The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-11-13
MISS Mccoy GIVES
SKETCH OF TBSEN

Three of Isben's plays are to be
presented at the Normal auditorium
next week. To aid the students in a,
better appreciation Of them, Miss Su-
san Mccoy gave a splendid talk on
the authors life, Tuesday morning,
during chapel. ~. .s T.
Ibsen is held in the same high re-.
gard by Norwegians that Goethe is
by the Germans, Moliere by the
French, and Shakespeare by the Eng
lish speaking people. He was born in
1928 in the village of Skien. His an
cestors were seafaring men who had
| married foreign women. His mother
was a. German woman.
His early childhood was looked back
upon with regret, for he lived in mel
anchol1. surroundings, even though
his father was for time the leading
citizen; of the village. Because his
parents did not understand him, they
did not, exert: any great influence in
his life The only people he loved
were his sister and his schoolmaster.
At fifteen,he finished the village school
and wished to become an artist but
financial difficulties prevented him
from studying for this. He apprens'
ticed himself to all apothecary of a.
neighboring? town!
Life there was not very happy for
Ibsen, for with a few exceptions he:
did not like the people and they in
turn stunned him because of mis- pe-.
culiar mannerisms. Much time was
spent in writing and in, preparing for
entrance to university by studying
Latin. AS an outgrowth of this study
"a 711Jh1I cn n1 ~ N,k1s,, - 'rLt.,
did not meet with success, although it
was afterwards revised and included
in his works.
At twenty-one we find him assist
ing playwrights in Christiania, not
well-paying position, but it enabled
him to write and travel. Such men
as Ole Bull and Thorsen became inter
ested in him. Through the influence
of the latter he became manager of y
one of the opera houses, later marry.
ing Thorsen's daughter. 49,
Many of his plays were written
during the next twenty years of his
life which were spent in Italy and
Germany, whose warm climate and
friendly people inspired his genius
On travelling through Norway he
was enthusiastically received but he
considered it insincere and SO return
ed to Munich where the master Build
er" and "Hedda Gabler" were pro-
duced. In 1890 when he visited Nor
way he was so cordially welcomed that
he decided to make Christiania his
home
He died in 1906 and his funeral was
an occasion of state, attended by the
King and notable people of his coun-
Try. 1bsen really represented the lives
Of the Norwegian people. During his
life he suffered great deal because
Of his peculiar manners and appear
niice. Being very reticent he could
lot make friends though he was res
i;ected and honored by people all over
The world. AS a citizen of the world
lie pictured fundamental feelings and
realities Of life. He was a great sos
sial pathologist and reader of human
nature as well as great interpreter
IF Norwegian life in it's changes and
developments as growing country
Miss Mccoy gave an interesting
fact connected with this. Paul Fjelde.
I former student Of V. c. NJ, is max
ng a bust of Ibsen to be presented to
he University of North Dakota. Mr..
F'jelde's father was a personal friend
If Ibsen. One of Mr. Fjelde's stat
les of Ibsen is now in Como Park,
r. w.