Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Wild Duck Journal #1

The one character that really stands out to me in terms of boundaries is Hedvig. She is bound by her youth/ perceived innocence and by her gender. I think that Ibsen points out something significant about childhood through her character though. Yes, Hedvig doesn't know the entirety of her story (in reference to her being an illegitimate child) which hinders her perception of how the adults view her. She feels as if it is her fault that her father is angered by her in the end of the novel and ends up shooting herself because she feels that there is a new boundary formed between her and her father. I think that this can be key in society in general- many people fear of telling children about life situations, however by keeping it a secret they may also be doing them a disfavor. Also, there are boundaries in general with Hedvig's perceived father Hjalmar. Her dad always seems so busy with his photography/ invention that he does not even help teach her at home. This separation I think helps Hedvig identify with her mother and become a servant to her father in turn.

This servant-like mentality I also see with all three females in the play. It's almost expected of them to be submissive, as they all act as if the men are somewhat breakable and are always ready to help. I think this can show a gender boundary  of the time period, that women are suppose to aid men in their endeavors and the men are suppose to lead. However, Hjalmar goes against this because Gina ends up doing most of the photography work for Hjalmar while still being a housewife and mom. Ibsen's use of boundaries is fascinating in that sense.

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