The Novelty of The Wild Duck. The Author's Absence

Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, Vol. I, No. 1 (Fall 1986), pp. 33. ISSN 0888-3203. Published by the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.When Ibsen sent the manuscript of 'The Wild Duck' to his publisher, he remarked: "This new play stands in certain ways in a place of its own in my dramatic production: the course of action is in various respects divergent from my previous plays. Concerning this I will not, however, say anything more. The critics, it is to be hoped, will find the points in question; in any case, they will find a good deal to argue about, a good deal to interpret. In connection with this, I believe that 'The Wild Duck' can perhaps tempt some of our younger dramatists into new paths, and I would consider this to be desirable." As Ibsen predicted, the critics have found a good deal to interpret in discussing The Wild Duck, and many of them have tried their hands at defining what Ibsen must have had in mind in stating that the play is different from his previous works.