Old but Modern

A detailed Summary of Old but Modern

Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House was written well over 100 years ago. It has been performed around the world, and even had its ending changed for controversial reasons. But it still proves to be a very well written play with a strong plot and modern struggles. Reading of the play flows very well and it is easy to follow. The age of the play should not prevent it from being studied in school. English and Literature classes should study A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen because it makes reading plays more enjoyable and understandable.

A Doll's House is a three-act play that takes place in the Helmer residence. The two main characters are Torvald and Nora Helmer, a married couple who have a strange and unhealthy relationship. Other characters include Nils Krogstad, the banker with a bad reputation, and Kristine Linde, an old friend of Nora's who is looking for a job. Nora Helmer is a spoiled lady. She has been pampered all of her life, first by her father, and then by Torvald. Although she tries very hard to focus on others, she only cares about herself. One example of this selfishness is shown in a conversation between Nora and Mrs. Linde, "I won't be selfish today. I must think only about your affairs t

Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll's House. Introductory to Fiction, Poetry and Drama. Second Com. Ed. Kennedy, Gioia. (2000): 1113-1169.

To take this play out of the reading curriculum in English Literature classes would be a shame. This play was thoroughly enjoyable, and so advanced for its time, with the women's rights and everything of that nature. In fact it is so modern that you can hardly tell it was written well over one hundred years ago. It does have an old-fashioned, classic feel to it, but it is nothing so outdated that we can not still relate to it. While reading this play, students should remember that this play is old, and that just makes the ability to read and understand it so much more amazing.

Furthermore, this play can help men to better understand a woman's point of view and the struggle she had to go through. Even though Nora was a spoiled brat in the beginning of the play, we see her true character shine through at the end, and it is much better than Torvald's. It is important for men today to see the hardships that women had to go through in the past, just as it is important for everyone to learn about the hardships that slaves had to go though. It is all part of history in a way, and that is an added benefit of this play; one more reason to keep it in the curriculum.

This play is relatively short considering it's complicated plot. However, the plot is not so complicat

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 946
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English