House was adapted into a film once more, starring Claire Bloom. This version was produced by Paramount Pictures.
- A 1989 Canadian production of A Doll's House featured Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliott, Anna Massey, and Edith Evans. This adaptation, considered superior, was produced by Elkins Productions Limited and is available in color on videotape through Hemdale Home Video, with a runtime of 96 minutes.
- The most recent film adaptation of A Doll's House was released in 1991. This version starred Juliet Stevenson, Trevor Eve, Geraldine James, Patrick Malahide, and David Calder. It is praised for its insightful commentaries by Alistair Cooke. Produced by PBS and BBC.
- In A Doll's House, Part 1: The Destruction of Illusion, Norris Houghton guides the audience through the underlying tensions of the play. This film was produced by Britannica Films in 1968.
- In A Doll's House, Part II: Ibsen's Themes, Norris Houghton delves into the characters and themes of the play. This film was also produced by Britannica Films in 1968.
- There is an audio recording of A Doll's House available on 3 cassettes, featuring Claire Bloom and Donald Madden. This recording is produced by Caedmon/Harper Audio.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Archer, William. Introduction to The Collected Works of Henrik Ibsen,
edited and translated by Archer. Scribner, 1906-1912.
Durbach, Errol. A Doll's House: Ibsen's Myth of Transformation. Twayne Masterworks Studies. Twayne Publishers, 1991.
Finney, Gail. "Ibsen and Feminism," in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, edited by James McFarlane. Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 89-105.
Franc, Miriam Alice. Ibsen in England. The Four Seas Co., 1919, pp. 131-33.
Goodman, Walter. Review of A Doll's House, The New York Times, May 14, 1986.
Hemmer, Bjorn. "Ibsen and the Realistic Problem Drama," in The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen, edited by James McFarlane. Cambridge University Press, 1994, pp. 68-88.
Further Reading
Magill, Frank N., ed. Masterpieces of World Literature. Harper &
Row, 1989, pp. 203-206. This book condenses literary works into easily
digestible summaries. Besides plot overviews and character analyses, the editor
also discusses historical context and critical perspectives. The Magill
compilations offer a dependable, accessible resource for students to review
texts.
Meyer, Michael, ed. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, 4th Edition. St. Martin's Press, 1996, pp. 1128-1136. This anthology presents several concise approaches to studying this play. It includes excerpts from psychological, Marxist, and feminist readings to help students compare different critical interpretations.
Rickert, Blandine M., ed. Major Modern Dramatists, Volume 2, pp. 1-32. This work introduces Ibsen through reviews and critical interpretations of his plays. The excerpts range from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century. By compiling this information, students of Ibsen can observe how his plays have influenced successive generations.
Bibliography
Downs, Brian W. Ibsen: The Intellectual Background. New York: Octagon, 1969. Contains preface, chronology, and index, and makes multiple references to A Doll’s House. Downs argues that the “disagreement” upon which the drama turns is not between a wife and husband as much as it is between woman and society.
Hornby, Richard. Patterns in Ibsen’s Middle Plays. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press, 1981. A readable, helpful, and interesting discussion of A Doll’s House in one chapter. Indicates that the play’s underlying idea is the “ethical leap” that informs the technical and aesthetic development of the play.
Mencken, H. L. Introduction to Eleven Plays of Henrik Ibsen. New York: Random House, 1950. Mencken’s prose is worth reading for itself and especially so in this case for anyone interested in Ibsen. Mencken lauds A Doll’s House and declares that it represents the full measure of Ibsen’s contribution to the art of drama.
Meyer, Michael. Ibsen: A Biography. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1971. A well-organized, readable, illustrated source with an annotated index. Includes frequent references to A Doll’s House, especially in chapter 19. Meyer also discusses the continued focus on Ibsen’s view of women’s situation in a man’s world, on the outcry against A Doll’s House, and on the monetary return it brought the author.
Shafer, Yvonne, ed. Approaches to Teaching Ibsen’s “A Doll [sic] House.” New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1985. Useful for both nonspecialists and specialists. Provides section about materials available for a study of A Doll’s House and a section on approaches to teaching it. Provides insight for understanding and interpreting the play.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.