Context
1 The rise of the New Woman
- The period was marked by agitation for women’s rights in Europe and the USA.
- The term ‘New Woman’ was coined in 1894 to define a self-sufficient woman.
- The play became a key text for groups seeking to empower women.
- Mrs Linde is an example of ‘The New Woman’.
2 Independent Norway
- Norway had become an independent kingdom in 1814.
- Ibsen was employed by the Norwegian theatre to create a distinctive national drama.
- He wrote in the ordinary language of Norway, which had only just acquired a written form.
- The Norwegian landscape and weather are an integral part of the play.
3 Industrialisation
- The rise of industry created a new middle class in Norway.
- The middle class were more socially mobile than their farming ancestors.
- The middle class sometimes found their new prosperity fragile – hence Helmer’s concern about debt.
- Industrialisation meant opportunities for women to work as clerks.
4 Sociology – a new area of study
- Sociology, which involves the close study of ordinary lives, was a new discipline at this period.
- The rise of sociology was linked to that of naturalism in the theatre.
- Plays had previously tended to deal with the upper classes.
- It was novel for a play to reflect the lives of an ordinary couple.
5 Darwinism
- Darwin’s theories of evolution contradicted Church teaching about a literal ‘creation’.
- Darwin explained that all organisms must adapt and change to survive.
- This led to controversy. The Church was reluctant to accept that God’s design was not fixed and unchanging.
- Nora’s own development suggests that she is adapting to a changing world.
Copyright © York Press, 2017