A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

This was the other play I read.  It was slow at first and honestly not a lot happens.  It all takes place within three days.  It is an incredibly simple read and easy to understand.  I enjoyed the last couple pages the most when our main character, Nora, realizes what her life really is like and that she does not know who she is.

Nora starts out in this play as a very flighty, happy person that is very superficial.  She does not seem to know what life is really like and her husband treats her like a 'doll.'  He talks to her like she is a young little girl and expects her to be a trophy wife and act/dress in certain ways.  He works at a bank and has just been made the manager.  In order to keep up his appearance of having a strong, moral character, he dismisses his friend who has a reputation for doing questionable business.  Unfortunately, this man did business with Nora in the past and Nora is still paying off her debt.  She took out a loan in order to save her husband's life.  This man threatens Nora and writes a blackmail letter to her husband in order to get his job back and to get his reputation cleared.  Nora tries her hardest to prevent the letter from getting into her husband's hands, but in the end resigns herself to her husband finding out.  She believes he will rescue her.  Unfortunately her husband does not accept what she has done and says she will never be allowes out of the house and will never be able to raise their three children.

After saying all of these hurtful things he reads another letter from the same man that decided to return Nora's bill and releasing her from all responsibility.  Nora's husband is relieved and decides they will go on with life like nothing happened and tries to take back everything he said.  Unfortunately for him, Nora realizes that she does not know herself or her husband and must leave to find out who she is.  Her husband tries to convince her to stay, but she leaves.

While it is a sad ending that does not necessarily end happily-ever-after, it has a very good lesson.  Nora had spent her whole life living and doing what others expected her to do.  She never found out who she was.  It is a great short play that has great insight at the end about life.

Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco

My posts have definately spaced out a bit with our hectic life.  Blake asked me to help him read a few plays the last couple of days to make sure the content/language was acceptable for his English class.  I have not had much experience reading plays and honestly was not in the mood to read them.  My brain has been fried with pregnancy and I have not wanted to really concentrate or read lately.  I am glad that I was able to enjoy both the plays I read and even more grateful that they were short plays and easy to read.

Rhinoceros is definately on a higher literary level than the other play I read, " A Doll's House."  I must admit the first act was a little hard to get through and really keep up with all the conversations because there are so many people talking at once that it is chaotic.  The rest of the book is fairly easy to read and even the language usage is much more simple.  Pretty much you follow this one guy that is borderline a drunk.  He is trying to find meaning in his life and starts out by arguing with his friend pretty much about whether the rhinoceros that they had seen twice run through town was the same one or different.  People, including his friend, start turning into Rhinoceros'  and I thought it was funny that the only person upset and freaking out about this phenomenon was the main character.  Everyone else just goes with the flow and follows the crowd.  Eventually everyone turns in a Rhinoceros except our main character.  He struggles at the end being the only one left and at first fights against it, and then in turn wants to become a Rhinoceros as well but cannot.  He then accepts that he is the last human and is determined to fight against the majority.

I found it interesting that there is a lot of logic and what is real discussed throughout the book.  So many people start by fighting against everyone, but in the end follow what everyone else does even if it does not necessarily make sense.  Really, how many people want to turn into a Rhinoceros.  Many are mad about it, but then decide that everyone else is having more fun and enjoying life better.  They are escaping from their hectic life and having fun and relaxing.  It is interesting to see how in such a short period an entire society can change their opinions and focus in life.