11 s or rn . , winer.

Hl'
Oswald returns ~nd ~he ~ ~ 1~~~·;i~e· all the mem orie
burn, JUS h. telling them that he needs a ''help
the establishment will d R . 1a close to im, d f . •
. . d t O remove the bur en rom his min f
brings his mother an · egu · prep are c
spea ks of. She tells Osw ald ,L
ing hand ." Mrs. Alvmg tsd self-reproach he u1at
f 11 f the 1·oy of life in his you ng day s. "I le I d
alongwith thet rem ors~ an o . . 1a
· Alvmg was u l'ttle town· simply a pos1t1on to keep up H
his father, cap am . .f . II . . e
. .h pose m h em a cou t
ld thro
'
w him self tota Y·Ju st keep in fL
to hve wit no pur . · w111.ch h e f . d g l1e
ld f d O work into He did not have a single nen ' capable enough f
cou m n . . 'di d d 0
wheels of business gomg. an runkards and the
knowing what the joy of life means, only the I ers
II

inev itable happened· · · bl h'

1nev 1~a _e 1s mother repli es that
When Oswald wants to kno w wha t
he had himself described what would hap pen to him
was
tf he stayed at home. She
the joy of life that was
I
adds that his poor father never found any outlet for
into his home. She had
there in him and that she did not bring any sunshine
always been taught about duty and she waited patientl
y for too long believing
and his dut y and that
I
in them. Everything became a matter of duty-her duty
she had made his home intolerable for his father.
ten to him or told
When Oswald wants to know why she had never writ
something a son should
him about it, Mrs. Alving says she never thought it as
d man even before his
know about his father; since his father was a deprave
se." Regina guesses her
birth . She also admits that Regina "belongs in the hou
that Mrs. Alving hired
meaning immediately and asks to leave. She is bitter
Manders will take care
her as a maid when she should in the hope that Pastor
tain Alving's home for
of him and if things go wrong, she can belong to cap
of that sort. Moreover,
sailors. She exits Regina feels sad that her mother was
ted. Also with Oswald
she wants to make good use of her youth before it is was
an invalid.
sick, she does not wish to spend her life looking after
he didn 't know his
Oswald is mildly shocked but remains his mother that
mot her tells him that
father and, indeed, is just as troubled as before. When his
believe in such a "su-
every child should love his father, he asks how she can
ating another ghost.
perstition." Mrs. Alving realizes that she is just propag
ws her, and that he is
She asks whether he loves her; he says at least he kno
has relieved him of his
very thankful for all her help. Oswald admits that she
d. She reassures him
self-reproach, but he says nothing can alleviate his drea
ng her that his dread
that soon the sun will come up. He sits her down, telli
lurk in his mind and
results from the lapses he suffers, the fits of gloom that
child. His mother tries
come upon him suddenly, rendering him helpless as a
e to care for her cruld.
to treasure him, saying that, as his mother, she is ther
the doctor's descriptiOtl
But _th~s is just w~at Oswald doesn't want. He savors
ge charming-like red
of his tllnes~ as a softening of the brain," finding the ima
velvet curtains, supple when stroked.
ing away Regi AA
Mrs. Alving is horrified. Oswald blames her again for scar
(

icted his next attad

who could have helped him. He says that he doctor pred 1