A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Although I think I read A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen in high school, I don't remember it. It showed up as a potential book on my Modern Literature syllabus, so I thought I'd refresh myself. It's very short and only took a few hours to read.

It is the story of a late 19-century housewife, constrained by the mores of the day, who finally breaks free. I can't say I enjoyed. It felt very modern in its sensibilities of the desperate and oppressed housewife who is only free once she leaves her husband and children.

Basically, Nora, forged her father's signature for a loan she took out to help her sick husband. As women were not allowed to make financial decisions without their husbands, she felt forced in the deception. Later, when her husband is recovered and manager of the bank from which she took the loan, a fired employee blackmails Nora in order to get his job back. When she is unable to do so, he threatens to go public and writes a letter to Torvald, Nora's husband. Once she sees it is too late, she considers suicide to save her husband's reputation, but after reading the letter, Torvald expresses disgust and shame at her actions the danger she placed his reputation in. Immediately after renouncing her, another letter arrives from the blackmailer. He has reconsidered and is returning the incriminating evidence. Elated that the storm has passed, Torvald wants to go back to normal and forget the whole thing happened. But Nora has now seen her husband for who he is. He cared about his reputation more than her while she was willing to die for him. She sees herself as having no option but to leave him and figure out how to live as something other than his "plaything."

Sigh. I simply cannot get behind Ibsen's conclusions. Both Nora and Torvald are fallen and flawed humans doing the best they can in the circumstances in which they find themselves. That both deeply disappoint the other is the stuff of humanity. I want to scream at Nora to get over yourself. You cannot take your own pain and disappointment and spew that out on your husband and children. That way goes death and destruction. Nora will not be liberated, she will be worse.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard was originally on my Modern Literature syllabus, but time constraints relegated it to the dustbin. When I saw it was written by Tom Stoppard, who also wrote my favorite movie, Shakespeare in Love, I felt duty-bound to read it.

The point of the book is to follow the story of Hamlet by focusing on two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are Hamlet's boyhood chums and tasked by the king and queen with finding out what is wrong with Hamlet and ultimately to carry order to the king of England to execute Hamlet. Their journey goes awry and it is they who are executed. In the wrap-up of the original play, the audience is informed, "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead." Tom Stoppard picks up this line and develops a whole play around how that come to be.

It was nothing like the movie except the Shakespearean references. It was ok. Very goofy. Certainly a quick read, but not something I'd highly recommend.