The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-07

in the simplicity of our souls. we See
only n nobility Of Aslmers and Iata
IN their determination to expia.e their
sin against Little Eyolf BY attempt
ing TO "enncble the 10, In life OF other
neglected children" And though
even Mr.. William Archer holds that
this drama IS II its indictment Of
nature AN utterance NJ profound
pessimism. yet We MAY still plead
that a peSslmism which is sufficient
y "sfoical and bracing" rs to lead
one With Alimers 10 look forward
steadily = the heavy day Of work
ahead 70 look .upwards-.owards
the peaks towards the stars TO
wards the great silence" may really
present The last. i not the highest.
claim OF the ideal.
The next PLAY. John Gabriel Bork-
man. presents IN some respects a re
c~apitulation OF former themes and
situations. especially Of those set
forth in Pillars of society: but th.
later play is in the quality ~ its
imagination and in its power or char
acteriZation far superior 10 its proto-
type. and il possesses the purifying
! influence OF all great tragedies. The
theme Of most interes, TO "A s-archer
after specific examples OF Ibsen's
ideal demands however. i that
which relates u The great unpardon-
able sin OF John Gabriel Borkman
in numbering the loye-life ia Ella
Rentheim's soul-and III has own be
sides. lbSen had touched on his
theme even as early as Brand. who's.
mother had chosen money in prefer
ence 10 love. and again in Pillar OF
Society in Bernick's fitting of Iona
HeSSel. 1t was also a faVorite theme
OF Brownlngs s, but in the mastery
scene in the second act Of john
Gabriel Borkman The terrible crime"
OF killing the love-life in a human
} n,tlf for fhA - IL OF zAvalf y nyt1
bition IS presented with a dramatic
intensity which is perhaps unplral-
leled III literature.
When We Dead Awaken. the Epi-
logue to ihsen's long Series Of dra :
matte masterpieces, centerS around
he same theme. but the theme aer,,
becomes SO involved III an intricate
symbolism of the life work of a crea
artist-apparentiy of lbsen's own
that the sin for which there can ho
no forgiveness seems to indicate ths
sin of losing ones life for the sake
of ones art. In this play lbsen i'm
plies that the excessive deVotee ..
> art has never really lived; and 5"
like brand, the fanaticai devotee Oh
: relisj~ has not fully realized him
self ~ this be true, lbsen Is here
, merely adding one more figure &c
, his artistic group of men and Womer
!, so that every phase Of life "a nc ~aV
: it might be complete.
In this deliberately one-sid"d dis
= cussion of Ibsen's plays | have TIRE,
+ to show merely that IbSen's attack!
r on social conditions are never aim
less: thai he does suggest a remed.
for the diseases of society which n
so skilfuliy diagnoses. and that hi
iconoclastic realism is idealistic in 1T
II tendency. He, OF course. never ap
proaches the buoyant optimism {
= Browning: but he
Il ''Pierces the soul With frosts az
fires,
q And like the storm radh'd heaye
inspires"
+ In Emperor and Gaiilean. Ibsen'
lc great world drama, which chronoio
gicaliy belongs to his second, o
n house building" period. but whic
in spite is akin to his later castle
n in the air." IbSen sums up III
~ philosophy of life in his conceptio
Of of 1.-The Third Empire which is I
e mite pagan Beauty and Christla
n Truth in a higher unity: and how
Of may be. it is undoubtedly the dreau
~ of an idealist who believes that
r The sick Earth shall grow sour
Of again
re Thus through "life's vast organ
,h from Brand to the EpilOgue Ibse
spoke ito the great worlds hal
ms closed ear" of the Spirit of Truth ar
of Freedom and of the ideals pow
n er Of propagation and of develol
IL ment"; and so from first TO last, /
lis drained his glass Ito the grown
of the coming time
as
- - D. UD--sHo