Review: 'A Doll's House' by Henrik Ibsen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

'A Doll's House' by Henrik Ibsen, 72 pages - Instagram @c_reads_books

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A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, written and first performed in the late 1800s, shocked audiences with its feminist, yet ultimately humanist, ideas. Originally introduced as a carefree, shallow wife to a bank manager, Nora is quickly revealed to have secrets her husband never could have imagined. Hiding the truth from her husband about how much she’s helped him, Nora’s strength and caring nature is smothered by societal pressures. As Nora attempts to break away from the societal constraints of being a woman, wife, and mother, she comes to realize her home life has been no more meaningful than that of a doll’s.

I loved this short play for many reasons. I loved Nora’s character and the depth of her story that is slowly uncovered. My favorite part was undeniably the ending in which Nora finally takes a stand for herself and breaks out of the constraints her marriage put her in. Reading this play in the 21st century, it is hard to imagine that the story ever shocked theatre goers. As much as this story may seem distant now, it is truly as relevant as ever, in terms of understanding both the past and present (and moving forward). Altogether, I loved this play and recommend it to everyone!