Journal #2

I think Ibsen uses the motif of decay, disease, and illness to show the deterioration of the temporary safety or cover a lie creates. Lying can get you out of a sticky situation, but Ibsen shows that this safety or cover inevitably deteriorates as time goes on. The lie in this case is Gina's lie about her past and Hedvig. In many cases, there is a disease or illness within characters. For example, when Hjalmar is talking to Gregers about Hedvig, he mentions that "there's the gravest imminent danger of her losing her sight" (147). With the fact that Werle also having fading eyesight already established, this new information chips away at the "wall of safety" and partially reveals a possible hereditary connection between Hedvig and Werle. When this connection is revealed in the end, the cover that Gina's lie created is gone and the truth is out. The motif shows that the temporary safety a lie creates can also decay in a way eyesight does in the play. Another instance of decay or illness is seen when Relling claims that Gregers is "suffering from an acute case of moralistic fever" (178). Because Gregers plays a major role in the truth being revealed, his "fever" helps reveal the truth that Gina has kept hidden. I think Relling is trying to explain that Gregers may be trying to be morally just by bringing the Ekdal family up from the scandal from the past, but instead the fever has caused the opposite. The family starts to fall apart. When Werle says that Gregers looks at him with "his mothers eyes- which were clouded at times" (135) it is almost as if Gregers' eyes have an illness as well. These clouded eyes always look at Werle in a negative light, which contributes to the revealing of the truth as well. If Werle was looked at in a positive light, there would not be much suspicion. By placing Werle in a negative light, the readers are able to see that there could be some conflict involved with Werle. The lie that involves Gina also involves Werle as well, so this also helps tear down the lie. Overall, this motif of decay, disease, and illness is used to show the deterioration of the temporary cover a lie creates.