TWD Journal 4

Gina:
I believe Gina is the source of the problem. Arguments between Gina and Hjalmar began to arise because of all the information she did not tell him during their marrage. She had a child without knowing exactly who the father was, and she had a relationship with a man who is now funding the house Gina and Hjalmar live in. Gina believed she was protecting Hjalmar by keeping all this information a secret. Hjalmar's life revolved around a facade that he created to make himself look wealthier than who he really is. The only thing that Hjalmar didn't turn into a facade was his family. His family meant more to him than any materialistic ideal. Gina wanted to preserve Hjalmar's belief in the family, she did not want him to deplete his already decreasing self asteem. Hjalmar used to be suicidal, and by Gina keeping the truth about Hedvig, she was keeping Hjalmar in a happier state.

Gregers:
Gregers was not the source of the problem, but he amplified the problem. Hjalmar and Gina's household may have been a facade created by Gina, but they seemed happy together. But Greger's had this vision of an "ideal marriage" and knew the truth that Gina was hiding. Gregers wanted Hjalmar and Gina to have a pure marriage, and in order to reach the pure state, Gregers made it his "life's purpose" to reveal the truth and make things right. In order to do so, Gregers began unraveling what Gina hid her whole marriage. The truth came out, accompanied by many arguments accusing eachother of one after the other. Gregers may not have been the source for the problem, but he revealed it, causing the family facade to diminish.

TWD Journal 3

"After a moment Gina, wearing a hat and coat, enters by the hall door [...] Because Relling and Molvik are dropping in too" (157-158).

• Hjalmar tells Gina to return the Molvik's coat back to him early the next morning. The reason Gina is returning in the beginning of act three is because she is doing so. The fact that Hjalmar was already going to see Molvik the next morning, accompanied by Relling, emphasizes Hjalmar's need to protect his facade. If Hjalmar asks Gina to return the coat to Molvik without Relling, or anybody else knowing, helps protect the ideal self he is trying to accomplish.

"The bottom of the sea" (164)

• The bottom of the sea represents the real truth behind the family stories. "The bottom of the sea" goes along with the idea of a wounded duck plundging into the water and grabbing onto the moss at the bottom. These two ideas compare, because "the bottom of the sea" and the wounded duck at the bottom of the water" represent the real truth, and trying to hide from the real truth.

"My dear Hjalmar, I suspect you've got a bit of the wild duck in you" (170)

• Gregers is using "the wild duck" in a negative view. Gregers is accusing Hjalmar of being a wounded duck grabbing onto the moss at the bottom of the water: Hjalmar is wounded by the lies, but is trying to hide from the real truth

"In my house nobody talks to me about ugly things" (170)

• By Hjalmar stating that nobody talks to him about negative, or harmful things, identifies Gina's protection over him. Hjalmar used to be suicidal; he used to be mentally fragile. Gina is afraid that if Hjalmar was to find out about the "real truth" that he would become suicidal once again, believing that he lives for nothing.

"He is suffering from an acute case of moralistic fever" (178)

• Relling is referring to morals as a disease that swept over Gregers. Diseases sicken, or sometimes impairs people during, so by Relling calling it a "fever" suggests that Gregers is only doing this because his strong morals has temporarily impaired him of thinking right.

TWD Journal 2

Hjalmar:

"No, they just babbled away. Of course they wanted me to recite for them, but I couldn't see that."(142)

• When asked about his evening at Mr. Werles house, Hjalmar replies with the attention he got from the people at the party. The reality is, nobody paid attention to Hjalmar. Hjalmar creates a facade of pride.

"Yes, don't you think so? And this one here really fits very well. It's almost as if it were made for me. [...] There! Don't forget to give Molvik his coat back first thing in the morning" (143)

• Coming from a lower class family life, Hjalmar knows he cannot provide the fancy attire that the others at the party will be wearing. In order to continue is facade, Hjalmar borrows a fancy coat so that his facade of having pride, and being successful does not diminish.

"In any case, I'm grateful that you asked me here, Gregers, because it proves you no longer have anything against me"(123).

• Hjalmar has a pessimistic view on how others view him, in order to impress everybody, he puts on the facade.

"[...] I probably look more of a man than I did then" (122)

• Hjalmar is trying to hide his insecurities by responding with pride.

TWD Journal 1

Characters constantly face boundaries in literature.  These boundaries can take many shapes: internal or external, physical or emotional, real or imagined... Consider what types of  boundaries Ibsen creates in Act 1.  Who faces what type of boundary, how (stylistic aspect) does the author establish the boundary,  and how do the characters respond to the boundary? 

1. A social boundary is formed when the servants are gossiping about Werle. The servants "gossip", which implies that they keep their opinions between eachother without confronting Werle about how they feel. By keeping the servants opinions to themselves, they do not cross a boundary of possibly angering Werle.

• A HIRED WAITER: "Say, Pettersen, there's an old guy here who- (119)
• PETTERSON: "What the hell- somebody coming now!" (120)
• While gossiping, a hired waiter tells Petterson that there is another person there, who could possibly hear what Petterson and Jenson were talking about. The fact that Petterson becomes startled, highlights the fact that Petterson and Jensen do not want to cross over the social boundary.

   2.  A social boundary is formed when Warle; who is of high status, could be having possible relations with   his housekeeper. People of certain statuses were expected to hold relationships with those of the same social status. By a wealthy, high class man having a relationship with a low class women would cross a social boundary of expectations.

• JENSON: "Is it really true what people say, that there's something between them?" (119)
• PETTERSON: "Lord knows."
• JENSEN: "I heard he was a real goat in his day"
• The fact that other people also gossip about a possible relation between Warle and Mrs. Sorby suggests that the situation is a big deal to people.

  3. A boundary between different perceptives between Jhalmar and Gregers appears on page 123 when Hjalmar spoke about how he thought Gregers had something against him, when Gregers did not. This boundary could have been the separation between the men that lasted 16/17 years.

• HJALMAR: "In any case, I'm grateful that you asked me here, Gregers, because it proves you no longer have anything against me. (123)
• GREGERS: (Astonished) "How could you think that i had anything against you?"