Old But Modern Essay, Research Paper
Old but Modern
Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House was written well over 100 years ago. It has been performed around the world, and even had its ending changed for controversial reasons. But it still proves to be a very well written play with a strong plot and modern struggles. Reading of the play flows very well and it is easy to follow. The age of the play should not prevent it from being studied in school. English and Literature classes should study A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen because it makes reading plays more enjoyable and understandable.
A Doll’s House is a three-act play that takes place in the Helmer residence. The two main characters are Torvald and Nora Helmer, a married couple who have a strange and unhealthy relationship. Other characters include Nils Krogstad, the banker with a bad reputation, and Kristine Linde, an old friend of Nora’s who is looking for a job. Nora Helmer is a spoiled lady. She has been pampered all of her life, first by her father, and then by Torvald. Although she tries very hard to focus on others, she only cares about herself. One example of this selfishness is shown in a conversation between Nora and Mrs. Linde, “I won’t be selfish today. I must think only about your affairs today. But there’s just one thing I really must tell you. Have you heard about the great stroke of luck we’ve had in the last few days?” (Ibsen 1119). She doesn’t even have to care for her own children; she has a nanny who is with them all the time. The only time she spends with them is for an occasional game, where she plays the role of a playmate, not a mother. She rarely leaves the house, mostly because she doesn’t have to do errands. In fact, she really doesn’t have many responsibilities at all. Nora’s attitude makes a complete turnaround in the end however, when she realizes that the way she has been living her life is not the way she wants to live it anymore.
Torvald doesn’t know, but Nora owes a large sum of money to Krogstad for a loan he had given to her when Torvald had been very ill. The story goes on, and Nora is trying very hard to keep her secret from Torvald. Eventually he finds out and his true personality finally shines through. Torvald blames everything on Nora, “It’s you I have to thank for this and when I’ve taken such good care of you, all our married life. Now do you understand what you have done to me?” (1162). He says very mean and nasty things to her, ” you will not be allowed to bring up the children, I can’t trust you with them ” (1162, 1163). After receiving a note saying the money no longer had to be paid back, Torvald immediately apologized for his behavior, telling Nora “I forgive you for everything. I know you did what you did because you loved me” (1163), continuing to keep the blame on her. Nevertheless, Nora is smart to see that Torvald’s true personality was the mean explosive one, and he never truly loved her. She leaves Torvald and her children to “find herself,” because all the time she was growing up with her father, and the eight years she was married to Torvald, she was living in “a doll house” where she was the doll.
This play is relatively short considering it’s complicated plot. However, the plot is not so complicated as to where it would be hard to understand. This is what makes the play so enjoyable. It is short and to the point, yet it indulges in a twisted plot that is still easy to understand because of the short length. These assets make this play ideal for students studying drama in Literature classes because it is a perfect example of a well-written play. In no way does the age of the play affect its aspects of goodness.
Furthermore, this play can help men to better understand a woman’s point of view and the struggle she had to go through. Even though Nora was a spoiled brat in the beginning of the play, we see her true character shine through at the end, and it is much better than Torvald’s. It is important for men today to see the hardships that women had to go through in the past, just as it is important for everyone to learn about the hardships that slaves had to go though. It is all part of history in a way, and that is an added benefit of this play; one more reason to keep it in the curriculum.
To take this play out of the reading curriculum in English Literature classes would be a shame. This play was thoroughly enjoyable, and so advanced for its time, with the women’s rights and everything of that nature. In fact it is so modern that you can hardly tell it was written well over one hundred years ago. It does have an old-fashioned, classic feel to it, but it is nothing so outdated that we can not still relate to it. While reading this play, students should remember that this play is old, and that just makes the ability to read and understand it so much more amazing.
Works Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. Introductory to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Second Com. Ed. Kennedy, Gioia. (2000): 1113-1169.