The Wild Duck - Journal #2

Journal Prompt # 5:
"What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?" To what extent do you find this statement applicable in at least two plays you have studied?

Response:
In The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen and in Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca the quote "What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out?" fit them perfectly. Both plays focus on a highlight of a group of people's lives, which happens to be a dramatic happening. Although they discuss life as a whole, the plays would not be what they are unless the focus point was on a tragic aspect of their lives. The Wild Duck takes the lowest point in the Ekdals' lives, while the Bride's family in Blood Wedding faces a similar situation.

The Ekdals' story revolves around the drama created by society as well as their own family. Lingering resentment is first mentioned in the story through Old Ekdal's troubles with Old Werle. The drama of the past is carried through to show how the Werles' once betrayed the Ekdals' and foreshadows it happening again. Drama also occurs among the families in Ibsen's play. Greggers disagrees with his father, which leads him to causing drama rekindle as he moves in with the Ekdals. That drama then carries over to the Ekdal family when Gina reveals her past relation with Old Werle. It upsets the balance of the Ekdal family as Hjalmar overreacts, upsetting not only himself, but his daughter and wife as well. The rising action eventually leads to the climax of the drama as Hedvig accidentally kills herself. The Ekdal family may not have always had drama in their life, but these dramatic moments become the center of the play.

Similarly, the drama found in Blood Wedding is created through the families. While life seems to go about as normal, the Bride's reactions to the wedding foreshadow the drama that lie ahead. The gossip that the Bridegroom's Mother speaks of begins the rising action of the drama. Leonardo's appearance in causes the Bride to act out from her daily life and ruin the wedding by running away. This high point of drama, just as in The Wild Duck, becomes the most notable part of the book. It is the part that the audience realizes drama is the key aspect, rather than just following the Bride's life. In both plays Ibsen and Lorca are able to create scenes of drama that overtake the lives of the characters.