Ego as the Predator in Ibsen's The Wild Duck

Abstract

The present research is a study of victimization of the characters at the hands of ego through the lens of problem play in Ibsen's The Wild Duck. Socio-cultural and natural factors lead them to be egoists in the society, where premarital and extramarital relations are avoided. In such society, characters are condemned to follow the particular socio-cultural rules and regulations. So characters are the egoist not because of themselves but because of the socio-cultural and the natural factors force them to be egoists. Hjalmar Ekdal’s family was running harmoniously but when Gregers exposes the past affair of Gina with Hakon, Hjalmar thinks that he loses his social respect marrying some one's mistress and to protect the social respect he decides to break the relationship with Gina and leaves home. His daughter Hedvig is innocent about all incidents happening in the family and only she thinks that her daddy hates her, whom she loves very much. Because of the humiliation she commits suicide for the sake of her father's love. When Hjalmar knew that she died for the sake of his love he regrets about his decision and suffers very much. In this manner, characters became puppets of their own egos constructed by the socio-cultural factors they live with, which is the reality of the society Ibsen presented in the present drama.