Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler
Henrik Ibsen

The year: 1890; the country: Norway. Hedda Gabler returns from her honeymoon to a house and life she despises, with a husband for whom she has no respect. Into this unhappy home bring two men who would become her lover – one an upstanding judge, and the other a brilliant but dissolute man with a scandalous past.
Just a word of warning about Hedda. You probably won’t like her, but she’s a fascinating literary creation. She’s more complicated than you think (if my past experience is any indicator). The actress Kate Burton (daughter of Richard Burton, who was a great Shakespearean actor as well as a movie star and celebrity) called Hedda “a female Hamlet.” I’m not sure I‘d go that far, but she’s more than just a “mean girl“.
There are reasons for everything she does, (although sometimes they are dark even to her). Take the “bonnet incident”. I think you can take her at face value when she tells Judge Brack that she doesn’t know why she does things like that.
For a key to understanding Hedda look closely at the nature of her relationship with Lovborg — especially in the past.

80 comments:

cheryl said...

This is the first book I've read this summer. I saw how thin the book was and decided it was the one to ease me into actually thinking during summer vacation. If the story hadn't been so cruel and sad, it would have worked. To me it seems like Hedda is a jerk because she's been kind of sheltered and separate in her society's 'triangles','circles', and other polygons. She has some kind of emotion deficiency, maybe because she's never been happy and doesn't know how to fix it. It doesn't make sense that she would marry Tesman if he had no money or influence, because she seems to love those things. Weird play! Lots of lying and covering things up too, I don't like that.

Greg M said...

Shockingly, I read a book in July. I think this book was an easy read because it was simple in language and plays are generally more interesting. I enjoyed it, but maybe that's because I like books that pertain to human psychology. Between Hedda marrying for the wrong reasons, destroying the manuscript, and killing herself I did not have respect for her. In my opinion I think she is like a martyr. She knows she is unhappy but she thinks she is superior (or "holds power" over everyone else) because she takes the burden of Tesman and his annoying habits. In the end she kills herself because Judge Brack has power over her. Unlike my predecessor, I do not think this was a weird play. There was lots of lying and covering things up, because that's how humans act. I mean, look at teenagers for example. We gossip behind each others backs and we lie to our families and friends for our own personal gain. That is exactly how Hedda acted.

Christine(Dono) said...

After reading Enchanted Night this book was much darker for me. Although there were lies and secrets in both books the consequences for the characters were worse in this book. I thought it was insane how Hedda not only pretended to know nothing about Eilert's manuscript, but encouraged him to kill himself "beautifully" by giving him one of her pistols when all along she had his manuscript. This is where i have to disagree with Greg. Hedda didn't do all those things for personal gain. It was more of a game for her that she made up when she was bored. She manipulated other people because she liked having power and control. It's the same reason why she married Tesman because he was willing to provide for her and was someone she could easily manipulate. I don't really like how the play just ended with Judge Brack saying "good-god people don't do such things."

lindsay said...

This was my first read this summer and for me, it was an easy read. Like Greg, I am interested in psychology and hope to pursue it as a career. At first, Hedda Gabler seems to just be a cold, shallow individual but obviously, like all humans, there is more than meets the eye. Hedda believes that in order to be powerful and have a high status amongst others, you need to be able to "mold other's destinies." As in the "bonnet incident," Hedda is cruel to Aunt Julia to prove to herself that she can, on a whim, simply and easily influence other's emotions. In succeeding to hurt Aunt Julia, Hedda proves to herself, for a moment, that she does have power. In other situations, such as when she gives Lovborg a gun, she attempts to further heighten her image and self-respect by manipulating others but fails. Therefore, out of despair, she finally kills herself. It took me a while to understand the book and even now, I'm not sure if I have all of it right but I liked how this play make me think.

grace! said...

Hedda Gable was a good read for me. I really enjoy plays. I feel that a play can really make a story come alive. The characters seem more life-like to me as I read their lines and imagine their thoughts. I quickly finished Hedda Gabler in two sittings. I enjoyed how the time frame was only over the coarse of a couple days. But my favorite part of the play was Hedda Gabler her self. What a crazy which was my first impression. But after I finished the book I realized there was more. She was a complex character. Like it was said everything she did was done for a reason. She needed to be in control, to hold all the cards. She manipulated people to get her way. She obviously did not love her husband but married him because she could wrap him around her finger. She also caused Mrs. Elvsted much pain to get at Lovborg. Finally when Lovborg did not want Hedda after all Hedda tried to help him kill himself. But Hedda lost control. Judge Brack knew of the pistol at the scene of Lovborg's death. "So i am in your power, Judge Brack." And when Hedda lost control she lost the will to live.

Cassan said...

This play was an easy read for me, not only because it was short, but because I just needed to figure out what Hedda was up to so I couldn't seem to put it down. I still don't really understand Hedda's character though. I can't seem to get past her manipulative and power-hungry personality to see the complexity behind it that some of you see. And poor Mr. Tesman, he was just oblivious to everything she was scheming. I wasn't really surprised when she killed herself though because once Mr. Brack had blackmail on her and basically had control over her, she knew she couldn't deal with that. I think that there should have been more background history because it was confusing trying to figure out all of the past relationships between all the characters and how it affected their present relationships. For example, the part when Hedda gives Lovborg her gun, and she asked him if he recognized it because it was the same gun she aimed at him before...? I thought i missed something.

cheryl said...

Contrary to what Greg said, I don't think most people are eager to damage someone else for their own personal gain. Some people definitely do, but most in normal circumstances wouldn't. Hedda felt removed from the people she married into because she used to live with another socially group. So why did she marry Tesman? She did it just to have someone to manipulate? It seems like she didn't want or need to manipulate anyone until after she got stuck in the back woods. He didn't have any money at the beginning of the play either. Why would she suffer traveling the world studying with this guy when she didn't have to? For an intelligent person, Hedda seems to make some pretty weird choices. I don't want to accept that she did it just to be in control. I'd rather accept that she's just a jerk or nut.

Christine(Dono) said...

I can definately see Cheryl's point that Hedda is just plain crazy. She doesn't seem to have too much in common with her husband and seems bored by him. She acts like money and social status means so much to her, but she married Tesman. She acts ashamed of him at times and went out of her way to embarrass Tesman's aunt about her bonnet. She knows they don't have a lot of money but she talks about getting a new piano that'll go better in a room. She seems like she's living in her own little fantasy world and as soon as the judge had some leverage over her it came crashing down. She realized that she couldn't have this life that she wanted and there are consequences to her actions. The fact that she gave her gun to Eilbert and convinced him to kill himself could come back to hurt her. I think she couldn't face this reality so she decided to kill herself.

Greg M said...

I don't think little of what Cheryl said, but I have to disagree. Why would she manipulate Tesman? Maybe she wouldn't want to control a man without money, but wouldn't be easier to control someone who is not rich? Also, he was high up on the social ladder. He was great friends with the judge and a highly respected historian. It seems like the easy task of controlling a passive poor man would work her up in the social circles. I also think that she is a jerk, but she likes to control people.

brett g said...

This was my first read of the summer. I thought it was a fairly easy read, but I had a difficult time understanding everything, and I still do not think that I fully do. As far as Hedda goes, I have to agree with both Lindsay and Grace when they say that there is more to Hedda than meets the eye. She felt it necessary to have control over others, and met her downfall when she realized that she did not have control over everybody and everything. Judge Brack showed her that she could not control everybody, and so she did not think that she had anything else to live for. Personally, I thought Hedda was a dark and depressing character. This was apparent from the very beginning, when she was rude to Aunt Julle instead of showing respect to her elder. She never seemed to be happy. I sort of agree with Cheryl when she calls Hedda a "jerk", but I think there is also a little bit more to it. For whatever reason, Hedda needs to manipulate others in order to be satisfied. It makes her feel better about herself. She thought that by marrying Tesman, she would be able to get everything she wanted. I agree with Gre M when he says this book depicts human nature. I couldn't wait to see how each lie would affect the storyline and each character in the story.

liz said...

I know that it's taken me a while, but I've finally started reading the summer assignment, and Hedda Gabler was my first book. I've just finished the third act, so I don't know all of the reasons behind her actions, but I have begun to realize certain things about Hedda. First and foremost is her love of power. She married Tesman because he was in a high social circle and because she assumed he had the professor position and would lead a wealthy, prosperous life. When it turned out she was wrong about the money, she had to find some other way to have power and picking on those she felt were lesser than her seemed to be an easy way. Like Lindsay, I think that Hedda did have a reason for the "bonnet incident," that she wanted to prove to Aunt Julia and to herself that she was superior. Hedda also pulled the same cruel stunts with Thea, only more openly, by calling her belittling names and forcing her to do as she said (for instance, to stay longer at the house to wait for Lovborg). But however horribly she treats the others, she can't seem to find happiness. Maybe that's because so far she hasn't gotten a chance to really "mold someone's destiny" and have the absolute power and control over another person.

SammiDee said...

In general I thought of Hedda as a controlling women who pictured everything as a part of a fantasy. She was angry that her marriage did not go as she planned and therefore envied the way Thea's relationship was going. She destroyed the only thing that held the two people together and then aided Eilert in killing himself. She was extremely disappointed to learn how he died and I believe this is because she did not think it was "part of the fantasy". In the end I believe she killed herself to show the everyone what a true "fantasy death is" and to prevent herself from not being in control. When Brack found out about the incident he had something on her and she was not completely free.

kate c said...

This was also my first book, i read it in the first week of summer, but just finally got around to posting. I love plays because they are usually easy reads and fast paced, and this play fit with these standards. I liked the depth of the play. I found Hedda fascinating because of her complexity! Like Shrek, she's like an onion with many layers. As the book went on more and more was revealed about her and she bacame more and more complex.
I like Cheryl's coment about Hedda being seperate from societies "circles". She separated herself from her husbands family, yet aunt Julle seemed to think so highly of her. She didn't seem to fit in with society, but she seemed to have a huge impact on society.
I think grace summef it up beautifully when she said, "when Hedda lost control she lost the will to live." (props to you gracie that was a good one)

mbajwa said...

I know a lot of people have posted on this and I just read a couple of entries, so some of this stuff may be a repeat. Like Kate, I also like reading plays as opposed to full-fledged novels because the format is easier and the time seems to go by quickly when you get really into it. I feel like I understand Hedda somewhat, but not completely because her character is so unusual and you don't know her true intentions. It was hard for me to really grasp what was really going on in her mind. She comes across as a superficial and distant person who, like Cheryl put it, has some kind of "emotion deficiency." She seems like an unstable character who tries to manipulate people. I don't understand why she married Tesman and why she helped Lovborg kill himself. It was somewhat implied that Hedda and Lovborg perhaps had a past relationship and I think because of this she also tried stratgically to manipulate Mrs. Elvsted. It seems like she gets some kind of morbid satisfaction by inflicting emotional pain on others intentionally.

grace! said...

Cheryl I am going to go with greg on this one. Hedda is completly controling Tesman. She has him in the palm of her hand. Tesman said to Brack on page 38, "Think of Hedda, my dear fellow! You, who know her so well-! I couldn't possibly ask her to put up with a shabby style of living!" Tesman will do anything for Hedda and she couldn't care less. She is much more interested in others like the judge and Lovborg. And what better way to get to them than through her husband's connections. She is using him.

SammiDee said...

I found it shocking at how little Hedda cared for other people. She was truly self centered. When she burned the manuscript some may have thought of this as a nice gesture to Tesman, Hedda even tells him this. Yet when he expresses his gratitude she seems disgusted. She even says that she the "grotesque" way he is acting. She truly cannot be happy and intends on bringing everyone else down with her.

julia h said...

Hedda Gabler was the first book on the summer reading list that I read. I thought the story, though very dark and slightly extreme, was fascinating. Hedda is one of those characters that you just love to hate. She seemed to have this need, a need she could not explain to herself, to have control over the people around her. She married Tesman because she knew she could control him. She left Lovborg because she sensed that he was beginning to gain some power over her. She feared it. Through the entire play she was manipulating everyone around her, at some points just because she could. However, in the end, partly because of her own actions, she found herself rapidly loosing control. She even ended up in the power of Judge Brack, something that she clearly would not tolerate. Finally, because she had finally lost control and because this scared her so much, she elected to leave life behind instead of becoming, as she put it, a ‘slave’.

emily c said...

I think this book was interesting in that everyone can interpret Hedda’s actions differently. Hedda, to me, seems bored with her life and plays with others to test her control, for some excitement. It appeared that she could be jealous of what others had and wanted to take it away. Like, Mrs.Elvsted, I think she was jealous of we she and Lovburg shared, and the wealth and social standing they would gain with the printing of his books, and therefore wanted to destroy it. She had to hold all the cards, have all the power. She was playing with everyone like puppets in her own personal fairytale, pushing them to see how they would react. She was self-absorbed, bored and enjoyed "playing god". She loved the control she had and when she felt the power slip became almost lost. She thought that Lovburg would kill himself in the manner she expected, yet when he did not, she was upset. As soon as the Judge had power over her her fantasy was ruined and she had to take the control back from him. The only way she could think of to regain control was to take her life. I think she had a need to control everything around her, but not only that but a need to destroy the things she wanted that she couldn't have.

Gerry said...

whew! ok, i started reading finally and found Hedda Gabler to be a very easy read, though hard to follow. Like so many other people have stated before me, Hedda is power hungry and loves seeing the different ways in which she can manipulate peoples' lives and actions. Hedda controls everyone she sees often, whether it be her husband, Mrs. Elvsted, Judge Brack, Eilert, or Aunt Julia. I think Hedda thinks life is a game, you have to lie and show you are superior to win.

katehiggs said...

This is the second book I read. After the Return of the native this was like a vacation form my brain! First, I agree with Greg M on the point that this novel was based on human instinct when it comes to lying! He hit the big money when he said that humans lie for their own person advantages. Hedda Gabler did it for entertainment. WHen judge Brack told her to get a hobby, because he notice how bored she was, he did not see that she already had a hobby. This hobby she has is controlling the less strong people. For example: Hedda Gabler sees her friend Mrs. Elvsted as an easy target and easy person to manipulate. She also manipulates her husband and uses him for all her expenses.
Secondly the pistols play and important part in this novel. I agree with Lindsay, that when Hedda loses control in manipulating Judge Brack she kills herself.
After reading the return of the native i see how similar Eustacia Vye and Hedda Gabler are. Especially the eerie ending of two distant lovers killing themselves.

Sabina said...

woah a lot has been said. I love the arguement between cheryl and greg. Oh how you 2 love to disagree. But I think underneath it all you 2 do agree on some of what the other has said. I do not believe Hedda and Tesman's realationship is so easily summed up as Grace put it. No offense I just see it more confusing and complicated with motives for actions. Ok first I think we all agree to some extent that Hedda is controlling Tesman. I think the different interpretations come when we discuss why Hedda married him. My take on why she married him is a little different. When Hedda was describing the events leading to the marriage to Brack, I think Hedda sort of fell into a trap of marrying Tesman. It seems like she let other things/people influence her in deciding to marr him-instead of what she really wanted. For example, one influence was Tesman who she says she felt bad for. We don't know if thats true, because the whole play is full of misleading lies, but in some way I feel Hedda didn't have complete control in this situation. This is one example of where I find Hedda not having complete control over Tesman. If Hedda followed her true desires, it would not have been Tesman she chose. However this brings up an interesting point. I think one reason she felt safe choosing to marry Tesman was because she did not love him at all or have any affection for him. Unlike her relationship with Ejlert, which I believe she ended because she felt threatened by the feelings of real affection for him because such feelings control your mind and decisions. And we all know how Hedda feels about losing control. And in her marriage she realizes she can't completely control Tesman because for example she can't make him rich-its up to him to do that (and this upsets her and shows her mistake in marrying him).
Anyways I found this play to be really interesting. And like Brett and Cassandra said I wanted to find out what Hedda was up to and how the each lie affected the storyline next. (And on a side note: the part about recognizing the pistol I think was in refrence to when Hedda threatened to shoot Ejlert which was brought up once in the book earlier. hope that helps.) The lies and manipulations are like some said revealing of human nature. However I don't agree with Greg in comparing teenagers to Hedda. That is just so cold and dark and too extreme. Yes, we gossip about each other and I know what you mean about lying to get out of doing stuff for our parents or not telling them the full truth about someone's parents being home or something...but what I'm trying to say is Hedda is an extreme case of this. She ruins lives and kills herself. In my opinion, Hedda definitely has a psychological problem or as Mandeep quoted "emotional deficiency". Although Hedda has secret motives, I don't see anything hidden under Hedda's cold meaness-she is one dark and chilling individual.

liz r said...

As you probably guessed, this is still the same account as 'liz', i just forgot my password (shut up greg). I've finished the play and I have to agree with sabina that Hedda definetly didn't marry Tesman for love, since she showed no deep feelings or even a small connection with the man. She deliberatly destroyed the manuscript not to relieve Tesman of his jealousy but to ruin Thea's relationship.
But I did come up with a theory of why Hedda is so manipulative, and I was wondering if anyone would agree. Maybe she likes to control other people because at the time women didn't have much control. They were supposed to stay home all day and be cared for like delicate dolls and just do whatever their husbands asked of them. So I was thinking that Hedda could have married Tesman because she knew he would never really ask anything of her, like Grace's quote from page 38. Then also maybe she got such sick fun out of being mean to others because it was the only way she knew how to be in charge, by making others feel that they were lesser to her. While I might be completely off in my theory, it seems that most of us do agree that Hedda's favorite activity was dominating and manipulating others. So when she realized that someone (Brack) was going to be able to do the smae thing to her, she decided she'd get the ultimate revenge by taking away the pleasure she thought he would have gotten from lording control over her by taking her own life.
PS - maybe i missed a line somewhere, but could someone please explain what Aunt Julia kept hinting that Hedda had to tell to Tesman?

Gerry said...

Just about everything has been said about Hedda. There are several speculations to why Hedda married Tesman. I think she married Tesman because she knew she could control him, but it would be more of a challange. Hedda clearly doesn't have any feelings for Tesman and just sees him as another part of her game. Another player in this game is Judge Brack. Hedda never had complete control over Brack. Once Brack shared with Hedda that he knew she gave Eilert the pistol which took his life, the jig was up. Brack was holding all of the cards and Hedda no longer could play her game. Since Hedda could no longer play her favorite game of manipulation, she took her own life.

cheryl said...

Yeah, I think she was pregnant too, makes her look like even more of a loon when she killed herself. She seems upset about it too, saying that she didn't like it bc it was out of her control (i think it said something like that somewhere), and since she didn't really like Tesman, having a kid would only cement their marriage bc then they'd have a family and a reason for Hedda to stick around....unless it wasnt Tesman's....duh duh dunnnn. The fact that they were on a extended trip suggests that it was Tesman's, but whatev, she's dead.

What do you say to that Greg? Your comments don't hold a candle (or candles, for that matter) to mine.

Greg M said...

I'm sorry I didn't measure up to your expecatations Cheryl, but for once I actually agree with you. It would be logical to believe that she is pregnant. Hedda loves to control and a kid is just another variable in her life. And getting pregnant on the honeymoon seems very plausible.
HA! Liz forgot her password :)

liz r said...

thank you max! I thought she was probably pregnant, but I wasn't sure. That makes the most sense. Also, Greg, you are a jerkwad.

Christine(Dono) said...

Not to sound like we're all tryin to gang up on Greg, but I disagree with him. I'm not sure if Hedda was really pregnant, but that's what everyone kept hinting at while Hedda kept denying it with a passion. If Hedda had a kid it would make her marriage to Tesman more real and take away a little more of her control. Sure having a kid would mean someone else to control, but it would also mean she'd have to spend more time taking care of someone else. I don't think Hedda would like having to take care of someone so much when she could be out influencing other people who are more important.
I love Liz's idea about Hedda being so controlling because women didn't have alot of power or influence back then. I was wondering about this myself. I think it makes more sense then her being so controling just because she was bored.

katehiggs said...

wow interesting little fight we have going on. i thought i might answer lizzies question but as i scroll down i see its been answered a billion different ways and a new twist was added by Cheryl! maybe she did get pregnant on the little trip by another man, because she kept talking about this group of friends, like some "circle" or group of close friends in her past. maybe this little group of friends is like the new group of people in the plot now. maybe she minipulated them also?! but that seems almost too abstract to think about.
anyways i read sabinas long blog, and i agree with one interesting fact she said. let me sum it up for yall...basicly she thinks hedda is afraid of showing true affections of love toward a person, because that would control her. and because shes against any controling thoughts she decided it would be safe to marry someone she didnt love. and for that reason she broke of the relationship forming between her and Ejlert.
this theory relates to lizzies theory! see lizzie thinks that Hedda married Tesmin because she knows he will never ask anything of her. Maybe it is both of these reasons that Hedda went about with the marrage. or maybe she is just mentally INSANE!!!

lindsay said...

I decided to revisit this blog to see what everyone else thought of Hedda Gabler. I was really surprised to see so many arguments and viewpoints in why Hedda enjoyed having control over others. I read Sabina's very long but interesting comment and I agree with many of her points. It would make sense in why Hedda, at the end, would want to escape her relationship with Eilert if her feelings towards him started to overpower her. Also, I liked how Grace stated that since Judge Brack knew of Hedda's plan with the gun, he had power over Hedda and therefore Hedda felt defeated and decided to take her own life. As for if Hedda was pregnant or not, I never thought that it could be possible that she was pregnant. However, I do not think there is enough information in the book to tell whether she was or was not. Being pregnant or not seems irrelevant to Hedda's situation and the main theme of this book.

Anonymous said...

In somewhat of a twist, I actually found my respect for Hedda Gabler (the character and the play) growing as the story progressed. Hedda, I believe, doesn't necessarily like to hold the reins, but rather holds herself (and others!) to such a high degree of character that she sometimes acts in a controlling fashion.

I found my favourite part to be when Hedda burned Lovborg's manuscript, after she knew that it had been lost. But why did she do this? Consider: after Lovborg lost the script, he himself believed that it had been destroyed; ie, he would never get it back. And so, this was the frame of mind which he put himself in to. Imagine what would have happened, had he gotten it back. He would have probably responded with a degree of sadness, having already written it off as a lost cause. It took incredible strength on Hedda's part to make his mistake a reality.

There's an interesting parallel here with incorrectly diagnosed cancer patients. Imagine being told you had a month to live. Whoa! Ticket to freedom! ..And then shortly after, being told Ha Ha Just Kidding by your doctor. It wouldn't be fun.

cheryl said...

It wouldn't be fun knowing that you weren't going to die? Oh Andrew, your sarcastic twist on everything is soo confusing. If something I had worked super hard on was seemingly lost forever, but suddenly found by somebody, I'd be super grateful and would do anything for them. Then Lovborg would be under her control. Maybe its just her realist ideas that make her punish people who make mistakes and show them how cruel the world is instead of making a change and doing something nice for someone else, fighting the pessimistic view point that she can't get rid of. This book is like a human metaphor for uncontrollable sad problems. I guess I just don't understand these sad people. Don't worry be happy! Make believe not war!

Christine(Dono) said...

I kind of agree with andrew's comment. If you're told you have a month to live it changes your view on life and you do things you normally wouldn't. You live life to the fullest and don't worry about the consequences because you won't be around for them. Then to have this new found sense of freedom taken away from you is horrible. It's not that fact that you're gonna live, but that you have to go back to your old life after having the freedom. It's like the story where a women finds out her husband has died and she is so excited about her freedom. She comes up with all these plans for the rest of her life. Then her husband walks through the door and she dies. I'm not exactly sure how this relates to the book though.

cheryl said...

If their lives are so bad that they need a fatal illness to make them feel better, then fine. I know Hedda felt trapped, but if she really wanted to, she could have left. People can make their lives better if they have the motivation, hopefully before they catch a disease. Can you tell I don't like this book? So pessimistic. I'm a big dog and springtime kinda person. :)

Christine(Dono) said...

I don't think that Hedda needed some horrible disease to make her feel better. I agree with Cheryl if her life was that bad should could have left. The only problem with this is the society back then. Hedda's position in society was so important to her I don't think she would ever consider leaving her husband or going off on her own.

Jen A. said...

Hedda is a very in-your-face character, and I think the miserable life she feels trapped in is hugely responsible to the creation of her little "games" to mess with people's minds lives. She seems haughty, but I think it's all a facade, because her outlet is controlling others. And i will agree with emily when she says that Hedda must "be holding all the cards," but it is a liitle impressive that she can influence people so much...and a lot scary. What with killing herself and all, this is repetitive, but I do think she couldn't deal with not being in control of the thing she wanted. And it must have inscensed her that she should want, or depend on ANYthing. She likes her independance, this one.

Mike said...

I'm surprised that more hasn't been made here of the comments at the beginning of the play that seem to indicate that Hedda is pregnant...she seems to be very much in denial about it (if I recall correctly, she pretty much tells Tesman to zip it when he tries to bring it up), and it doesn't come up that much at all during the story. It seems to me like Hedda would want to have a child, so she'd have someone else to manipulate.

mbajwa said...

It seems like everyone's interpretation of Hedda's actions and motives is different. I definitely agree with Sabina and the whole idea of Hedda marrying Tesman because she felt no actual personal attachment with him, in contrast with her relationship with Lovborg. I think control defines Hedda and without it, she feels like she's ultimately powerless. The title "Hedda Gabler" is really befitting of the entire play because Hedda is unable to fully accept the last name Tesman, therefore her maiden name Gabler is more appropriate. I knew I didn't like Hedda right from the beginning when she made a rude comment towards Aunt Julia and she told Tesman that she wanted to furnish the house differently.
I feel that Mrs. Elvsted was the one character that remained unchanged throughout the play. She maintained a focus throughout the play. She leaves her husband in order to find Lovborg and she tracks down Hedda, who was someone that she was scared of in school. She was able to live beyond the rules of society. She has a direction and she never loses sight. I think she makes Hedda compelled by hatred for her because she proves to be very influential in the life of Lovborg. She is the one who was able to get Lovborg to change his ways and write his book. Even though she was upset over the death of Lovborg, she was able to be optimistic by trying to re-create the manuscript. She, unlike Hedda, was able to control herself and was not driven to end her life in the somewhat unexpected manner that Hedda did.

jen duell said...

Like always I have waited until the last minute to do my required reading. While my family was on the beach at Cape Cod, I stayed home to read "Hedda Gabler". I understand the focus of the discussion on Hedda seeing she is the main character. What bothered me about this play was the simplicity of the other characters in comparison to Hedda. Henrik Ibsen is revered for his complex female protagonist but, for me, the brilliance of Hedda is lost in the one-dimensional support characters. When I finished reading, I found myself feeling irritated, not at the manipulative and almost vicious Hedda Gabler, but at the naive acceptance of Hedda's actions by those around her. How does George Tesman blindly accept and cherish Hedda's destruction of Elert Lovborg's manuscript as love? How does Thea Elvsted believe Hedda Gabler when Hedda states that the abuse Elvsted remembers never happened?

KaylaG said...

“Hedda Gabler” was a very fast read compared to The Return of the Native. The dialogue was a good change from all of the description. The character of Hedda was what made the play interesting to me. Hedda had much more depth than any of the supporting characters. She was obsessed with the idea of having power over others and her decisions made throughout the book reflected this. Despite what her motive for marrying Tesman may have been, she definitely had complete control over him. He was pretty much wrapped around her finger and wanted to give her everything she desired. (For example the house that she pretended to like.) As mentioned before, she also had a huge influence in Lovborg’s life/death.
When the Judge reveals that he knows about Hedda’s role in Lovborg’s death, she realizes that she is no longer “holding all the cards” and shoots herself. Although to me this seems like a dumb reason for ending your life, I can see why it would appeal to Hedda. It at least gave her one last bit of power in controlling how she died. She considered this “dying beautifully” because to her, power was beautiful.

Melissa said...

Wow, for such a short play, it sure has created some complex ideas and responses. I enjoyed this play, it was an easy read for me, however, many more will be easy reads after finishing Return of the Native. My initial impression of Hedda Gabler was a selfish, spoiled rich person who will never be satisfied by herself or her surroundings. However, as the play the progresses, I realized how much Hedda thrived on power. She was proud over being able to control Tesman like a string puppet. Such as saying loosely that she adored the so-called villa they were passing, and what do you know, thats what Tesman buys for her after they marry. Another little example of her need for power is when she commented on how ugly Aunt Julle's hat was, fully knowing that it was truly Aunt Julle's. She wanted the power to make her feel horrible.
I agree with Jen Duell in that I was extremely fustrated at the author for creating this incredibly complex protagonist surrounded by these simple, one-dimensional characters. However, I did notice the only character to ever even pick up on how much Hedda had control was Judge Brack. They shared many comments throughout the book the referred to both Hedda and Brack fighting for power or being "the only cock on the farm."
I also agree with Kayla G. in that I don't believe Hedda killed herself because she didn't have the will to live, but killed herself to regain the power once again. She panicked when she found out Judge Brack had the power over her and wanted her power reinstated. The only way she felt she could get her power back was to control her own death and how she was going to die. She wasn't going to keep living her life knowing someone had the power over her emotions and actions. She saw one last chance to be in control and that was to control the way she was going to die.

Rachel said...

so I am very new to this whole blogging thing. I'm not very high tech at all (actually computers and I do not get along). I have successfully completed all the books and I was the most disturbed by "Hedda Gabler" (both the book and the character). She strikes me as a very unhappy and power hungry, pety woman. She is constantly manipulating others around her and she doesn't feel comfortable if she isn't in control of a situation. As dark and scary as it sounds, I can actually understand why Hedda essentially told Eilert to kill himself. Hedda reminds me of the people now-a-days who find it romantic to kill themselve's for love (like "Romeo and Juliet"). I think that Hedda finds beauty in being somewhat like God (in that she wants to control her own life and destiny). When Eilert and Hedda talk about their past she mentions that she wanted him to be courageous. I honestly believe that Hedda was so blinded by the need for constant control and beauty that she felt that Eilert killing himself was courageous and beautiful. I also understand why Hedda killed herself. It was not only because she lost control of her own destiny (Brack being in control of her), it was also because she could no longer find beauty that pleased her. When she found out that Eilert actually had a rather ugly death she was deeply disturbed. She couldn't handle the idea of being somewhat at fault and the idea that her influence had created more hurt and anguish rather than the beauty of an easy escape. All in all I believe that she was deeply...well messed up but yet I understand all of her actions. (so maybe I'm just as crazy....?)

KaylaG said...

Looking back a bit, I'm not sure I agree with Mike's comment that Hedda would want to have the child to be able to manipulate it. In my opinion, the reason why Hedda seemed so annoyed and unwilling to discuss it was because the pregnancy was completely out of her control. I'm guessing that the pregnancy probably wasn't planned so it was just one more thing that was outside of Hedda's power.

mbajwa said...

The whole pregnancy thing that Mike and Kaylag brought up was interesting. I sensed from the beginning that Hedda was unwilling and "in denial" as Mike said about the child. I'm not entirely sure if Hedda would want the child to manipulate, that seems kind of severe, however we have established that Hedda is manipulative and power-hungry so anything is possible. I kind of understand Hedda, but it seems hard to completely grasp her throughts and motives. It was hard for me to relate to her in any way, which ultimately made it hard for me to follow what was going on in the play. She is so unusual in the way she thinks and the ending completely threw me off. She's so unpredictable. I didn't expect her to end her life the way she did, but after looking back on it, it appears as though someone this manipulative and selfish was bound to be unhappy. I mean she didn't really have anything in life that she was truly passionate about and cared about. She was very cold toward her husband and she didn't even acknowledge the fact that she was indeed carrying a child.

Alex Feigel said...

I don't know how to describe Hedda as anything other than a brat. She gets everything she thinks she wants and doesn't appreciate anything she has or receives. She manipulates people to get what she wants. She cannot stand to see anyone have anything she doesn't. She brings suffering to others. She finds her actions acceptable because no one tells her any other way. Hedda's character is a classic case of negative tolerance. Hedda's cruelty is tolerated just because people choose to ignore it. It did not appear to me that Hedda had any motivation for her actions other than boredom. She should have picked up a hobby like knitting instead of bring pain to others.

Anonymous said...

I want to agree with Kayla G completely; it seems that Hedda's pregnancy is something entirely out of her control, and hence is why she is reluctant to discuss it. Also consider, if Aunt Julianne found confirmation (it is rather clear she expects Hedda to be pregnant), Julianne would have no doubt visited Hedda every day, bringing new trinkets, baubles, and other useless strings of control that Hedda is most certainly against. She does not want Julianne's knowledge (above her own) holding her hostage.

grace! said...

Wow mike! I totaly missed the pregnant thing. But once you mentioned it I went back and sure enough I found it was hinted at twice.

p53 Brack- No, no I daresay not. But suppose now that what people call- in elegant language- a solemn responsibility were to come upon you? (smiling) A new responsibility, Mrs. Hedda?
Hedda- (Angrily) Be quiet! Nothing of the sort will ever happen!

and on page 92 Miss Tesman- Ah, Rina ought not to have left us just now. This is not the time for Hedda's house to be a house of mourning.
Hedda- (changing the subject) She died quite peacefully, did she not, Miss Tesman?

Now through out the play it never comes out and says Hedda is pregnant but these two quotes and Heddas reactions to them lead me to believe that she is. She does not seem to want a child. My guess is that it would be another thing in her way. Something that would make her that much closer to the nice house wife type. She obviousely hates that life style. She has no respect for her husband already. She wants excitment. That is why she uses others around her to get what she wants.

Unknown said...

I personally think that while Hedda appears to be a sweet and loving person it is really a ruse that allows her to more actively ensnare people into her schemes to "better" her position in life (the whole you catch more flies with honey idea). However she ultimately finds that she will never be able to ensnare enough souls to fulfill her dastardly plots and takes the cowards way (although she doesn't think of it that way, she more thinks of it a noble sacrifice).

Christine(Dono) said...

I agree with Kayla G. on the whole pregnant issue. That was what i was trying to say before, but with it being summer and all it didn't come out right. I also never thougt of her being pregnant trapping her with aunt Julianne. It makes a lot more sense now why she was over reacting when he brought up the idea of her being pregnant in front of aunt Julianne. I started off agreeing somewhat with todd's comment that Hedda does act alot nicer as a ruse. Once Todd started talking about her not being able to ensnare enough souls that's when i started to disagree. I don't think she was concerned with the number of people she could take down, it was more about just having them in the palm of her hand to do what she says.

Sabina said...

I sort of missed the pregnant thing also. Thanks for the quotes grace! And you’re totally right, after re-reading parts the idea of a new baby is definitely there. And I agree with those that think Hedda didn’t want a child because she knew she wouldn’t really be able to control it. Although some parents successfully control their children, if Hedda’s child was anything like her, I cannot imagine him/her being very easily told what to do and controlled.

And commenting on Mandeep’s previous mention of Mrs. Elvstead, I totally agree that she makes Hedda compelled to hate her because Mrs. Elvstead proves to be very influential in the life of Lovborg. For obvious reasons I find Hedda jealous of Mrs. Elvstead because of not only her power over Elvstead (and we know Hedda's love of power over people), but also Elvstead’s relationship with Lovborg. It is a relationship Hedda could not handle because her feelings became to powerful over her. And I just wanted to point out that although Mrs. Elvstead remains very focused and unchanged, she was easily fooled by Hedda’s sweet act that, as Todd pointed out, was merely a ruse. Hedda wanted information from Mrs. Elvstead so she pretended to like her as a friend, calling her “my dear Thea”. Ha what a joke. Poor Mrs. Elvstead.

Rebecca said...

This was the last book I read this summer, and I was happy it was such a quick read. I have to say that this was my favorite book of all of the books this summer, because even though the book caused yo to hate Hedda, as was said in the blog earlier, Hedda is a very interesting character. I can't say that i completely understood anything she did. First, she married a man that she didn't love, who didn't have anything that she wanted. She put herself into a life that didn't please her at all! Then, the first time we meet Hedda, we are introduced to the "bonnet" incident, to which she says she doesn't know why she does those types of things. From then on we are just thrust into a neverending cycle of events such as these with Hedda, full of manipulation, underhandedness, and foul play. It is almost as if she is just so bored with her life, she can find nothing else to do except for play with the minds of others. She even partially owns up to this when she tells the judge that she simply wants to control somebody else. And I'm sorry, but did it bother anybody else when she said that her husband wasn't even worth it in this respect?!?!
Though I couldn't stand Hedda, I did enjoy reading the book. I felt like I was sitting right there in the house with them watching alll of this unfold. i felt pity for all of the other characters. In fact it would almost be interesting if there were another book where you could see how all of the other characters make out after Hedda shoots herself (which may I just say was very predictible). O well, I guess that's part of what makes a great book, is when everything isn't completely spelled out and you have to let your mind wonder a little.
Speaking of mind wondering...I'm getting ready to write my paper now, and I don't have a clue as to what I'm going to write. I know a lot of people are probably in the same position, so good luck everybody!

Bethany said...

I finished Hedda Gabler last night, and I found it very interesting. I caught the pregnancy thing almost immediately. While Hedda was obviously very cruel and shallow, I almost feel bad for her. Although Hedda had many lovers, she never truly loved. I think that showed with the use of Du/De. Hedda used the other character's emotions to her advantage, however she never let herself become powerless to others. I agree with Christine D. that to Hedda, manipulation was like a game for Hedda. Once Judge Brack knew that Hedda had given Lovborg the pistol, he had power over her. She realizes that she failed at her own game and takes her life.

Bethany said...

And to add another comment to the discussion about Hedda's pregnancy. I don't think that Hedda was as concerned with not having a child to care for, but insted with having a child on her own terms. In those days, there were probably no contraceptives, so becoming pregant was completely out of her control(well besides abstinence- obviously). I'm sure that someone so concerned wiht controlling others was just as concerned with controlling what happened to her own body.

Arianna :-) said...

So, I was pretty proud of myself that I have even started reading one of the books seeing as we still have 4 beautiful days left of summer. So, I'm trying not to read your blogs because I don't want to ruin the endings. But, seeing as this is the shortest I decided to start small. So far, Hedda seems very interesting to me. She can be very sneaky and power hungry so far but I'm sure there's more to find out. And right now I kind of feel bad for Mr. Tesman because I think Hedda is kind of using him but I'll let you know my true feelings when I actually finish the play.

Arianna :-) said...

So, I just read the part where Hedda lies to Lovborg about his manuscript. I was actually not minding Hedda until this moment. She seemed kind of crazy and self-centered a bit but almost all people are like that at some point. But, then to go and upset so many people including lovborg, mr. tesman, and mrs. elvsted all at once! And the worst part is she knew it upset him and continued to hurt him. I no longer like Hedda that's all I have to say.

KaylaG said...

I agree with Arianna, the situation with the manuscript was what really made me dislike Hedda. At one point in her life, she obviously really cared for Lovborg at lying to him about the manuscript was just plain cruel. Not only did she keep it from him but instead she gave him her gun and told him to kill himself. She didn't seem to have any limits on how far she was willing to go to have power over others.
I also found it weird how easily Mr. Tesman forgave her for burning the manuscript and how willing he was to believe it was an act of love. I'm guessing that it was probably the only "act of love" that Hedda had ever shown him so he didn't want to question it.

Sabina said...

I definitely agree that it was weird how easy Mr. Tesman forgave one of Hedda's cruelest actions, and not only that but saw it as an act of love. But this does fit in with how easily Mr. Tesman is manipulated and used by Hedda. :(

ClaireB said...

This was the second book I read and although it was darker than what I usually like, I still enjoyed it. I thought the book was very real. Hedda was the type of character that very much exists but people don't normally expose. She was basically out for herself only. Everything she did or said was only in her best interest. She lied and manipulated people because she thought it would make her happier. I give major kudos to the author for showing such a realistic "ugly" characted like Hedda.

CJ Vareed said...

So I just finished reading this book and reading all of everyone else's comments, and I completely agree with you ClaireB...Hedda Gabler is the typical human being just searching out for things on behalf of her own interest...I think Ibsen does a great job in exposing some of the nastiest character flaws in people by the making the personality of "Hedda." She feels the need to be in control and well-informed of all the dirt and other people's lives (especially when she manipulates Mrs. Elvsted to tell her what's really going one between her and Lovborg). I think perhaps the darkest part of the story is the fact that the "other woman" that Mrs. Elvsted is confused about and referring to is acutally Hedda...something I didn't really expect. As for giving her gun to Lovborg and telling him to rid himself with it...it shows that Hedda has this "complex" in which she doesn't have any boundaries as to where she's going to stop wanting control and power. As for Tesman, Ibsen reveals what true jealosy can do to a person, (especially when Tesman is happy that Hedda burned Lovborg's manuscript...the one that would perhaps make him well-known and rich.)

Jess M. said...

Well, I haven't been on here in a while. I finished all three of my books so I suppose it is time for me to express what I thought about them. Well, I would have to say that I was extremely surprised by this book of plays. I love to watch plays in theaters, but I really dislike reading them. I guess becuase most of the plays that we study are written in old english (or some other language translated) and there are so many "hidden meanings" behind every action that a character does, it can get slightly annoying. But anyways, I found these three plays really easy to read..and understand! I finished the book in no time, possibly I actually found each play quite interesting and just couldn't stop reading. I would have to say that Hedda Gabler was my favorite. Although it ended like most typical plays we study, I loved it becuase of the personality of Hedda. People have not changed much since the "olden days"...
But anyhow, the Wild Duck was also a very good play and I enjoyed picturing it in my head as I was readng it. It was sad to read about how Hedvig took her own life, and yet, I was impressed by the sudden change that every character took after this event. In modern days, we could say they were causing more drama than needed.
The Pillars of the Community was my least favorite. Mainly because nothing extrodinary happened. It was a very dull and common story of their time. The title of the play was constantly reminded through it; unlike in The Wild Duck and Hedda Gabler, their true meanings werent completely revealed until the end of the story.
But overall, it was a good book to read and I will definately but using some if its content in my essay.

Karen said...

So i finished this book very fast considering how slow I read books, but I really enjoyed this play. I thought that it was entertaining and kept my interest but also had an underlying meaning and plot that kept me reading. The character of Hedda is one I believe to be very complex and she was the reason why I felt compelled to keep reading. First only confining to specific characters, then hiding things from those who should have been her closest friends, and then ultimately killing herself along with bringing an end to the guilt and secrets of her life and others. I just finished this play this afternoon so I am still trying to figure it all out in my head but for such a short play you definitly have a lot to think about. I may be back later with more thoughts.

mbajwa said...

I agree with Claire and Christine about how Hedda encompasses some/most of the nasty qualities (which are considered to be character flaws), which we ourselves would hate to have. But like Arianna said, Hedda's self-centerness (not a real world, but whatever) and selfishness does reflect real people at some point in their life. I wonder why Hedda and Lovborg ended their past relationship, and why it's such a secret. The book mentions that Hedda nearly pulled the trigger on Lovborg, but I wonder what would compel Hedda to do such a thing, could it be lack of control?

CJ Vareed said...

To be quite honest, mbajwa, I have the same questions as you...yeah, why did Hedda want to kill Lovborg at a certain point? I think it may just have been that threatening to kill him would be the only way to keep him under her control...and no one else's. And whatever compelled them to split...perhaps because Tesman was a very noble, and knowledgable bachelor who was looking for a beautiful maiden to marry (and Hedda could fit right into that, afterall, her father was a greatly rich and well-known man)? Of course, if Hedda did not keep such a strong foothold on Lovborg, he may have gone around ruining her reputation by telling people that she was (as Alex F. refers) a "brat."

KCorbin said...

I've only skimmed a lot of the comments, but what Jen said caught my attention. Hedda does appear to be a complex character, her motivation for burning the manuscript and other actions remain a mystery and thus she herself is an enigma. When I closed the book my first thought was "What a sadistic, hedonistic *censored*" And I think that is partially because of how simple the rest of the characters are. Tesman seems to be only an admirer without the ability to see any of Hedda's qualities and Elvsted seems a silly girl in comparison to Hedda. Perhaps this was meant to highlight that Lovborg is on the same level as Hedda? Then that makes one wonder about their past, her almost killing him- which was never explained, much to my annoyance.
While I was greatly entertained if not perplexed while reading this book I think it lacks a moral fiber, any kind of moral. Ah well, at least she won't be a mother.

kfrancis said...

I just realized that perhaps Hedda's reason for burning the manuscript has to do with the fact it is the unified creation of both Lovborg and Mrs. Elvsted. Mrs. Elvsted considered it as eqaully valuable as a little child, their child. For example, on page 82 of Hedda Gabler Mrs. Elvsted says, "Do you know, Eilert--what you've done with the book--it's like you've killed a little child." Lovborg then states, "Yes. You're right. It is very much a kind of child killing." Mrs. Elvsted questions, "How could you? It was my child too!" Finally, Hedda says quite interestingly, "Ah, the child." This leads me to believe that Hedda's destruction of the manuscript was intended by Ibsen to parallel Hedda's unhappiness that she is likewise carrying the creation of her husband and her; the baby. Henceforth, the burning of the manuscript might serve as foreshadowing that Hedda is willing to take her life, along with the baby's, as she has already taken Lovborg's life by ridding him of his precious baby; the manuscript.

mbajwa said...

Kevin's comment was really interesting because I had never made that connection. After thinking about it though, it makes a lot of sense. If you read it over, there's definite foreshadowing. I thought it was a little odd how Mrs. Elvstead referred to the manuscript as their child. I thought it was a little extreme, however I guess both Lovborg and Mrs. Elvstead were really devoted to and passionate about the manuscript so that it would lead to the eventual success of Lovborg.

lbetters said...

Hedda Gabler was one twisted little heroine. She loved to be in control of others lives, aka manipulating them into exactly what she wanted. Maybe it was something that happened to her during her childhood that made her crave for the power of being in control, like controlling parents. But whatever it was, her life became consumed by the power. If anything happened that she did not want, like Lovborgs' “accidental” death or her pregnancy, she became unhappy with the result. I agree with Julia about how Hedda was against others having power over her. Because of this fact, Hedda committed suicide, which was the last show of her power she made; possibly in attempt to prove to everyone that she really did hold power over what happened. I also agree with Emily when she said how Hedda enjoys playing with people (playing god, people = puppets, etc), it became one of Hedda’s hobbies because she was bored. Another comment that I think is true is one that Bethany posted about Hedda being pregnant. Some other people have made comments about why Hedda did not want to have a child because then she really could manipulate the childs' life, but if you look at it using Beths' point of view it becomes clear. She did not want a child because she just was not ready for one.

Kevin Sullivan said...

I decided to read all the books before posting, which is why I'm so late in the blog. Hedda Gabler was the first book of my summer reading list I read, because it was a play, and it was probably my favorite. Hedda Gabbler is a different story than I'm used to reading, but it was still an enjoyable book. The preview mentioned that readers might not like Hedda, but I think I liked her more than Tesman. He was somehing of a fool, I think, in that he never seemed to know what was going on. I can see why people might not like Hedda, what with her using Mrs. Elvsted and the suspected tryst with Brack, but I think she is more real, more true to human character, than her husband. I think people tend to be more self-preserving than ignorant.

kate c said...

I also think Kevin had a great point. I hadn't thought of the manuscript in that way, but it makes great sence. Leave it Kevin to make such an insightful comment!

Rebecca said...

I kind of agree with Kevin, but on the other hand, I think humans are more a mix of both self preserving and ignorance. There are always going to be times where people are self seeking and there are always going to be times where people are completely ignorant or lovestruck. Honestly, how rediculous do we all act at the beginning of a new relationship or when protecting a bf/gf, even if it means being foolish enough to betray an old friend. I think the problem with this story was that these characters were not a mix of both of these or other characteristics, they were defined by their one major one. It's almost as in I think it was Greek literature we read sophomore year where the hero's strength was his downfall, these were just extreme cases. Tesmn's ability to love isn't a bad thing, it's just caused him to be ignorant. Hedda's ability to "direct" people could be a good thing, but she has chosen to use it to manipulate people. All of these characters are one dimensional, causing there tragic downfall.

Rebecca S. said...

I agree with everyone who has surmised that Hedda was pregnant. Right away Aunt Julie starts hinting she hopes Hedda is pregnant (when she asks Tesman if he has any expectations and when she tells Tesman he will know what to do with the empty rooms in the house in time). I think Hedda, whether pregnant or not at the time, couldn’t bear to have that notion that she should be having children hanging over her—it gives power and influence to Aunt Julie and Judge Brack, whereas she would prefer the act of having children to be her independent decision that she controls.

As for her relationship with Mrs. Elvsted, I, like Sabina said, think she was jealous. It’s interesting that when she hears he made a speech in honor of the woman who had inspired him, the first thing she wonders is if he specified who the woman was, which Tesman believes to be Mrs. Elvsted. This is just another example of the influence Mrs. Elvsted has on him rather than Hedda herself. Hedda felt contempt toward her when she found out it was she who had rehabilitated Løvborg and taken power from her.

I’m going to take a guess at why Løvborg and Hedda ended their relationship: Løvborg actually loved Hedda, and he wanted to take their friendship to a new level. Clearly both he and she felt they had a deep friendship, but it was not a friendship of equality, nor was it based on actual care for Eilert on the part of Hedda. She was always evasive with him and enjoyed a feeling of influence and power over him. Unlike Mrs. Elvsted, who genuinely cared for Løvborg and tried to absolve him of his sins, Hedda had no intention of doing so. Rather, it was her ability to force him to confess to his terrible behavior that she found so appealing. By Løvborg suggesting they should become romantically involved, it forced Hedda to break off their friendship because she considered it a breaking of trust. Here Løvborg had put his complete trust in Hedda by revealing himself to her, acknowledging her dominance over him, and now, if he actually loves her, trust is assumed to be automatic, along with equality.
Hedda did not express any love for Tesman in their marriage, and that could be because she did not consider them equals. Instead, she had absolute influence over Tesman, which is why it was not worth it to her to try to control him; Tesman would never be like Løvborg, who would not stay in the same state of control forever. He wanted someone to change him, which Mrs. Elvsted did. However, this was not because she commanded him to out of her power over him, but simply because he did not want to upset her (they both had power over each other out of care for one another, something Hedda and Tesman could not have). Mrs. Elvsted then became his interest, and they wrote a book together. When Eilert heard that Mrs. Elvsted came into town worried for his sake, he thought it to be a breach of trust between them, showing that while she has influence over him, he considers it to be much more significant because of the level of honesty in their relationship, and to forget that honesty angered him. This is akin to equality, which Hedda had no desire for; she wanted absolute influence over Løvborg and was jealous that Mrs. Elvsted could have influence over him in a different manner, which made her threatening. Hedda did not feel power over someone could also include love, but this was the nature of Mrs. Elvsted’s feelings for Løvborg.

Just my thoughts on that. I think it’s very hard to explain because of the complexity of Løvborg’s relationships with different people and what relationships mean to Hedda.

Alex Feigel said...

Throughout the play, it is unclear whether Hedda is actually really smart or the people around her are really dumb. It is easy to give Hedda the praise of conniving. the truth may be everyone around here was living in their separate realities and didn't understand what was going on around them.

Of course we all speak of how much we dislike Hedda. We don't consider it "acceptable" to act in the manner she does, even though a majority of people do but less extreme. It is common to speak down of people who fully embody character flaws that almost everyone has a little of. No one wants to admit they are selfish and manipulative but when it comes down to it, we all have our moments. It is easier for people to talk about how terrible Hedda is instead of how good Tesman is. His character is obvious to us and by talking about him we don't point out anyone else's flaws.

Rebecca S. said...

I do think Hedda expressed herself with an almost bored superiority, especially in response to Tesman. Tesman really had no understanding of Hedda’s character, which may or may not be a flaw. Certainly Tesman shouldn’t have been expected to foresee what Hedda would do throughout the play, but I think their relationship was so shallow that it was very believable for Hedda to do the things she did without arising suspicion or question from him. Hedda mentioned the lack of commonality between them, and she had chosen him out of her other admirers because he promised to take care of her and provide for her. She had no fascination with Tesman and how far her influence could go the way she had with Eilert. There was no depth to their relationship and very little reason for Tesman to think of Hedda in any other way than what she allowed of herself to be presented to him. It makes me wonder about the circumstances of their marriage and honeymoon: did Hedda always consider Tesman to be beneath her, just another young man chasing after her because of her perceived goddess quality? Was there any knowing of each other before marriage, or was Tesman fairly oblivious to the real Hedda?

I rather liked Hedda for all her faults, but she was by no means the only character who had character flaws. Tesman, Judge Brack, Eilert, Mrs. Elvsted, and Aunt Julie also had faults of their own. Judge Brack, for example, was very conniving from the beginning—he felt disdain towards Eilert for possibly compromising his “trois” and resorted to holding his power over Hedda for his selfish desires. By trying to be the one cock of the walk, it included dominance over Hedda, which is just as bad as Hedda’s need for dominance over others.

Jacob F said...

I agree with Rebecca in the fact that Hedda did seem to be high and mighty with herself, and didn't think much of the people around her. As many people have said I believe that Hedda wasn't a nice person, and mostly used people ( like Tesman) to get the things she wanted. I also believe , in agreement to what Alex stated, that everyone around Hedda was really stupid. Or maybe they just didn't really care about the small things, who knows. Anyways, Hedda is a mean person, and that's basically it.

Shanti R. said...

Argh, this'll teach me to submit late around here. What can I say about this play that hasn't already been said? Like most everyone here, I initially found Hedda to be a shallow, power-hungry woman with few aspirations other than to control the lives of others for personal amusement. But after reading some of these comments & going back to the play, I found that there was much more going on between the characters.

KaylaG made a wonderful point about Hedda's death; I agree that it wasn't so much beauty that Hedda was straining for, but that one last chance to regain power from Brack, and take from him the last laugh.

Jen's argument also got to me. It's puzzling that everyone -especially Thea Elvsted- would continually subject themselves to Hedda's actions. Why did Mrs. Elvsted keep coming back to her even though all she did was undermine and tease her? To me, she, Aunt Julia and Mr. Tesman came off as simple minded, naive characters, whose entire purpose in the play were to be tossed around at Hedda's whim.

I'd hate to think that their roles were so flat, which is why I've actually come to like the ending and the character Judge Brack -who proved to be much more cunning and decieving than first thought. He was able to seize control over her and turned the tables around in just a few minutes time. No longer was he Hedda's consort, but her captor, and for those last few pages Hedda was no more a villain, but a tragic victim to her own game.

sammidee said...

In the end I believe that Hedda is a truly distasteful person. What truly bothered me the most was the fact that she did not want to have a child and that she thought of it as a "hinder to her freedom". She demonstrated her dislike towards the whole thing when she constantly insisted that she was not pregnant.

Rebecca S. said...

To some people, having children, especially unplanned, could seem like a loss of freedom, Hedda being one of them. However, I think that has more to do with her wanting to be in control of events and not necessarily because she’s thinking, “children are a big responsibility, which I’d rather not contend with right now.” The second type of reasoning is definitely valid for some people, but not for Hedda. Her reasons are selfish, and being in denial about her pregnancy probably made the whole thing worse—she could have been the one to choose when and how to tell everyone. However, I don’t think her pregnancy mattered much in the end—she most likely would have taken her life because of Judge Brack regardless of whether or not the pregnancy was known to everyone.

Of course, who really wanted to see her with children?

Jacob F said...

I agree with Rebecca, Hedda would be selfish in her actions of not wanting to have children or having to generally deal with them. I think another problem was that in some aspects Hedda was still as selfish and as moody as a child in the way she acted, and I think she still wanted to be the center of attention ( just my opinion).

cassandra said...

Okay, so Im not sure where I have been, but I didn't even consider the fact that Hedda could have been pregnant?!?! Apparently I missed that while reading. However, this was still my favorite of the 3. :)

Justine Higgins said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Justine Higgins said...

This was the second book that i read. Since Cassandra had mentioned not thinking that Hedda could be pregnant i wanted to note that that was the first thing that came to mind for me when Miss Tesman was hinting about it in the begining. I also couldn't believe (well i could but it seemed unreal) how Hedda could contrtol so much and so many lifes, i don't think that i could have ever created such a negitive person such as her.