Henrick Ibsen is the author of a masterpiece novel titled Hedda Gable, which was written and published in 1891. The play is mind-provoking because Hedda, who is from a rich family, gets married to a scholar known as Jurge Tesman(Ibsen 24). Though Hedda is married, she is not happy. Tesman did not have as much money as Hedda’s family, which made it hard for him to please the wife. Hedda is a powerful figure in the play and bestows the power to manipulate individuals in the play (Ibsen 43). This paper will discuss how Hedda represents the lack of freedom in the society and social pressures that suppresses one self.
Given that the women live in a double standard community, Hedda cannot live her life outside her household. The play was written in the late 19th century, when women were depicted as inferior and that their place in the society was to take care of the household (Ibsen 15). Hedda had an ambition to live her life outside the social forces, but she could not. Being a woman, she had conformed to the social strata in that the global society is patriarchal (Ibsen 98). Hedda was not ready to accept these social forces and in return, she treated her husband coldly and manipulated him. Despite Hedda’s level of intelligence, she could not be part of the greater community because of her gender. This shows the lack of freedom at that time because of one’s gender (Lyons 67).
Hedda craves for independence and a sense of power. As a result, she becomes manipulative such that she cheats on her husband with two men, Brack and Lovborg. Given she was raised by her military father, her guns are her toys. This indicates that she was not interested in becoming a housewife, who respected ad treated their husbands as kings. Hedda was not compassionate to anyone and felt depraved because she lacked freedom (Ibsen 78). According to the social standards at that time, women were supposed to be submissive to their husbands. This was not the case with Hedda (Lyons 35). This shows that Hedda was frustrated such that she treated her husband with coldness as she felt trapped in the society’s standards and measures.
Brack, who is one of Hedda’s lovers, blackmails her into having a sexual relationship or else she is exposed to the society as a disloyal wife (Lyons 98). Hedda is smart enough to realize that her exposure of a secret life would stir havoc in her life, she conforms to Brack’s terms and conditions. This indicates that she no longer had power and control of her well-being. Due to loss of power ad independence, she decides to commit suicide as a way of becoming free from Brack’s manipulation (Lyons 103). This shows that Hedda preferred death over lacking freedom and power.
In conclusion, it is clear that Hedda wanted freedom ad power but she could not enjoy those things because of her gender. Being raised by a military father, she does not housewife skills and prefers to play with her guns because she is bored. Hedda does not want to conform to the society’s standards where women needed to be weak and submissive. In addition, Hedda was intelligent but given the social forces at that time, she could not be part of the greater society as she was female. Given that Hedda values freedom and power to control things around her, she ends her life after Brack threatens to expose her to the society if she did not agree to be her sex toy. This play depicts how women are depraved off their freedom to be part of the society ad as a result some become self-destructive.
Works Cited
Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. New York: Dover, 1990. Print.
Lyons, Charles R.. Hedda Gabler: gender, role, and world. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Print.
