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Important Themes In Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts

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Throughout Ibsen's "Ghosts", we are exposed to a plenty of important themes that shapes our lives. This essay discusses mainly the themes of pity, friendship, priesthood, rebellion, happiness, and duty.
Pastor Manders pities both Mrs. Alving and Oswald. He even tells her bluntly, “you are greatly to be pitied, Mrs. Alving". He does not pity Oswald because he has been living alone for years and does not get to live with his parents, on the contrary, he pities him because he does not follow the herd anymore and he speaks only about what he believes in. Pastor Manders pities Mrs. Alving because she does not believe in society's rules and not because she marries an immoral man and lives without her son.
Another important point is that Mrs. Alving …show more content…

and Mrs. Alving. He always asks Mrs. Alving to do her duties as a wife and as a mother, but does he do his duties as their friend and priest? The fact that Manders tells Mrs. Alving that "[he] will first stir up [her] memory a little" makes us question whether, as a religious man, he is supposed to remind her of her previous mistakes and sins or help her understand that God is forgivable and that she should move on and try to be a better person. He is just propagating for the rules laid upon women in the patriarchal society they are living in that is why he blames her and not her husband. The fact that he says "if report" and "rumors" proves that he never tries to do his duty as a friend by going to Mr. Alving and talking to him in order to know the whole truth and advise him. Seeking happiness in life is considered a rebellious and a sinful act. Yet, he does not blame Mr. Alving because "in his youth he overflowed with the joy of life". Manders does not even blame himself because he seeks to hide the truth about the real reason behind the burning of the orphanage, instead, he takes money and decides to travel away to find happiness and that proves his

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