Dissertation on Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler is one of the most remarkable female characters created by playwrights. Due to her unconventional behaviour and defiance of stereotypical female behaviour patterns, this character received a strong reaction from critics. Some noted that she has almost demonic power and misrepresents real women with her pervert art at manipulation of people. Thus, A Norwegian critic labelled her a “monster created by the author in the form of a woman who has no counterpart in the real world,” and Hjalmer Boyeson named Hedda “a complete perversion of womanhood” (CUNY, 2005). The opposing view was to treat her as a New Woman, in the understanding of the critic Gail Finney, with emphasis on self-fulfilment, belief in equality, openness about her sexuality, good education, career emphasis, and preference of comfortable clothing. Analysis of the play reveals, however, that Hedda fits this ideal only in some aspects, missing many important traits of a New Woman.
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The drive to be independent is clearly visible in Hedda’s behaviour. Many critics have noted that she preserves her maiden name that stands in the title of the play, while conventionally she has to be called Hedda Tesman, not Gabler. He (2001), for instance, believes that the us of the name Gabler “highlights not only Hedda’s aristocratic family background (her father is a general) but also her close association with the upperclass standard of living, both materially and spiritually”. However, it seems possible to use a different explanation for the reversal of names: Hedda maintains independence and autonomy from her husband, keeping the name that stands for what she was since childhood.
Hedda certainly remains intellectually and morally independent of her husband’s influence, partly because he is not a strong enough personality to influence a woman like her and partly because she is totally unable to develop an emotional bond with him or anybody else, for that matter. She certainly does her best to underscore this independence from Tesman. Thus, in Act 3, when Tesman rejoices about their improved prospects since Lovberg drops out of the competition for a professor’s position, she retorts: “Our way? Pray leave me out of the question”. Lack of emotional attachment for her husband makes her indeed see her own living as totally separated from his own; she chooses to be with him as long as it suits her intention of being a mistress of the house entertaining the local jet set; she keeps in mind that “it was part of our compact that we were to go into society--to keep open house” (Act 1). This detachment makes her likely to manipulate her husband as an object, thus she seriously considers if she can one day “get Tesman to go into politics” (Act 1).
Thus, Hedda is indeed independent, but what about self-fulfilment? The matter is that Hedda does not have any stated purpose for self-fulfilment. She not only shuns motherhood; she does not feel any interest in any social or intellectual pursuit that would give her life a meaning. This partly stems from Hedda’s passionate denial of any attachment to anything: “No responsibilities for me!” (Act 2). The big reason is that she is deprived of any passion for anything. In a conversation with Judge Brack, she admits that she can only “bore herself to death” (Act 2). This quality was underscored by F.L.Lucas in his 1962 analysis of the play where he names Hedda “the idle, emancipated woman--and what she is to do with her emancipation, the devil only knows” (CUNY, 2005).
So, Hedda is emancipated indeed, and in this she seemingly fits into the mould of the New Woman. Still, although seeking equality with men and independence, she is not interested in being financially independent and intends to depend on her husband for money. A woman, in Hedda’s conviction, has to sell herself to men at a high price. She reflects this belief when she says to Mrs. Elvsted that the fact that she is not “expensive” is “stupid” is her (Act 1). Besides, apart from this emancipation, she demonstrates few of the qualities desired by Gail Finney in her definition of a New Woman. Throughout the play, it becomes evident that Hedda possesses a brilliant mind allowing her to manipulate Tesman, Mrs. Elvsted and Ejlert with devilish skill.
Education, nevertheless, does not show anywhere. One can deduce that Hedda is probably a woman whose circle of interests is rather narrow. Thus, on her wedding trip with Tesman, she complains that she was extremely bored as she had to “hear of nothing but the history of civilisation, morning, noon, and night” (Act 2). Considering that Tesman, with his dedication to work and enthusiasm was not probably the worst story-teller, this reaction seems overdrawn even for a woman frustrated with her marriage. Anyway, it seems that Hedda does not have any interests that could have appeared to fill her life if she had received a good education. Thus, waiting for guests, she bothers herself with the question: “What in heaven’s name would you have me do with myself?” (Act 2).
As a result, Hedda does not have a job or any other social activity that could fill her days and let her use her potential. Asked by Judge Brack about the possibility to find a vocation in her life, she replies with a pessimistic phrase “Heaven knows what sort of a vocation that could be” (Act 2). Indeed, the only pursuit for Hedda Gabler seems to be sitting in the room and receiving guests, spending her husband’s money. One can suppose that an academician like Tesman would hardly object to a wife engaged in some charitable activity or even taking up a real job – it is just that Hedda is not so much a New Woman to care for any serious occupation.
The play does not really contain any indication that Hedda displays openly her sexuality. One can even suppose that she does not have an intense sexual drive, using men mostly as objects for manipulation. To do this, she can use their sexualities, but seems to be guarding her own. She is also afraid that Judge Brack may use his powers to “to manipulate her sexually” (He 2001). In fact, she is afraid of him being “the only cock in the yard” (Act 3).Thus, she does not seem to demonstrate much openness about her sexual life; instead, she uses the realization of these impulses in men to establish her domination over them.
Speaking of manner of dressing, Hedda is not the one to give up elegant attire in favour of comfortable bulky stuff. Since her life is focused on being a lady of the world and attracting men, she is willing to spend hours in her room changing her dress before the reception (Act 2). At her appearance, her dress is described as “a tasteful, somewhat loose-fitting morning gown” (Act 1).
Thus, Hedda Gabler does not live up to the ideal of a New Woman. She is successful only in one point – she is really independent of men and emotional attachment, unwilling to turn hers into a life of self-sacrifice.
However, she fails to devote her life to self-fulfillment simply because of lack of ideals that she could seek to fulfil. Possessing neither strong intellectual interests that appear with a good education, nor vocation that could give her a job, she is reduced to hopeless attempts to establish herself in her “select” circle. Her crisis is not one of the New Woman who does not fit into a traditional environment, but one of an empty personality who finds little interest in life going on around.
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