Introduction

About Me


I am Emily Paule.  My special skills include being able to solve the Rubik Cube, consuming large amounts of mac and cheese in one sitting, and playing with dogs.  English class has been one of my favorites this year; particularly, I have enjoyed the class discussions/seminars.  As much as I love the sound of my own voice, it serves me well to hear other perspectives, experiences, and thoughts.  I feel that I have grown to have a better appreciation of literature and have more respect for my peers as a result of these discussions. 


Biography: Henrik Ibsen


 Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright.  The peak of his career was in the mid-1800s, starting with the plays Brand and Peer Gynt.  He is known as the father of the modern drama; his plays are characterized by a focus on realistic struggles, complex and imperfect characters, and an emphasis on psychological effects and development instead of intricate plots.  Many of his works were considered obscene and not for polite company because they attempted to dismantle and discuss the role of women/oppression of women, sexual awakening, and the hypocrisy and false airs of middle and high society.  With this in mind, I suppose A Doll's House will be about a family that appears pristine at a glance, but is broken on the inside.  The symbolism of a doll is that a doll does not think or act, but smiles and is subject to the will of others.  This could be the predicament of the main character. Potential themes could be that appearances do not always reflect reality, and that forcing a someone to bear a burden they do not want will lead to anger and uprising. 
Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), as a boy, grew up in relative wealth.  His father, a merchant, went bankrupt and the family was forced to leave their town in shame.  Ibsen's education was too expensive to continue, so he became  a pharmacist's assistant.  When he was eighteen, he fathered a child with a servant; he paid expenses for the child as to avoid defamation.  Ibsen was denied entrance into a university, joined a radical political group, and began writing for journals.  His career as a playwright started soon after, but most of his initial work flopped or faced major scorn.  He found work as a manager at multiple theatres, which later would produce his plays. Later, he was married to Suzannah Thoreson.  Ibsen spent lots of time abroad, including a twenty-seven year "exile" in Germany and Italy.  It is commonly thought that Ibsen's illegitimate child and rapid change in socioeconomic status influenced his work.  This also explains his heavy skepticism of high class society.  Additionally, many of his plays involve characters seeking to find inner peace or discover who they are. 


Sources:
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar270700&st=henrik+ibsen#tab=homepage
http://www.fofweb.com/Lit/default.asp