Ghosts

It is not surprising to see why a play that deals openly with incest, genetics, evolution, euthanasia, and syphilis initiated insanity shocked Victorian audiences when Henrik Ibsen released Ghosts. There are two central themes in the play. One is presented in the character of Oswald Alving, who demonstrates the effects of inherited genetics and their ability to determine destiny. The other is presented in the form of Mrs. Alving, who represents how environment impacts destiny, i.e., her virtues become vices because the society in which she lives does not direct them with intelligence and truth. Both of these themes, of course, are heavily rooted in Darwinism. Therefore, the ghosts signify that each living being is somehow not only influenced but also entrapped by their past and the environment of their present.

Mrs. Alving possesses many virtues. She is the "woman" who staunchly stood behind her "man", even though her late husband Captain Alving possessed enough vices to be elected to the U.S. Senate. However, she has been raised in a society where truth and intelligence are relegated in importance to keeping appearances. As such, her dedication of a home for illegitimate children is all the more ironic in the face of the fact that her deceased husband fathered one. Her virtue turns into a vice because she hides the truth, thinking that by hiding it she can escape the consequences of it. Regina scolds her for her "virtue" once she discovers

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Category: Literature - G