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Viewing report
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"Homes for human beings". Edition No. 1
VDM Publishing House, Sep 2008, Pages: 124
The Master Builder is one of the enigmatic plays by
Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, often described
as one of the founders of modernism. The play is an
intricately woven web of imagery and its themes
range from the battle between the generations to the
problematics of language and the unreliability of
memories. This reading explores how spatiality
ultimately pervades The Master Builder, not only by
reflecting how modernity is experienced by its
characters, but also in facilitating meaning through
the scenery and stage directions. Spatiality is
essential to the theatre and by extension to the
meta-dramatic nature of the play. In addition, most
of the images of The Master Builder are overtly
spatial in nature since they stem from architecture
or building. Yet, the play refuses to fit into the
mould of realism, despite its seemingly realistic
setting. The ultimately uncanny impact of the play’s
spatiality is perhaps most clearly seen in the title
character’s failure to build “houses for human
beings”. A close reading focussing on the spatiality
of the play emphasises the complexities of The
Master Builder and offers numerous opportunities for
interpretation.
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