Wild Duck Journal #2

The setting of Wild Duck changes occasionally from house to house. The main setting however is in Hjalmar's house. Hjalmar is one of the main characters of the play. With the play being set inside of his house, gives the reader and audience an idea of how Hjalmar and his family are. The setting is a personal setting, which shows the personal sides of the characters living in the house: Hjalmar, Gina, Hedvig, Ekdal, and now Greggers. The setting helps emphasize main points that the characters are trying to make, such as the family's status. Whenever making a meal, Gina will have to "strap down" and be delicate about servings and such, being that they do not have much as a family, especially when it comes to food and money. The fact that they have to rent out a room, which is being rented to Greggers, shows how the family lacks some money, and support. The detail given to set the stage definitely plays an important role in one's interpretation of the play. It helps make it easier to understand what is occurring, and where it is occurring. Plus, all of the details of the setting, draw large hints that this play is somewhat modern, compared to Oedipus, where the author simply states where the characters stand. Setting is an important thing to have when attempting to understand a play.