What social conventions does Ghosts criticize?

In his 1881 drama Ghosts, Henrik Ibsen delivers a sharp critique of conventional morality and the destructive consequences of hypocrisy. The play specifically challenges the social tendency to cover up "ugly truths" to maintain a facade of respectability.12

The narrative centers on Mrs. Alving, a widow who attempts to uphold a "timidly respectable" image by erecting a memorial to her late husband, Captain Alving. Ibsen uses this character to illustrate how ingrained moral contamination—symbolized by the "ghosts" of past actions—undermines idealism. While the play ostensibly addresses the physical reality of congenital syphilis, it serves as a broader indictment of a society that prioritizes social reputation over honesty. By forcing the audience to confront the tragic results of these stifling social conventions, Ibsen exposes how such hypocrisy can lead to the ruin of the very families it seeks to protect.12