A Marxist Interpretation of Ibsen's A Doll's House

[HopefulLawStudent]

Hey guys,

Could someone please explain how one could adopt a Marxist interpretation of Ibsen's A Doll's House? Like what is Marxism (I've trolled google but the explanations I found re:marxism and the connection between marxism and A Doll's House were beyond my understanding and the understanding I need for the course). Aaaand could you please explain how there's even a relationship between marxism and A Doll's House? I'm so confused.

Note to mods: I have no idea where this question would fit/belong because there's no official "Lit Q&A thread" to post questions in unlike English (and there probably aren't enough of us Lit kids to even bother starting a Q&A thread lol) so I just started a new topic. I'm sorry if I screwed up tho. Feel free to move this to where it belongs.

[Maz]

Hi Human,
I did an essay (in year 12) about the Doll's House last term some time (you might have seen some of my asking for help questions  )
so hopefully I can be of some assistance 

Because my essay was a joint one on Marxism and Feminism (majorly), I only did a paragraph Marxism but below is my paragraph:

Marxist reading’s are methods of socioeconomic analysis; and an idea that ‘actions and human institutions are economically determined, that the class struggle is the basic agency of historical change’. Ibsen’s incorporation of this reading in his work created an exploration of the evolving expectations concerning the middle class during this time in Norway. The ‘bourgeois respectability’, as it was called, incorporated ideas of financial success free of debt and a high morale patriarchal society. The play opens on a scene where Nora enters with a bare Christmas tree, carrying a number of parcels and the proceeding discourse becomes evidence of Nora’s submission to commercialism, ‘Hide the Christmas tree away carefully, Helene. The children mustn’t see it till this evening when it is decorated’. Although a minor action, through a Marxist lens the need to dress the tree can be associated symbolically with commercialism, presenting Nora as one who is being forced to submit to socioeconomic standards. This Nora further exemplifies through her quote, ‘There’s a crown. Keep the change’. Though it is openly discussed between Nora and her husband that ‘this is the first Christmas they haven’t had to go carefully’ and implied that the family has had money issues in the past, Nora gives the money to the Porter freely and doesn’t catechize for change. This is perhaps the first hint, in the play, of societal thinking, during that era. Through this quote, Nora’s deludes the Porter of the low financial position of her family and gives the illusion that they are in a better condition than they actually are. At the opening of the play, it becomes evident that Nora equates freedom with the acquisition of money, believing that the only way she can be ‘carefree and happy’, is if she has material wealth. Of course, this frame of thinking changes completely towards the end of the play when she realizes that money doesn’t make her ‘happy’. This exemplification of one’s socioeconomic status and highlighting the importance of it is an everlasting theme amongst literature, and subsequently, a reflection of society. According to this notion of Marxism, Nora has become overwhelmed by her surroundings to the extent that she feels no option but to submit to the socioeconomically classified society. 

I feel as though the Doll's house wouldn't really have a lot to do with just Marxism. So, I don't know what your question is but if you can try and discuss other things beyond just Marxism.

I didn't really use any websites for my essay, so sorry I don't have any places for you to go, however, a quick google search has yielded this: https://letterpile.com/misc/Marxist_and_Feminist_analysis_of_A_Doll_House
you may want to check it out. It seems like something within the course.

I hope this helps

[HopefulLawStudent]

Hi Human,
I did an essay (in year 12) about the Doll's House last term some time (you might have seen some of my asking for help questions  )
so hopefully I can be of some assistance 

Because my essay was a joint one on Marxism and Feminism (majorly), I only did a paragraph Marxism but below is my paragraph:

Marxist reading’s are methods of socioeconomic analysis; and an idea that ‘actions and human institutions are economically determined, that the class struggle is the basic agency of historical change’. Ibsen’s incorporation of this reading in his work created an exploration of the evolving expectations concerning the middle class during this time in Norway. The ‘bourgeois respectability’, as it was called, incorporated ideas of financial success free of debt and a high morale patriarchal society. The play opens on a scene where Nora enters with a bare Christmas tree, carrying a number of parcels and the proceeding discourse becomes evidence of Nora’s submission to commercialism, ‘Hide the Christmas tree away carefully, Helene. The children mustn’t see it till this evening when it is decorated’. Although a minor action, through a Marxist lens the need to dress the tree can be associated symbolically with commercialism, presenting Nora as one who is being forced to submit to socioeconomic standards. This Nora further exemplifies through her quote, ‘There’s a crown. Keep the change’. Though it is openly discussed between Nora and her husband that ‘this is the first Christmas they haven’t had to go carefully’ and implied that the family has had money issues in the past, Nora gives the money to the Porter freely and doesn’t catechize for change. This is perhaps the first hint, in the play, of societal thinking, during that era. Through this quote, Nora’s deludes the Porter of the low financial position of her family and gives the illusion that they are in a better condition than they actually are. At the opening of the play, it becomes evident that Nora equates freedom with the acquisition of money, believing that the only way she can be ‘carefree and happy’, is if she has material wealth. Of course, this frame of thinking changes completely towards the end of the play when she realizes that money doesn’t make her ‘happy’. This exemplification of one’s socioeconomic status and highlighting the importance of it is an everlasting theme amongst literature, and subsequently, a reflection of society. According to this notion of Marxism, Nora has become overwhelmed by her surroundings to the extent that she feels no option but to submit to the socioeconomically classified society. 

I feel as though the Doll's house wouldn't really have a lot to do with just Marxism. So, I don't know what your question is but if you can try and discuss other things beyond just Marxism.

I didn't really use any websites for my essay, so sorry I don't have any places for you to go, however, a quick google search has yielded this: https://letterpile.com/misc/Marxist_and_Feminist_analysis_of_A_Doll_House
you may want to check it out. It seems like something within the course.

I hope this helps

Thank you so much!