Emma Goldman in her book The Social Significance of Modern Drama has this to say about the impact of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House:
"When Nora closes behind her the door of her doll's house, she opens wide the gate of life for woman, and proclaims the revolutionary message that only perfect freedom and communion make a true bond between man and woman, meeting in the open, without lies, without shame, free from the bondage of duty."
As we come to the end of this play in IB A1 Year Two, we need to consider the implications it has on our lives today as well. One of the best questions you can ask yourself in preparation for the mock exams in a few weeks as well as the IB exams in May is what is the enduring power of this play that continues to make it get produced year after year somewhere in the world. What for you makes this work last? Please respond to this with your own views by clicking the comments button below. Post your response by March 15 for us to consider as we enter mock exams. Check back and respond to your classmates.
To read the article this quote came from, click here.
28 comments:
I beat all of you and I'm the first one to post! I think the play has great relevance to today; unfortunately, the very fact that it would never be produced in so many countries shows we have a long way to go with understanding and talking openly about marriages and relationships. I am still amazed at how well the play reads even 100 years after it was written. Even new works currently being produced in America do not have the resonancy and strength that this one has. It may seem false and contrived, but I think that is more of a challenge for the actors that have to play the parts. We must never for one minute not believe them, and Torvald, Rank, Krogstad, Christine, and Nora are all very tough parts for any actor to try to play.
Maybe I'll get a chocolate bar for being the first student to post. Very well then, let us discuss. I agree with what Mr. Munson says. The play does have great relevance to today. Throughout our study of the play I was constantly reminded of what Mr. Munson repeatedly drilled into our heads during Othello, about how Othello was representative of all of our lives. There's an Iago somewhere out there in our lives, waiting to lure and capture us in his cunningly spun web. Similarly, I think A Doll's House is very much the same. It's the story of our lives, perhaps not plot-wise (I hope none of us go through the slapping the wife/leaving the husband stage), but it's ripe with symbolism that jabs at several themes of life, things we have and will live through. Yes and THAT is why I believe this and many other works have lived to tell the tale of time, reproduced over and over again because they're just so applicable to the human condition regardless of the passage of time.
Which themes resonate the most with students in 2009? I know as a husband and a father, I have many that hit home (like finacial worries and how they impact relationships), but I wonder if 17-19 year olds have the same connections.
I agree with Mr. Munson's first post, especially the part about the actors. To convey the character correctly, one must pay attention to every little thing they do on stage.
And yes, Huzaifa pretty much said what every student is going to say just worded differently. However, most people only have few themes that apply to them, but since the story is filled with such, it can apply to (almost) everyone; because there is something for everyone.
But, one must remember there are always exceptions in anything. There may be one in a million who a theme doesn't apply to. Always.
I do like the "freedom for both man and woman is key to a perfect marriage" though. But if the theme is so significant, why do most people not follow it?
I personally like Ibsen's quote "Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed." Unlike other quotes about men and their antics, I don't find this one to be stereotypical. I can't find it to be sad though, thinking that every single one of us out there is hiding something. I think it's the nature of mankind for each of us to have our own dirty little secret. Someone once told me something similar to what Ibsen's saying, that whether you pick your nose while nobody's looking or something of a greater magnitude (I hope none of us in this class have a hidden body in their closet), there are some things we just do not tell others. I think it's to protect ourselves. We might be protecting our dignity, our position in society, or a facade to conceal a monster you don't want your loved ones to see. Isn't that what couples do? Or is it a stereotype? Pretending to be someone you're not so you can get another's approval, satisfaction, acknowledgement. Like Zaher says, there are exceptions to everything. I personally know some of those people that don't wear a mask and care not about what society or others think of them. At least, I think I do. But I know for a fact that the majority of us have something to conceal, as Ibsen says.
And thank you Zaher, yes what I said was pretty much what everyone else would say in different words. But I said it first.
As for what you said last about freedom for man and woman in marriage, I think that relates to what I talked about above. We hold ourselves captive with the hidden secrets we're so afraid of revealing. Honesty. "Honesty in facing facts is the first requisite of a decent life." How bluntly true. Significant indeed, but can we sacrifice our honor and dignity for the sake of honesty? Helmer doesn't think so. He'd never sacrifice his honor for the one he loves. But Desdemona and Nora know that thousands of women already have. That there is a stereotype that disturbs me. "No man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves." Zaher would agree (I hope) that this is one of those moments where we have an exception. A big one. I think I would sacrifice my honor for someone I love. I hate to think that there are people out there so shallow, so superficial they'd disregard the important people in their lives and focus on society, on status quo and going with the flow to portray themselves as prettily adorned Christmas trees for others to admire. Isn't this what Ibsen wants us to see? He needs us to realize and accept our moral ideals. I wonder if Ibsen grew up with a family screaming HONESTY IS A VIRTUE every morning. He certainly seems to believe it. So do I.
After reading the play and reading the controversial article, I strongly believe that this play can still be applied in our world today. Nora goes through an awakening when she decides to leave Torvald and that is something that we all go through, in life and maybe in a marriage. The thing that makes this play last until today and probably forever, is that this is life. It can be applied to more than one situation, not necessarily only marriage. Although the play focuses on Nora and her actions which sends a strong message to women, it can also be a message for teenagers, men and women, that we need to realize what is worth sacrificing and who is worth sacrificing things for, which is where the awakening happens. Margaret Atwood said that “it is not through him you will get your freedom”, and freedom actually comes from within, so a person must find their freedom before committing to marriage or a relationship, and understand where freedom actually comes from.
As for Ibsen’s quote, “no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves”, I can only hope that that’s not true! It can definitely be applied to Torvald, but I believe that whatever a woman does to sacrifice her honor for the man she loves, then the man should do the same. The equality of the man and woman in the relationship is what would make it last.
My idea of Ibsen's play is that we should act as individuals first before we enter a relationship or buid up a connection with society. As Ibsen once said inhis writing: "I want to be like a solitary sniper at the outposts and to operate on his own." He wants to show us that we should act as individuals as well and not get into the situation to become Dolls like Nora did. As she says herself, she was a Doll to her father and her husband and did not have an opinion. She lived in a dream world where everything was perfect, but after she came to consciousness she had to face reality and not everything is perfect. Now she has to learn to face reality the hard way as she was a Doll to her family and society as well, but now that she became an individual she has control over herself. I think Ibsen wants us to be more like individuals so we are able to see reality and not depend on others and when it comes hard on hard we are helpless.
As everyone has mentioned in their posts, I strongly believe that this play has relevance today. As Haya mentioned, the play introduces a lot of ideas that people face everyday. It's life. I remember how Mr. Munson asked us in class if this play would ever be performed here in Riyadh and everyone answered no. Which is true because issues such as the ones presented in this play would never openly be discussed in Saudi society. For some reason, there are stereotypical views of marriages always being perfect and the couple are crazy in love with each other with absolutely no problems at all. This play shows that marriages aren't perfect and that often times, women aren't equal to men. We see that in this play through Torvald's quote: "No man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves." As a girl, I would like to think that it isn't true, but at the same time, I'm sure that there are people like that in our world.
Through everything that happens with Torvald, Nora realizes that she isn't in love with this man; she goes through an awakening. I think women today are escaping the traditional way of simply baring the pain, and are now beginning to put their foot down and leaving their marriage if necessary. As Haya mentioned, this applies not just to marriages but to relationships as well.
I believe that this play can be reproduced over and over again in different parts of the world and it will still be relevant because people go through such events in their lives. As mentioned previously, it's a part of live, it's reality.
Quoting Huzaifa here;
"(I hope none of us in this class have a hidden body in their closet)"
Um...*whistles*
In seriousness;
"'No man would sacrifice his honor ... prettily adorned Christmas trees for others to admire."
And I do most certainly agree, that in particular was the exception I was referring to.
The reason this play is lasting so long is that it is dealing with the basic human nature, or even animal nature (does that make sense?) of people (or animals) being in a relationship or just being together. The play also deals with the problems in relationships such as marriages, friendships and acquaintances gone wrong (Torvald and Krogstad). Even though the issues might be a little different today, the basic foundation of the problems are the same, such as miscommunication, and honesty (more like lack of honesty).
I really think that this play still has relevance in our world today. The play was radical at the time and to me, it still seems radical because there are numerous places in the world where woman’s rights in family and in society are just too demeaning. And I can think of one specific country which women are behind the curtains of daily life and it’s obviously the one we’re living in right now. The reason I feel that this play is still radical today is because I believe it symbolizes women’s struggle to prove themselves worthy to either their father, husband or to society in general. The fact that Torvald has underestimated Nora’s sense of pride and dignity and even her values, shows us how men just don’t seem to understand that women need to be their own person (sorry guys). I agree with Anum , when she said that this play would never be acted out in Saudi Arabia; everything is just too censored. Just read the book “Girls of Riyadh” from a bookstore here and one abroad. It’s been censored. The play emphasizes relationships in marriage which is also why I still think the play has relevance today. The relationship that Nora and Torvald have is superficial and us want to gag. However, we know that Nora isn’t all feathers in her brain just from the way she tells Christine how she has been paying Krogstad back. The play shows readers how honesty is important in a relationship, and like Huzaifa said: “there are some things we just do not tell others. I think it's to protect ourselves.” In the play, Nora is trying to protect herself as well as her family which is something I find really relevant today. As Nora says in the play: “thousands of women have sacrificed their honour for the one they love” because that’s in their nature.
Reading through the posts I noticed (the people that spoke about Nora) that everyone is talking about how Nora is becoming more independent and becoming free through her awakening and that Torvald is the bad one here because he acts too "individualistic" and controls the relationship; that however isn't true. To all the girls strongly siding with Nora, Torvald is just as much a "doll" in the "doll house" as Nora is. He isn't free and is shackled just like she is. This play shows how not only women need to gain the freedom and "put their foot down" as someone said but men are also seeking their freedom (however much longer it does take them). Other than that I pretty much agree that this play wouldn't be produced here since it talks about topics that are frowned upon in Saudi Arabia (talking openly about them). There are also a lot more themes then just relationships taking part in the play that still hold true today which is very interesting considering how old the play is.
This play is undoubtedly relevant in our world today because it openly portrays the ugly side of marriage and pretty much every relationship. Ibsen incorporates timeless and universal ideas like honesty, love, sacrifice, honor, and freedom in this work. The play specifically tackles how these ideas have been concealed and tampered with to the extent that barely anyone can recognize them – when Nora awakens she begins to clearly understand these ideas. Nora starts to understand that freedom comes from within and although outside forces can control us we should fight for freedom. Zaher – I don’t think knowing everything about someone is necessarily the key to a successful relationship, things like respect and love are. Like in a Frost poem we read (mending wall I think) we have to put up walls or barriers concealing who we really are maybe to protect ourselves like Huzaifa said or maybe it’s because we’re not brave enough to reveal who we are and make ourselves vulnerable like that or maybe we don’t know who we really are in the first place. I think this coincides with Vincint’s idea about how we must develop as individuals before we can be in a relationship. Nora certainly realizes this and decides to do something about it; I think this play is about having the courage to find who we really are.
Ibsen’s play has a timeless quality & is relevant today as stated by many others. He uses radical topics & issues such as is seen in A Doll’s House. Ibsen depicts such subjects as a woman, Nora in this case, questioning the meaning of her marriage and her role as a mother. However, his plays do not solely revolve around women as we see how he incorporates characters such as Krogstad & Torvald with their own struggles & imperfections. Also, we see the concept of individuality and how it is essential to discover who you are. These many issues that Ibsen deals with are what make his work relevant today. He is pushing us to constantly question our ideals, beliefs, our surroundings, & our lives. Also, the way Ibsen uses drama & theater to portray his themes are revolutionary and modern. He gives us an everyday setting and deep characters to analyze & take meaning from. Ibsen’s ambiguity is what contributes to the continuing relevance of his work today.
Ibsen deals with humanity. Humanity is timeless. Ibsen is timeless.
After reading all the posts I noticed a slight contradiction. Huzaifa introduced the quote "Look into any man's heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed". With it, he mentioned how it is human nature to hide “dirty little secrets” from loved ones, from the society for variety of reasons. Ibsen, however, says that “meeting in the open, without lies, without shame” is the only way to “make a true bond between man and woman”. So which one of these two contradicting statements then is true? If there is always a black spot in every man’s heart, does that mean then that it is impossible for men and women to have true and functional relationships? In addition, don’t we sometimes hide things from the people we love, as Huzaifa said, in order to not only protect ourselves, but also to protect our loved ones from the pain that the knowledge would bring? Is it then always better to reveal everything out in the open in a relationship or would it sometimes be better to keep things unsaid?
Zain-"Zaher – I don’t think knowing everything about someone is necessarily the key to a successful relationship, things like respect and love are."
...where did I say that?
This play is definitely relevant to our world today. I agree with Mr. Munson’s first comment, especially the part where he said “we have a long way to go with understanding and talking openly about marriages and relationships.” I remember the debate that we had in class about how men tend to think that they are better than women. Men always over powered women in the past, and this is still happening in the current world. Divorce rate have never been as high as before because of the lack of understanding between husband and wife, and also due to the fact that males try to dominate women. Men overpowering women is not my only thought though. As Ibsen’s quote says, “no man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves.” Even though this play was written a long time ago when women lacked freedom compared to men, I believe that there has been no change in equality between men and women.
I believe that this play should be reproduced in many countries to make people notice the "real" side to relationships. People need to be more "human-like" in order to understand and respect each other. All Nora and Torvald have done in their relationship is act like clowns and do things that would please the other in a more physical way. I think that love is when you think of the other before yourself, and not a give and take thing. It is more about give and, well, give. You shouldn't expect any reward for giving when you are in a serious relationship.
I agree with what Vincent said. You need to build a sense of individuality before entering a relationship because at the end, you'll end up all dependent on yout partner and he/she can take advantage of that. You will never be able to see the reality with your own eyes but through the eyes of your partner. We have to be strong enough to stand on our own legs and show who you truly are to perfect the relationship.
Also, I agree with Moe most likely because I had the same controversial essay as he did.
Torvald is as lost as Nora is in the play. He longs for freedom but is unable to leave the house. This is because of his attachment to the "doll's house." His desires are fulfilled when he's in the house. Perfect wife, perfect children, perfect job, perfect everything. At the end of the play, Nora is able to leave the house but he couldn't. He was too afraid to even put a crack in his perfect life. Now that one of his possessions is gone (Nora the doll), he comes to consciouness on what the "wonderful thing" is in life. Like it said in the essay, a man's freedom is connected strongly with a woman's freedom. Freedom is an universal desire for everyone that has lost his or her independency.
In my opinion, this play is still relevant today since in all societies, lack of understanding and trust still exist.In Western societies it may seem that women now have more of a say in relationships,however the same problems still arise. These days women may not be as overly dependant on men as they were before since women are now able to work and earn their own income. However, this play strongly applies in rural areas of poorer countries where arranged marriages are extremely common. Some people feel that women are only elegible to be married as long as they look good,young, obediant and care for the man's family. However, they seldom take into account the level of the woman's education showing that they want women to stay home and perform the duties they are told to do. This leaves them isolated and helpless. They try to hide their hardships and try convincing themselves that life is much better than before. They eventually avoid reality just like Nora in the play..Some people still don't care about a woman's feelings but care about how she presents herself to society to strengthen the husband's reputation. The play teaches an important lesson to people that they should understand themselves and especially others in order to build an maintain successful relationships
After reading all the comments, disagreements and controversies that all of you have discussed, i would like to mention how this play reminds me of The Metamorphosis (i know I'm going off topic but its all good right?). While Nora is being released from the constraints of marriage and from the superficial world of Torvold during a process of irreversible awakening, The Metamorphosis (sorry... I couldn't find out how to italicize) refers to the release of Gregor Samsa's family. Even though we may look at Gregor's death as tragic, me must scrutinize the after-effects of his demise. With Gregor's sacrifice, the Samsa family was able to carry on with their lives and live independently without his financial aid. With the death of a body, comes the birth of another, whether it is the same body or a different one. Gregor's death did not only relieve him from the tight grasp of his father, but it also led to the growth of his entire family. Similarly, in A Doll's House, Nora's 'death' can be seen as figurative and not literal. Even though Nora did not actually die, her death or decision to abandon her family brought about her newly acquired strength and the destruction of a stereotypical marriage. It took her eight years (eight years was it?) to realize the illusions as well as trickeries that lied in her husband's play house. With Nora's 'death' came the birth of a stronger individual who is aware of the real world and ready to take on the harsh challenges of life. While Nora's decision to leave her husband and children devastates us, we must realize that it is for the good of the family. After all, as Torvold said, "An atmosphere of lies infects and poisons the whole life of a home." Therefore, there is a strong connection between The Metamorphosis and A Doll's House in the sense that the events occurring in both plays are tragic yet crucial to the development of the characters.
Ok. Now that i got that off my chest, i can go back to the original question. I believe the play has an extraordinary level of significance today because there is a phenomenal connection that exists between it and other works that i have read, ex, Othello and The Metamorphosis. Personally, i think that a work that is directly related to other works in terms of themes and plot, will stand the test of time. I believe this idea to be true because if themes such as the "constraints of marriage" were discussed in Othello, during the Elizabethan times, and were discussed later in A Doll's House, then why shouldn't it also be discussed 100 years from now? Only when we have truly opened our eyes to the treasures that marriage has to offer us, can we 'ease' out of this theme. However, this will not happen any time soon (as discussed before in other comments) as countries such as Saudi Arabia still do not encourage works such as a Doll's House to be published.
Yours sincerely,
Captain Saleh.
As everyone else mentioned in their posts, I agree that Ibsen's "A Doll's House" still has relevance today. Although women now have more rights than they did in earlier times, the struggle of women to gain their freedom, independence, and dignity is still relevant. Unfortunately, in many places, it is still society’s belief that a perfect wife and mother is the woman who devotes herself to her family and sacrifices her duty toward herself for this. However, if we look at how Torvald puts it, “No man would sacrifice his honor for the one he loves,” then why is a woman expected to sacrifice her honor for the ones she loves?
I believe that “A Doll’s House” still lasts today because this perception of the ideal woman who sacrifices herself persists, and Ibsen’s work shows us that this is not right. Nora’s awakening and closing the door behind her at the end of the plays also shows us that it is never too late to mend your ways and start leading a life of dignity. Although, Nora must go through the pain of leaving her children behind, she can only awaken to Torvald’s reality of being a “stranger” by facing this pain. I suppose this is a “No pain, no gain” scenario and it makes “A Doll’s House” persist today, because it portrays that you achieve in life when you go through the difficulties and hardships rather than just the pleasures. We also see this in many relationships today in which people do not get along because they are unable to understand each other.
Another reason for which Ibsen’s work applies to today’s world is that it makes us realize that many times, we as people hide our worries because we want to appear to be happy. Ibsen shows us that marriage can only last if both, husband and wife, treat each other equally to maintain their relationship. In Torvald and Nora’s relationship, the lack of this equality and balance leads to the end of their marriage. As today, divorce rates in many countries are increasing rapidly, we should learn from the Helmers’ relationship that it is always better to face reality and find ways to solve your problems rather than leading “A Doll’s House” life in a “doll’s house” world.
The play has great relevance today because readers can relate to the characters in the play. Nora puts on the mask of a child in order to please her husband. At the time the play was written, women were not as liberal as they are today, and this was because society chose to stick to tradition, just as Saudi is currently doing. This play shows how we as individuals do not have to stick to traditions to please society. Ibsen shows how tradition is not always a good thing, because Nora was living a lie. Her fake marriage never really brought her satisfaction, and her real life only began after leaving her husband. This is why this play has not been produced in several countries, because in countries such as Saudi Arabia, culture and tradition are top priority. This play shows how, in marriages, wife and husband are both equal. The wife does not need to act a certain why for the sole purpose of pleasing her husband, she must be honest and true to herself.
This play can definitely be applied in our world today because it deals with many issues regarding our daily lives. I agree with Haya’s entry where she said that “Although the play focuses on Nora and her actions which sends a strong message to women, it can also be a message for teenagers, men and women, that we need to realize what is worth sacrificing and who is worth sacrificing things for, which is where the awakening happens.” I think this is greatest thing I can relate to in this play. I believe that a person should establish who he or she is when it comes to character, morals, and personality, before committing to relationships where a lot of sacrificing is required. Unlike Nora who became a doll, trapped by the fantasy world built around her, we should face reality and all situations we are faced with instead of pushing them away from us and living in an illusion of the perfect world.
I wish this play would be performed in Riyadh. I think the controversy of it could lead people to awaken and come to consciousness about life in Saudi Arabia. Also, this play can expose the reality of relationships to the world, and how not all marriages are the fantasy Disney marriages with a prince and a princess falling in love and living happily ever after. This is when the whole issue of sacrifice and being a doll comes in again. Marriages require a lot of sacrifice but we must know who we are as people before we begin sacrificing otherwise we will become controlled by the people around us without realising.
Also, an issue people mentioned earlier was the issue of exposing secrets to partners in a relationship. As Carmina and Huzaifa said, “we sometimes hide things from the people we love in order to not only protect ourselves, but also to protect our loved ones from the pain that the knowledge would bring.” Sometimes, its better to hide things from the ones we love, in order to protect them and make sure they don’t get hurt. But it is not always in the best interest of the people we are hiding secrets from to keep the secrets to ourselves. Some people might argue that when we keep secrets from our partners, we could unintentionally be doing it to save ourselves from hurt more than it is to save the people around us, because we do not want to face reality, just like Nora.
“You should never wear your best trousers when you go out to fight for freedom and truth”
This Play by the great Henrik Ibsen has great relevance to our lives today. There are still women out there that strive hard in order to gain their independence and freedom. Many scholars believe that it was Nora’s education and her marriage that lead her to her independence (done by the process of deceit). Now that Nora is independence, she doesn’t really have anything to lie about since that was that weight pulling her down and making her weak. I believe that the enduring power of this play that makes it relevant today is what independence means to a woman today, compared to how it was during when A Doll’s House was writing. During that time, women had household and marriage duties that they had to take care of. Today, a woman is more educated and independent. But the real message here is that, no matter how different women’s lives are in both worlds, deceit and the lack of truth still exists and that can break the bond that holds the woman strong enough. The reason why this book is still read until this day is probably to show us the equality of both men and woman. No matter what mistakes women do (in this case, taking a loan for the bank), it is part of human nature to bring her back to her independence alongside with men.
(I am adding this comment to the list since Amir posted it on his blog instead of here.)
In the time that Ibsen wrote this play he explored a concept that was truly controversial during his time. We read this play today and it does not shock us. That is because this whole concept of a woman being equivalent to a man has become common in the 21st century. Our mainframe has changed and we have become more mature in the way we think and we have realized that women are equal to men. However, during Ibsen's time, he was one of the few who was ahead of the time, that's how he was able to write a play like this. Also it has universal appeal. The story of Nora is the story of every woman, and how she struggles with love and maturity in her life. That is why till this day it is constantly being reproduced because we need to be told this story. A Dolls House reminds us how important it is to trust our partners and to show how women do have the capacity to be equal to men. Ibsen also included such a wide range of characters from a pompous self-righteous husband, to the wise doctor who is infected with an STD. Every single one of his characters has a significant purpose to the overall effect of the play, and his twist of symbols and setting is again another thing that makes this play brilliant. For example Dr. Rank can be regarded as death and reality at the same time, and his conversations with Nora are so symbolic that it just shows us how brilliant Ibsen was.
This play has timeless universal appeal because it applies to our human condition that will never go away simply because we are not perfect. That is what makes it a timeless classic and Ibsen a brilliant playwright.
Amir K.
After reading A Dolls House and watching the play, it becomes bluntly apparent that relationships are a large part of life one should sincerely consider. Because being of Human decent and the presence of "the desolate one" in our lives, we are not perfect. We all have flaws and those who wish not to consider them are disregarding themselves from reality. But when relationships are proposed, it is not weather the person is perfect but merely if the person is perfect for you. It is like a jigsaw puzzle, the picture will always look good when the pieces complete themselves. It is important to recognize the bumps, dents and holes in the piece. With A Dolls House, one must not regard Torvald as the spawn of Satan (the ultimate womanizer). Nora as well is not the holy resurrector she is being held upon. Now the real flaw in this relationship is the fact that they do not mesh well together, that in my opinion is the real reason for Nora and Torvalds separation. Finally it was stated by a previous comment that the actors in the performance are very difficult to play. This play shone and still shines the realities of a relationship in a common marital situation. So when it is difficult to play that says something about our society, how we escape the harsh realities by not understanding them. We throw away the costume and never fix its tears and rips. But sometimes the root of the problem isn't the dress but the body it conceals, and to escape the manacles of oppression one must remove it completely.
Musaab Ibrahim
"Do not use that foreign word "ideals." We have that excellent native word "lies."
Based on the article I wrote that paragraph for that exam for that play of his, Ibsen refused to join any group of ideolists simply because group ≠ individual. (Before you say 'duh, that is what individual is meaning') this actually leads to my 'theory' that Ibsen is an ideolist in LIES, considering that people will never know whether someone is telling the truth which actually leads to isolation/individualism. Ibsen's plays are famous because they deal with the drama of everyday [not always (I didnt forge my great grandfather's signiture this morning)] choices consisting of deciet, and it is through his plays that we see the actual drama in those choices. I think this is what Ibsen was getting at considering that it ties in to what most people said;
Huzaifa-"...I can't find it to be sad though, thinking that every single one of us out there is hiding something." (he was taking about a quote that talked about "the black spot everyone has in their hearts")
Akshay-"Even though the issues might be a little different today, the basic foundation of the problems are the same, such as miscommunication, and honesty (more like lack of honesty)."
While i dont actually agree with the idea that Ibsen was focussing on relationships primarily(by the way you can only be decietful to others or for others which makes up a relationship or two) i agree that relationships are made and destroyed by the lies we make
....im not even sure i can trust Ibsen on this idea of his...that little lieing schmuck...
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