’ s ▁aut obi ographical ▁history , ▁or ▁of ▁issues ▁dealing ▁with ▁youth ▁versus ▁m atur ity , ▁or ▁of ▁issues ▁of ▁psych ology , ▁and ▁other ▁possible ▁interpret ations . ▁ ▁Hal vard ▁Sol ness , ▁the ▁master ▁builder , ▁has ▁become ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁builder ▁in ▁his ▁home ▁town ▁by ▁a ▁fort un ate ▁series ▁of ▁coinc id ences ▁for ▁him ▁which ▁were ▁the ▁chance ▁mis fortun es ▁of ▁his ▁compet itors . ▁He ▁had ▁previously ▁conce ived ▁these ▁fort un ate ▁coinc id ences ▁in ▁his ▁mind , ▁power fully ▁wished ▁for ▁them ▁to ▁come ▁to ▁pass , ▁but ▁never ▁actually ▁did ▁anything ▁about ▁them . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁ancest ral ▁home ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁fire ▁in ▁a ▁clothes ▁cup board , ▁he ▁had ▁already ▁imag ined ▁how ▁he ▁could ▁cause ▁such ▁an ▁accident ▁and ▁then ▁profit ▁from ▁it ▁by ▁div iding ▁the ▁land ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁house ▁stood ▁into ▁plots ▁and ▁covering ▁it ▁with ▁homes ▁for ▁sale . ▁Between ▁this ▁fort uit ous ▁occurrence ▁and ▁some ▁chance ▁mis fortun es ▁of ▁his ▁compet itors , ▁Sol ness ▁comes ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁he ▁only ▁has ▁to ▁wish ▁for ▁something ▁to ▁happen ▁in ▁order ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁come ▁about . ▁He ▁rational ises ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁particular ▁gift ▁from ▁God , ▁best owed ▁so ▁that , ▁through ▁his ▁un natural ▁success , ▁he ▁can ▁carry ▁out ▁God ' s ▁ord ained ▁work ▁of ▁church ▁building . ▁ ▁Real ism ▁f used ▁with ▁symbol ism ▁This ▁play