Heimat (play)
Encyclopedia
Heimat is a play by the German dramatist Hermann Sudermann
. The play, either in the original German
or in translations, was commonly also known as Magda, the name of the heroine. It was thought by some to be the most widely known and the most successful drama of the end of the 19th-century.
The technique is a clever combination of the naturalism
of Ibsen and the methods of the drame à thèse familiar in the works of Dumas fils. The conventional raisonneur — in the person of the Pastor Heffterdingk — mediates between Magda and her father, and debates with each the problems presented by the situation of a prodigal
daughter who returns home after a life of moral irregularity but opera
tic success.
The play bids the audience to despise respectability and admire independence. But the representative of each side is far from being an acceptable champion. Magda's father fails to recognize the difference between a child with duties and a human being with rights, and Magda reveals no conception of the fact that duty is only in part a social obligation and is in its innermost essence an obligation of self-respect.
Hermann Sudermann
Hermann Sudermann was a German dramatist and novelist.- Early career :He was born at Matzicken, a village just to the east of Heydekrug in the Province of Prussia , close to the Russian frontier...
. The play, either in the original German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
or in translations, was commonly also known as Magda, the name of the heroine. It was thought by some to be the most widely known and the most successful drama of the end of the 19th-century.
Analysis
Its success in the 19th century is traceable to at least four causes:- its theme of revolt against paternal tyranny is one to which the times were sympathetic
- its construction is skillful and in every sense theatrical
- it contains a number of picturesque episodes and amusing characters, and is distinguished for animated dialogue
- its heroine is an unconventional, self-assertive, and emotional “new womanNew WomanThe New Woman was a feminist ideal that emerged in the late 19th century. The New Woman pushed the limits set by male-dominated society, especially as modeled in the plays of Norwegian Henrik Ibsen . "The New Woman sprang fully armed from Ibsen's brain," according to a joke by Max Beerbohm...
” who affords an actress an unusual opportunity for temperamental display
The technique is a clever combination of the naturalism
Naturalism (theatre)
Naturalism is a movement in European drama and theatre that developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It refers to theatre that attempts to create a perfect illusion of reality through a range of dramatic and theatrical strategies: detailed, three-dimensional settings Naturalism is a...
of Ibsen and the methods of the drame à thèse familiar in the works of Dumas fils. The conventional raisonneur — in the person of the Pastor Heffterdingk — mediates between Magda and her father, and debates with each the problems presented by the situation of a prodigal
Prodigal
Prodigal may refer to*a spendthrift, or person who spends money recklessly and wastefully* Parable of the Prodigal Son * The Prodigal, a 1955 epic biblical film* The Prodigal , a Season 1 episode of the TV show Angel...
daughter who returns home after a life of moral irregularity but opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic success.
The play bids the audience to despise respectability and admire independence. But the representative of each side is far from being an acceptable champion. Magda's father fails to recognize the difference between a child with duties and a human being with rights, and Magda reveals no conception of the fact that duty is only in part a social obligation and is in its innermost essence an obligation of self-respect.