Historical Context
What society did Ibsen Grow up in? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Agrarian
Rapid Industrialisation: Technological revolution, Growth of Middle class
- Survival in society: Social status and Marxism
What is the Age of Enlightenment? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Pursuit of knowledge obtained by reasons and evidence of senses and goals of rational humanity: knowledge, freedom, and happiness.
- Moving towards realism = More scientific
What is the scientific Revolution? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Traces of developments in science and technology during the age of reason after the Napoleonic War/ French revolution
- Hereditary disease
What is the French Revolution? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power.
- Nora’s liberation
What was the Napoleonic Codes? (4) How does it relate to A Dolls House?
- Women were forbidden from entering into legal contracts, nor could they be a party to lawsuits or testify in court.
- Wives couldn’t engage in commerce without a husband’s written permission, and all property in a marriage was the husband’s.
- The legal right of men to control women was affirmed
- Married women owed their husband obedience, and were forbidden from selling, giving, mortgaging or buying property
- Norway’s society
- Breaking free from confines
Political
What was the Spring of Revolutions 1848? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Democratic revolts against the monarchies or Europe due to bourgeois revolutions, democracy and the need of liberty (Similar to French Revolution)
- Nora’s liberation
What was First Wave Feminism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Dealing with property rights and the right to vote
- Deals with hegemonic codes; Capitalism
- Nora’s liberation
Autobiographical
Early Childhood with his father. How does it relate to A Dolls House?
His father suffered financial difficulties and never gained financial respectability
- Capitalism; Bourgeoisie respectability
Ibsen’s work? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Apprenticed at an apothecary
Birth of illegitimate son
- Hereditary Disease
Ibsen’s marriage? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Susannah Thoresen
Ibsen felt that, rather than merely live together, husband and wife should live as equals, free to become their own human beings (Attacked for critiquing the institution of marriage)
- Relationships in Norway
What plays did he write and how did they turn out? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Loves Comedy: Demonstrated love and marriage as not synonymous
The League of Youth: Chafed against the bonds of marriage using the Doll metaphor
Hedda Gabler: Inability to fit into the traditional role of married life
Ghosts: religion, venereal disease, incest, and euthanasia
- Similar to ADH in general: Explores taboos
Cultural/Societal
What was society like in Norway? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Bourgeoisie society = Priorities of social status, Neglect of Taboos
- Norway
What was it like for women? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Patriarchal ideals
Economically, socially and psychologically dependent on men
Motherhood = Highest achievement
Stay-at-home = A duty
- Woman’s duties in ADH
What was the New woman? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Ibsen embraced anti hegemonic structures of any kind
New Woman: Pushed against the limits set by male dominated society
Deemed unattractively masculine
- Mrs Linde, Nora
Literary
Who is Laura Kieler? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Inspiration for Nora
Husband had tuberculosis, she obtained a loan, Her husband threatened to divorce her and incarcerated her in a mental asylum
- Foundation of ADH
What was naturalism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Away from the grandeur of romanticism
Zola: Speaking the truth in language that did not demand a special tone
Spirit of scientific age - Life as it is
Voice a Zeitgeist (Spirit of the time)
- Nora
- Form + Plot
What are the two enemies of naturalist plays? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Romanticism: Exaggeration in emotions, freedom and imagination; False mannered acting
French Well Made Play: Artificial, Permutation of stock types, No depth of psychological characterisation, Satisfactory conclusion
- Rejects these forms
What is realism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Truthful vision that represented the middle class and revolves relentless critique of the bourgeois ideals
- Capitalism critique
- Taboos
What did Ibsen’s modernism include? How does it relate to A Dolls House?
Subversive portrayal of women
Distance from chronology
Questions status quo
Self-enhancement: Exonerate the individual over society
Deviates from stock characters
