helene alvina is about to dedicate an orphanage she has built in the memory of her dead husband , captain alving . she reveals to pastor manders that she has kept hidden the negative aspect of her marriage primonity due to the immoral and unfaithful behaviour of her lath husband. she has built the orphanage to deplete her husband's wealth so that their son , oswald might not inherit anything from him. pastor handers had perviously advised her to return to husbabd despite his philandering, and she followed his advice in the belief that her love for her husband would eventually reform him, but her husband continued his affairs until his death, and mrs. alving stayed with him to protect her son from the taint of scandal, and fear of being shunned by the community.