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September 08, 2005
A Fostered Opinion
Foster, How to Read Literature Like a Professor Intro through p. 22 -- Drama as Literature (EL 250)
"Ghosts and Vampires are never only about ghosts and vampires."
Mr. Foster makes an interesting point about how vampires and ghosts are less literally blood-sucking and more metaphorically. On this basis, "A Doll's House," by Ibsen is a vampire story.
Krogstad is, "an older figure representing corrupt, outworn values," and Nora is a, "young...female" experiencing, "a stripping away of her youth, energy, [and virtue." The only necessary component left to complete Foster's vampirical model is for Krogstad to grow stronger through the sapping of Nora's strength, or in this case money.
Krogstad is corrupt. Characters in the play constantly refer to his moral blunders, and one can assume he has given up on business ethics. While Nora is none too virtuous, she is young at heart and full of entrepreneurial energy. He "act[s] toward [her] in exploitative and selfish ways," and cares not about her well being. Out of necessity or not, he intends to blackmail Nora until every shilling of interest is paid. Thus Krogstad is a vampire.
Posted by DavidDenninger at September 8, 2005 10:18 AM
Comments
ah..yes, foster's what fun..
Posted by: Lou Gagliardi at September 8, 2005 01:23 PM
I don't think of Krogstad as corrupt. Just desperate. He wants to regain some social dignity so that he doesn't shame his sons. I don't fault him for using blackmail when it's the only weapon in his arsenal.
Posted by: Kayla Sawyer at September 8, 2005 03:14 PM
Now that I've finished the play, I can see where you're coming from. He's not all heartless, just desperate. After all, Nora does owe him the money.
Posted by: David Denninger at September 8, 2005 03:24 PM
Ibsen's audience might have expected Krogstad to be a moustache-twirling villain... that's certainly how Nora perceives him. But Mrs. Linde and Krogstad offer a counterpoint to the kind of relationship Nora and Torvald have.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at September 8, 2005 06:21 PM
With all of your opinion and examples to support that Krogstad is indeed a vampire, I don't see how anyone could disagree!
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