Wild Duck #1

Option 2:

Hjalmar Ekdal, one of the main characters in the play, is twisted up in a bed of lies created by other characters as well as himself.  He percieves himself as hardworking, and yet he always makes an excuse as to why he can't complete his photography projects.  He needs an afternoon nap, his father is being a crazy, or he has his invention to attend to.  Overall, I would say that Hjalmar is like an IB student.  He says he's hardworking, and he can get the job done when he wants to, but there is always an excuse as to why he can't get the job done.  I also noticed that Hjalmar acts differently around a group of men (Relling, Molvik, and Gregers in act 3) than he does around his wife and child.  In act two, he is very sweet with Hedvig and makes good conversation with his wife.  However, when the boys are around, he turns to giving orders to Gina and Hedvig.  This could also be the alcohol he was consuming clouding his judgement, but that's another thing to think about. 

On the other side of the Ekdal family, we have Gina.  One might call her the typical housewife of the time period.  She is obedient towards her husband, keeps the house, and cares for her child.  Gina also has a line of work, which may not have been uncharacteristic of a women of her status (I'm starting to think that the Ekdals are part of the lower middle class).  I think it is very interesting that Gina re-touches photos while Hjalmar just takes them.  I see this as Hjalmar seeing what is actually there (but maybe not the whole picture), and Gina skewing things just a little to make them look more presentable.  We never know for a fact that Hedvig is an illegitimate child with Old Werle, but I think some of Gina's actions and attitudes point the readers in that direction.  Her shock at Old Werle's entrance in act 3 and her displeasure with Gregers' arrival all point out that she knows what is really going on, she is just going to hide it like she hides the imperfections in pictures.