 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
Table of Contents PLOT (Synopsis) Gregers Werle has returned to the house of his wealthy and realistic father, Hakon Werle, after an absence of almost seventeen years; the two of them have always felt hostile towards each other. When he learns that his father is going to marry the housekeeper, Ms. Sorby, Gregers is very upset. He turns on Werle and accuses him of making his sick mother's life miserable and of hastening her early death because of his philandering ways. After Gregers has a talk with his friend, Hialmar Ekdal, he realizes that Werle has also arranged for his former mistress, Gina, to marry Hialmar, wanting her out of the way. Now Gina and Hialmar have a daughter, named Hedvig, and Werle has financially helped the family to start a photography business. Gregers is convinced that none of his father's motives are good. Hialmar's father, Lieutenant Ekdal, had been Werle's former business partner; he was sent to prison for unlawfully cutting down timber on public land. Although Werle was certain to have been involved in the scheme, nothing was proved against him. The elder Ekdal is now out of jail and living with Hialmar and his wife. Werle gives him some jobs to do, obviously trying to assuage his conscience. Gregers, a total idealist, is bothered that Hialmar is ignorant about the facts concerning his wife and Werle's "generosity"; therefore, he believes that he should tell his friend the truth and present "the claim of the ideal." Gregers believes that if he explains to Hialmar that his marriage is based on lies, the marriage will become stronger, more open, more honest, and more ideal. Gregers obviously misjudges the capacity of his friend. In truth, Hialmar is a vain, pampered dreamer and romantic, who believes that he is a delicate, high-souled man. He demands that Gina and Hedvig wait on him and do the work in the photography studio while he dawdles his life away in dreams; he has convinced himself that in the future he will make some great photographic invention that will redeem the Ekdal name and save his father's reputation. In spite of his lack of effort, Gina, his wife, and Hedvig, his daughter, believe in Hialmar and love him dearly. Old Ekdal is a broken man. He drinks whenever possible and spends all of his time in the attic above the studio, which has been transformed into a forest-like setting. While there, he pretends that he is in the Hoidal Forests, shooting wildlife. The wild duck, which had been wounded by Werle, is allowed to make its home in the attic and is given special attention by Old Ekdal, Hialmar, and Hedvig. Hialmar makes special contraptions for the duck and Hedvig identifies with it completely. Gina is the only family member who does not enter into the mystery of the wild duck and spend time in the attic. She is much too practical to be a dreamer or romantic; she must spend her time cooking, washing, cleaning, and running the photography studio. She never complains, however, about the time and attention that the other three give to the wild duck.
The Eckdals have two lodgers, who stay downstairs: Dr. Relling and Molvik. Relling, although a realist, believes in the "life illusion," in contrast to Gregers' "claim of the ideal;" he thinks that Hialmar needs his illusions to help him cope with real life. Molvik, the clergyman, is a drunkard. Relling maintains his drinking fits are an illusion to hide that he is "demonic." Relling is convinced that everyone needs an illusion about himself. Certainly, Hialmar and Hedvig do. When Gregers comes to visit Hialmar, he reveals the truth about Gina. Gregers is not trying to be cruel; he ideally believes that Gregers will appreciate the information and forge a better relationship with his wife because of it. Hialmar, however, is much too weak to accept the truth nobly. He cannot bring himself to forgive Gina for her past and even rejects Hedvig because he suspects that she is Werle's daughter. Unable to bear the rejection and doubt of her beloved father, Hedvig shoots herself, trying to prove her love. She has obviously taken Gregers' idealistic talk about the duty and beauty of self-sacrifice literally. Hedvig's suicide devastates Hialmar and makes him see he was wrong to treat Hedvig so poorly; but it is too late to do anything about it. Gregers is also affected by her death and decides that people cannot be liberated from any outside agency; true liberation must come from within. He now accepts that his destiny is to be "the thirteenth at table," the one not wanted or listened to. Table of Contents | |
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