Journal #1 - The Wild Duck

Hjalmar Ekdal
He is an example of a character who has false conceptions of themselves, and also of others. He imagines himself as the ground on which his families stand. He believes that he is the "breadwinner" of the family and that without his support, the family would crumble. However, this description of himself is false, as he does not take care of all of the household matters, but rather, Gina does. She cooks and cleans and seems to be the primary photographer in their studio, constantly reminding Hjalmar of scheduled portraits while he stalls by going hunting in the loft. This shows that he also has a misconception of Gina, who he believes to be dependent on him. But Gina proves that she is independent, especially when it is shown that she is the one who tabs up the financial costs and gains of the household. She also is able to spin a web of deception that filters Hjalmar's view of his family.


Gregers Werle
Gregers is able to see the truth of the situation in The Wild Duck. He looks past Gina's web and sees the possibilities. Because of his morals and ideals, he tries to reveal the truth, tearing apart Gina's lies and not caring about the consequences. He sees himself as a hero, but most would consider that he is not. However, he is a man who believes that the means justifies the ends.


Relling
Relling a character that is able to see past all of the facades of the other characters. He sees Molvik's despair, Hjalmar's longing , and Gregers' heroism. These traits are hidden by facades that the characters put up, like Hjalmar's conception of independence. However, instead of meddle with these facades, Rellings decides to leave them be. He realizes that if the character's facades are taken down, then they will not have much to live for.