Henrik Ibsen: The Father of Modernism in the TheaterRank, mortal pessimist, a disease, an evil to be depreciated (Bordman and Hischak 1). Who would have thought that such words would be used to describe the work of the man who brought modernism to the theater? Henrik Ibsen's life was not to be envied. The shame that surrounded his childhood and seeped into adulthood had a huge impact on his writing. Infusing his plays with highly controversial themes, devoid of the current sunny air of Victorian values ​​that Europe held in such high esteem, led him to have a lasting impact on the theater. However, despite the depression and poverty that surrounded Ibsen's life, as well as his work often described as pessimistic and undesirable, he left a lasting mark on the theater, bringing modernism to the stage through his use of reality. life greatly impacted his ability to write as well as the themes he incorporated into his work. Ibsen's depression began at a very young age due to his mother's love affairs before marriage. It is for this reason that illegitimate children became a recurring theme in much of his work. Both of Ibsen's parents also suffered from depression and tended to be rather antisocial, which showed Henrik the importance of having relationships in life. Additionally, poverty constantly surrounded Ibsen's childhood. Literature often served as an escape for Ibsen, the only way to truly hide from the ever-gray cloud of poverty and depression. Ibsen also had a great interest in painting growing up. However, he couldn't take painting classes because he lacked money, so writing in a sense became his only option (Powers 2).Holscher 2The political scene...... middle of paper ......brutHolscher 3his simple act of being realistic, rejecting traditional Victorian values. Ibsen showed the bad truths of life, showing that people were actually not loyal to their partners, that the world was full of skeletons, instead of life being that flawless perfection as Victorian values ​​depict it. Henrik's style itself also changed theater, with its social and psychological problems, as well as the absence of unresolved issues in the plots (Fletcher 1). Henrik Ibsen significantly transformed theater in the 19th century with his introduction to modernism. It is remarkable how Ibsen did this despite the depression and poverty of his childhood, and despite the fact that his work was often verbally defecated. Ibsen's introduction of modernism to the theater was crucial because without it, the plays would not have revealed the truths about society, no matter how bleak they were...