A Dollshouse by Henrik Isben Summary
- Created by: Megnicpip
- Created on: 23-05-18 16:58
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- A Dollshouse
- Context
- Respectability of the bourgeoisie: -financial success -upward social mobility -freedom from financial debt and moral guilt -a stable, secure family
- Isbens' Life
- The family moved to a small country house after their property was seized for debt payments.
- his father never gained financial respectability and was labelled a pauper.
- In 1844 he apprenticed to an apothecary where he was badly paid and overworked with little to eat.
- After 1850 he never saw his father or brothers again and stopped writing home.
- In 1900, he suffered a stroke which left him partly paralysed the next year he had another stroke which left him unable to walk and write. He finally died in 1906.
- Realism: the play lacks any sense of sentimentality, showing the truth of life, the play demands a realistic ending to fir the realistic events.
- Isben believed that husband and wife should live as equals, free to become their own human beings.
- Characters
- Nora
- The protagonist of the play and Torvalds wife.
- Krogstad
- A lawyer who went to school with Krogstad and holds a subordinate position at Torvalds bank. Krogstads character is contradictory and blackmails Nora.
- Dr Rank
- Torvalds best friend. He is suffering from a disease and eventually dies within the play.
- Mrs Linde
- Nora's childhood friend.She has also had previous experience with Krogstad.
- Torvald
- Nora's husband. He likes being in the position of authority and is more concerned with his own respectability than helping Nora.
- Nora
- Themes
- The Sacrificial Role of Women
- Appearance Vs Reality
- Personal and Filial Obligations
- Capitalism
- Bourgeoisie and Proletariat
- Motifs and Symbols
- Letters
- Christmas Tree
- Nora's Definition of Freedom
- New Years Day
- Context
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