Hey everyone once again,
this entry will be about the themes of this play. I have talked about them already in previous entries, but I will try to go to more details now.
This book touches two unrelated themes. The first theme is the criticism of the 19th century as I have mention many times before. Ibsen was not satisfied with the way marriage was percieved and how husbands (and man generally) behaved to women and how they were seen. I would not say that this book is meant to support the women rights, even though it might seem like that to some. But I see it only as a description of an ideal family life in 19th century. He describes the way most families lived and how it was going in each of them. How the man had total control over his wife and how she was caring only for household. How man's role was important and woman was seen only as an accessory for him. Something to show that he is a good man, with good habbits and traits.
The second theme of this book is the "finding out who you are" thing and this is showed at the very end of the book. When Helmer tells Nora that she has sacred duties to him and children, she replies that she other sacred duties. Duties to herself, finding out who she is and try to become that. Try to become something more than a puppet played by someone. Try to become someone that can think over things and tries to understand them.
pátek 24. února 2012
středa 22. února 2012
Hey everyone once again,
in this blog entry I will discuss the way I expected things to turn out and what surprised me about the way some things came out.
Firstly I will talk about Nora and her decision to leave her husband and children. This in fact, was very surprising for me, not because she was a woman, but because it was her family she had left, a huge part of her life. Throughout the book she seemed to me like a grown up woman with childish ideas and character. The way she behaved and everything made me think that, especially the way she was speaking. She did not seemed to me like someone capable of rational thinking, rather a doll played by her husband. But still, at the end of the play she decided to leave the house and find herself, who she really is other than wife of Torvald.
Other thing that surprised me was the behaviour of Krogstad. He, who was throughout the book displayed as the worst human on the entire world, was able to love and forgive. Despite all what he has been through he was still able to sacrifice something for the one he loved, even if she left him a long time ago and made him what he was now. The whole book he was for me the bad guy, but after I have read the entire book, he did not seemed to me no longer like that as I have mention in my previous blog entry about the play characters.
So yeah, that is about all the things that surprised me the most about the way things evolved in the book. I was expecting a totally different ending. Maybe that Nora would do anything to get the respect of her husband again instead of leaving him and her children ... But then again, would mother leave her kids only to find who she really is and not even try to fight for them? I mean it is a good thing she started to think about the way she lived, but I think that it was quite late for her to do that, now that she had attachments. And do not forget this was based on a real life of Ibsen's friend. I wonder to which part it was real and which part (if any) Ibsen added just to have some plot in it. But for that we would have to ask him....
in this blog entry I will discuss the way I expected things to turn out and what surprised me about the way some things came out.
Firstly I will talk about Nora and her decision to leave her husband and children. This in fact, was very surprising for me, not because she was a woman, but because it was her family she had left, a huge part of her life. Throughout the book she seemed to me like a grown up woman with childish ideas and character. The way she behaved and everything made me think that, especially the way she was speaking. She did not seemed to me like someone capable of rational thinking, rather a doll played by her husband. But still, at the end of the play she decided to leave the house and find herself, who she really is other than wife of Torvald.
Other thing that surprised me was the behaviour of Krogstad. He, who was throughout the book displayed as the worst human on the entire world, was able to love and forgive. Despite all what he has been through he was still able to sacrifice something for the one he loved, even if she left him a long time ago and made him what he was now. The whole book he was for me the bad guy, but after I have read the entire book, he did not seemed to me no longer like that as I have mention in my previous blog entry about the play characters.
So yeah, that is about all the things that surprised me the most about the way things evolved in the book. I was expecting a totally different ending. Maybe that Nora would do anything to get the respect of her husband again instead of leaving him and her children ... But then again, would mother leave her kids only to find who she really is and not even try to fight for them? I mean it is a good thing she started to think about the way she lived, but I think that it was quite late for her to do that, now that she had attachments. And do not forget this was based on a real life of Ibsen's friend. I wonder to which part it was real and which part (if any) Ibsen added just to have some plot in it. But for that we would have to ask him....
úterý 21. února 2012
Hey everyone, another entry time!
Today I will talk about the time period of the period, which is important for understanding of the book's plot. I have talked about it in a lot of entries now, but this one will be specifically dedicated to this.
So, the play is set in the 19th century. A time where women as wifes were not respected as they should have been and were more like dolls (from here is the book's name) of their husband to play. They were having hard times finding jobs and a woman living alone, without any husband, had a bad times making money for living, the worse when she had children. 19th century was really harsh for women, even if they did no realized it, but they were only controlled by men and had no real life, only life full of caring for children and their husbands. Anything husband wanted they must have done, there was no questioning, otherwise they could have been kicked out of the house and live on their own, which was not good as I have mentioned above.
Some men, in nowadays society might feel the same way about women just as they did in 19th century, that women are to care for household and listen to their husband and nothing more. On the other hand, some women nowadays like to be cared this way, cause for them it might seems comfortable, but they will not have the chance to live the real "free" life. So I would say the play is pretty much relevant even in today's society and not only in 19th century.
It is up to everyone to choose the way he/she wants to live. There is no way to change a human mind and behaviour. Some people are just the way they are and nothing will change them, maybe if they experience some life changing situation when they will realise what life is really all about or if they suddenly start to think about the way the have lived so far (just as Nora).
Today I will talk about the time period of the period, which is important for understanding of the book's plot. I have talked about it in a lot of entries now, but this one will be specifically dedicated to this.
So, the play is set in the 19th century. A time where women as wifes were not respected as they should have been and were more like dolls (from here is the book's name) of their husband to play. They were having hard times finding jobs and a woman living alone, without any husband, had a bad times making money for living, the worse when she had children. 19th century was really harsh for women, even if they did no realized it, but they were only controlled by men and had no real life, only life full of caring for children and their husbands. Anything husband wanted they must have done, there was no questioning, otherwise they could have been kicked out of the house and live on their own, which was not good as I have mentioned above.
Some men, in nowadays society might feel the same way about women just as they did in 19th century, that women are to care for household and listen to their husband and nothing more. On the other hand, some women nowadays like to be cared this way, cause for them it might seems comfortable, but they will not have the chance to live the real "free" life. So I would say the play is pretty much relevant even in today's society and not only in 19th century.
It is up to everyone to choose the way he/she wants to live. There is no way to change a human mind and behaviour. Some people are just the way they are and nothing will change them, maybe if they experience some life changing situation when they will realise what life is really all about or if they suddenly start to think about the way the have lived so far (just as Nora).
"Every man dies. Not every man really lives." William Wallace
It is time for another blog entry!
The whole point of this entry will be to introduce to all of you some of the characters of A Doll's House.
NORA - she is the main character of this play and it is her story that Ibsen tells us. Nora is a normal, a little childish woman, living in an ideal house with her husband and 3 children. She is a woman that would do anything for her husband and children ... ideal picture of a married woman in an ideal 19th century household. Women at these times were, at least according to the society, made to breed and care for children and listen to their husbands and do anything they want, nothing more and nothing less. It was very hard for a woman to find a job other than dressmakers. But Nora is very ambitious and wants to be respected by the society and likes to show off. I would say she lives in her own perfect and carefree world, but she has lived through hard times too, when she had to work and keep her family alive while her husband was sick. So I would say that she earned her time of peace. But once her world has scattered and she saw what her life was really about, she did not hesitate and took her faith into her own hands and left her husband, since, in her eyes, he was holding her down and she would not be able to find out who she really is.
HELMER - he is Nora's husband. It is a normal 19th century man and also behaves to his wife like this and it is expected from him, and only him, to keep the family alive. Helmer behaves to Nora as if she was child and he likes it, since in 19th century it was probably normal behaviour of husband to his wife. For him, Nora is like a doll that he can play with, but at the same time, he feels somehow connected to her, since she saved him and the family in the past, when he was sick and was not able to earn money. He shows his appreciation of what Nora did for him by kind of respecting her opinions and feelings. But when Nora means a threat to his reputation, he wants to keep his distance from her and at the same time not anyone know in order to save his carier. He stops to care about her and instead of helping her, he leaves her all alone to stand against it, just not to involve himself.
CHRISTINE - she is an old friend of Nora, that has come to visit her after a long time. Her husband died and left her nothing, so she looks for a help and Nora was probably the first person that came to her mind. It is hard to describe her character from the book, as she is not that much present in the book. But from what it is written I can say that she honours her friendship with Nora and also appreciates what friends do for her and is able to repay them in full. And that she did for Nora. At the same time, when she married her husband it was not for love, but for money, these money were not of her, but her mother that was sick and needed them. But back then, she had to make the worst decision of her life, since she must have left her loved man and marry the wealthy one for the sake of her sick mother. So we can say she is a really caring person, that has had to make hard choices in her life and experienced bad, as well as good things in her life.
KROGSTAD - a lawyer and a "bad" person in this play. I put "bad" in quotes, since he is not bad, but is forced to be bad, since he had a hard life. He is the one that helped Nora to save her husband (he borrowed her money), but when he is about to be fired from work (by Helmer, since he is to become his senior) he brings up the agreement between him and Nora and forces her (he shows her the agreement and tells her that she must have forged the sign) to speak for him and safe his work. He is in the play picture bad, in order to have some plot and not just description of a ideal family life in 19th century. At the same time, he is the one Christine was in love with at the time she married the wealthy man, so this kind of broke him and altered his character. So we can say, that he was unfair, but that is what life is sometimes too, isn't it? He might symbolize what life can do to a good man, when it is really harsh.
DR.RANK - a doctor that has serious sickness and is about to die very soon. Despite that he is very lively person and a good friend of Nora and Helmer. He comes to their house everyday and talks with them and really likes them, maybe more than he should. He is in love with Nora, but Nora is not in love with him. She loves him only as a good friend and companion. But even after he expresses his feelings to Nora and she rejects him, since she is already happily married to Helmer, he is not sad, maybe disappointed, since he thought it was mutual, but not sad. Just as Christine, he is not much described in the book, so it is hard to tell what he was like. But he was living alone in his home, with no wife and/or children and was a really good friend to Nora and Helmer.
And that is about all of the imporant characters of this play, those that played major role in it anyway. Of course there is more characters, such as the children and the maid, but those are just a "little" characters that play little role in the play.
The whole point of this entry will be to introduce to all of you some of the characters of A Doll's House.
NORA - she is the main character of this play and it is her story that Ibsen tells us. Nora is a normal, a little childish woman, living in an ideal house with her husband and 3 children. She is a woman that would do anything for her husband and children ... ideal picture of a married woman in an ideal 19th century household. Women at these times were, at least according to the society, made to breed and care for children and listen to their husbands and do anything they want, nothing more and nothing less. It was very hard for a woman to find a job other than dressmakers. But Nora is very ambitious and wants to be respected by the society and likes to show off. I would say she lives in her own perfect and carefree world, but she has lived through hard times too, when she had to work and keep her family alive while her husband was sick. So I would say that she earned her time of peace. But once her world has scattered and she saw what her life was really about, she did not hesitate and took her faith into her own hands and left her husband, since, in her eyes, he was holding her down and she would not be able to find out who she really is.
HELMER - he is Nora's husband. It is a normal 19th century man and also behaves to his wife like this and it is expected from him, and only him, to keep the family alive. Helmer behaves to Nora as if she was child and he likes it, since in 19th century it was probably normal behaviour of husband to his wife. For him, Nora is like a doll that he can play with, but at the same time, he feels somehow connected to her, since she saved him and the family in the past, when he was sick and was not able to earn money. He shows his appreciation of what Nora did for him by kind of respecting her opinions and feelings. But when Nora means a threat to his reputation, he wants to keep his distance from her and at the same time not anyone know in order to save his carier. He stops to care about her and instead of helping her, he leaves her all alone to stand against it, just not to involve himself.
CHRISTINE - she is an old friend of Nora, that has come to visit her after a long time. Her husband died and left her nothing, so she looks for a help and Nora was probably the first person that came to her mind. It is hard to describe her character from the book, as she is not that much present in the book. But from what it is written I can say that she honours her friendship with Nora and also appreciates what friends do for her and is able to repay them in full. And that she did for Nora. At the same time, when she married her husband it was not for love, but for money, these money were not of her, but her mother that was sick and needed them. But back then, she had to make the worst decision of her life, since she must have left her loved man and marry the wealthy one for the sake of her sick mother. So we can say she is a really caring person, that has had to make hard choices in her life and experienced bad, as well as good things in her life.
KROGSTAD - a lawyer and a "bad" person in this play. I put "bad" in quotes, since he is not bad, but is forced to be bad, since he had a hard life. He is the one that helped Nora to save her husband (he borrowed her money), but when he is about to be fired from work (by Helmer, since he is to become his senior) he brings up the agreement between him and Nora and forces her (he shows her the agreement and tells her that she must have forged the sign) to speak for him and safe his work. He is in the play picture bad, in order to have some plot and not just description of a ideal family life in 19th century. At the same time, he is the one Christine was in love with at the time she married the wealthy man, so this kind of broke him and altered his character. So we can say, that he was unfair, but that is what life is sometimes too, isn't it? He might symbolize what life can do to a good man, when it is really harsh.
DR.RANK - a doctor that has serious sickness and is about to die very soon. Despite that he is very lively person and a good friend of Nora and Helmer. He comes to their house everyday and talks with them and really likes them, maybe more than he should. He is in love with Nora, but Nora is not in love with him. She loves him only as a good friend and companion. But even after he expresses his feelings to Nora and she rejects him, since she is already happily married to Helmer, he is not sad, maybe disappointed, since he thought it was mutual, but not sad. Just as Christine, he is not much described in the book, so it is hard to tell what he was like. But he was living alone in his home, with no wife and/or children and was a really good friend to Nora and Helmer.
And that is about all of the imporant characters of this play, those that played major role in it anyway. Of course there is more characters, such as the children and the maid, but those are just a "little" characters that play little role in the play.
neděle 19. února 2012
Hey everyone,
this little blog of my will be fully deducated to a book called A Doll's House written by a norwegian writer and painter Henrik Ibsen. This book was written in 1879 and I am going to try to analyze this book as much as I possibly can.
So let me start with a little background about the author and this book. Henrik Ibsen's first plays were romantic and historic stories, but after some time, Ibsen started to hate the way society behaves and started to write books about it and A Doll´s House is one of the first he wrote on this theme. This book critize the society's perception of marriage, exactly the role of a woman in this relationship, in 19th century and it was based on a real life experience of Ibsen's friend. This play might seem to some that is the propagation of woman right, but in his own words the books is about:
"the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is and to strive to become that person." Henrik Ibsen
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