Stages of Mourning: A Character Analysis

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Along with the finding meaning in death, the stages of mourning and healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms is represented through the characters Alfred, Rita, and Asta’s reactions to death. For example, Alfred experiences a stage of denial in the second act when he states “Is it really true then, Asta? Or have I gone completely mad? Or am I only dreaming…”(38). At this point in the play, Alfred expresses confusion and shock since he has not yet created meaning in Eyolf’s death. The effects of Alfred not being able to compartmentalize why Eyolf died causes Alfred to obsess over his absence. Alfred’s obsession is shown when he sits by the fiord, near where Eyolf died, to torment himself in his attempts to focus solely on Eyolf. Furthermore,

First, Alfred blames the Rat Catcher when he is by the fiord speaking with Asta, saying that “[h]ere is Eyolf, just entering upon conscious life: full of such infinite possibilities – splendid possibilities perhaps: he would have filled my life with pride and gladness. And then a crazy old woman has only come this way”(40). Alfred reasons that the Rat Catcher caused Eyolf to be entranced by her dangerous rat catching skills, inevitably killing Eyolf when he follows her down to the fiord. Alfred blaming the Rat Catcher provides a logical reason for why Eyolf died, subsequently avoiding the feeling of responsibility for not watching Eyolf during the time of his death. In brief, Alfred is able to summarize the death of Eyolf by pointing fingers at others. His desire to make sense of Eyolf’s death by blaming the Rat Catcher is reinforced when Asta responds that it is not confirmed if the Rat Catcher intended to kill Eyolf’s, however Alfred states that “she has drawn him down into the depths – that you may be sure of, dear”(40). Alfred uses the mystical idea of the Rat Catcher being purely evil and the reason for Eyolf’s death so he can make sense his lost and not feel the pain of his

At the end of the play, Rita decides to take care of the village children. She relates Alfred’s book about human responsibility to her mission to help them, in which she feels a sense of responsibility to provide for those below her. More importantly, Rita decides to do this to add meaning to her life and to “make peace with the great, open eyes”(88). Through Rita’s goal to help the village children, the human need to create order when chaos occurs is apparent as Rita looks to acquire something of pattern to make sense of a sometimes cruel world. After Rita shares her new life purpose with Alfred, he reasons that her helping the children will make it so “Eyolf was not born in vain”, and Rita agrees, “nor taken from us in vain, either”(87). Making sense of Eyolf’s death comforts Rita and Alfred to let go of their initial feeling of despair. Acquiring a life purpose also allows Rita and Alfred to move forward with their lives in the hopes of recovery from their pain. Likewise, Alfred decides to help Rita with her new life purpose for the same reason. Though their new shared goal, Rita and Alfred ultimately are able to find a way to create meaning in their lives in addition to rekindling their relationship. The effects of creating meaning is seen at the end of the play when Alfred hoists the flag to the top of the flagstaff rather than have it be at