A Comparative Analysis of Realism and Absurdity

on Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House and

Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot
Bacuo, Catherine B.
Demafiles, Cheryl Anne
IV-6 AB/BSE Literature
A Dolls House
A Dolls House is a European literature drama written by a Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in
1879 that made him considered by many as the father of modern drama. This prose play drama was
written in Norway whereas Norway was metaphorically considered as cold, legal, and male (Bellinger,
1927). This will be shown in the play how Nora Helmers, wife of Torvald Helmer, finds her way to selfactualization without concerning what other people might say in a kind of patriarchal and highly
traditional society:
I believe that before all else I am a reasonable human being. Just as you are--or, at all
events, that I must try and became one. I know quite well, Torvald, that most people would
think you right, and that views of that kind are to be found in books; but I can no longer content
myself with what most people say, or with what is found in books. I must think over things for
myself and get to understand them.

In additional, the Norwegian-Danish word for a doll can also mean puppet or marionette in
which the title itself, A Dolls House, already symbolizes how Nora was treated as someone who can
be controlled, cannot think of her own and be submissive.
You [Nora] have loved me [Torvald] as a wife ought to love her husband. Only you had not
sufficient knowledge to judge of the means you used. But do you suppose you are any the less dear
to me, because you dont understand how to act on your own responsibility? No, no; I should not be
a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes. You
must not think anymore about the hard things I said in my first moment of consternation, when I
thought everything was going to overwhelm me

Realism
A Dolls House is a prose play drama which became a milestone of the development of another
approach known in theater, realism, which made him known as the father of realism. Henrik Ibsen was
criticized by his critics because of those sensitive social issues he pictured to his writings like his
contempt to the institution of marriage. The play depicted a helpless position and submissiveness of
married women in the 19th century:
Try and calm yourself [Nora], and make your mind easy again, my frightened little singingbird. Be at rest, and feel secure; I [Torvald] have broad wings to shelter you under Here is
shelter for you; here I will protect you like a hunted dove that I have saved from a hawks claws; I
will bring peace to your poor beating heart. It will come, little by little, Nora, believe me. Tomorrow
morning you will look upon it all quite differently; soon everything will be just as it was before. Very
soon you wont need me to assure you that I have forgiven you; you will yourself feel the certainty
that I have done so. Can you suppose I should ever think of such a thing as repudiating you, or

even reproaching you? You have no idea what a true mans heart is like, Nora. There is
something so indescribably sweet and satisfying, to a man, in the knowledge that he has forgiven
his wife--forgiven her freely, and with all his heart. It seems as if that had made her, as it were,
doubly his own; he has given her a new life, so to speak; and she has in a way become both wife
and child to him. So you shall be for me after this, my little scared, helpless darling. Have no
anxiety about anything, Nora; only be frank and open with me, and I will serve as will and
conscience both to you--

It was evident how Torvald keep on telling Nora that she is helpless without him, he is the one
who will provide shelter for her and that Nora only belongs to him. Even those endearments that
Torvald used to associate to Nora like little, scared, mine [my] and helpless that shows the domination
of Torvald.
The play uncovers those sensitive negative sides of the norms, the hypocrisy and manipulative
behavior of a highly patriarchal and traditional society. Another thing that makes it realistic was that
Ibsen was very greatly concerned that in his contemporary dramas, the theater audiences (and
readers) should be witness to trains of events that could just as easily have happened to them
(Hanassen, 2005) like the preparation of Mrs. Helmers for Christmas Eve. This required that the
characters in his dramas spoke and behaved naturally and the situations had the stamp of being
everyday life about them.
Presenting an everyday peoples life and situations was just one thing that matters in a realist
play it must also have problems in society that subjects to debate, the issue about unjust relationship
between sexes (Hanassen, 2005).
Lastly, Ibsen was an advocate of human rights. According to him, husband and wife should live as
equal; free to become their own human beings whereas shows the existentialism in the play. Nora
finally had a self-actualization, her existence and free will without concerning other people and telling
her what she should and not should do.
Waiting for Godot
Waiting for Godot a play by Samuel becket was written in France in 1948. Tracing back to the
events of time the play was written, the world was just recovering from the ugly faces of war. Men have
become pawns for political discord. Alliances where formed and men were at the frontline of defense, if
not people are mere numbers to fill the casualty count from different attacks.
In this age occupation, achievements, wealth and relationships seemed like words from another
world. For the life during those times they only cared for bombs, shelter, food, survival and death. Men
were confused of how ones life can join the ashes in a falling of a bomb. The standard for morality was
turned upside down that they find it hard to draw a line. The moral order was no longer intact; Men
have lost his faith in religion and cared less about the life after it. Hence, problems of existence were
born.

Absurdity of Mans life

The play seemed simple. The conversation circled into different events the characters
encounters, which are random things that they can just think of comes up. It can be seen in the play
that not all of the conversation they exchanged made sense. And not everything said to one another
made them communicate with each other. Also, along their conversation they seem to go back to their
waiting upon Godot, every now and then they are reminded of what they are doing and just passing the
time until Godot arrives.
The same as life as we live it. Not all words said are understood and not every day of a mans
life is significant to whatever end the man see himself.
Estragon: Wait! I sometimes wonder if we wouldnt have been better off alone,
each one for himself. We werent made for the same road.
Vladimir: Its not certain.
Estragon: No, nothing is certain.
Vladimir: We can still part, if you think it would be better.
Estragon: Its not worthwhile now.
Vladimir: No, its not worthwhile now.
Silence
Estragon: Well, shall we go?
Vladimir: Yes, lets go.
They do not move.

They did things because they had no choice but to do these things and wait for how it will turn out.
Conclusion
The Dolls House Realism and Waiting for Godots Absurdism lets audience show the reality of
life. One can be optimistic about finding the essence if his being while others can just live life without
knowing where it can lead.
Reference(s):
Bellinger, M. (1927). A Short History of the Drama (pp. 317-322). New York City, United States of
Amaerica: Henry Holt & Company.
Esslin, M. (2012, april). Absurdist Theatre
Hanassen, J. (2005, November 7). Ibsen and Realism. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from
http://ibsen.nb.no/id/108034.0
Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House
Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot