By Henrik Ibsen

Born in Norway Grew up in poverty after his merchant

father experienced bankruptcy Failed a college entrance exam—became

determined to be a writer After writing 2 plays, hired as a playwright Moved to Italy after the theater he

managed went into bankruptcy Became a popular playwright among

critics and theatergoers

Ibsen developed the modern realistic drama—a type of play unlike anything audiences had seen before

Characteristics included Reflected ordinary language—written in prose,

not verse Depicts characters and situations as they really

are Addresses controversial issues and society’s

assumptions A Doll House focuses on the role and status of

women in the late 19th century

Characteristics of –

Romantic and Realistic Literature

Mary Shelley (Frankenstein)

Edgar Allen Poe (Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pyme)

Nathanial Hawthorne (Scarlett Letter)

James Fenimore Cooper

(Last of the Mohicans)

Herman Melville (Moby Dick)

Daphne DuMaurier (Rebecca)

Stephen Crane (Red Badge of Courage)

Mark Twain (Adventures of Huck Finn)

John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath; Of Mice and Men)

A Doll’s House (1879)—controversial because it portrayed a woman whose actions were unacceptable for that time

Ghosts (1881) – hostile reception from the public due to Ibsen’s portrayal of realistic events and themes

Enemy of the People (1882) – written in response to the public’s hostile reception of Ghosts

Typical plays of the time were modeled after the Romantic movement, where plays:1. were “plot heavy”2. had idealized storylines3. endings were unfailingly happy

His later works defied the prevailing tastes in theater of the day

In English, the title is traditionally A Doll’s House

Rolf Fjelde (translator of textbook version) takes issue with the title (hence the title that appears in the textbook)

How can this small change in a title change the manner in which the play might be perceived?

Picture of Ibsen’s Grave

Tomb in Norway Ibsen had the image of an arm holding a

hammer on his tomb to symbolize the way in which his plays shattered illusions about life