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Realism in Uncle Vanya and A Doll's House

A play serves as the author's tool for critiquing society. One rarely encounters the ability to transcend accepted social beliefs. These plays reflect controversial issues that the audience can relate to because they interact in the same situations every day. As late nineteenth century playwrights point out the flaws of mankind they also provide an answer to the controversy. Unknowingly the hero or heroine solves the problem at the end of the play and indirectly sends a message to the audience on how to solve their own problem.

Henrik Ibsen and Anton Chekov both provide unique analysis on issues their culture never thought as wrong. In the play A Doll's House Ibsen tackles women's rights as a matter of importance being neglected. In his play he acknowledges the fact that in nineteenth century European life the role of the women was to stay home, raise the children, and attend to her husband. Chekov illustrates the role of a dysfunctional family and how its members are effected. Both of the aforementioned problems are solved through the playwrights' recommendations and the actions of the characters. In the plays A Doll's House and Uncle Vanya the authors

In Uncle Vanya the wrong that is committed is not directed toward one character, but two. Serebryakov dumps the burden of his lifestyle onto his daughter and brother-in-law. Only at the end of Serebryakov's and Elena's stay at the family estate is it realized that everyone is miserable. Elena who has been married into this family is the only person who at once comprehends her unhappiness. Sonya tells her stepmother that she is "so happy" (Chekov p. 201). Sonya has yet to grasp that her father only leaves her at the estate to help make money so he can finance his expensive lifestyle. Serebryakov is concerned with his position in society. He marries a young and beautiful woman and tries to move ahead in life using money. He ignores emotions, even the misery that he feels. In the late nineteenth century rank was determined by who one married and how much money one's family had. Serebryakov exemplifies this lifestyle by only trying to move ahead in society to the point of sacrificing anything to get to the to top, even his daughter. These two families point out societies flawed traditions and the subsequent effect upon these people.

In presenting these problems the authors end their plays with a solution to the characters' unhappiness. Ibsen was the first author in Europe to tackle the issue of women's place in the world and label it as wrong. Nora's realization of Torvald's part in her misery allows her to leave him. She does not fully blame Torvald for her unhappiness, but she knows that she can't be happy with him. Her expectation of "the most wonderful thing" (Ibsen p. 72) leaves her with the knowledge that Torvald will never change. Nora becomes cognizant of the mistreatment she has endured, and consequently leaves to become someone different. Ibsen encourages women to make a change by taking action and not to watch their life pass by unfulfillingly. Nora becomes a role model for change.

In A Doll's House and Uncle Vanya the audience gathers a picture of what it was like to live in the late eighteen hundreds. This picture is not a positive one. More wrongs are committed against the characters of these plays than any sort of reward for the hardships they endure. These plays reflect an accurate representation of

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Approximate Word count = 1504
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels