Tenth graders hold hybrid mock trial to debate relevant themes from "A Doll's House" play

By Mia Zebrauskas ‘23

 

"Who should receive custody of the three children?”  That is the question the Class of 2023 debated throughout our recent mock trials. As part of our curriculum in our 10th grade English class, we read the radical play "A Doll’s House" by Henrik Ibsen which is set in Norway in the Victorian Era. Throughout our study of the text, our class explored how gender roles affect the fictional marriage of Torvald and Nora Helmer. Each section of our class prepared and put on two mock trials so every student could have the opportunity to become a lawyer as well as a witness or a juror. While English 10 students at Stuart have participated in these mock trials for the past several years, this February marked the first time that they have been completed using a hybrid platform! This immersive project was fascinating; we were able to highlight the many ways in which this almost 150-year-old drama is still completely relevant today and bring its story to life. During the preparation and performance of our mock trials, our class delved into topics such as economic status, mental health, feminism, equity, and more, to determine which parent should have custody of their children. I personally really enjoyed delivering a direct examination of a witness and the closing statement for my legal team’s side of the cases. Whatever the final verdict of each case, I admire and am proud of my virtual and in-person classmates for their hard work throughout this unit! It’s clear we have many future lawyers among us!" -Mia Zebrauskas ‘23

 

Alisa Deczynski’s Quote: "My experience preparing the mock trial was very thorough and analytic. My group gathered statistics and researched other relevant information to back up our claim. We all worked really hard to come up with responses to possible answers to our questions and answers to questions that would be asked of us. We collaborated really well and also enjoyed this process. My role in the mock trial was as both a lawyer and witness. I enjoyed this difference of roles because it allowed me to learn about the case in both viewpoints: one that supported Nora Helmer and one that opposed her. Overall I really enjoyed how this mock trial enabled me to think more about "A Doll's House," and how it helped me better understand the play overall!" -Alisa Deczynski '23

 

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