What conflict drives the plot of August Strindberg's The Father?

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The plot of The Father is driven by a bitter power struggle between the Captain, a scientist and freethinker, and his wife, Laura, over the future of their daughter.1

The conflict centers on their opposing desires regarding the girl's upbringing: the Captain intends to send her away to school, while Laura is determined to keep her at home under her own influence. To achieve her goal and drive her husband to madness, Laura initiates a psychological campaign against him, beginning with the insinuation that he is not the girl's true father. This intense domestic battle reflects Strindberg’s broader thematic concerns regarding the destructive effects of sexual maladjustment and the struggle between stronger and weaker wills.12