A Few Thoughts on Ibsen’s a Doll’s House

A Few Thoughts on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

Abstract

    Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a famous social problem drama, and it had influential effects on the society at that time. This novel inspired people’s attention to human right of woman’s freedom at that society, and this was a huge surprise and shock for the social ideology concept of superiority in man, besides, it also facilitate the awaken progress of women in that society. In the novel, the image of Lala revealed the liberation of human right and the theme of freedom pursue; meanwhile, it also criticized the ugliness and falseness of capital class presented by Helmer. It is brilliance which attached profound connotation to the novel, and this proved the philosophy topic of influences of social consciousness on social existence. In other words, A Doll’s House, as an excellent drama, has some philosophy thoughts.

Key words: Awaken, Love, Freedom, Right

1. Introduction

    A Doll’s House uses distinct images with characteristics and behaviors to reveal its topics. Helmer and Lala are typical images conducted by Ibsen. Ibsen revealed its work ideological connotation through description of behaviors and languages of the two characters, which made the work with taste and facilitated readers to think and comprehend significance of the novel consciously. The novel’s success can contribute to its profoundness in themes which mainly reflected in three aspects, they are equality in woman’s rights in modern family and the romantic love concept as well as influences of sex disease on society.

2. Thoughts of A Doll’s House from Perspective of Themes Manifestations

2.1 Equality in Woman’s Rights

    From perspective of equality in woman’s rights, this drama uses sweet-lover-like couple relation to present the work in front of readers. Lala was called as “little bird and little darling” by Helmer, and what Lala reflected was sweetness and lovely, this seemed to tell readers that this will be a happy family. However, when the “Disaster” was around the corner, all of the above bankrupted, the sweet love was just the past, and readers’ heart were broken indeed. To treat this with modern view, “disaster” happened is a manifestation of Lala’s love towards Helmer. Miracle in the eyes of Lala will not disappear or fade away, and Helmer, who is the husband of Lala, shall be deeply moved by her. However, in the novel, this phenomenon did not come true, and it changed into another phenomenon--both family and love were broken. In certain degree, such result was not made by Ibsen on purpose, but decided by characteristics of images in this drama. Helmer indeed cared Lala very much, however, his inner heart was centered by himself, and he never consider Lala’s thought, he took self hobbies and interest as standard, which made Lala into his doll in certain degree, and intruded woman’s equal right. At the beginning of the drama, Lala showed extreme obedience to Helmer, however, with the appearance of Lala’s case, that was to heal Helmer to loan by making fake signature of Lala’s father, which was illegal at that time. When Krogstad took this as threaten, Helmer was in rages, and felt that this would ruin his reputation and future, therefore, he condemned Lala at any cost, and called Lala as Hypocrite who had no morality and responsibility, he also said “you destroyed my happiness, and my future was ruined by you”. “My disaster was come from a whore”. (Ibsen, 2000:572) Helmer did not care any couple emotion, and took Lala as the initiative of all roblems. However, when Krogstad return the loan note, Helmer was kind and cared to Lala again, which revealed Helmer’s falseness. Lala seen tenderness and concession as well Helmer’s disrespect towards her. This was the real reflection of current society:there was no right and power concept of equality in man and woman in the society. The world was still dominated by man, and women were only attachment for men.(吴舜立,2001:253) When Lala’s crisis completely solved, Lala seen through the so called love between she and Helmer: there was couple love and kinship between father and daughter--- “when I lived with my father, he told his suggestion to me, and I follow it, if I disagree with his opinions, I did not tell him, because he will be unhappy after know it. He called me “Doll kid”, and took me as a doll as if I were the doll played in my childhood.” (高玉秋，2004: 301) Combined with what Helmer said before, Lala awaken from inner heart,she was more a doll than herself, and she realized that she did not receive equal treatment. This was accord to the social reality of women’s being existed like doll in the society, which explained the huge influence of A Doll’s House.

2.2 The Death of Romantic Love Concept

Lala was a pious romantic love implementer, and she was full of miracle illusion for love. She cared for her lover Helmer by costing her own life, hence, it was not such difficult for readers to understand why Lala possessed suicide mind to face everything she had: she cherished and cannot abandon her husband and kid which facing threaten from Krostgad. What’s more, Lala thought she can die for protecting her husband, and presented a kind of weird ideology: afraid but happy at the same time, which was called “miracle” by her, and this made Lala really become a pious romantic love concept implementer. However, reality did not beautiful as imagination, Helmer found her fake signature of her father and was in rages, he insulted her even, which completely broke Lala’s inner beautiful illusion and made Lala had to recheck herself and the love she possessed. Lala can die and sacrifice her own life for Helmer, however, Helmer blamed and cursed her for his own reputation. All of these broke down Lala’s soul spiritual pillar. Lala did not believe in miracle, even if the crisis solved afterwards, Lala no longer desired for coming back to the life before, she received self-awaken, and this represented failure of romantic love concept. If Lala’s miracle-like fantastic love disillusionment was caused by Helmer’s excessive ego and narrowness in mind, then the romantic love concept was disappeared by the impel of social concept in the capitalism society. The production relation of capitalism materialized all affections and emotions, and lead to the death of romantic love concept described by Hegal. This was not the personal tragedy of Lala, it was the failure of affection spirit of the whole society. When a material-centered society appeared, it was a big sadness for mankind---the emptiness in affection and coldness in interpersonal relation increased the distance between people.