IB Junior English Journal Response 23

Read Act 3

Choose five quotations of interest to you. Discuss each quotations significance.

Act 3 of The Wild Duck by Ibsen (Quotations and Significance)

#1 Gregers says, “Even time doesn’t exist in there - with the wild duck.” (162)

Significance:

Hedvig’s interest with the wild duck makes her forget the time when she goes there.  Since she does not go to school, have any friends, is going to get blind soon, and has no home tutor, she has to find a diversion in the house in order to serve some purpose in life.  As a result, Hedvig creates her own world of fantasy where she reads books, devotes time to help her parents, cares for the wild duck, and draws. 

#2 Gregers says, “And actually, she’s been in the depths of the sea.” (164)

Significance:

On a literal level, the wild duck had stuck fast to the weeds and mire near the bottom of the sea after Werle had barely hit one of its wings.  It is the nature of an injured duck to hide underneath the water in order to escape additional injury if it stays above the water.  This statement could also apply to Hedvig.  No one really knows whose daughter is Hedvig.  She could be the result of Haakon Werle’s affair with Gina.  This Greger’s response to the last part of Hedvig’s comment on the wild duck, “There’s no one who knows her, and no one who knows where she’s come from, either.” (164).

#3 Hjalmar says, “Oh no, it’s my life’s work that stands before me day and night…I can raise his self-respect out of the dead by restoring the Ekdal name with dignity and honor.” (168)

Significance:

Hjalmar stated that his main goal in life is to find a way so that he could provide necessary care for Hedvig and restore Old Ekdal’s reputation.  However, this could possibly be a façade created by Hjalmar in order to hide some of his appalling traits such as his irresponsibility to his family, inefficient & negligent in his work (as being the “family breadwinner”), and the failure to tutor his child.  He escapes the daily toil by working with his father in the loft and his invention when he is inspired.

#4 Gregers says, “I wouldn’t say you’re wounded; but you’re wandering in a poisonous swamp.” (170)

Significance:

At this point of the play, Gregers is using symbols in order to give Hjalmar clues to the truth of Old Ekdal’s relationship with Haakon Werle.  However, Hjalmar does not understand this because Gregers seems to have a double meaning in most of his quotes.  Aside from the literal meaning, “poisonous swamp” mean the lie or façade that Hjalmar is living for is being controlled by Werle.  Werle’s intention could possibly be to use Hjalmar to care for Hedvig and Gina.

#5 Relling says, “he’s suffering from an acute case of moralistic fever.” (177)

Significance:

Relling had started to understand one personality trait of Gregers as an idealistic person.  In the past, Gregers was advocating the “Summons of the Ideal” where he almost had a run-in with Relling at Hoidal works.  Relling was implying that Gregers still brought his idealistic nature along with him to Hjalmar’s home.