Hedda Gabler plays the role of an artist in life. She manipulates the wills and lives of others to achieve a feeling of beauty that she strives to attain. Hedda’s character offers a unique perspective of what art is. She acts both as an artist and as part of the artwork we are currently reading. As an art work, it critiques the cultural frameworks that surround love, marriage, or femininity. It also offers an easy escape from these cultural restraints.
Hedda is an artist that creates beauty by manipulating others. She finds joy and power in the ability to manipulate others. She becomes a manipulator in other characters’ lives, and bends their wills to her ends. Mrs. Elvsted stated, “There’s something Hedda,” to which she replied, “Yes, there’s.” For the first-time in my adult life, I would like to be able to control another human being. (288). She manipulates others as though they were puppets. This makes her the creator and participant of a play. Hedda is able to manipulate almost all of them, which gives her control over her life. Specialists are those characters. Hedda describes these puppet-like abilities as “specialists”. They are able to think only in terms of their own mechanical thinking and not have any real understanding of the world around. Hedda can manipulate them and create a world beyond the ventriloquilism and social constructs they are involved in. This allows her independence from the drama’s societal critiques.
Hedda refuses the role of domestic, submissive female that her characters try to force upon her. Miss Tesman, Hedda’s aunt, reinforces her sense of “most solemn” responsibility (256). She displays the cultural belief that motherhood is the most important role a woman can play in her life. Hedda is reduced to a way of having children. The aunt focuses solely on Hedda’s stomach when she addresses her. Hedda is always questioned about her weight gain by the aunt, who stares at Hedda’s stomach and suggests she might be pregnant.
Hedda is far from a typical woman. She manipulates men to her advantage and refuses any mothering or domestic roles. Brack asks Hedda about motherhood. She replies, “Be still!” Judge, you won’t see me as that. I don’t have the talent to do such things. I won’t be held responsible.” (256). She stubbornly refuses ventriloquize any ideas the characters force on her. To be free from responsibility means to be free from the roles of motherhood or wife. She negates these and assumes the man role, effectively making her a non-feminine.
Three male characters from the novel show the varying roles played by men. Tesman is Hedda’s spouse and would appear as the representative for the patriarchal society she wants to escape. He is not a strong example of patriarchal masculinity, but he does not seem to diminish her. In an attempt to please his wife, he is easy to manipulate and gives up control. He may not realize that Tesman is still in a relationship with his wife, and Tesman does not have much power. He gives Hedda this power to explore the man’s part in the relationship.
Brack is the real personification patriarchy and social dominance of men on women. He is a judge and declares all oppressions in patriarchal societies. Hedda describes him as “the only cock of walk” (303), a strong oppressive male presence that is able to control women. Finally, he gains control of her at the end when Lovborg commits suicide.
Hedda rebels against feminine representations throughout the play. Hedda tries to escape the oppressive femininity represented by Mrs. Elvsted. She can react violently to her, pulling out her hair as a child, and then deciding that she’ll “burn your hair off” (272). She acts out physically against the role she is expected to play by harming another woman who plays this role.
Hedda refuses to accept the cultural narrative about femininity that Lovborg destroyed. She burnt it and said, “Now my child is burning, Thea!” Your curly hair! Your child, Eilert Lovborg’s. I’m going to burn! I’m setting fire to the child.” This is Hedda’s way of letting go of motherhood. She hopes to be able to escape her own pregnancy and not face the negative effects motherhood will have on her as an independent female. It seems that her jealousy over Mrs. Elvsted’s relationship with Lovborg has led to near insanity. She can’t control it and this seems to be what drives her over the edge.
Drama continually questions and critiques love and marriage as well as the roles of male and feminine in this setting. The play shows no love at all, even though it seems like there is. Hedda’s and Tesman are in a relationship of convenience. They continue the story of a marital union, but clearly there is something missing. Hedda is clearly disinterested in Tesman’s beloved slippers during the first act. It is almost as if she is only interested in him because of his wealth and her ability to manipulate him. Tesman is determined to make her happy. However, he treats her like a possession that has been won rather than an individual.
The play asks if love can be found in marriage. It criticizes the idea that true love is impossible because of power relationships within marriages. It seems that the concept of marriage itself is primitive and influenced by the notion of love, in which men can douse women with their social power.
Hedda longs for a married life in which both husband and wives are equal. Hedda seems incapable of finding such a relationship. Because of the social structures of marriage, a male holds power while a female is submissive. Hedda appears to believe that the social narrative is the reason a true marriage cannot exist. Hedda imagines a way out of it, but it seems impossible for it to be real.
Hedda Gabrieller is an art piece that questions the cultural structure of femininity, love and marriage. It examines primitive motives behind the marriage system as it is constructed by a patriarchal society. Hedda concludes, however, that true marriage is not possible. However, the character does find an escape through the end. Not only does she escape through her suicide but also because the act breaks the cultural narrative. She ends the last line by saying, “But God! “People don’t do these things!” (304). She is finally free to do the things that people don’t do.
