Context

Question 1

Historical Context

Question 2

What society did Ibsen Grow up in? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 2

Agrarian
Rapid Industrialisation: Technological revolution, Growth of Middle class

1. Survival in society: Social status and Marxism

Question 3

What is the Age of Enlightenment? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 3

Pursuit of knowledge obtained by reasons and evidence of senses and goals of rational humanity: knowledge, freedom, and happiness.

1. Moving towards realism = More scientific

Question 4

What is the scientific Revolution? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 4

Traces of developments in science and technology during the age of reason after the Napoleonic War/ French revolution

1. Hereditary disease

Question 5

What is the French Revolution? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 5

Sought to completely change the relationship between the rulers and those they governed and to redefine the nature of political power.

1. Nora’s liberation

Question 6

What was the Napoleonic Codes? (4) How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 6

• Women were forbidden from entering into legal contracts, nor could they be a party to lawsuits or testify in court.
• Wives couldn’t engage in commerce without a husband’s written permission, and all property in a marriage was the husband’s.
• The legal right of men to control women was affirmed
• Married women owed their husband obedience, and were forbidden from selling, giving, mortgaging or buying property

1. Norway’s society
2. Breaking free from confines

Question 7

Political

Question 8

What was the Spring of Revolutions 1848? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 8

Democratic revolts against the monarchies or Europe due to bourgeois revolutions, democracy and the need of liberty (Similar to French Revolution)

1. Nora’s liberation

Question 9

What was First Wave Feminism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 9

Dealing with property rights and the right to vote

1. Deals with hegemonic codes; Capitalism
2. Nora’s liberation

Question 10

Autobiographical

Question 11

Early Childhood with his father. How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 11

His father suffered financial difficulties and never gained financial respectability

1. Capitalism; Bourgeoisie respectability

Question 12

Ibsen’s work? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 12

Apprenticed at an apothecary
Birth of illegitimate son

1. Hereditary Disease

Question 13

Ibsen’s marriage? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 13

Susannah Thoresen
Ibsen felt that, rather than merely live together, husband and wife should live as equals, free to become their own human beings (Attacked for critiquing the institution of marriage)

1. Relationships in Norway

Question 14

What plays did he write and how did they turn out? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 14

Loves Comedy: Demonstrated love and marriage as not synonymous
The League of Youth: Chafed against the bonds of marriage using the Doll metaphor
Hedda Gabler: Inability to fit into the traditional role of married life
Ghosts: religion, venereal disease, incest, and euthanasia

1. Similar to ADH in general: Explores taboos

Question 15

Cultural/Societal

Question 16

What was society like in Norway? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 16

Bourgeoisie society = Priorities of social status, Neglect of Taboos

1. Norway

Question 17

What was it like for women? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 17

Patriarchal ideals
Economically, socially and psychologically dependent on men
Motherhood = Highest achievement
Stay-at-home = A duty

1. Woman’s duties in ADH

Question 18

What was the New woman? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 18

Ibsen embraced anti hegemonic structures of any kind
New Woman: Pushed against the limits set by male dominated society
Deemed unattractively masculine

1. Mrs Linde, Nora

Question 19

Literary

Question 20

Who is Laura Kieler? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 20

Inspiration for Nora
Husband had tuberculosis, she obtained a loan, Her husband threatened to divorce her and incarcerated her in a mental asylum

1. Foundation of ADH

Question 21

What was naturalism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 21

Away from the grandeur of romanticism
Zola: Speaking the truth in language that did not demand a special tone
Spirit of scientific age - Life as it is
Voice a Zeitgeist (Spirit of the time)

1. Nora
2. Form + Plot

Question 22

What are the two enemies of naturalist plays? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 22

Romanticism: Exaggeration in emotions, freedom and imagination; False mannered acting

French Well Made Play: Artificial, Permutation of stock types, No depth of psychological characterisation, Satisfactory conclusion

1. Rejects these forms

Question 23

What is realism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 23

Truthful vision that represented the middle class and revolves relentless critique of the bourgeois ideals

1. Capitalism critique
2. Taboos

Question 24

What did Ibsen’s modernism include? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 24

Subversive portrayal of women
Distance from chronology
Questions status quo
Self-enhancement: Exonerate the individual over society
Deviates from stock characters

Question 25

What is marxism? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 25

Critique of capitalism
Social Class conflict
Economic terms ≠ Human Freedom

1. The tree
2. Mrs Linde (Poor) vs Nora (Rich)
3. The bank

Question 26

How is it a Modern tragedy? How does it relate to A Dolls House?

Answer 26

Torvald’s Hubris: Downfall