In this article from The Guardian, the author goes on to explain the similar characteristics each of Ibsen’s female leads have within the world of their plays. The article states that Ibsen had “empathized” with his female characters and paints them out as social victims. This is shown in Ghosts with Helen Alving being a slave to the dos and don’ts of society and its perception of a well kept mother and wife. She is constantly scrutinized for her decisions made as a wife, and betraying her duty to her husband by leaving him. She is further judged by the local town pastor for her ‘free thinking’ ways that are sabotaging her son and negatively impacting his lifestyle. The play raises questions about the mother’s right over her son’s knowledge, in whether she even had the true right to keep the truth of his father from him; was she actually doing him a favor when he ends up sick in the end anyway? Does she deserved to be judged when her intentions were always in the best interest of her son, something that a mother is supposed to do?