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Back to Subjects - Theater

A Dolls House and Ghosts

A Dolls House and Ghosts These plays written by Henrik Ibsen are two of the best domestic dramas I have ever read. They are so intricately written into that without the tiniest detail, they almost would not make sense. The way they are somewhat similar is that way they deal with women’s roles as already expected in society; and to contrast, the way they are different is a wife’s or mother’s approach and dealing with her own roles. From Nora to Mrs. Alving the characters have their definite similarities; to me it is easier to see how Mrs. Alving’s life was pretty much dictated to her from the beginning of her marriage by Mr. Manders, and how Nora’s secessions were unavoidable. Both of the women did everything out of love. Nora had to save her husband, by going into exile and away for a little bit, and Mrs. Alving saved her son by sending him into exile or at least away from their home so that Oswald would never have to grow up with his freelancing father. Morals should play a role in every character’s life, which is what distinguishes good from evil, and the choices these women made were the inevitable ones to save their loved one’s lives! The expectations of women back then were to love and care for their husbands and to never leave or go astray from their side. They must take care of the children at all costs. Everyone knew that if a woman was bashing another man, she should better have a one awesome cause or she could be facing some sort of punishment. Such as when, Mrs. Alving – … And besides you know Regina is to have a post at the Manders – But consider after all her is her father Mrs. Alving – I know best what sort of a father he has been to her. No, she shall Manders- My dear lady, don’t judge so hastily. It is very sad how you misjudge poor Engstrand. One would really thing you were afraid. With Nora, the situation is a little different. She is deliberately separating herself from her children and constantly has the maid take car of them and put them down and play with them toward the end of the play. Deceit is what gets both Nora and Mrs. Alving in enormous trouble. Nora is lying about all the money she spends is never on her and to pay back a $4,800 debt that she owes to Krogstad. Mrs. Alving has been lying to her son and Mr. Manders all this time about her husband running around on her and then passing a venereal disease on to her son Oswald. Because of the expectations of women when the reveal themselves and tell the truth to their loved ones, they are shunned in a sense and don’t want them around. Before either Nora or Mrs. Alving have a chance to defend themselves it seemed hopeless from he beginning. Even though each deceived their significant other they were both out of love and protection! One to save her husband’s life in Nora’s case, and the other to save Oswald’s life or to give him the opportunity to have a better more productive life in Mrs. Alving’s case. A Doll's House's central theme is secession from society. It is demonstrated by several of its characters breaking away from the social standards of their time and acting on their own terms. No one character demonstrates this better than Nora. During the time in which the play took place society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play a role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children, and made sure everything was perfect around the house. Work, politics, and decisions were left to the males. Nora's first secession from society was when she broke the law and decided to borrow money to pay for her husband’s treatment. By doing this, she not only broke the law but she stepped away from the role society had placed on her of being totally dependent on her husband. She proved herself not to be helpless like Torvald implied: "you poor helpless little creature!" Nora's second secession from society was shown by her decision to leave Torvald and her children. Society demanded that she take a place under her husband. This is shown in the way Torvald spoke down to her saying things like: "worries that you couldn't possibly help me with," and "Nora, Nora, just like a woman." She is almost considered to be property of his: "Mayn't I look at my dearest treasure? At all the beauty that belongs to no one but me -that's all my very own?" By walking out she takes a position equal to her husband and brakes society's expectations. Nora also breaks society's expectations of staying in a marriage since divorce was frowned upon during that era. Her decision was secession from all expectations put on a woman and a wife by society. Nora’s secessions are very deliberate and thought out. She knows what society expects of her and continues to do what she feels is right despite them. Her secessions are used by Ibsen to show faults of society. In the first secession Ibsen illustrates that despite Nora doing the right thing it is deemed wrong and not allowed by society because she is a woman. While the forgery can be considered wrong, Ibsen is critical of the fact that Nora is forced to forge. Ibsen is also critical of society's expectations of a marriage. He illustrates this by showing how Nora is forced to play a role than be herself and the eventual deterioration of the marriage. Throughout the play Nora is looked down upon and treated as a possession by her husband. She is something to please him and used for show. He is looked upon as the provider and the decision maker. Society would have deemed it a perfect marriage. Ibsen is critical of the fact that a marriage lacked love and understanding, as shown by Torvald becoming angry with Nora for taking the loan and saving him, would be consider as perfect. Now in Ghosts, things are different along with the setting, but the idea of the woman being forced into things is still very prevalent. The title of the play baffled me for a few pages, but I quickly realized what the author intended. The ghosts of the play seem to point out the way peoples personality live on in the bodies of others generally and in the posterity specifically. I felt empathetic towards Regina and Mrs. Alving and wanted to see them freed of their lots in life, but slowly realized that every soul has to stand alone in life. It is as if Mrs. Alving can finally see the light leading out of an abyss of darkness created through social "duty" and then the light is snuffed out by the very freedom she sought. Mr. Manders, the parson, was always telling Mrs. Alving of her so-called “duty,” Duties to her husband and duties to her children were what Mr. Manders was always telling her and driving into her head. Foolish lies and intangible thoughts were all that Mr. Manders’s claimed Mrs. Alving needed to do. Society played an enormous role in the ruling of women’s lives then and somewhat still today. Mr. Manders in like that little conscience of society. Ibsen knew what he was doing the entire time Mr. Manders would always say, “I thought it my duty to tell you.” I am left wondering whether Oswald is really sick or merely tired of the struggle we call life. He represents people who live divergent lifestyles. Does he just give up his will to live? What makes life worth living? He returned home to seek the company Regina and that is taken from him. It is possible that Oswald may have lost the will to live and withdrew inside himself where the only opinion that matters is his own. Symbolism seems very prevalent although I am unclear of the intent. Does the orphanage stand for something? When it burns down, does that demonstrate the resurgence of Captain Alving's grip? Weather is wonderfully manipulated. During the course of action the fjord is obscured by fog and rain, then darkness and at last the dawn is announced over the mountains. These references are very poetic and create a wonderful mood for the piece. The message of the play almost sounds fatalist, crying the tale of woe and imprisonment all of humankind is forced to endure. We may either live a socially acceptable life and remain confined and miserable within or seek the freedom of living truthfully and face the destruction of outside forces. This the conundrum faced by humans living together as a society. There will always be others to tell you what is right or wrong and yet there are no absolutes. What is deemed right for one may not necessarily be right for another. Ibsen understood this enigma of the human psyche and created scenes of a real nature upon the stage. A Doll's House's central theme of secession from society was made to be critical of society's view on women and marriage. Ibsen used Nora's secessions, as an example to illustrate that society's expectations of a woman's role in society and marriage were incorrect. Her decision to leave was the exclamation point on his critical view of society. As in Ghosts, a mother’s morals can take over maybe not for the best outcome, but have the world’s best intension behind her actions. There was nothing Mrs. Alving could have done to save her son from getting the venereal disease because of unworthy husband. Bibliography: 1. Gassner, John. Four Great Plays by Henrik Ibsen. Translated by Farquharson Sharp. New York. E.P Dutton & Co, Inc. Bantam Books 1959. 2. Worthen, W.B. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. Berkeley, University of California. 3rd Edition. Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 2000.

Word Count: 1640