''Heimat'' (“Home”; 1893) is a play by the German dramatist

Hermann Sudermann Hermann Sudermann (30 September 1857 – 21 November 1928) was a German dramatist and novelist. Life Early career Sudermann was born at Matzicken, a village to the east of Heydekrug in the Province of Prussia (now Macikai and Šilutė, i ...

. The play, either in the original

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

or in translations, was commonly also known as ''Magda'', the name of the heroine. It was thought by some to be the most widely known and the most successful drama of the end of the 19th century.

Analysis

Its success in the 19th century is traceable to at least four causes: # its theme of revolt against paternal tyranny is one to which the times were sympathetic # its construction is skillful and in every sense theatrical # it contains a number of picturesque episodes and amusing characters, and is distinguished for animated dialogue # its heroine is an unconventional, self-assertive, and emotional “

New Woman The New Woman was a feminist ideal that emerged in the late 19th century and had a profound influence well into the 20th century. In 1894, Irish writer Sarah Grand (1854–1943) used the term "new woman" in an influential article, to refer to ...

” who affords an actress an unusual opportunity for temperamental display The technique is a clever combination of the naturalism of

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

and the methods of the ''drame à thèse'' familiar in the works of

Dumas fils Alexandre Dumas (; 27 July 1824 – 27 November 1895) was a French author and playwright, best known for the romantic novel ''La Dame aux Camélias'' (''The Lady of the Camellias''), published in 1848, which was adapted into Giuseppe Verdi's ...

. The conventional ''raisonneur'' — in the person of the Pastor Heffterdingk — mediates between Magda and her father, and debates with each the problems presented by the situation of a prodigal daughter who returns home after a life of moral irregularity but

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

tic success. The play bids the audience to despise respectability and admire independence. But the representative of each side is far from being an acceptable champion. Magda's father fails to recognize the difference between a child with duties and a human being with rights, and Magda reveals no conception of the fact that duty is only in part a social obligation and is in its innermost essence an obligation of self-respect.

Adaptation

In 1938 the play was adapted into a film ''

Heimat ''Heimat'' () is a German word translating to 'home' or 'homeland'. The word has connotations specific to German culture, German society and specifically German Romanticism, German nationalism, German statehood and regionalism so that it ha ...

'' directed by

Carl Froelich Carl August Hugo Froelich (5 September 1875 – 12 February 1953) was a German film pioneer and film director. He was born and died in Berlin. Biography Apparatus builder and cameraman From 1903 Froelich was a colleague of Oskar Messter, one of ...

Editions

It has been translated into English by C. E. A. Winslow (Boston 1896), and edited by F. G. G. Schmidt (Boston 1909).

Notes

References

* * {{Americana, wstitle=Magda, first=William G. , last=Howard, year=1920 Incorrectly dates the original release of the work. 1893 plays German plays adapted into films Plays by Hermann Sudermann