The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-09-27
CHAU TAUQUA. 5:
HENRIK IBSEN.
BY MEMBER OF CLASS G.

The name of Henrik Ibsen has created stir
in literary circles of late, and, 1 have no
doubt MANY have asked: "WhO is IbSen and
what has he done? Why all this noise, and 7
wby shall we have Ibsen clubs, not only in Ger
MANY France England and Russia, but also in
America even in our own literary Boston. Inc
pOet Ibsen halls from the little land under the
Pole rich in wonderful legends. stormy seas ana
snOw-crested mountains known othe American
schoolboy as the land of the midnight sum- the
home of the dreaded Vikings and the goldfish
1t is not very often that man who enters the
world in such remote place ever attalns uni
versal fame. This seems, however, to be the
case with Jbsen He was born in small town
by the name of Skien. not very far from Chrls-
tiania and located on the same ford, or pay.
His parents were common laboring people ana
could not afford the luxury of an extended ed
| ucatiOn for their children, and even II they nad
been financially able it would have been contrary
to common custom existing in Norway IN those
DAYS. The son who wanted to know something
more than his father was looked upon as a Wllo
ungrateful fellow who would some day find out
his fatal mistake, but too late; these of a peas
ant should be a peasant. that of teacher
| teacher a carpenter ditto. etc. TO deVlatef rOm
this unwritten law in regard to inheritance OF
trades and professions was considered little
better than an actual crime. Happily. awOnder-
ful chanpe for the better has taken place during
the last fifty years.
Young Ibsen had, therefore, to contend
against poverty as we'll as the powerful arm OF
custOm However, he fought his own battles
and he fought determined to conquer Some
how he managed to get an academic edllcatlOn
in the sO-called MiGdelSkOle of Sklen, klnd OF
preparatory for the University. Having received
his diploma, together with words OF encourage
ment from his teacher he turned his face toward
tile CAPITOL Christiana Here he soon found his
way into the old Heltbergs Latin school, where
candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts
Il were manufactured in fabulous short time from
all kinds Of material for so much per head
IL Side by side with Biornson, Vinje and Jonas
Q Lie Ibsen struggled with his Latin and Greek
. authors and with the wonderful leadership OF
:. Heltsberg it was again the march OF triumph OF
IL Gothic vandals over the RUNS of Rome and Hell
% las. Little did the worthy pedagogue dream OF
u the future fame of his disciples.
~ In due time Ibsen obtained his coveted A. b.,
~ but he found, Also that his old enemy-poverty
~ had not left him. Prompted by hunger for
IL bread more than by hunger for fame, he.began
vi writing his first dreams. 1t was a complete fall
" IRE. The manager of the theatre had no use fol
'o it. and literary critics ignored it. few years
~ afterwards the author rewrote it, and it is nov
VI read and appreciated by literary people II
W. every civilized country. KeiSer Og Galllder, EN-
~ peror and Galilean is the title of this work. Ih
VI characters represented are taken from ever
- sphere of life, from the highest to the lowest
y, and all we can say of them is. they are true L
~ nature If not always true to history The autho
e presents to his reader nothing less than the fna
~ battle between Christianity and paganism w
III see before us on every page the fierce struggl
~ between the good spirit and the apostate' Tn
'' mighty conflict between the Saviour ana TN
- devil. Another great work of Ibsen's is entltle
w Brand" from its leading character, an ro
-, monument of a clergyman. Brand' is msJes'l'
grand-yes. he is even more, he IS awful. b'
- the greatest work Ibsen has produced is the on
N" called per Gyut''; no critic has ever succeede
. in explaining its meaning fully, and the authc
himself declined to answer pertinent questlo
in reference to the mysterious Bang" Som
to hodv. who is considered as good literary autho
Dit itv has said that Ibsen's per Gyut is to TT
on scandinavian literature what GOethe'S "FauSt
ler is To the German do not claim to understan
vel if in all its details One thing do know; a No
OF wegan will read Per Gyut and laugh lmmeasur
ably not knowing that he is laughing at MS OW
folly. Ibsen has produced great many oth
works which I should like to mention brefl
but space does not permit 1t.
VIZ He has also written a number of beautlf
poems which will forever be regarded as lyl
80 Jewels by lovers of the muse.
'o' The author is now man advanced in veal
. .on crowned with world wide fame and surround
'no by wealth and luXury-the reward of his gre
0eo' genius He has allowed his eldest son an anr
'i"i ity equal to the crown princes of Sweden a
'a'- Norway A critic has said that Ibsen has pail
a. ed the world darker than it is. / admit he 4
LILO given us the dark side without the bright OF
10 but it must be remembered that Ibsen is Oh
W. of our pessimistic age, and do not think I'll
'oo' a fair-minded critic will say he has Overdra
row. the picture although he may claim the worlt
uii- growing better. have found not only profit
jas real pleasure in reading Ibsen's work, an
~ think it can be said without contradiction Il
. o. no author in the Danish-Norwegian tongue de
ooo' or living has ever attained to that eminence
'o" elegance and polish as to composition, and at
,um- same time DOrtrayed such an abundance of P
900; Geological knowledge as to character:
900 dramas are a long, beautiful flowing rivel
'o"o' verse Of course much of this beauty is l0s
opu- translatiOnS, but even If you cannon read IDse
200, work in the original: read the pest tIansato
g. oe | of which YOU will find an abundant suppl!
''o every modern language, and am sure, althOt
the charm of the original language be l0SC,
Geo. reader will feel amply repaid for his trouble
H. ="--
nah. A "Guide-Post."
ally, In Iceland men and women arein every resi-
cam, POLITICALLY equal. The nation, which nume