A Doll's House
About this ebook
First published and premiered in 1879, ‘A Doll’s House’ frames nineteenth-century confines for women in the literal borders of a family home. Nora is married with three children and is living out the male-dictated ideal for women at the time. As the play progresses, Henrik Ibsen challenges this notion by gradually suggesting that Nora is trapped in a role that will never grant her self-fulfilment.
Ibsen’s portrayal of a free-thinking heroine and the play’s dismissal of societal norms resulted in a controversial reception at the time of its release. ‘A Doll’s House’ is now considered a crucial feminist text and Ibsen is regarded as instrumental in the development of Modernism and Realism in theatrical practice.
About the author
Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) was a Norwegian theatre director and one of the most influential playwrights of his time. He was a founder of modernism in theatre and is considered the father of realism. His plays, originally written in Danish, have been translated and performed all over the world. ‘A Doll’s House’ (1879) is his most celebrated work and has been recognised for its pioneering feminist themes, which were the cause of much controversy following the play’s premiering performance.
