Ghosts

The biblical parable of the prodigal son details the story of a wayward son who is welcomed home by his dedicated father with open arms. Parables often impart spiritual or moral lessons; this one illustrates the unconditional love of God who welcomes sinners into heaven openly and models the proper behavior for parents with regard to their children. In Ghosts, Ibsen positions Oswald as the prodigal son and Helen as the parent to whose house he returns. By replacing the father figure with Helen, Ibsen upends the traditional gender associations of the parable and highlights the undying devotion of mothers.

Oswald returns to his childhood home in a deplorable state, which he fears will meet the judgment and repudiation of his mother. Like the father in the parable, Helen welcomes her son with open arms and unconditional love. Ibsen further complicates the parable within his play by adding irony: As Helen is correctly acting out the dictates of this Christian moral tale, the play’s religious authority figure, Parson Manders, judges Oswald harshly and criticizes Helen’s decision to accept her son without hesitation.

The play also implies that its version of the parable works in two directions: It is not only the prodigal son who seeks forgiveness, but also the parental figure. Helen’s struggle to unveil the truth about her husband’s shame to Oswald allows Oswald to play a reciprocal role in unconditionally accepting his mother’s mistakes. Through his inclusion of the parable, Ibsen illustrates Helen and Oswald’s story of reconciliation and comments on The Dangers of Social Conventions to restrict individuals to the point of unabashed rebellion.