Hedda Gabler

In Henrik Ibsen’s play, Hedda Gabler, the title character states that more than anything in life, she wants control over another human being; this desire reveals Hedda’s challenge of the mandate promulgated by patriarchy that control is the purview of males, not of females. Hedda Gabler challenges the patriarchal paradigm of control in three specific ways; her pure love of control is verified throughout the novel as she plots the lives of the people surrounding her. It is also demonstrated by her superior attitude that determines the technique in which she treats the people around her, and through her horrific reaction to her loss of complete control that ultimately leads to her suicide. Similarly to the description of the stereotypically

Hedda demonstrates that she believes herself to be superior to the people around her. Hedda’s superior attitude dictates the way she treats the other characters. She is cruel, manipulative, and untrustworthy which is demonstrated in her actions. These traits are particularly exhibited in the beginning of the play when Hedda purposely questions why the maid left her old, dirty hat on the chair for everyone to see even though she knew it was Aunt Julie’s hat. She purposely attempts for destroy the confidence of the people around her in order to obtain more confidence for herself, and therefore more control. Her explanation for these cruel insults is, “Oh, you know how it is… these things just suddenly come over me. And then I can’t resist them myself. Oh, I don’t know myself how to explain it” (Ibsen 206). Hedda’s untrustworthy characteristic is symbolized through her pistols. She uses them as a weapon to instill fear to the people who become too close to her. As soon as Elijert Lovborg is completely in love with Hedda, she threatens to shoot him. This demonstrates her inability to feel any positive sentiment towards another person. Hedda’s actions and eventual downfall are explained, “If they rebel against other men – as when workers go on strike – the risks can be huge and the gains short lived” (Johnson 58).

Many circumstances challenge Hedda’s level on management in the play. For instance, Hedda felt herself losing control when she discovers she is pregnant; she was incapable of caring for or loving another human being. Hedda’s level of control was also challenged by her constant fear of scandal. Her pure reputation was threatened by Judge Brack blackmailing her so she would have an affair with him. Lastly, Hedda felt herself lose control in her life when her husband, George, began to work on Thea Elvsted on a new novel. Hedda’s loss of authority is symbolized in the play by the burning of Elijert Lovberg’s manuscript. Hedda claims “I did it for your sake, George.” (Ibsen 251). When in actuality, she burns the manuscript as though she were burning her unborn child, who triggered Hedda’s spiral to rock bottom. Hedda’s fear of losing domination is similar to the stereotypical man’s fear of losing control. The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy states, “Unlike control, fear may be one of the most powerful and primal of all human motivations, more deeply rooted than greed, desire, lust, or even love” (Johnson 50). Hedda’s fear of losing control leads to her to descent; her actual loss of this supremacy ultimately leads to her suicide at the end of the