The wild duck

In 1884 the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen wrote a play, “The Wild Duck,” which many consider his finest work.

The narrative opens with Gregers Werle, who returns to his father’s house after a self-imposed exile.  He learns that his father  had arranged for their servant Gina to marry Hjalmar Ekdal, Gregers’ former classmate, and had given them a home and a business, a portrait studio, which Gina manages.  Gregers bristles at this, seeing as his mother died believing that his father and Gina were having an affair. He feels that the life of his old friend is really built upon a lie.

Gregers decides to stay in the apartment where Hjalmar, Gina and their daughter Hedvig, as well as Hjalmar’s father, reside. Hjalmar tells Gregers how Hedvig is his joy, as well as his sorrow, because she is losing her eyesight. Hjalmar lets on about a room in the house, a loft, where they keep various animals such as rabbits and pigeons, as well as a cherished wild duck, which they rescued after Gregers’ father, who has failing eyesight, shot and wounded it.  Once an exceptional hunter, Hjalmar’s old man amuses himself by stalking the animals in the loft, which explains why now and then shots could be heard. In fact, Hjalmar often joins his father in the “hunt.”

Hjalmar tells Gregers of an invention he has been working on, that he believes will bring him wealth and fame and free his family from dependence.

While Gregers and Hjalmar are having lunch with their friends, Relling and Molvik, Gregers’ father arrives and tries to persuade Gregers to return home, but Gregers dismisses him, and gives notice that he will tell Hjalmar the whole truth. After his father leaves, Gregers asks Hjalmar out for a walk and reveals to Hjalmar Gina’s liaison with his father.

Immediately, Hjalmar’s attitude to Gina and Hedvig changes. He becomes distant. He takes over the family’s finances and photography business, which before were Gina’s concerns. Gina pleads with him to think it over, because now he won’t have time to work on his invention, and — Hedvig adds — to spend with the wild duck in the loft.  Hjalmar angrily reacts to this, saying that he would like to wring the duck’s neck.  When Hjalmar confronts Gina about her affair with Gregers’ father, she admits it even as she declares her love for Hjalmar.

Gregers is surprised why, despite that now they are no longer living under an illusion, Hjalmar and Gina are not happy.  A lady — Mrs. Sorby — arrives carrying a letter for Hedvig from Gregers’ father, whom Mrs. Sorby plans to marry.  The letter speaks of a pension to be given to Hjalmar’s father, and this,  upon the latter’s death, Hedvig will receive for the rest of her life.

This feeds Hjalmar’s suspicion that Hedvig is the daughter of Gregers’ father. The name of the girl sickens him and now he spends his time drinking with Molvik and Relling.

Upon Gregers’ suggestion that she sacrifice the wild duck to appease her father, Hedvig agrees to have her grandfather shoot the duck in the morning.

Hjalmar returns to get his things, and Hedvig is delighted, but he shoves her aside. Pained, Hedvig rushes to the loft with a pistol, and a shot is heard. At first the family believes that it was Hjalmar’s old man hunting, but when he appears they realize that Hedvig has killed herself. In vain Hjalmar begs her not to die so he can prove his love for her.

Ibsen was a moralist in the mold of Kirrkegaard. In the play he carried the dictum–the truth shall set you free–to its logical conclusion. Those who despise faith as a delusion ought not to forget that it was Christ who said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

In fact, there are no more upsetting words than those of Jesus.  Luke writes that on one occasion, Jesus told his followers, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; for henceforth in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against her mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

In the same vein, as Matthew narrated, Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

As much as Gregers believes in the pursuit of the absolute truth, Relling,  who implanted in Hjalmar’s mind about the “invention,” adheres to the usefulness of lies, saying, “Deprive the average human being of his life-lie, and you rob him of his happiness.”

Although Ibsen makes the pursuit of truth end in tragedy, Relling is no doubt evocative of the devil, whom Jesus calls the father of lies, whose prescription for happiness is what the world recognizes.

Jesus himself was a martyr for truth.  “[N]ow you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God…”