“The problem that serves A Doll’s House is the “exploration in dramatic form of the fate of the contemporary woman to whom society denied any reasonable opportunity for self-fulfillment in a male world. This time Ibsen’s jottings asked: ‘These women of the modern age, mistreated as daughters, as sisters, as wives, not educated in accordance with their talents, debarred from following their real mission, deprived of their inheritance, embittered in mind — these are the ones who supply the mothers for the next generation. What will result from this?’””
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tuesDAY, february 20 (3)
(1) In what ways are we fulfilled? What are the messages we receive about how we should feel fulfilled because of a particular aspect of who we are?
(2) Moving to drama: What are the differences between reading a play and watching a play? Why would we read a play at all? What will be our approach to studying drama over the next six weeks?
(3) What kinds of data are we looking at when we watch performance? What questions can these data tell us?
(4) We're going to watch Carrie Cracknell's short film, Nora, a response to her 2012 Young Vic production of Ibsen's play, A Doll's House. As you watch think about what the director and actors do to make you respond to the title character in various ways. What are you meant to think of Nora? What DO you think of Nora?
(5) A brief introduction to Ibsen's A Doll's House
wednesDAY, february 21 (4)
SCREENING DAY 1: the first 30 minutes of the film, followed by 5 minutes of notes
Tonight you are to read pages 1-17, stopping just before KROGSTAD's first line. What details did you miss out on when watching? What does the production do to introduce the characters, the setting, the overall mood of the play that the text cannot?
thursday, february 22 (5)
QUIZ 1: The film's first 30 minutes, the text's first 17 pages
DISCUSSION
friDAY, february 23 (6)
SCREENING DAY 2: a brief introduction, the next 30 minutes of the film, followed by 5 minutes of notes
Over the weekend I'd like you to read pages 17-34, which will take you to the end of Act 1.
monDAY, february 26 (1)
QUIZ 2: The conclusion of Act 1
Character building and what makes a great actor
DISCUSSION
tuesday, february 27 (2)
SCREENING DAY 3: a brief introduction, the next 30 minutes of the film, followed by 5 minutes of notes
By Thursday I'd like you to read pages 35-51, stopping just before KROGSTAD's entrance.
wednesDAY, february 28 (3)
A Doll's House Vocabulary Quiz
thursDAY, march 1 (4)
QUIZ 3: The beginning of Act 2
DISCUSSION
friday, march 2 (5)
SCREENING DAY 4: a brief introduction, the next 30 minutes of the film, followed by 5 minutes of notes
Over the long weekend you're to read pages 51-75, stopping after Nora's first speech at the top of the page.
tuesdAY, march 6 (1)
QUIZ 4: The conclusion of Act 2 / The beginning of Act 3
DISCUSSION
wednesDAY, march 7 (2)
SCREENING DAY 5: a brief introduction, the conclusion of the film, followed by 5 minutes of notes
By tomorrow you're finishing your reading of the play.
thursday, march 8 (3)
QUIZ 5: The conclusion of the play
DISCUSSION
Choose one of the following topics. For the essay you may use one sheet of printed paper containing only a thesis and an outline of examples/evidence. This piece is worth 100 points. Please format according to MLA guidelines. Submit to turnitin.com by the end of class on Monday, March 19.
[A] In his review of the 2012 Young Vic production, New York Times critic Ben Brantley writes, “Nora is forced into devastating awareness of just how devious she’s become and how warped she has been by the subterfuge.” Write an essay that explores the extent to which Nora is forced into this awareness. Who forces her? Or is it an undoing she must own? What is the play’s greater idea about deceit?
[B] Choose one of the characters in the play. Trace that character’s understanding of and write an essay about what makes a fulfilled life in the eye of that character.
[C] Gregory Doran, the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, says that some playwrights will “stare with a very steady eye at some of the elements in our make-up which are ugliest.” Does Ibsen? What ugly elements of our make-up does he see, and what does the play suggest about the extent we can change them?
[D] One of the play’s great mysteries to me is why Torvald is so quick to forgive Nora after Krogstad returns the IOU. How do you explain his sudden reversal? You should use this prompt to discover some of Torvald’s more unattractive traits.
[E] Ibsen is famous for his artistic use of props. Write an essay that analyzes props and their artistic use in A Doll’s House. How are those props more than mere objects?
[F] The word “courage” repeats in the play, becoming associated with Mrs. Linde, Helmer, and Nora. What makes an action courageous or uncourageous, does the play suggest? Choose only one character to develop your thinking.
What's Due?
Tuesday, February 20 - The Road Essay Due
Your essay on The Road is due Tuesday, February 20. It should be 1500 words (10% on either side is fine). Submit to turnitin.com ONLY. It will be worth 2, 100-pt grades, double the value of the thesis / body ¶. It's the major grade of the 3rd quarter.
Wednesday, February 28 - A Doll's House Vocabulary Quiz
Monday, March 19 - In-class essay on A Doll's House
current text to bring daily
PURCHASE by Thursday, march 8
Word of the day
when you've run out of work
