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Unit 39 • Class 12Compulsory English (Eng.004)
One Act Play 2: Facing Death
एकाङ्की नाटक २: मृत्युको सामना
August Strindberg’s intense naturalistic domestic drama where a bankrupt father sacrifices his life in a house fire to secure fire insurance for his ungrateful daughters.
Lesson Summary & Key Concepts
Swedish dramatist August Strindberg’s intense naturalistic tragedy depicts the painful ruin of Monsieur Durand, an impoverished former French army officer running a failing Swiss pension. Tormented by aggressive creditors and despised by his own daughters due to his deceased wife’s bitter fabrications, Durand orchestrates the ultimate sacrifice: setting his house ablaze and drinking poison so his ungrateful daughters can survive on his fire insurance compensation.
Core Themes & Main Ideas
1
The suffocating trap of modern economic insolvency and bankruptcy
2
The destructive posthumous influence of a bitter parent (the deceased mother’s slander)
3
Naturalistic determinism: human lives constrained by heredity and harsh socioeconomic conditions
4
Paternal love and noble self-sacrifice versus generational ingratitude
5
Facing Death as a modern tragedy: bourgeois despair without classical heroic salvation
Key Figures & Historical / Literary Personalities
Monsieur DurandImpoverished pension owner, former French military officer
Endures humiliation, isolation, and starvation, ultimately sacrificing his life in a staged arson to secure insurance money for his daughters.
AdeleDurand’s eldest daughter
Initially bitter toward her father, she gradually discovers his profound love and hidden sacrifices before the final catastrophe.
Theresa & AnnetteDurand’s younger daughters
Deeply poisoned by their late mother’s prejudice; frivolous, impatient, and hostile toward their father.
The Deceased Mrs. DurandDurand’s late wife (unseen)
Squandered both family inheritances on foolish financial speculations and brainwashed her daughters to hate their father.
Textbook Exercises & Solutions
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Reference beyond the textEx 3Question b (b)• 5 Marks
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High-Yield Exam Focus Questions (1)
Practice questions curated specifically for One Act Play 2: Facing Death.
Exam FocusExam Preparation Question5 Marks
Exam Rationale: CDC Specification Grid Section 2 (Literature - One Act Plays): August Strindberg’s naturalistic family drama examining sacrifice, maternal misrepresentation, and redemption.
Model Answer & Key Marking Points:
Key Criteria Needed for Full Marks:
- ✓
- ✓
- ✓
- ✓
Quick Revision Takeaways
Common Exam Pitfalls to Avoid
⚠️ Common Error: Blaming Monsieur Durand for the family’s bankruptcy.
✓ Correct Approach: The play explicitly reveals that Mrs. Durand recklessly squandered both their fortunes on foolish speculation.
Why: Durand endured false accusations and shame solely to protect the family’s dignity.