Ghost: The Relationship Between Past and The Future. A Book by Henrik Ibsen

“A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with judicial system that judges feminine conduct form a masculine point of view”. This is what Henrik Ibsen once said. In 1881, when Ibsen wrote one of his best works Ghost, the society was going through major change. It’s was a time were the society was questioning everything they were thought by the church. The mentality of people was being challenge and the influence the church had over the society was slowly losing its power. One of those who were questioning the method and the teacher of the church was Henrik Ibsen. In his play Ghost, Ibsen view of the methodology of the church was no longer beneficial for the society. In the play ghost, Ibsen demonstrates the consequences followed those who grasp the old practice in each character he had created. Ibsen used Mrs. Alving, to show how old attitude can strangle someone progressively, as she feel trap in a rigid society. Additionally, Ibsen explores how the past can come back in the form of “ghost” and how it haunts someone future. Osvald Alving through out the play is haunted by the sin of a father he did not know. Lastly, he show how living in patriarchal society can blind one’s own judgment as in Pastor Manders, who is looked at someone as holy and self-righteous but at the same time hypocritical. Consequently, those old tradition and belief endure someone life slowly but harshly and haunt them like ghost.

The ghost that has been haunted Mrs. Alving for a very long time is the ghost tradition and of her duty. Nonetheless, it’s seem as if her duty has shaped her character for good. “I had my little boy, and I bore it for him…”(Ibsen, 1881, p...

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...e women is meant to accept his foolishness.

Ibsen play “ghost” is portray of how a changing society should be. These changes are implying every aspect of live, not just marriage level but religions, and how a functional family should be. Ghost is a play, which represent a society unable to move forward, or a society unable to escape the past traditions and how being unable to escape only creates malfunction into people lives. Every character in the play are hunted by the past; someone life Mrs. Who’s past tradition has brought nothing but misery, as well as her son Osvald who even in his ignorant way is also hunted by the “sins of the father”. In addition, even those such as pastor Manders who promotes the old habits as a way of life, are surprise to these tradition hiding “Ghost”

Works Cited

http://collegeessaysforfree.blogspot.ca/2012/04/ibsen-ghosts_12.html