Cover page to manuscript of A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen, 1879

A Doll's House (literally translated A Dollhouse from the original Norwegian title Et dukkehjem) is an 1879 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A Dolls House is the name of several movies based on the 1879 play A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen, including: A Dolls House (1918 film), an American movie directed by Maurice Tourneur A Dolls House (1922 film), a version directed by Charles Bryant, starring Alla... Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or drama. ... Ibsen redirects here. ...

A Doll's House, written two years after The Pillars of Society, was the first of Ibsen's plays to create a sensation^[1] and is now perhaps his most famous play, and required reading in many secondary schools and universities. The play was highly controversial when first published, as it is sharply critical of 19th Century marriage norms. It follows the formula of well-made play up until the final act, when it breaks convention by ending with a discussion, not an unravelling. It is often called the first true feminist play, although Ibsen denied this.^[2] Karsten Bernick is the dominant businessman in a small coastal town in Norway, with interests in shipping and shipbuilding in a long-established family firm. ... Matrimony redirects here. ... The well-made play (from the French: pièce bien faite) is a form of drama developed in the nineteenth century and associated especially with the French playwright Eugene Scribe (1791-1861). ... Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ...

The first English production starred Janet Achurch in the role of Nora in 1893. The most acclaimed American stage production of the play was in 1902 starring Minnie Maddern Fiske. A Doll's House has been made into numerous movies, including two versions released in 1973 - one directed by Joseph Losey starring Jane Fonda, David Warner and Trevor Howard, which went directly to U.S. television, and one directed by Patrick Garland which was released to theatres and starred Claire Bloom, Anthony Hopkins, and Ralph Richardson. Dariush Mehrjui's film Sara (1992) is based on A Doll's House, where Sara, played by Niki Karimi, is the Nora of Ibsen's play. Janet Achurch (1864-1916) was an English stage actress. ... Minnie Maddern Fiske (December 19, 1865 – February 15, 1932), was one of the leading American actresses of the early twentieth century. ... A Dolls House is the name of several movies based on the 1879 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Joseph Losey (January 14, 1909 - June 22, 1984) was an American theater and film director. ... Jane Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. ... David Warner David Warner (born July 29, 1941 in Manchester, England) is an English actor who often plays sinister or evil characters. ... Trevor Howard, CBE (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988), born Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith, was an English movie, stage and television actor. ... Patrick Garland (born April 10, 1935) is an actor and a director of British theatre, television and film, and a writer. ... Claire Bloom (born Patricia Claire Blume on February 15, 1931) is a British film and stage actress. ... For the composer, see Antony Hopkins. ... Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor, one of a group of theatrical knights of the mid-20th century who, though more closely associated with the stage, did their best to make the transition to film. ... Darius Mehrjui (Persian: داریوش مهرجویی , born 8 December 1939 in Tehran) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, producer, and film editor. ... Sara (Persian: سارا) is a 1993 motion picture directed by Dariush Mehrjui. ... Niki Karimi Niki Karimi (Persian: نیکی کریمی) born on 10 November 1971, Tehran (Iran), is an internationally recognised Iranian (Persian) actress and movie director. ...

Plot

The play begins on Christmas Eve. Nora Helmer lives with her husband Torvald and their three children. Nora's relationship with her husband is a deeply unequal one; he treats her as a child to be pampered and scolded, and refers to her with belittling endearments like "little skylark" and "gaping snatch". Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Skylark The Skylark (Alauda arvensis) is a small passerine bird species. ...

Christine Linde, a widow, is a friend of Nora who needs a job. Nora promises to ask Torvald to give Christine a position at the bank where Torvald is a manager. Nora confides to Christine that she once secretly borrowed money to save Torvald's life when he was very ill, but she has not told him in order to protect his pride. She then took secret jobs copying papers by hand, which she carried out secretly in her room, and learned to take pride in her ability to earn money "as if she were a man." However, she has continued to play the part of the frivolous, scatter-brained child-wife for the benefit of her husband.

At the same time, Nora finds herself the victim of blackmail. Krogstad, who lent her the money, is also an employee working under Torvald but is on the verge of losing his position. He has found out that Nora forged her dying father's signature on the loan application, since under the law at the time a woman could not borrow money from a bank unless a man co-signed the application. She also dated the signature of her father to a date that was after his death. Krogstad threatens to reveal this information unless she convinces her husband to keep him employed. Nora tries twice but fails.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rank, a family friend, flirts with Nora before revealing that he is terminally ill with tuberculosis of the spine with only a month to live, and that he has been secretly in love with her.

After being fired by Torvald, Krogstad confronts Nora, declaring he no longer cares about the remaining balance of her loan but will preserve the bond to blackmail Torvald. Krogstad informs Nora that he has a letter detailing her crime and puts it in Torvald's letterbox, which is locked.

Nora tells Christine of her predicament. Christine says that she and Krogstad were in love before she married, and promises she will convince him to relent.

Torvald tries to check his mail before he and Nora go to a party, but Nora distracts him by showing him the dance she has been rehearsing for the party. Torvald declares that "the child shall have her way" and he will postpone reading his mail until the evening. Alone, Nora contemplates suicide.

Christine tells Krogstad that she only married her husband because she had no other means to support her sick mother and young siblings, and that she has returned to offer him her love again. Krogstad is moved and offers to take back his letter to Torvald. However, Mrs. Linde decides that Torvald should know the truth for the sake of his and Nora's marriage.

Back from the party, Torvald goes to read his letters and Nora prepares to take her life. Before she has the opportunity, Torvald intercepts her, confronting her with Krogstad's letter. In his rage, he declares that he is now completely in Krogstad's power -- he must yield to Krogstad's demands and keep quiet about the whole affair. He berates Nora, calling her a dishonest and immoral woman and telling her she is unfit to raise their children. He says that their marriage will be kept only to maintain appearances.

A maid enters, delivering a letter to Nora. Krogstad has returned the incriminating papers, saying that he regrets his actions. Torvald is jubilant, telling Nora he is saved as he burns the papers. He takes back his harsh words to his wife and tells her that he has forgiven her. He also explains to her that her mistake makes her all the more precious to him because it reveals an adorable helplessness, and that when a man has forgiven his wife it makes him love her all the more since she is the recipient of his generosity.

By now Nora has realized that her husband is not the man she thought he was, and that her whole existence has been a lie. She has been treated like a plaything first by her father and then by her husband. She decides that she must leave to find out who she is and what to make of her life. Torvald insists she must fulfill her duty as a wife and mother, but Nora believes she has also duties to herself. From Torvald's reaction to Krogstad's letters, Nora sees that she and Torvald are strangers to each other. When Torvald asks if there is still any chance for them to rebuild their marriage, she replies that it would take "the great miracle of all": they would have to change so much that their life together would become a real marriage.

The play ends with the sound of Nora slamming the door as she leaves, while Torvald hopefully ponders the possibility of "the greatest miracle of all."

List of characters

• Nora Helmer - the young wife of Torvald, mother of three, living out the ideal of the 19th century wife, but leaves her family at the end of the play.
• Torvald Helmer - Nora's husband, a newly promoted banker, suffocates but professes to be enamoured of his wife.
• Dr. Rank - Rich family friend, who is secretly in love with Nora. He is terminally ill, and it is implied that his "tuberculosis of the spine" originates from a venereal disease contracted by his father.
• Christine Linde - Nora's old school friend, widowed, seeking employment (named Kristine in the original Norwegian text).
• Nils Krogstad - Employee at Torvald's bank, single father, pushed to desperation. A supposed scoundrel, he is revealed to be a long-lost lover of Christine.
• The Children (Ivar, Bobby and Emmy)
• Anne Marie - Nora's old nanny, now cares for the children.
• Helen - The Helmers' maid.
• The Porter - Delivers a Christmas Tree to the Helmer household at the beginning of the play.

Nora Helmer, rebellious house wife or independent woman smothered by her husband? In Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House the main character Nora Helmer is very unhappy with her life her husband, Torvald Helmer, is controlling every aspect of her life. He treats her as a child, and he will not allow her to have an important role in their relationship. She would like to be seen as more than a doll or Torvald’s play thing. In the beginning of the play the reader finds out that Nora has funded a trip to the south that saves the life of Torvald. She secretly borrowed the money she tells Torvald that the money is from her late father because Torvald is against borrowing money. She has been trying to repay her debts by working from home and saving money from her personal funds. This shows that she is somewhat independent and is trying to take on a bigger role in her family. Nora also enjoys being pampered her father was well to do so she was used to having a nice life. When she married Torvald he pampered her as well. She acts almost child like in the way that she gets things from people. She acts that way because she has not known any other way not that she wants to be treated like a child. Torvald believes that men should be responsible for everything. He does not even allow Nora to have a key to the mail-box. He believes that his, “little squirrel[’s]” only responsibility should be to play with the children. He does not think that she should take care of the children just play with them. Torvald does not think that Nora is able to take care of money, the children, or even really her own self. Torvald does not know that she saved his life by making him move south. It is ironic that he believes that she is so irresponsible that she can not take care of anything but she actually took care of him. In the end of the play Torvald finds out that Nora borrowed the money for the trip and that she forged her father’s signature as the cosigner of the loan. He becomes angry and he said that she was poisoning their children. Then Torvald finds out that she will not get in trouble for her crime and he Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ...

Critics

A Doll's House is a criticism play of the traditional roles of men and women in 19th Century marriage.

To 19th-century Europeans, this was scandalous. Nothing was considered more holy than the covenant of marriage, and to portray it in such a way was completely unacceptable. In Germany, the production's lead actress refused to play the part of Nora unless Ibsen changed the ending, which, under pressure, he eventually did. In the alternative ending, Nora gives her husband another chance after he reminds her of her responsibility to their children. Ibsen later regretted his decision on the matter. A Doll's House was originally banned in Britain by the Lord Chamberlain under the 1737 licensing act. Virtually all productions today, however, use the original ending, as do nearly all of the film versions of this play, including Dariush Mehrjui's Sara (the Argentinian version, made in 1943 and starring Delia Garcés, does not; it also modernizes the story, setting it in the early 1940s). The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom, and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State. ... The Licensing Act or Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737 (citation ) was a landmark act of censorship of the British stage and one of the most determining factors in the development of Augustan drama. ... Darius Mehrjui (Persian: داریوش مهرجویی , born 8 December 1939 in Tehran) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, producer, and film editor. ... Sara (Persian: سارا) is a 1993 motion picture directed by Dariush Mehrjui. ... Argentina is a Spanish-speaking country in southern South America, situated between the Atlantic Ocean in the east. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Delia Garcés (13 October 1919 - 7 November 2001 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine film actress of the late 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. ...

Much criticism has focused on Nora's self-discovery, but the other characters also have depth and value. The infected Dr. Rank, Nora and Christine all suffer from the irresponsibility of their fathers: Dr. Rank for the father who infected his family, Nora for the father she likely married to protect, Christine for the father who left her in dire straits and forced her to reject the man she loved. Mrs. Linde provides the model of a woman who has been forced to fend for and find herself - a self-aware, resourceful woman. As Henrik Ibsen, a man with deep-seated distrust of the masses, said, "the strongest man [or woman] in the world is he who stands most alone." ^[3]

See also

• Films of A Doll's House
• Henrik Ibsen

A Dolls House is the name of several movies based on the 1879 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. ... Ibsen redirects here. ...

References

Salmon, Eric. “Achurch, Janet (1863–1916).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Online ed. Ed. Lawrence Goldman. May 2007. 30 Sept. 2007 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38323>. Joseph Wood Krutch (November 25, 1893 - May 22, 1970) was an American writer, critic, and naturalist. ... For Christian theological modernism, see Liberal Christianity and Modernism (Roman Catholicism). ... For other uses, see Definition (disambiguation). ... Estimation is approximate or uncertain calculation of a result, often based on approximate, uncertain, incomplete, or noisy inputs. ... For other places or objects named Ithaca, see Ithaca (disambiguation). ... Cornell University Press, established in 1869, was the first university publishing enterprise in the United States and is one of the countrys largest university presses. ...

William L. Urban. "Parallels in A Doll's House." Festschrift in Honor of Charles Speel. Ed. by Thomas J. Sienkewicz and James E. Betts. Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois, 1997.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

A Doll's House

• A Doll’s House: A Study Guide
• Summary, analysis, quizzes and essays on A Doll's House
• A Doll's House, available at Project Gutenberg.
• A Doll's House, available at Project Gutenberg. (alternate edition)
• Et Dukkehjem, free e-book of the Norwegian text, at Project Runeberg.(Norwegian)
• A Doll's House the play plot summary & character descriptions
• The Social Significance of Modern Drama, a book by Emma Goldman, contains a chapter on A Doll's House.