Character Analysis Of Ibsen's Ghosts

Ibsen’s Ghosts is a drama with the motivation to encourage a change in the conventional society within 19th century Norway. The inclusion of a constant motif revolving around light and darkness as ideograms of truth and deceit are prevalent throughout the play with the weather transition and the orphanage being major symbols that Ibsen delineates through. From the very beginning of the play Ibsen characterises Mrs Alving as a character packed with protective chicanery towards Oswald taking “the whole control – over him and everything else”, her character changes throughout the play is extremely noticeable as she changes from a character that is very manipulative and protective epically over Oswald her son and Regina her maid, to a character

From the very inauguration of the play Mrs Alving is a very vigilant character that attempts to the indecorous past of Captain Alving from her son Oswald and her maid Regina. Not only is Mrs Alving in repudiation about her deceased husband’s life but she does not have enough courage to confront Pastor Manders, Regina and Oswald about the past events of her trapped husband. She even claims that “nobody should know what sort of man my child's father was.” She is very much in approbation of Oswald as he has just returned from abroad, she is agreeing with him on all terms as she feels culpable for forcing him away, she even claims that “Oswald is right in every word” after a debate that Pastor Manders and Oswald have about irregular marriage. She’s can see that Oswald is not healthy and wants to nurture him, this nurturing side of Mrs Alving is profoundly seen in the first act, Ibsen does this to portray to the audience that Mrs Alving is very protective of Oswald portraying the sense of worth that Mrs Alving needs from Oswald. As the play progresses this lust that Mrs Alving is having for Oswald turns into a dismay for Oswald as she is seeing “the joys of living” that her husband portrayed in her son Oswald. She seemingly struggles to come to terms with the ideals that Oswald is portraying, she admits to writing Oswald letters

When the orphanage was going to be opened it was to be named “Captain Alving's Foundation” as his persona to the public of was a person that was heroic and a role model, he was much more frivolous. The dilemma is experienced by Ms Alving as she is discussing the opening of the orphanage with Pastor Manders, “But what about the truth?” she questions as implying that she does not feel that the orphanage should be in honour of him. In this part of the play Ibsen utilises the orphanage as a bearing weight on Ms Alving. By making Ms Alving question her integrity the audience can feel discrete tonal shift towards truth as she is beginning to realise the encumbrance Captain Alving felt living in the “Rosenvold” estate. When the orphanage does “burnt to the ground” it is portrayed to the audience as a relief to Ms Alving as she will not have face her fears of opening the orphanage in the name of someone that it not worthy. She then opens to Oswald and Regina about their father, Ms Alving elaborates about their father, “You ought to have known your father when he was a young lieutenant”, whist telling Regina and Oswald about their father she claims that the reason for all his miss doing was due to his personality “brimming over with the joy of life!”. This personality