Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Control This
Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler had a lot going on but it was all centered around Hedda she had her hand in everything. I know in this time period women had a place in society but Hedda step out of that place. She wanted what she wanted and did whatever she could to obtain it. She was very selfish and manipulative. Everything that she did was centered around her feelings and her needs. There was one person in the story that gave her a run for her money and that was Judge Bracks. He wanted her with a passion and always made it a point to let her know. “I’ve been so much longing for you to come home”, lets her know that she has a home with him whenever she wanted it. He longed for her so much he did not hesitate to use his power and status to obtain her. Hedda shows this in this quote “In other words, I’m in your power, Judge. From now own, you’ve got your hold over me.” Judge Bracks thought he had Hedda in the palm of his hand. Hedda refused to be controlled by him or anyone else by the end of the story Hedda had destroyed life for herself and instead of give in to the life that Judge Bracks and her husband had laid out for her she kills herself which is very tragic because of life had been shaped by her. The manipulation of the people in her life destroyed her.
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I agree that our new friend Hedda was a manipulative lady. “I’m sure I’m not. I remember it quite clearly. Let’s tell each other our secrets, as we used to in the old days” (Ibsen 1475), that take a conartist almost to convince a person that was scared of you that, you are their friend. Is there no extent that you want go to get what you want, Hedda Goodness! She was starting to make my head itch. I even thought that what if she gets what she wants, then what? I just don’t think that she would’ve been satisfied. That’s my issue with these capital R Romantics. When is it enough? Will the drama ever stop? When will you be happy? Why can’t you just be normal D%$ it?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Judge in the scene when he says “Hedda, my dearest- believe me – I will not abuse my position” (Ibsen 1517). I could just see poor powerful (at least she thought) Hedda bubble just burst, fantastic. Then to add insult to injury the Judge let her know that she never had the power she thought she had and he always had the power “Most people resign themselves to the inevitable sooner or later” (Ibsen 1517). I laughed because I could see him standing there in an all white suite big white hat with the grin on his face maybe some suspenders on, like oh yeah I’m the man. Hedda took her own life, but look on the Brightside at least George can finish rewriting his book.