The Fate of the PoltergeistReality is defined in the dictionary as something that is neither derivative nor dependent, but necessarily exists; Isben's notions on the subject are not so easy to define. He expresses his views on reality with the play Ghosts, challenging audiences to consider that reality is simply haunted by ghosts of the past. Each character in the comedy Ghosts is haunted by actions, people and events from the past that continue to weigh heavily on their conscience. The characters in this play experience their picturesque lives crumbling before them, as they confront the ghosts they are tied to within themselves and struggle to accept responsibility for their actions, thus impacting their present lives that make up the reality of the world they live in. . As a result, the characters are able to refuse to acknowledge their burdens, but will eventually catch up to them. Author Henrik Ibsen wrote Ghosts to explain that fate is similar in the sense of a ghost that haunts its victims forever. Ibsen depicts many characters as having flaws that are especially noticeable when they face virtuous hardship. The author specifically uses Regina, the maid, to demonstrate that even admirable morals are a victim of fate. One does not want to “think that the glorious freedom of the good life down there must be so tarnished” (18) exemplifying Regina as a tormented soul allowing her desires for a luxurious life to terrorize her conscience. The negative feelings that trap her never stop teasing her with the prodigious opportunities and simple life she never had. She longs for the chance at a happy life filled with luck and adoration, but unbeknownst to her, she “longs…half of paper…some control when it comes to her life and her future. Almost everyone wants to be successful or happy without thinking too much about fate or the consequences of returning their past to the present. Ibsen mocks our ignorance and illuminates the truth that we are never truly free from our past and that it will continue to haunt us into our future, whether we choose to accept it, deny it, deserve it, or not deserve it. Even innocent children possess repressive darknesses that crush idealism and block the open path to freedom from the past. Just as the title suggests, the ghosts of our past are forever entwined within us and will rule our destiny whether we pay attention to our actions or not. The ability to define your own sense of reality without taking your past into consideration is the exact definition of living in a fantasy. Works Citedghosts hernkin isben