The Protagonist in Ibsen’s The Master Builder:Psychoanalytical Reading of the Fall
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of English
Abstract
Brought up in a God-fearing home environment, Halvard Solness repudiates any
discharge to his hostile impulses for the fear of violating God’s will and keeps loyal to
His service. But the fear of such repressed impulses generates in him the displaced
anxiety manifested in his fear of the younger generation. Beset with guilt feeling and
anxiety disorders, he automatically takes refuge in neurotic needs like power and
affection with the view of getting reassurance against his anxiety. However, these
needs are impractical and incompatible, which help generate emotional dependence
and complying attitude. Moreover, such a defenseless state obviously marks Solness’s
fall from his character and professional status accelerating further the need of self-
retribution. And, since death instinct remains dominant in the background, he
unconsciously succeeds in fulfilling his wish to jump down the tower and take his
own life.