During the class discussion of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler we were enlightened by the idea of the economy in Norway at the time which helped to better understand the social classes represented in the play. During the 1890’s, Norway was in the midst of an economic growth. The wealthy were all about keeping up with the latest fashion. This was represented in Hedda Gabler with Aunt Julia buying a new bonnet to impress Hedda only to be astonished when Heddarecognizes it as that of a servant. “Why what a gorgeous bonnet you’ve been investing in.”“I bought it on Hedda’s account” (Ibsen 128). “Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying about on a chair” (Ibsen 132). The higher class would also party often and host parties as well. This is exampled …show more content…
Their actions are simply influences. Heddabegins to create her plot for total control starting with Aunt JuliaTesmanandlater Mr. Eilert Lovborg. Her end goal in mind; to manipulate them enough gain total control of their fate which would make her seem much more superior to anyone else. Thisideaof total controland manipulation to do sois seen as a constant theme, specifically with Hedda,throughout Ibsen’s work.This manipulative plot of hers begins with Aunt Julia. Hedda believes that by insulting Aunt Julia’snewly purchased bonnet, representing Aunt Julia’s pride,she will lower her self-esteem. This would then ideally make Hedda’s place in the household superior compared to the other women. “Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying about on the chair. Just fancy, if any one should come in and see it”(Ibsen 132).All her actions, this comment included, made during this time were to reassure her own self-esteem and powershe possessedwhen it came to the women she felt inferior to. She was comfortable with the circumstances which made her confidentenough to believe she could manipulate …show more content…
Connecting this to the idea of natural outcomes and thus relating it to everyday life could be seen from a criminal’s viewpoint. A criminal is titled a criminal because of decisionsan individualmade thatviolated the law. For example gang members, who are considered gang members due to the actions made that break the law, usuallyhave to go through an initiation in order to be titled an official member. Although others are involved in choosing the task and how it should be pursued,much like Hedda making comments to try and spite the person and belittle them enough to have them somewhat fear her,the individual is the one that choosesto continue with the order to complete it as instructed andthenpursue the gang lifestyle. This is a personal choice and was not determined by the other members.When it comes to Hedda’s situation and interactions with characters like Eilert and Aunt Julia, you can see that they don’t exactly know that they are being tricked but the feeling described after confrontations with Hedda reveal that they do have that negative feeling towards her. This gives them the opportunity to cut off contact with Hedda, which like the criminal gang members, is a personal choice. They would simply be and additional factor to the predetermined destiny of the individual. The future
Hedda from the story “Hedda Gabler” by Henrik Ibsen, wanted to have freedom or wanted to control her own life. However that desire never come true. Throughout the story we see that Hedda who want to dictate her own life simply couldn’t. One such example is that Hedda got marry. In 1800s, women ought to get marry. Women can’t find any job or have a business, therefore women cannot really survive if they choose to be independent. Hedda is no exception, she is bounded to get marry “I’d dance myself out, dear Judge. My time was up. [Shudders slightly.] Uch, no, I’m not going to say that or even think it.” (Ibsen, 1503) and the only choices she has is to whom she would marry to and after a she gets marry; she wouldn’t be able to live a life she wanted to because in the 1800s women couldn’t control how they live their life. They exist simply to find a men and serve their husband. Even though Hedda has to get marry and live a life that she didn’t want, but she didn’t give up the idea of controlling her own life and go against the society. One such move is that she tries to manipulate the people around her, one such person is her husband George Tesman “You’re right – it was a bit more costly. But Hedda just had to have that trip, Auntie. She really had to. There was no choice.” (Ibsen, 1486) The reason for her manipulation is because she want to
One of Hester’s greatest qualities is her unrelenting selflessness. Despite her constant mental anguish due to her sin, the constant stares and rude comments, and the
Hedda elicits sympathy from her audience because it is very obvious she is unhappy with her life. Women are suppressed by society and considered inferior to men. That is even more so in this time period. She expresses boredom with the life she has chosen during her conversation with Judge Brack in Act II. She talks of how she has these “impulses” to do these little things, assumingly to add a little spice to her life (Ibsen, Act II).
When her past wit LØvborg is brought up the reader sees a different side of Hedda. We can see that with LØvborg she feels comfortable and therefor confident. This can be seen by her willingness to discuss her thought of herself being a coward seen when LØvborg says, “Yes, Hedda, you are a coward at heart. And Hedda replies, ”A terrible coward.” This shows that she think of herself as a coward. She thinks she has no power over anyone and is poor because of her choice to comply with society. She is able to show LØvborg this side of her because he knew her before the change in her life. She knows that he still thinks of her for who she was before Tesman and this is why the audience is shown Hedda’s coward side with LØvborg.
Saari, Sandra. In James McFarlane (ed.): The Cambridge Companion to Ibsen. Cambridge University Press. 1994
Ibsen, Henrik. “Hedda Gabler”. Trans. Rold Fjelde. IBSEN Four Major Plays: Volume I. New York: Signet Classic, 1992.
Ibsen created an environment for women to question the society they lived in. Nora and Hedda, two feminists living in a masculine household bereft of happiness, desired to evade their unhappy life at home under the guidance of a man. Eventually, both women escaped from their husband’s grasp, but Hedda resorted to suicide in order to leave. Nora agreed with Lois Wyse by showing her strengths with pride to everybody, while Hedda hid her strengths like a coward by killing herself. Ibsen used numerous literary elements and techniques to enhance his writing and to help characterize the two protagonists.
Hedda married Tesman, an academic student who supposed to have a potential success, not because she loves him, but just because as she said “It was a great deal more than any of my other admirers were offering”. In this quote she is showing her real feelings meaning that she never loves him and she just married him because he was the best option among the
The characters of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll House and Hedda Gabler have problems relating to and surrounding their feelings towards the expectations presented to them by their society. The motivation behind their actions denote a fear of losing their respectability and status in their towns while implying a desire to be free of the expectations on them. The looming punishment of losing reputation and credibility in a community forces the characters in these plays to tiptoe around each other while trying to gain an upper hand and not be exposed in a possible scandal. The character’s actions are driven by a fear of losing respect in the community, being deemed disgraceful by neighbors, and damaging the character they have been building in the eyes
Hester was very trustworthy, she kept in secrets that could have possibly changed her and her daughter
Hedda was raised a lady of the upper class, and as such she regards her beauty with high esteem. This is, in part, the reason she vehemently denies the pregnancy for so long. A pregnancy will force her to gain weight and lose her lovely womanly figure. Hedda has grown accustomed to her many admirers; therefore, Hedda is ...
and do things themselves. One of the women gets her own job and the other leaves her daughter for adoption. Thus showing they are making their own decisions in life. This is unheard of in the 1800's and shows Ibsen trying to have a society in which women do have an identity in society and can be heard. Throughout the play, a women is shown doing her own thinking and not listening to what men have to say even though that is not how it used to be. Ibsen creates this new society in which anyone, no matter the gender, should be able to make their own decisions about life and how to live it.
While many other women were destined to become housewives or maids, Hedda’s father, a general, gave her a different set of beliefs. These beliefs gave Hedda a sense of power that allowed her to have no tolerance toward someone attempting to control her. General Gabbler basically raised to act like a man. Having inherited the traits of the man, she finds it unacceptable that she has to be submissive like the other women in society, lacking compassion and berating people weaker than her. Hedda’s cold nature and hatred for the weak make her turn to manipulation as a way to keep herself entertained.
Ibsen made his character Hedda gabbler as a manipulator which securitize the feminine role which defines a woman. During the play Hedda manipulated the people around her. Hedda ways on taking power over people that is close to her is an easy target to fulfill her desire. Ibsen character Hedda is shape into a woman
In an overview, Ibsen draws out a rather bleak entry of the role of women in all economic classes whom sacrifice their integrity, love, or rather any mortally being in relation to blood. For instance, Nora’s nurse Anne-Marie, had to abandon her daughter to support herself since the father was nonexistent. By being “a poor girl who had been led astray” she found homage in finding a job that was becoming Nora’s caretaker. (Henrik 906) In addition, in act three, at such a loss for principles can be displayed in the heated argument between Torvald and Nora.