Critical Quotes Flashcards
1
Q
Gail Finley
feminism in ADH
A
“Ibsen was widely credited with virtually inventing the emancipated woman”
2
Q
Joan Templeton
Nora as an everywoman
A
“A Doll’s House is about Everywomans’ struggle against Everyman”
3
Q
A M Rekdal
Nora as self-aware and manipulative
A
“She exploits the whole register of femininity”
4
Q
Sally Hedger
Nora as a victim of both her father and Torvald
A
“Suppressed her own opinions and tastes to suit those of, firstly, her father, and, her husband”
5
Q
Michael Meyers
Torvald as weak
A
“His security depends upon feeling superior”
“Helmer is shown to be weak”
6
Q
Maurice Valency
pathologisation of female resistance
A
Valency dismissed Nora’s awakening as “an example of female hysteria”
7
Q
Michael Meyers
Ibsen’s portrayal of love
A
“Ibsen shows romantic love to be an illusion, inhibiting the free development of the individual”
8
Q
Nick Worrall
Nora exploiting her sexuality
A
“Throughout the play, Nora adopts a series of poses. With Helmer she is the child-wife who uses her sexuality to get her way and is pleased to be pampered and protected”
9
Q
Nessar Uddin
Nora a symbol for female emancipation
A
Nora “act as Ibsen’s mouthpiece of the women emancipation… [representing] an individual’s liberation from the shackles and restraints of society”
10
Q
Liam McNamara
Torvald as the weaker character
A
“It is made clear that Torvald’s apparent ‘strength’ is wholly dependent on Nora’s ‘weakness’”
11
Q
Robert Dean
Christine represents…
A
Christine represents an “independent woman’s voluntary return to a patriarchal institution”
12
Q
M V Brun
Nora’s decision to leave at the end
A
“There is not…. a single point which justifies her action, and the transformation of her character, which the playwright forces to happen, is so untruthful, unattractive and unmotivated”
13
Q
1973 film adaptation (director: Patrick Garland)
A
Nora imitates the sounds and actions of animals in response to Torvald’s name calling, especially when he gives her money — this reinforces Nora’s deceptive fulfilment of her dehumanised role as Torvald’s property and doll-wife
both Nora’s dance routine and Torvald’s prideful reaction to her performance is shown
Torvald slaps Nora after reading Krogstad’s letter, this physical violence hyperbolises his lack of love or genuine respect for Nora
14
Q
2007 stage adaptation (director: Lee Breuer)
A
male characters played by dwarves while the female characters were played by women over 6 foot tall
plays on the absurdity of the social order, makes Torvald’s patronising and condescending tone all the more comedic and ironic, seeing as Nora towers above him
women having to squeeze themselves into a cramped set that takes no account of their proportions — represents how society caters to men and ignores the capabilities of women, preventing them from being comfortable and truly free
symbolises societal restrictions and suggests that the true potential of women goes far beyond these restrictions and can barely be contained
15
Q
Olive Schreiner
ADH reveals a hidden side of women
A
“Sides of women’s nature that are not often spoken of and some people do not believe exist”
16
Q
Sally Ledger
significance of Christine’s character for Nora
A
“Christine Linde acts as a catalyst for Nora’s rebellion”
17
Q
David Thomas
everyone being a victim
A
“Torvald…. is as much a victim as Nora”
18
Q
Lesley Ferris
women’s punishment for defying societal expectations
A
Ferris studied female performance across history
the chapter titled ‘The Wilful Woman’ in her book ‘Acting Women: Images of Women in Theatre’ (1990) is particularly relevant to this play
she argues that plays in which women make decisions that men disagree with almost always end with the woman’s punishment
19
Q
rewriting of the ending in some productions
A
the ending was so far from being happy that in some countries, the being of the play was rewritten so that all is resolved and Nora stays
for instance, in Germany, Torvald finds Nora in Mrs Linde’s house, she asks if he has forgiven her and he pulls out a bag of macaroons as a symbol of forgiveness and redemption
in another German production, Nora is confronted with her children and chooses to stay
20
Q
Michael Meyer (Ibsen’s biographer)
ADH is not about women’s rights
A
“A Doll’s House is no more about women’s rights than Shakespeare’s Richard II is about the divine right of kings”
21
Q
first production of the play
immense pressures placed on women
A
in the first production of the play, one of the engravings on the Helmers’ wall was the Sistine Madonna (a painting of the Virgin Mary)
a Madonna is an idealised, virtuous and beautiful woman
the fact that this was featured in the first production reflects the burdens placed upon women like Nora to be perfect wives and mothers — she is simultaneously expected to be virtuous and pure but also beautiful and sexually attractive
arguably, this is a near impossible identity to adopt and severely restricts what women are able to become
22
Q
Henrik Ibsen
rejected the feminist label
A
ADH is often hailed as a work of feminist literature despite Ibsen himself denying that he worked “consciously for the cause of women” and that he is “not even quite clear what the cause of women really is”
23
Q
Elizabeth Hardwick
main emotions underlying the play
A
Hardwick argues that the main emotions driving the action of Ibsen’s plays are “resentment and grievance”
this is certainly evident in ADH — happiness is certainly not a major emotion underlying the play
24
Q
George Bernard Shaw
the significance of the final scene
A
argued that the moment when Nora stops indulging in her emotions, sits down and demands a serious talk with her husband “conquered Europe and founded a new dramatic art”
25
2012 Young Vic production
| Nora and money
in the 2012 Young Vic production of A Doll’s House, Hattie Morahan’s Nora displayed visible excitement every time the word ‘money’ was mentioned which lead the audience to view Nora as greedy and selfish
however, the scene with Krogstad demonstrated that she was excited at the prospect of not having to see him ever again rather than at the material nature of the money itself
26
the Methuen Student edition of the play
| Nora as naive and foolish rather than deceitful
in the Methuen Student edition of the play, it is suggested that Nora did not attempt to copy her father's handwriting and actually signed his name on his behalf – she did not intend to deceive anyone
this interpretation presents Nora as foolish and naïve, a young girl who did not know any better and did not see anything wrong with her actions
whereas if she had intended to forge her fathers signature she’d resemble Krogstad as a criminal
27
William Archer
| the end of Act 1
“the point at which the drama, hitherto latent, plainly declares itself”
Ibsen gives enough information about their marriage and Nora’s financial situation to make it clear that her life is about to change irrevocably
28
the first production of the play
| the Sistine Madonna engraving
in the first production of the play, one of the engravings on the wall of the Helmer’s flat was the Sistine Madonna, a painting of the Virgin Mary
a Madonna is an idealised virtuous and beautiful woman
this reflects the immense pressures placed on women like Nora to be perfect women and perfect mothers, she is expected to be beautiful, virtuous and take on numerous, contradictory roles – this is nearly impossible and not a very realistic expectation
29
Aton Chekhov
| naturalism
Russian playwright Aton Chekhov wrote that “It is necessary that on the stage everything should be as complex and simple as in life. People are having dinner, and while they’re having it, their future happiness may be decided or their lives may be about to be shattered”
30
Eva Le Gallienne
| the silk stockings
the scene with the stockings has been interpreted in various different ways
some believe that it highlights Nora’s ability to manipulate and influence the men around her
however, some translators and performers such as the pioneer of women’s theatre, Eva Le Gallienne consider the whole scene demeaning to Nora and actually left it out of the play
31
Jerome K Jerome
| stage villains
Jerome K Jerome says that the villain “does villainy.. merely from the love of the thing as an art… villainy is its own reward, he revels in it”
therefore, according to this definition, neither Krogstad or Torvald are villains
Krogstad is a desperate man eager to cling onto his job and Torvald seems to be ignorant to his controlling ways
neither of them appear to be malicious or evil in any way, they may simply be flawed due to society rather than inherently villainous
32
Toril Moi
| Nora being objectified by Rank and Torvald
he argues that the two men treat Nora like an object
“their gaze de-souls her and turns her into a mechanical doll”
she becomes a spectacle for sexual enjoyment as they just look on and take turns on the piano, not understanding the intensity of her feelings that she expresses through dancing
33
Alisa Solomon
| Nora's tarantella
“not a concession to the old effect hunting, Nora’s tarantella is an appropriation of it” – suggests that Nora uses theatricality to express her own feelings
34
Eleanora Duse
| her interpretation of Nora's tarantella
Eleanora Duse, who played Nora, thought the tarantella was undignified and chose instead to express Nora’s exhaustion
a review of her performance said “she dons the crown of roses, seizes the tambourine, makes one sweep around the stage, then drops powerless with emotion and fear”
this interpretation reinforces Nora’s feelings of being overwhelmed and never being able to escape her troubles, she is so tired by this point in the play she can no longer dance
35
Joseph Losey’s 1973 film adaptation
| Nora's tarantella
in Joseph Losey’s 1973 film adaptation, Nora seems to be attempting to seduce her husband by dancing
in this film, we also see her perform in a costume at the party upstairs
many feminist critics, including Frode Helland, have accused the director of inviting the audience to be as voyeuristic as the men in the play
36
David Edgar
| power of the tarantella scene
points out that part of the power of the tarantella scene comes from the fact that it is a ‘social ceremony’ in which Nora’s emotion has taken over
performing to guests was very common and the Helmers’ piano suggests that they host regularly and give musical performances
but in this instance, Nora takes over and expresses herself freely
37
Patrick Garland’s 1973 film production
| Torvald's violence in Act 3
there is a strong undercurrent of rage and anger in Torvald’s lines but Ibsen’s stage directions never call for physical violence
however, in Patrick Garland’s 1973 film production Torvald actually strikes Nora after he reads the letter and the bruise can be seen for the rest of the film
38
Michael Mangan
| Torvald's speech in Act 3 about forgiveness
sees Torvald’s speech as having two sides, he says that “there is something deeply chilling about Torvald’s joyful reassurances”
Nora may leave Torvald because he fails to live up to the masculine ideals he professes or maybe because if he were to live up to these ideals her life would become even more terrible
39
Janet McTeer
(Nora is tired of keeping up appearances, she is exhausted and disillusioned by the end of the play, ready to strip away the facade)
“She is an actress that has become tired of acting”
40
M V Brun
| the ending of the play, shocking to early audiences, disliked by many
"all the enjoyment offered in the first acts evaporates in the third and we are left there in the most embarrassing ambience, almost revoltingly affected by a catastrophe"
41
A S Byatt
| audiences are moved by the choices Nora makes
points out that we do not necessarily like or admire Nora, but can still be moved by the choice she makes
"great tragedy asks us to care for flawed or even stupid people... the glory of A Doll's House is that it asks us to care for a small minded person, in the moment of her realisation of her own small-mindedness"
42
Anne Louise Sarks
| ADH forces the audience to think about their own lives
the play "asks us who we are and who we want to be... it demands we ask that of our most personal selves"
43
Thomas Ostermeier's 2003 production
| the ending
at the end of this production, Nora does not merely slam the door but actually shoots Torvald
44
production of ADH in Chile, 1980`
| Nora as a symbol of freedom
under Pinochet's regime, freedom was extremely restricted so in this production, when Nora speaks her mind and criticises Torvald's controlling behaviour she became a symbol of the courageous defence of free speech
one critic claimed that she represented the "entire Chilean people" and Torvald represented authoritarian rulers like Pinochet
45
Robert Ferguson
| Nora as the stronger character
by the end of the play "Nora has already proved herself the stronger"
46
Geraldine Cousin
(Nora as an example to other women, showing them how to free themselves from society's restraints, she is a symbol of independence)
"with Nora, at the commencement of her journey, are potentially so many other women and though the terrain of her future remains unknown, she is the prototype of later travellers"
47
Clement Scott
| Nora as a conflicting character, her decision to leave can be seen as selfish
coined the word 'Ibsenite' to denote "an unlovely, selfish creed" of individualism
Nora becomes an individual at the end but in the process, she abandons her husband and children, which Scott seems to believe was a selfish choice for a woman
48
Anthony Page's 1997 production
| Torvald
this production featured Owen Teale as a young and handsome Torvald with a rigid, upright posture who slowly revealed latent violence and extreme vulnerability as he realised he was losing his wife
emphasised Torvald's vulnerability and how he is simply putting up a facade of masculinity and strength, which will easily crumble when faced with a dilemma
49
Toril Moi
| Mrs Linde and Krogstad
"Mrs Linde and Krogstad are counterpoints to Nora and Helmer, not least because they refuse to build their marriage on theatrical cliches"
50
Ronald Gray
| lack of hope for Nora at the end of the play
considers Nora's expectations of finding freedom and independence as "unrealistic"
argues that there are "dramatic flaws" in the play that prevent our "full recognition of how bleak and unrealistic [Nora's] decision is"
51
Erik Bogh
| naturalism
one of the first critics to see ADH on stage and was amazed to see a play "so simple in its action and so everyday in its dress"
52
George Bernard Shaw
| uncomfortable for audiences
the social issues depicted in this play was often uncomfortable for early audiences, who were not accustomed to being able to relate to characters and see their own lives reflected in the subject matter of the play
Ibsen made the audience into "guilty creatures sitting at a play" and forced them to question their own society and individual lives
53
Eleanor Marx
| a tribute to Nora as an image of workers' power
in 1891, Eleanor Marx wrote 'A Doll's House Repaired', which was a tribute to Nora as an image of workers' power
she saw Nora as an image of the oppressed working class rather than in feminist terms
in this text, Torvald warns Krogstad that marrying a working woman would be like trying to control "a pet tiger who has once tasted blood"
54
David Thacker’s 1992 production
| the final scene
to make the ending more shocking, David Thacker’s 1992 production with Juliet Stevenson as Nora stressed the pain of the final confrontation
Nora did not waver in her determination to leave but she did have to comfort Torvald, who was weeping like a child
she sat down next to him, took his hand and explained her decision very quietly rather than with anger, which demonstrated a complete role reversal
55
Polly Teale’s 2000 production
| Nora's role as a doll confined in a doll's house
in 2000, Polly Teale’s production of ADH reinforced Nora’s role as a doll confined in a doll’s house by featuring a large white doll’s house on stage
at the beginning, Nora emerges from this while dancing to the sound of a musical box
everything else on stage was in bleached out colour, illustrating the coldness and isolation Nora feels
as the play drew to a close, the wall of the house was unhooked as if were literally a doll’s house and Nora leaves, walking into a night of swirling snow
56
Alfredo Castro’s 2006 production
| set design
Alfredo Castro’s 2006 production used a set made of light and very thin material which stressed the fragility of the Helmer marriage
the set was also a little smaller than normal, making the actors seem like they were confined on stage like animals in a cage – thus reinforcing Nora and other characters’ confinement by society
57
Alfredo Castro’s 2006 production
| set design
Alfredo Castro’s 2006 production used a set made of light and very thin material which stressed the fragility of the Helmer marriage
the set was also a little smaller than normal, making the actors seem like they were confined on stage like animals in a cage – thus reinforcing Nora and other characters’ confinement by society
58
Arthur Miller
| Ibsen as a writer
"his utter insistence… that he is going to say what he has to say, and that the audience… is going to listen”
59
the first production of A Doll’s House: Copenhagen, 1879
| Nora's journey and growth
the first production of A Doll’s House took place in Copenhagen in 1879
Nora was played by Betty Hennings, who was notorious for playing dizzy young women and her version of Nora was childish, high-spirited and physically lively which really emphasised Nora’s immaturity and naivety
as Hennings was a former ballerina, her tarantella not only expressed Nora’s mental turmoil but suggested the talents and discoveries she might make in her new life
she eventually transitioned to a more mature and measured character by the final act, really emphasising the change that Nora had undergone
60
Janet Achurch as Nora
Janet Achurch was another version of Nora, but a very different one to Betty Hennings
rather than being childish and fun, she portrayed Nora with a wild, bitter strength
Clement Scott, describing the final scene with Achurch as Nora, said that “the man becomes the hysterical woman, and the woman becomes the silent, sullen and determined man”
Janet Achurch wrote about the role of Nora, considering her to be as strong as Lady Macbeth
61
Hans Neuenfels' 1972 production
as society began to change and it became common for women to have independence and personal identity, the play’s ending tended to lose its shock value
this led many directors to abandon naturalism and use more theatrical methods to explore the characters and their inner conflicts
for example, in 1972, Hans Neuenfels had the characters move around on stage as if they were puppets with invisible strings
they also turned to the audience as if it were a waste of time trying to communicate with each other
the figure of the nurse haunted Nora throughout, softly repeating the word ‘duty’ as if to show Nora’s emerging consciousness
at the beginning, Torvald’s figure loomed through a window but by the end, he lay on the sofa with arms outstretched as if he was crucified with Nora’s figure appearing in the window, showing him to be a victim of society rather than an agent of it and really highlighting the role reversal
62
Ingmar Bergman’s 1989 production
in 1989, Ingmar Bergman’s production was set in a box lined with red velvet, without doors or windows
this created a sense of claustrophobia and inescapability
this was added to by having all of the characters quietly seated on stage at all times, listening to whoever was speaking and stepping forward on cue
63
Anthony Page’s 1997 production
| Nora as an actress
Anthony Page’s 1997 production with Janet McTeer as Nora explored the acting and pretending behind Nora’s character, having Nora try silly voices and gestures but finding them hopeless
64
Carrie Cracknell’s 2012 Young Vic production
Carrie Cracknell’s 2012 Young Vic production featured a revolving set in which the audience was able to see all rooms in the apartment
Hattie Morahan’s Nora moved within it like a mouse in a cage
her tarantella was accompanied by sinister music that suggested the noise in Nora’s own head and highlighted her sheer terror
the final scene was one that quickly turned from disillusionment to rage, with Nora shouting at and striking Torvald
65
Greg Hersov’s 2013 production
Nora’s character spoke directly to the audience, possibly to show her desperate pleading for help
66
initial critical receptions to the characters and how this has changed since then
Nora’s character was very complex and led to critical debate surrounding her character
Torvald actually evoked sympathy in early audiences, who often felt that he had a lot to put up with
Krogstad was universally seen as the villain
but the way modern audiences receive characters may be vastly different (e.g. modern feminists may not view Torvald with sympathy because they see him as a symbol of the patriarchy, controlling and seeking to possess women)
67
first spectators: rejection of the ending
early critics focused on the ending and many rejected it
some rejected it because they wanted a noble and maternal Nora to stay with her children and give the audience something to aspire to
others rejected it because they claimed that Nora leaving was unrealistic as women in real life were noble and maternal and would never leave their domestic roles as she had
Ibsen was accused by numerous critics for “loving the repulsive” and the final scene was often called “illogical and immoral”
68
first spectators: M W Brun
any real wife would “throw herself into her husband’s arms” upon being forgiven and maintained that Nora leaving defied common sense
69
first spectators: Fredrik Peterson
found the play “ugly” and “distressing” for not have a scene of reconciliation at the end
70
first spectators: Toril Moi
“our own life... has here been placed on stage and condemned”
many ignored the complexity and innovation of the play, seeing it primarily as an attack on marriage
71
Clement Scott
| illogical: Torvald's treatment of Nora and Nora's adoration of Torvald
“how Torvald Helmer could by any possibility have treated his restless, illogical, fractious and babyish little wife otherwise than he did; why Nora should ever adore with such abandonment and passion this conceited prig… require a considerable amount of argument… to convince the common-sense playgoer”
72
The Spectator
| the lesson of the play
acknowledged the “useful lesson” that treating women as children leads to “distorted relations”
73
a Punch cartoon called ‘Ibsen in Brixton’
| mocking Nora's decision to leave
showed an enormous, grim faced woman at her open front door with servants carrying her luggage
she confronts her husband and proclaims “Yes, William, I’ve thought a great deal about it, and I find I’m nothing but your doll and dickey-bird, and so I’m going!”
this mocked Nora’s decision to leave as well the impact it had on women who also began to realise their positions in their marriages
74
George Bernard Shaw
| critique of society
admired Ibsen for his “sharpshooting at the audience”, criticising the society they live in with great precision
75
feminist readings: the impact of Ibsen's statement that he had not worked in the interests of women
Ibsen stated that he had not consciously “worked in the interests of women”
over the years, this statement has been used to suggest that feminist readings into ADH are somehow false or inaccurate as it is not what Ibsen may have intended and ADH is nothing to do with the sexes
76
feminist readings: Alisa Solomon
| a feminist reading of the play cannot be escaped or ignored, even if this is not what Ibsen intended
she claims that Ibsen shows the environments that make women like Nora behave the way that they do, including circumstances that would only be there in the case of a woman
therefore, is Nora really a metaphor for the human condition? or specifically women?
she points out that to be a woman involves being expected to play a series of roles including the devoted mother, the helpless heroine who needs rescuing and the seductive charmer – all of which seem to contradict each other and illustrate the impossibility of living up to societal expectations as a woman
Nora attempts to perform all of these roles but by the end of the play she can no longer deal with the pressures that society places upon her so must leave in order to create a new role for herself
77
feminist readings: Joan Templeton
Ibsen may not have intended the play to be seen as feminist but Joan Templeton argues that there are certainly underlying feminist energies and influences within and around the play
she claimed that the play is imbued with the ideas and personalities of Ibsen’s wife, mother in law as well as the actresses who created his characters (all of whom were feminist thinkers)
Templeton notes that “the power of A Doll’s House lies not beyond but in its feminism”
78
A M Rekdal
| feminism
"The drama was immediately seen as a feminist firebrand"
79
Sally Hedger
| symbolism behind Nora's exit
"Nora's exit from her Doll's House has long been the principal symbol for women's issues"
80
A M Rekdal
| humanist play
Ibsen is "not concerned with feminism but with the genesis of a human being"
81
June Schlueter
| Nora's deceitfulness
"Nora is deceitful and manipulative from the start"
82
Maurice Valency
| early reception of Nora's decision to leave
Nora's abandonment of Torvald and her children was "dumbfounding to the contemporary audience" of the time
83
Henrik Ibsen
| women v society
"A woman cannot be herself in contemporary society, it is an exclusively male society"
84
Melanie Anne Philips
| Krogstad as a contradictory character
"Krogstad's character is contradictory: though his bad deeds seem to stem from a desire to protect his children from scorn, he is perfectly willing to use unethical tactics to achieve his goal"
85
Barbara Bleiman
| Krogstad's motivation
"His motivation is for his motherless children, thus casting a slightly sympathetic light on his otherwise cruel character"
86
Hermann Weigand
| Nora and Eve
"[Nora is] a daughter of Eve... An irresistibly bewitching piece of femininity"
87
Stephanie Forward
| Nora's deceit and the various symbols in the play
Nora is "capable of deceitful behaviour" and "sexually manipulative", her behaviour with Rank is also "flirtatious"
the Christmas tree "holds parallels with Nora"
the letter box symbolises "complete patriarchal control"
the tarantella's erratic movements "could be manifested suicidal impulses"
88
Bjorn Hemme
| main theme of the play
"the individual in opposition to a hostile society"
89
Hattie Morahan as Nora
Hattie Morahan played a modern day Nora in a short film titled ‘Nora’
it explored the pressures that women face today — struggling to maintain a job while looking after the house, the bills and the children, and facing isolation at work in typically male dominated environments
90
Ibsen’s biographer
| the end of the play
the ending is undoubtedly the most controversial part of the play
Ibsen’s biographer said that the ending “exploded like a bomb into contemporary life”
91
Michael Meyer
| people have overstated the importance of gender in the play
some argue that audiences and critics have overstated the importance of gender in the play
Michael Meyer said that “A Doll’s House is no more about women’s rights than Shakespeare’s Richard II is about the divine right of kings”
“its theme is the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is and strive to become that person”
whereas feminist critics see the ending as a landmark moment in women’s theatre
92
Hedwig Raabe
| refusal to perform the play
the ending was highly controversial and as a result, there were several adaptations that altered the final scene
a famous German actress, Hedwig Raabe, wanted to perform the play but could not accept the ending as she herself would never have left her own children like Nora had
93
Ibsen’s rewriting of the ending of the play
there was no reciprocal copyright agreement between Scandinavia and Germany — Ibsen’s German translator and agent warned that a pirated version of the play was therefore imminent
so Ibsen produced an alternative ending to the play, because if it was going to happen he wanted to at least write it himself, in which Nora is confronted with her children, overcome by maternal guilt and decides to stay
he described this as a “barbaric act of violence against the text”
this altered version was wildly unpopular with German audiences, there were even riots
a different adaptation with a similar ending to the German one appeared in Britain in 1884 and did very badly
94
the original ending appalling English critics
the original ending where Nora leaves appalled several English critics including Clement Scott and A S Byatt
95
the original ending appalling English critics: Clement Scott
Clement Scott argued that the ending was “psychologically implausible”
he said that “the baby wife, who has suddenly and miraculously developed into a thinking woman... becomes absolutely inhuman” and claims Nora to be a “petted little fool”
it was anathema (frowned upon) for Victorian women to leave their children and is an aspect of the play with which many had and still have an issue with
96
the original ending appalling English critics: A S Byatt
A S Byatt said that “every time i read the play i find myself judging Nora with less and less sympathy”
97
Ghosts
| an exploration of what would’ve happened if Nora had stayed
Ibsen’s play Ghosts offers an exploration of what happens when a woman does stay
Helene Alving’s husband was a drunkard and an adulterer who made her miserable and abused her for years, she stays with him and this leads to the events in Ghosts
she is a dissatisfied woman like Nora but perhaps shows what would’ve happened if Nora had stayed
98
productions to talk about
BBC 1992 production with Juliet Stevenson as Nora
Young Vic 2012 production with Hattie Morhan as Nora
99
August Strindberg
| marriage in ADH, the impact of the play
Ibsen “revealed [marriage] to be far from a divine institution”
100
Fredrik Peterson
| writing about ADH, divine ideality
“society needs divine ideality, needs faith in the idea of the good and the beautiful to survive”
101
Kate Millett
| Nora’s strength and resistance
Nora confronts “every convention and male prejudice that cages her”
102
Hattie Morahan
| the play’s relevance today, links to the 2013 short film she starred in called Nora
the play is just as "relatable" now
103
Eleanor Marx
| women as victims of male tyranny
Women are the creatures of the organised tyranny of men
104
Robert Brustein
| Ibsen’s indifference towards female emancipation
Ibsen was “completely indifferent to [female emancipation] except as a metaphor for individual freedom”
105
Baser
| Nora’s position within the marriage
Nora is purely a source of "enjoyment and pleasure" for Torvald
106
Toril Moi
| the tarantella
Toril Moi has suggested that the tarantella displays the torment of her soul
107
Mary Wollstonecraft
| reducing women to innocence and childishness
Wollstonecraft argues that men try to secure the good conduct of women by reducing them to a state of innocence and childhood — this idea can be seen with Nora and Torvald
Wollstonecraft argued that strengthening the female mind by enlarging it will bring an end to blind obedience
Nora seems to reflect this attitude at the end ("I must educate myself")
108
Louie Bennett
| the cause of women
Ibsen has been seen as "an apostle of the cause of women"
