After reading Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler I find myself disagreeing with the introduction. The introduction portrays Hedda as a vicious and malicious woman, however I believe that she was only responding to the circumstances others placed her in; not acting out of malice. We’re given a picture of Hedda as being aloof and haughty, but what is only hinted at is the manipulative nature of the people who surround her.
All of the men in the story are obsessed with Hedda, even to the point of self destruction. Judge Brack actively pursues her, despite her turning down his advances, and Eilert is equally obsessed, and desires her greatly. Even her husband is so focused on her that he ignores his growing debt, and overlooks her faults to avoid confrontation; but none of them truly loves Hedda, and they only seek to control her. Where the introduction paints Hedda as being malicious, I think that she simply felt trapped by all of the people trying to control her life, and responded in the only way that she knew how; which was to try and control them as well. We’re shown how Judge Brack desires to be Hedda’s “. . . trusted friend . . . ” (Ibsen 1484), and gives Hedda strong indications of his true desire. However it is not until he gains power over Hedda by blackmail. We’re also shown how Eilert tries to manipulate her into giving herself to him when he says “Didn’t you love me either? Not - just a little?” (Ibsen 1493), and later when he tells her “Yes Hedda. You’re a coward at heart” (Ibsen 1494). Her husband George also tries to manipulate her, and in essence bribes her to become his wife by promising her the freedoms of social life, but when his career plans fall through, he immediately reneges on his promises.
Hedda wanted freedom, from the men who constantly hounded her, and from the society pressuring her to be something she was not. When Judge Brack blackmails her and she realized that she would never be free, and that she was “Dependent on [his] will, and [his] demands. Not free. Still not free!” (Ibsen 1517), Hedda took the only path that she saw remaining; that of suicide. In doing so she did what she envisioned for Eilert, and had “. . . the courage and the will to rise from the feast of life so early” (Ibsen 1515), and found her freedom.
I agree with you a little but i strongly believe that Hedda was selfish and led the men on in this story. i believe she is playing hard to get with the judge and wants to keep him hanging on because he entertains her. and she was instrumental in the suicide of Loevborg when she tells him to "do it beautifully, all the same. Just this once Good-bye. You must go now.And don't come back"(1508). if she were being taken advantage of, she would not have had that much power of persuasion over him.
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