A Doll's House

Author: Henrik Ibsen

Genre: Drama

Age: High school and up.

Topics for discussion: individuality, self-discovery, truth, lies, women's rights, equality, love, societal roles and expectations, duty

Summary: Nora has been keeping a huge secret from her husband; years ago, when her husband was deathly ill, she borrowed some money to take him on a much needed vacation.  Unfortunately for her, not only is her husband dead set against borrowing money but it is also illegal for women to borrow money on their own so she forged her father's signature in order to get it.  When the man who holds the loan decides to blackmail her, Nora can't meet his demands and is forced to face the music.

Review: I've taught this play for several years now and am always fascinated by the story.  Nora gets herself into a whole lot of trouble while trying to do the right thing, yet I can't help but think she really does deserve some of it.  At the end of the play she complains about being treated like a doll by both her father and her husband, never allowed to form her own opinions about anything; however, one might also see this as a case of her allowing people to treat her like a doll.  One could also point a finger at the society that confines her to such superficial roles.  In the end, who is really culpable?

Multimedia: The film isn't spectacular, but it does star Anthony Hopkins, which is a mark in its favor.  Because it was written as a play, the adaptation to film is pretty straightforward.  It's shot very much as a staged play, which isn't really  my thing and is probably why I'm not too excited about the movie. 

Christian perspective: There isn't really anything overtly religious in the play, although the end does bring up some pertinent issues.  What happens when someone believes something simply because they have been told to their entire lives?  What is more important, societal duties or individual freedoms?  Ibsen's conclusion is that one must discover one's place in society and belief system on one's own; a statement which may or may not align with your own beliefs, but which is definitely worth discussing.