Ghosts

by

Henrik Ibsen

Oswald Alving is a young man in his twenties who has enjoyed success as a painter living in Paris. When the play begins, Oswald comes home to Norway for the first time in a long while, since his mother, Mrs. Alving, sent him away as a child. Oswald has returned because he’s exhausted and unable to paint, though he eventually tells his mother that the real reason he can’t paint is because he’s gravely ill with syphilis. He tells her that his doctor informed him that he must have inherited the disease from his father, Captain Alving, but Oswald thinks that this is impossible because he believes that his father was a morally irreproachable man. This, Mrs. Alving knows, isn’t actually the case, since Captain Alving was actually a debauched and immoral man. While he’s home, Oswald takes a romantic interest in Mrs. Alving’s maid, Regine, not knowing that she is his half-sister (Captain Alving secretly impregnated Regine’s mother, Johanna, when she used to work as the Alvings’ maid). It isn’t until the end of the play that his mother tells both Oswald and Regine the truth about their shared father, at which point Regine leaves the Alving household. When she’s gone, Oswald realizes that he can’t rely on her to euthanize him if his illness overtakes him, so he asks his mother to do it. At first, Mrs. Alving refuses, but she eventually relents, telling herself that it won’t actually be necessary for her to give Oswald the morphine pills he has saved up to put him out of his misery if he succumbs to his disease. However, he soon slips into a catatonic state, and his mother is forced to decide whether or not to kill him—a decision she’s unable to make.

Oswald Alving Quotes in Ghosts

The Ghosts quotes below are all either spoken by Oswald Alving or refer to Oswald Alving. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Reputation, Judgement, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Act One Quotes

OSWALD. […] never have I heard one word that could give offence, let alone seen anything that could be called immoral. No, do you know where and when I have encountered immorality in artistic circles?

MANDERS. No, thank God!

OSWALD. Well then, permit me to tell you. When some of our model husbands and fathers took themselves a trip to Paris to have a look round on the loose…and condescended to drop in on the artists in their modest haunts, that’s when I’ve met it. Then we got to know what was what. These gentlemen were able to tell us about places and things we’d never dreamt of.

Related Characters: Oswald Alving (speaker), Pastor Manders (speaker), Mrs. Helene Alving
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis:

That was the endless battle I fought, day after day. When we had Oswald, I rather thought Alving improved a little. But it didn’t last long. And then I had to battle twice as hard, fight tooth and nail to prevent anybody from knowing what sort of person my child’s father was. And you know, of course, how charming Alving could be. Nobody could believe anything but good of him. He was one of those people whose reputation is proof against anything they may do.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Captain Alving
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:

That was the time Oswald was sent away. He was getting on for seven, and beginning to notice things and ask questions, as children do. That was something I couldn’t bear. I felt the child would somehow be poisoned simply by breathing the foul air of this polluted house. That was why I sent him away. And now you understand why he was never allowed to set foot in this place as long as his father was alive. Nobody knows what that cost me.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Captain Alving, Johanna
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:
Act Two Quotes

Ghosts. When I heard Regine and Oswald in there, it was just like seeing ghosts. But then I’m inclined to think that we are all ghosts, Pastor Manders, every one of us. It’s not just what we inherit from our mothers and fathers that haunts us. It’s all kinds of old defunct theories, all sorts of old defunct beliefs, and things like that. It’s not that they actually live on in us; they are simply lodged there, and we cannot get rid of them. I’ve only to pick up a newspaper and I seem to see ghosts gliding between the lines. Over the whole country there must be ghosts, as numerous as the sands of the sea.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Regine, Captain Alving, Johanna
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:

OSWALD. At last he said: there’s been something worm-eaten about you since birth. He used that very word: ‘vermoulu’.

MRS. ALVING [tense]. What did he mean by that?

OSWALD. I couldn’t understand it either, and I asked him for a more detailed explanation. And then he said, the old cynic…[Clenches his fist.] Oh…!

MRS. ALVING. What did he say?

OSWALD. He said: the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:

OSWALD [smiling sadly]. Yes, what do you think? Of course, I assured him that was quite out of the question. But do you think he would give way? No, he wouldn’t budge. And it wasn’t until I’d produced your letters and translated for him all those bits about Father. . . .

MRS. ALVING. What then. . . ?

OSWALD. Well, then he naturally had to admit that he’d been on the wrong track. Then I learnt the truth. The incredible truth! This blissfully happy life I’d been living with my friends, I should never have indulged in it. It had been too much for my strength. So it was my own fault, you see!

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:
Act Three Quotes

MRS. ALVING. Your father could never find any outlet for this tremendous exuberance of his. And I didn’t exactly bring very much gaiety into his home, either.

OSWALD. Didn’t you?

MRS. ALVING. They’d taught me various things about duty and such like, and I’d simply gone on believing them. Everything seemed to come down to duty in the end—my duty and his duty and . . . I’m afraid I must have made the house unbearable for your poor father, Oswald.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 155
Explanation and Analysis:

MRS. ALVING. What a terrible thought! Surely a child ought to love its father in spite of all?

OSWALD. What if a child has nothing to thank its father for? Never knew him? You don’t really believe in this old superstition still, do you? And you so enlightened in other ways?

MRS. ALVING. You call that mere superstition. . . !

OSWALD. Yes, surely you realize that, Mother. It’s simply one of those ideas that get around and . . .

MRS. ALVING [shaken]. Ghosts!

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Pastor Manders, Captain Alving
Page Number: 158
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Ghosts LitChart as a printable PDF.
Ghosts PDF

Oswald Alving Quotes in Ghosts

The Ghosts quotes below are all either spoken by Oswald Alving or refer to Oswald Alving. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Reputation, Judgement, and Morality Theme Icon
).
Act One Quotes

OSWALD. […] never have I heard one word that could give offence, let alone seen anything that could be called immoral. No, do you know where and when I have encountered immorality in artistic circles?

MANDERS. No, thank God!

OSWALD. Well then, permit me to tell you. When some of our model husbands and fathers took themselves a trip to Paris to have a look round on the loose…and condescended to drop in on the artists in their modest haunts, that’s when I’ve met it. Then we got to know what was what. These gentlemen were able to tell us about places and things we’d never dreamt of.

Related Characters: Oswald Alving (speaker), Pastor Manders (speaker), Mrs. Helene Alving
Page Number: 112
Explanation and Analysis:

That was the endless battle I fought, day after day. When we had Oswald, I rather thought Alving improved a little. But it didn’t last long. And then I had to battle twice as hard, fight tooth and nail to prevent anybody from knowing what sort of person my child’s father was. And you know, of course, how charming Alving could be. Nobody could believe anything but good of him. He was one of those people whose reputation is proof against anything they may do.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Captain Alving
Page Number: 117
Explanation and Analysis:

That was the time Oswald was sent away. He was getting on for seven, and beginning to notice things and ask questions, as children do. That was something I couldn’t bear. I felt the child would somehow be poisoned simply by breathing the foul air of this polluted house. That was why I sent him away. And now you understand why he was never allowed to set foot in this place as long as his father was alive. Nobody knows what that cost me.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Captain Alving, Johanna
Page Number: 118
Explanation and Analysis:
Act Two Quotes

Ghosts. When I heard Regine and Oswald in there, it was just like seeing ghosts. But then I’m inclined to think that we are all ghosts, Pastor Manders, every one of us. It’s not just what we inherit from our mothers and fathers that haunts us. It’s all kinds of old defunct theories, all sorts of old defunct beliefs, and things like that. It’s not that they actually live on in us; they are simply lodged there, and we cannot get rid of them. I’ve only to pick up a newspaper and I seem to see ghosts gliding between the lines. Over the whole country there must be ghosts, as numerous as the sands of the sea.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving, Pastor Manders, Regine, Captain Alving, Johanna
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:

OSWALD. At last he said: there’s been something worm-eaten about you since birth. He used that very word: ‘vermoulu’.

MRS. ALVING [tense]. What did he mean by that?

OSWALD. I couldn’t understand it either, and I asked him for a more detailed explanation. And then he said, the old cynic…[Clenches his fist.] Oh…!

MRS. ALVING. What did he say?

OSWALD. He said: the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:

OSWALD [smiling sadly]. Yes, what do you think? Of course, I assured him that was quite out of the question. But do you think he would give way? No, he wouldn’t budge. And it wasn’t until I’d produced your letters and translated for him all those bits about Father. . . .

MRS. ALVING. What then. . . ?

OSWALD. Well, then he naturally had to admit that he’d been on the wrong track. Then I learnt the truth. The incredible truth! This blissfully happy life I’d been living with my friends, I should never have indulged in it. It had been too much for my strength. So it was my own fault, you see!

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 138
Explanation and Analysis:
Act Three Quotes

MRS. ALVING. Your father could never find any outlet for this tremendous exuberance of his. And I didn’t exactly bring very much gaiety into his home, either.

OSWALD. Didn’t you?

MRS. ALVING. They’d taught me various things about duty and such like, and I’d simply gone on believing them. Everything seemed to come down to duty in the end—my duty and his duty and . . . I’m afraid I must have made the house unbearable for your poor father, Oswald.

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Captain Alving
Page Number: 155
Explanation and Analysis:

MRS. ALVING. What a terrible thought! Surely a child ought to love its father in spite of all?

OSWALD. What if a child has nothing to thank its father for? Never knew him? You don’t really believe in this old superstition still, do you? And you so enlightened in other ways?

MRS. ALVING. You call that mere superstition. . . !

OSWALD. Yes, surely you realize that, Mother. It’s simply one of those ideas that get around and . . .

MRS. ALVING [shaken]. Ghosts!

Related Characters: Mrs. Helene Alving (speaker), Oswald Alving (speaker), Pastor Manders, Captain Alving
Page Number: 158
Explanation and Analysis: