A Doll’s House

1. A Doll’s House By Henrik Ibsen By PresenterMedia.com

2. Meet the Author Born Early Years Became In Skein, Norway on March 20, 1828. Grew up in poverty. Lived and worked primarily in Italy and Germany. One of the most respected playwrights of all time. Often called “the father of modern drama” because he helped popularize REALISM. He dealt objectively with the problems confronting everyday people and looked at these problems without the distortions of romanticism.

3. About the play • “To a generation of students raised on liberated dolls such as Barbies and Bratz, Henrik Ibsen’s A Dolls’ House uncovers a shocking secret: some dolls don’t get to play the roles they really want. Ibsen’s Nora Helmer is a doll trapped in her house, a condition underscored by the fact that all the play’s action takes place in her own living room. Repressed by a husband who expects her to fulfill her wifely and motherly roles under strict guidelines of morality and appearance, Nora discovers she has a will of her own. Ultimately, Nora realizes there is only one path that leads to her true identity, and that path begins outside the doll house.”

4. Controversy Behind A Doll’s House During the Victorian Era, it was considered scandalous to suggest that a woman might have something other to do than keep house and raise children. Ibsen was criticized for challenging societal norms and for undermining society’s most sacred institution: marriage.

5. Continue Controversy • Ibsen, however, denied the work as a feminist piece. • When honored by the Norwegian Society for Women’s Rights he said, “I’m not even quite sure what women’s rights really are. To me it has been a question of human rights.”

6. Themes/Topics to Consider While Reading

7. Homework Bring in an object that symbolizes individualism, identity, or reality vs. appearance and be prepared to explain your object tomorrow in class.