Ghosts: Analysis of Setting
"Ghosts: Analysis of Setting" explores the intricate relationship between physical space and thematic elements within the play "Ghosts." The primary setting is the Alving home, located in Rosenvold, Norway, characterized by its late nineteenth-century decor and a garden that serves as a backdrop for the unfolding drama. The design of the room includes a central table cluttered with contemporary reading materials that reflect the era's scientific advancements, suggesting a conflict between societal progress and personal fulfillment. The glass conservatory at the back of the room not only allows for natural light but also visually connects the characters to the outside world, which is often portrayed as gloomy and misty, symbolizing the darkness of their internal struggles. Significant events, such as a devastating fire, are visible through the glass, enhancing the sense of impending doom and tragedy. Ultimately, the setting plays a crucial role in reinforcing the play's themes, highlighting that wealth and a beautiful home do not equate to happiness. This analysis invites viewers to consider how physical environments influence emotional landscapes and interpersonal dynamics.
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Ghosts: Analysis of Setting
First published:Gengangere, 1881 (English translation, 1885)
First produced: 1882
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: Nineteenth century
Places Discussed
Alving home
Alving home. Family estate located in Rosenvold on one of western Norway’s fjords. The house’s garden provides the play’s primary setting. This room has a door on the left and two doors on the right. Also on the left wall is a window, in front of which is a small sofa with a worktable in front of it. In the center of the room is a round table covered with books, magazines, and newspapers. Chairs are positioned around the table. The back of the room is a glass conservatory, and a glass door leads to the garden. All in all, it is a very prosaic, if expensively furnished room, in the style of the late nineteenth century.
The glass wall at the back of the garden room sets the atmosphere for the drama as it shows and reflects what is happening in and around the estate. Most of the time, the scene is a gloomy fjord shrouded in mist, which prepares the audience for the subject matter of the play. Later, a huge fire that destroys a new orphanage is visible through the glass. As the play ends, the new day’s dawn sunlight comes through the window. The reading materials on the table also show something about the house and its owner. These items represent the publications of new findings in science at the time, and as the play is a debate over science, they reinforce the subject matter of the script: that a fine house and wealth do not guarantee personal happiness.
Bibliography
Clurman, Harold. Ibsen. New York: Collier Books, 1977. This introductory study provides the general reader with a good starting place for reading about Ibsen. Clurman, a renowned stage director, discusses the plays as theater as well as literature. His discussion of Ghosts clarifies a misunderstanding about the play’s title and explores at some length the motivations of the characters.
Fjelde, Rolf, ed. Ibsen: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1965. Sixteen essays that cover Ibsen’s conception of truth, realism, and stage craftsmanship, among other topics. Francis Fergusson discusses the realism, suspense, and tragic nature of Ghosts.
Lyons, Charles R., comp. Critical Essays on Henrik Ibsen. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987. A thorough and useful volume of essays that includes discussions that address topics like realism and dramatic form in Ibsen’s works. The remarks on Ghosts explore the use of asides, disease, and dramatic language.
McFarlane, James, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994. Sixteen newly written essays on Ibsen’s life and work provide a good resource. Chapters 9-13 discuss Ibsen’s working methods and the stage history of the plays up through the age of film and television.
Valency, Maurice. The Flower and the Castle: An Introduction to Modern Drama. New York: Schocken Books, 1982. Readers interested in Ibsen as the founder of twentieth century drama will find rewarding material in this study, the first in Valency’s modern drama series. The author devotes more than 100 pages to Ibsen, and his comments on Ghosts are a good introduction to the play.