BECOMING LOVABLE – HOW WAS THE WORLD-FAMOUS IBSEN RECEIVED IN HUNGARY IN THE 19ᵀᴴ CENTURY?

Authors

  • Veronka-Örsike ASZTALOS University of Szeged, Hungary. E-mail: asztalos.veronka@gmail.com

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2020.3.15

Keywords:

Hungarian stereotypes, Ibsenism, ambivalence, marriage, divorce, Ibsen’s visit, The North, reception.

Abstract

Becoming lovable – how was the world-famous Ibsen received in Hungary in the 19th century? This study aims to show the controversies encountered in the early period of Henrik Ibsen’s Hungarian reception (up till 1895). The Norwegian author and his dramas are deeply rooted in the local cultures, and, we can also gain insight into glocal literary modernities by examining local disputes about Ibsen. The global success of “The Doll’s House” was divisive in the late 19th century, and the performance, in general, triggered ambivalent responses from the audiences: while some critics and viewers greeted it as a world-famous, modern work exploring contemporary social issues, others viewed it as an immoral drama that would have a harmful influence on society. The play triggered a major debate on the role of the women in Hungarian society and their emancipation.

REZUMAT. Devenind iubit – cum a fost primit renumitul Ibsen în Ungaria în secolul al 19-lea? Acest studiu își propune să arate controversele întâmpinate în perioada inițială a recepției maghiare a lui Henrik Ibsen (până în 1895). Autorul norvegian și dramele lui sunt adânc înrădăcinate în culturile locale și de asemenea, putem obține o perspectivă asupra modernităților literare glocale, examinând dispute locale despre Ibsen. Succesul global a dramei „O casă de păpuși” a fost divizibil la sfârșitul secolului al XIX-lea, iar performanța, în general, a declanșat reacții ambivalente din partea publicului: în timp ce unii critici și spectatori salutau ca o operă de renume mondială, modernă, explorând probleme sociale contemporane, alții au văzut-o ca pe o dramă imorală care poate avea o influență dăunătoare asupra societății. Piesa a declanșat o dezbatere majoră asupra rolului femeilor în societatea maghiară și emanciparea lor.

Cuvinte cheie: stereotipuri maghiare, ibsenism, ambivalență, căsătorie, divorț, vizita lui Ibsen, Nordul, recepție.

Author Biography

Veronka-Örsike ASZTALOS, University of Szeged, Hungary. E-mail: asztalos.veronka@gmail.com

PhD student at University of Szeged, Hungary. She is interested in Hungarian and Norwegian literary relations in the 19th century. E-mail: asztalos.veronka@gmail.com

References

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STUDIA UBB PHILOLOGIA, Volume 65 (LXV), No. 3, September 2020

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2020-09-30

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ASZTALOS, V.- Örsike. (2020). BECOMING LOVABLE – HOW WAS THE WORLD-FAMOUS IBSEN RECEIVED IN HUNGARY IN THE 19ᵀᴴ CENTURY?. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Philologia, 65(3), 199–210. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2020.3.15

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Volume 65, No. 3, 2020

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