In the summer of 1807, after the British towed home nearly every ship in the Norwegian fleet (which was supplying Britain's enemies), Norway was forced to rethink its foreign policy. The country reluctantly allied itself with Britain's enemy, the French leader Napoleon.
The Norwegian economy, which relied so heavily on the seaports, suffered terribly when the British put a naval blockade in place. A combination of factors eventually dissolved the fiftythree- year union between Norway and Denmark; in 1814 Denmark ceded Norway to the Swedish king. Norway was thus united with Sweden in 1880, approximately the time in which the play is set; the union would continue until 1905.
The period of union witnessed the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Norwegians, especially to the United States. As a result of its rugged geography and the trend toward emigration, Norway remained sparsely settled and predominantly rural. In 1850 only 163,000 of Norway's 1,400,000 people lived in urban areas. The population distribution created a small-town mentality that Ibsen loathed and examined repeatedly in his writings.
Christmas in Norway. A Doll's House opens on Christmas Eve with Nora Helmer busily making final preparations for the following day. The Christmas season in Norway traditionally called for elaborate celebrations and activities.
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