Ibsen's Own Doll House Whether it is done purposefully or unconsciously, writers often draw upon occurrences in their own lives as a way of explaining their viewpoint on real-life issues through the mask of fictional characters. Issues from an author's personal life commonly act as a base for the world in which his or her characters live. Themes such as wealth and separation are main themes in both Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll House and Ibsen's life itself. A Doll House, upon closer review, addresses several of Ibsen's concerns from the time he was growing up, both in personal and societal issues from his time and is known as a "social drama" by scholars, such as Bjorn Hemmer, due to its correct depiction of life in Norway in the 1870s (Hemmer). Because hardships related to his family's class and separation affected Henrik Ibsen so
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Until he was eight years old, Ibsen's family was wealthy; his father was a merchant which left lots of money for Henrik Ibsen to engage in "early artistic endeavors (Van Laan)." After a risky trade, Knud Ibsen, Henrik's father, lost everything; Van Laan, a Henrik Ibsen historian, says of him: "He had to sell most of the property ... [and] move his family to ... a neglected farmhouse (Van Laan)." It was after these money issues that the Ibsen family began to deteriorate. Simiar to Ibsen's family, the Helmers' issues start simply with money disputes. Torvald's stern attitude towards on the subject is displayed is his statement, "Something of freedom's lost--and something of beauty, too--from a home that's founded on borrowing and debt (Ibsen 1711)." Though it seems to be simple statement, Torvald's opinion acts as the first major example of his restrictive nature. Like Torvald, Knud Ibsen was very concerned with money and tried to control his family so much that it contributed to his marriage's
Until he was eight years old, Ibsen's family was wealthy; his father was a merchant which left lots of money for Henrik Ibsen to engage in "early artistic endeavors (Van Laan)." After a risky trade, Knud Ibsen, Henrik's father, lost everything; Van Laan, a Henrik Ibsen historian, says of him: "He had to sell most of the property ... [and] move his family to ... a neglected farmhouse (Van Laan)." It was after these money issues that the Ibsen family began to deteriorate. Simiar to Ibsen's family, the Helmers' issues start simply with money disputes. Torvald's stern attitude towards on the subject is displayed is his statement, "Something of freedom's lost--and something of beauty, too--from a home that's founded on borrowing and debt (Ibsen 1711)." Though it seems to be simple statement, Torvald's opinion acts as the first major example of his restrictive nature. Like Torvald, Knud Ibsen was very concerned with money and tried to control his family so much that it contributed to his marriage's