Heinrich Ibsen is one of the most famous European playwrights of the 19th century, famous for inventing a new drama. A publicist and poet, he had the greatest influence on the theater. Today we would see completely different productions, if not for the innovative ideas that Ibsen introduced. The “Doll House” (a brief summary of this work will become our main theme) is his most famous play, in which the author’s concept was fully reflected.
History of creation
The author began work on the play in 1878, when the first sketches appeared. He sought to express the problems of modern reality, clothed them in the classical form of tragedy, Ibsen.
The “Doll House” (a summary will be presented below) was released a year later. The play was based on real events. The prototype of the Norma writer chose Laura Keeler, a Norwegian writer. It was Ibsen who advised her to do literature, and that was the beginning of their friendship. After the death of her father, the girl married Victor Keeler, a kind man who had the only flaw - avarice. After a while, he became ill, and he needed treatment abroad. There was no money, and Laura secretly took a bank loan from her husband. They went to Switzerland, Victor got better. It was time for a bank payment, but there was still no money, and Laura told her husband the truth. Under the influence of his friends, he demanded a divorce, which soon took place. The woman took away the children, and she herself was recognized as insane. But soon her husband returned to her, the marriage was restored, and Laura began writing. It was the life of this woman that became the starting point for the play.
Ibsen, “The Doll House”: a summary. Start
The action takes place in Norway, in the apartment of Torvald Helmer, a lawyer, and his wife Nora. Christmas Eve. Nora comes back, returning with a lot of gifts for the children and her husband. Torvald lovingly meets his wife and jokingly says that she is a reel. Nora objects that there is nothing to worry about, because the new year portends its increase.
Torvald retires to his office, courting Nora, who after three birth looks great. Mrs. Helmer, old friend of Linda, enters. Eight years have passed since the last meeting of friends. Linda during this time managed to bury her husband, and she did not have children in the marriage.
Nora's story
It is Nora’s turn to talk about her life. In the first year of marriage Torvald fell ill, and he needed to change the climate. Then Nora took money against a receipt from one gentleman, and told her husband that her father had given him for the trip. Now she constantly pays interest, and secretly takes money from Helmer for this.
Norma offers Fru Linda help - her husband can take her to work. Just now, he is firing his attorney Krogstad, which means that the place is being vacated. It turns out that fra Linda is a little familiar with this man.
Forgery
Realism, so unusual for a modern reader, immediately attracts attention. Moreover, portraying reality - this is the main task that Heinrich Ibsen set himself. The “Doll House” (a brief summary can confirm this) is not just a work striving for truth, but a work based on it.
So, Torvald fires his attorney. The reason is once he committed a forgery related to monetary securities. The court acquitted Krogstad, but Helmer does not want to have anything to do with such a person.
The intrigue in the play “Doll House” (Ibsen) is rapidly spinning. A brief summary of the actions says that Krogstad is precisely the person who lent the money to Nora. Now he asks for her intercession before Torvald. In addition, he managed to perfectly prove himself in the bank, and, in fact, there are no reasons for dismissal.
Nora fulfills the request, but this has no effect on her husband. Helmer refuses her, because she does not take it seriously. Upon learning this, Krogstad threatens to expose. But not only Nora is the victim of his blackmail, the former attorney sends a letter to Torvald, where he threatens to tell everyone about the misconduct of his wife, then the banking career will come to an end. Nora does not know what to do now.
Solution
Very realistic and natural depicts his characters Ibsen. The “Doll House”, the brief content of which we continue to describe, depicts completely natural human reactions. So, Nora, afraid of future exposure and shame, first wants to commit suicide. But the thought that her name would be defiled after death stops her.
The decision turns out to be unexpected, it turns out that Fru Linda and Krogstad were once bound by love, but the woman had to marry another in order to improve the financial situation of her sick mother and little brothers. Now she is free and ready to follow the command of her heart. Krogstad is glad, he refuses his blackmail, because he has already found true love and happiness in life. The only problem is that a letter to Helmer has already been sent and got into his mailbox, the key to which the owner always carries with him.
Letter
The play written by G. Ibsen (“The Doll House”) is approaching its denouement. The summary describes the scene in which Helmer reads the letter. At first, he simply cannot believe what he read, and then anger engulfs him. Is his dear beautiful wife a criminal ?! And now because of her, the increase achieved by such labors is in jeopardy. Torvald decides to take the children away, but Nora should be left in the house for decency, but they will live separately.
But here they bring a new letter. It is from Krogstad, who renounces his claims and returns the borrowed papers of Nora. Helman immediately enraptured: everything will now be as before. But Nora does not agree with this, she is going to leave home. Torvald, who always perceived his wife as a toy, was struck by her independence. Nora is disappointed in her husband, he behaved like a coward, and not like a man. From now on, nothing else binds them.
Despite surprise, Helman understands the seriousness of Nora's words and intentions. He is trying to convince his wife that from now on he will treat her differently, but the woman no longer believes him. Nora does not back down from her choice.
Analysis
The main theme of the play is the attitude in society towards a woman and her social status. It was to this problem that Ibsen sought to draw attention. The “Doll House” (a brief summary of the chapters illustrates the problem) is today perceived by many as a hymn to feminism. However, this is not the whole problem of the work. The author wrote about the freedom of man as a person in general. And the main attacks are not addressed to men, but rather to the society itself of the 70s of the XIX century. Dead laws, entrenched attitudes and norms of the bourgeois world — that is what Ibsen wanted to expose.
The image of the doll house
The doll house is the main symbol of the work, and it is associated with the image of the main character. So, the puppetry of Nora's world was well manifested in the scene of a woman playing with her children. Hide and seek are accompanied by laughter and fun, and Nora is portrayed here as the same age as her children. From this idyllic world of toys she is pulled out by the parish of Krogstad, which threatens to tell Helmer about the loan. After this, the woman can no longer have fun carefree again, she is overcome by thoughts of impending troubles.
Gradually, a collision with the cruel real world destroys the doll house in which Nora lives. And thanks to this, a woman gains independence, the opportunity to see the world as it is. This is the idea that Ibsen put into the play (The Doll's House). Summary, analysis and reader observations allow us to conclude that this is a work about freedom and how to get this freedom.