Ibsen, Strindberg and Feminism Essay examples - 2824 Words

In the late 19th century Naturalism was emerging as the primary movement in literature of that period. The movement was influenced heavily by the discoveries made in politics, sciences and psychology of the time. Discoveries such as Darwin’s evolutionary theories, Marx’s Das Kapital and even Freud’s research on the psychology of the human were creating shock and upset and began to revolutionised society’s outlook on the world. The naturalist movement in literature also coincided with the beginnings of women’s emancipation throughout the western world. Scandinavia, as well as experiencing The Modern Breakthrough, was also dealing with its own political struggles for national identity. For Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg the early woman’s†¦show more content†¦In an unsigned notice in The Daily News of June 1889 a writer condemns Nora’s actions, â€Å"Deserting her home, her husband, and above all her children, simply becaus e she finds her husband is angry with her†¦it may be confidently asserted that no women who ever breathed would do any such thing† (1889). Clement Scott, editor of Theatre, would not even describe her action as human but â€Å"a thing that one of the lower animals would not do† (1889a, p. 114) and in an article for The Daily Telegraph even calls Nora â€Å"absolutely inhuman† (1889b, p. 102). This shock reaction was understandable in a culture that had defined a women’s place in society, or metaphorically, placed women in a box; the fact that Nora chose to step out of that box was an issue of serious debate. If Nora should desert her place in society then so could others. However W.E Simonds, having read H.F Lord’s translation of A Dolls’ House, reprimanded any critic for calling Nora selfish and failing to see Nora’s womanliness and â€Å"emancipated individuality† (1890, p. 147). It is this emancipation of the individual that could be the solution to discovering a theme beyond Ibsen’s feminism. Even Ibsen himself disclaimed any conscious efforts on his part to write A Doll’s House as a way of rallying for the women’s rights movement and claimed it to be purposeful description of humanity (cited in Templeton 1997, p. 110). Templeton goes on to explain that IbsenShow MoreRelatedIbsen Versus Strindberg5491 Words   |  22 PagesCompare and contrast views of the family and family relationships shown in the plays of Ibsen and Strindberg, commenting on the relative importance in each case of social and psychological pressures, as well as physical environment, and showing how these are expressed in theatrical terms. This essay will be focusing on three texts written over a three year period: Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (1890) and August Strindberg’s The Father (1887) and Miss Julie (1888) . In approaching this topic, IRead MoreA Dolls House Research Paper3448 Words   |  14 PagesHouse, by Henrik Ibsen, portrays a young married woman, Nora, who plays a dramatic role of deception and self-indulgence. The author creates a good understanding of a woman’s role by assuming Nora is an average housewife who does not work; her only job is to maintain the house and raise the children like a stereotypical woman that cannot work or help society. In reality, she is not an average housewife in that she has a hired maid who deals with the house and children. Although Ibsen focuses on theseRead More‘The Offstage Area Of The Naturalistic Theatre Is Just1654 Words   |  7 Pagesplay and additionally represented theatre as a space to reflect on the natural aspects of life  œ to depict life as it is lived (Esslin 68). Many authors came from this era, one of whom was Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright who published a praised and controversial play in 1879 entitled A Doll’s House (Ibsen). The plot of the play revolves around Nora, who is married to Torvald, and the story is about a letter Nora forged from her father to be able to lend money from a friend, Krogstad, to save herRead MoreThe Role Of The British Actress And Playwright3159 Words   |  13 Pageschanging function of gender in performance. â€Å"In terms of its theory, [socialist feminism] aims to analyse and understand the way in which relations based on class interact with relations based on gender at both the individual and social level. Socialist feminism recognizes that there are issues over which solidarity between women can cut across class, cultural and time barriers.† - Michelene Wandor on Socialist Feminism ****** Gender inequality has punctuated theatre sinceRead More Symbolism in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen Essay example2771 Words   |  12 PagesSymbolism in A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen      Ã‚   A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen is perhaps one of the most hotly debated plays to come out of the 19th century.   The 19th century continued the process of the demystification that began with the Enlightenment.   Because of the discoveries of the Enlightenment, humans could no longer be sure about their place in the universe.   This, of course, had an impact on the theater.   The movement toward realism, which, like the 19th century in generalRead MoreSymbolism of a Dolls House2840 Words   |  12 PagesHouse by Henrik Ibsen is perhaps one of the most hotly debated plays to come out of the 19th century.   The eighteen hundreds continued the process of the demystification that began with the Enlightenment.   Because of the discoveries of the Enlightenment, humans could no longer be sure about their place in the universe.   This, of course, had an impact on the theater.   The movement toward realism, which, like the 19th century in general, was an attempt to become more scientific.   Ibsen is considered