Author(s)

Baozhu Lu ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Inner Mongolia University, Zhaojun Street, Hohhot, China

Corresponding Author

Baozhu Lu

ABSTRACT

Jon Fosse's play Suzannah, inspired by the real-life story of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen and his wife Suzannah, narrates through monologues, centering on "waiting" and "memory". This paper uses Mieke Bal's visual narrative theory to analyze the play's visual effect from encoder, code, and reader dimensions, with a focus on Suzannah's female image. The play dissolves linear time via the temporal-spatial juxtaposition of old, middle-aged, and young Suzannahs, showing her life changes. The "third eye" implies her unacknowledged support for Ibsen's creation, while silence amplifies her inner depression. Crucially, from the reader's view, Suzannah's on-stage image is shaped by the male gaze—framed as a figure stuck in waiting and trivialities—starkly contrasting with her real historical image as an independent woman. This paper deepens understanding of Fosse's minimalist techniques and offers a reference for exploring female representations in contemporary drama.

KEYWORDS

Jon Fosse, Suzannah, Visual Narrative, Female Image

CITE THIS PAPER

Baozhu Lu, Visual Narrative and the Deconstruction of the Female Image in Jon Fosse's Suzannah. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2025) Vol. 8: 69-76. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2025.080510.

REFERENCES

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[11] Nilsen, S.M. Var Dette Suzannah Ibsen? [Was This Suzannah Ibsen?]. Aftenposten,2004-01-18(12).
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