Escapism and power as entwined themes in Anouilhˇs Antigone and
Ibsenˇs A Dollˇs House.
Escapism is the ability of a person to leave his or her physical surroundings,
and transcend into a world of their own, in order to flee the harsh truth of
reality. This ability can give an individual power, or make them lose it. This
concept is highlighted in Anouilhˇs Antigone and Ibsenˇs A Dollˇs House,
through the subtle use of symbols, foreshadowing, and imagery. In this
light, escapism and power can be seen as themes with a linked purpose;
to drive the play forward by building up emotions that culminate in acts of
rebellion at the end of each play. With reference to this, escapism as a
means to gain and lose power, and power as a trigger for escapism will
be analyzed in this essay.
Escapism as a means to gain power is portrayed in Anouilhˇs play Antigone
through his protagonist. Although mentioned only once, the ‘grey worldˇ
that Antigone is so fascinated with serves as a symbol for her escapist
persona. She says ‘It was beautiful. The whole world was grey when I went
out. And now – you wouldnˇt recognize it. It is like a post card: all pink,
green, and yellow.ˇ1 The colour grey alludes to bleakness, imagery of a
world without colour, which could connote to a world without men or
human interference. Her dislike for the world with colour suggests that
she is not content with the mortal world of man, and wishes to go beyond
it. This idea is perpetuated when she says ‘Have you ever thought how
lovely a garden is when it is not yet thinking of men?ˇ
Hence, her longing to leave the world of men is one of the motivating
factors towards her decision to defy her uncle Creon, bury her brother
and thus make her uncle sentence her to death. Her strong will to die,
indicated by her vehement assertion, ‘I want to die!ˇ gives her power over
Creon, as he is helpless to change her decision. Indirectly, she brings about
the death of Haemon and Eurydice, as her suicide causes Haemon to join
her in death, which causes his mother Eurydice to commit suicide in turn.
Thus, Antigoneˇs escapism defines and strengthens her will to die, which
gives her considerable power over other characters in the play.
However, in Ibsenˇs A Dollˇs House, Nora is seen to create an idealistic
world which is filled with activity, colour and gaiety. This is her form of
1 Antigone by Jean Anouilh adapted and translated by Lewis Galantière, page 6
escapism, which contrasts to Antigoneˇs, as hers is grey, dull and empty.
Nevertheless, both these forms of escapism serve to drive the play
forward, although in different ways. Antigoneˇs escapist nature propels
her power, while Noraˇs escapism hampers her power.
Escapism as a means to lose power is depicted in both Antigone and A
Dollˇs House, although in strikingly different ways. In Ibsenˇs A Dollˇs House,
Noraˇs escapism hinders her ability to accept the truth of her situation
and achieve self liberation, and thus power. She envisions an idealist
world of marital bliss, and in all but the end of the play, she constantly
strives to uphold this facade. This is evident when she says ‘… so snug and
happy here in our peaceful home, and have no cares …ˇ in Act II, during a
conflict between herself and Torvald. She is trying to maintain her
unrealistic world, as she is aware that this conflict is close to shattering it.
This prevents her from gaining any sort of influence over her husband, as
she is not able to assert her independence by breaking free of her
idealistic, although restrictive world.
Thus, by attempting to conform to the expectations of the rigid post war
society that the play is situated in, Nora hampers her ability to gain power.
This is similar to the loss of power in Antigone; however, it is brought on
by Antigoneˇs absorption in the past which leads her to reject her
maturity, and thus her power as an adult in society. This brings to light a
minor, although significant undercurrent in both plays; the theme of
childhood. This is linked to escapism, as it is a technique that Anouilh and
Ibsen use to further their protagonistsˇ escapist natures, and thus restrict
their ability to gain power.
Both female protagonists are depicted as child women, although
Antigoneˇs child like character stems from her reluctance to emerge from
the past, Noraˇs is imposed upon her by her domineering husband,
Torvald. For both women, this image causes them to lose power by fueling
their escapist tendencies.
For Nora, it is part of the character she plays for Torvald, and thus a part of
her unrealistic world. Hence, it is not her true character. Thus, she is able to
overcome it to gain power, by abandoning her sense of idealism, and
consequently the childlike image that her husband created for her.
However, for Antigone, it is part of her innate persona, for she was never
meant to be feminine, or adult –like. This is seen when she is described at
the very beginning of the play, as a ‘thin little creatureˇ. This aspect of her
character is developed through the play, particularly significant during
her conversation with her Nurse. The nurse addresses her as ‘my sparrow,
my lambˇ and other such names appropriate to a child. This makes her
yearn for her childhood even more. Her reminiscence makes her reluctant
to die, and thus momentarily vulnerable.
In stark contrast to this, escapism and power have a different function
when manifested in the male characters of each play. Rather than
escapism giving rise to or hindering power, power is seen to be a trigger
for escapism. In A Dollˇs House, Torvald is a man in a patriarchal society
with considerable social standing. Despite this, he indulges in an idealistic
world in which he denies his failing marriage, and at the very end of the
play, struggles to hold on to it, even after being shattered by his wifeˇs
departure. This is clear in his disbelief when he says ‘But to part! – to part
from you! No, no, Nora, I canˇt understand that idea.ˇ He fails to grasp the
fact that the reality of his and Noraˇs marriage has been finally revealed,
as he has spent so much time absorbed in his unrealistic version of it, he
has convinced himself it is real. Thus, his escapist world is shattered; this
renders him powerless to cope with Noraˇs departure.
Although Torvald seems to enjoy his power, Creon does not. He makes an
analogy of his role as King to the role of a manual laborer, someone who
uses their physical strength for work that he describes as ‘dirtyˇ. He deems
it as something he is compelled to do, as he is responsible to the state by
the power vested in him as a member of the royal family. His reluctant
acceptance of power indicated by the line ‘God knows, there were other
things I loved in life more than powerˇ leads him to advise his page ‘Never
grow up if you can help it.ˇ This suggests a certain attachment to the past,
when life was simpler and free of the constraints of responsibility. The
page himself is a symbol of this attachment, as he represents Creon as a
young boy. Additionally, he is always by Creonˇs side, reinforcing his subtle
connection with the past. Thus, he exhibits a minor form of escapism
induced by the weighty responsibility of having the power of the state.
The themes of escapism and power, when linked, can prove to be a
powerful tool to convey thoughts, and foreshadow character
development. When combined with hints of childhood as a sub theme,
these two motifs are revealed to be effective literary techniques in both
plays, unveiling aspects of character that would at first glance pass
undetected. Ibsen and Anouilh have shown escapism to moderate and
amplify power, and in relation to this, power as a trigger for escapism. It is
this interweaving of themes through symbols and imagery that truly
enhances a piece of literary work, and gives it layers of depth.