Thursday, April 26, 2012

Wild Duck #3

I definitely think that Gina and Gregers carry most of the blame for the craziness that occured in acts 3 and 4.  Gregers took it upon himself to pry into things that really weren't any of his business.  It may have been his "moral obligation" to do so, but I believe that the entire play could have been avoided if Gregers had just kept his head down and minded his own business.  As for Gina, she could have made it apparent that Hedvig may not be Hjalmar's daughter a lot earlier in her marriage.  Props to her for being able to lie for 15 years, that girl must have a very different set of morals, but if she told the truth at the beginning, Hedvig would have been young and oblivious enough to have not taken her father's freak-out so personally.  Maybe then she may not have killed herself. 

The number one person that should be blamed for Hedvig's death, however, is Old Werle.  He's the one that created the lie surrounding the Ekdal family in the first place.  It was him that got Gina pregnant, and according to the customs of the time he should have just married her anyway.  Instead, he set up a web of lies for poor Hjalmar by setting Gina up with him.  He even ensured that his lie would last long-term by getting Hjalmar a job and supporting the Ekdal family with Old Ekdal's paycheck and later the grant in Hedvig's letter.  The truth getting out about Hedvig being illigitimate would surely hurt Old Werle's reputation, which is probably why he put on the whole charade.

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