Hedda Gabler Essay
Hedda Gabler
In the beginning when the reader meets Hedda Gabler, one can see how she is quite a high maintenance character by how she complains that the maid has” opened the door. I’m drowning in all this sunlight." (Ibsen 1469). Exerting her power over her husband, George Tesman, she demands him to close the curtains, which he does complacently. Later Hedda notices an old hat lying on the chair and worries that someone may have seen it. When she learns that the hat belongs to Miss Tesman, George's dear aunt, she does not apologize for her comment which shows her tendency to belittle others, even if they are family. Hedda utters to her husband, "But where did she get her manners, flinging her hat around any way she likes here in the drawing room. People just don’t act that way." (1418). The author depicts Hedda as a neurotic woman who criticizes the actions of others in an attempt to demonstrate her self- imposed superiority over others. Her pretentious comment introduces the theme of a high and mighty character, which readers will begin to hate, who eventually succumbs to the pressure of appearing perfect in society.
In the scene where George and Hedda receive news that Mrs. Elvsted, an "old flame" of Tesman, will be visiting, Hedda remembers her as the one with “that irritating hair she’d always be fussing with" (1418). By this remark, the reader can predict that Hedda, very jealous of Mrs. Elvsted, will attempt to flaunt her superiority over her throughout the rest of the play.
Once Mrs. Elvsted arrives, and she and Hedda are alone they chat about a variety of topics: marriage, love, and most importantly, a man named Eilert Lovborg, with whom Mrs. Elvsted is in love. Admitting her feelings of loneliness in her marriage, Mrs. Elvsted strives to justify her relationship with Lovborg and mentions how happy he makes her when he allows her to help him write, as he is a published author. However, Mrs. Elvsted is unsure of the future of their relationship because
In the beginning when the reader meets Hedda Gabler, one can see how she is quite a high maintenance character by how she complains that the maid has” opened the door. I’m drowning in all this sunlight." (Ibsen 1469). Exerting her power over her husband, George Tesman, she demands him to close the curtains, which he does complacently. Later Hedda notices an old hat lying on the chair and worries that someone may have seen it. When she learns that the hat belongs to Miss Tesman, George's dear aunt, she does not apologize for her comment which shows her tendency to belittle others, even if they are family. Hedda utters to her husband, "But where did she get her manners, flinging her hat around any way she likes here in the drawing room. People just don’t act that way." (1418). The author depicts Hedda as a neurotic woman who criticizes the actions of others in an attempt to demonstrate her self- imposed superiority over others. Her pretentious comment introduces the theme of a high and mighty character, which readers will begin to hate, who eventually succumbs to the pressure of appearing perfect in society.
In the scene where George and Hedda receive news that Mrs. Elvsted, an "old flame" of Tesman, will be visiting, Hedda remembers her as the one with “that irritating hair she’d always be fussing with" (1418). By this remark, the reader can predict that Hedda, very jealous of Mrs. Elvsted, will attempt to flaunt her superiority over her throughout the rest of the play.
Once Mrs. Elvsted arrives, and she and Hedda are alone they chat about a variety of topics: marriage, love, and most importantly, a man named Eilert Lovborg, with whom Mrs. Elvsted is in love. Admitting her feelings of loneliness in her marriage, Mrs. Elvsted strives to justify her relationship with Lovborg and mentions how happy he makes her when he allows her to help him write, as he is a published author. However, Mrs. Elvsted is unsure of the future of their relationship because