Heddar Gablar Analysis

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a sense, due to the circumstances of being a woman living during the Victorian era as well as other situations that she’s found her in. During the Victorian era women were not allowed to do or say much. Women were mostly suppose to just look elegant and listen to their husbands. Hedda felt very bored with her life. She wanted to go out and do things but didn’t because it wasn’t socially acceptable during that time. She felt poor for not having any power. She told Mrs. Elvsted that she was manipulating Eilert because she wanted to have power over him. Hedda states, “Yes, I have. I want for once in my life, I want to have power to mould a human destiny” (45). A woman had no power during that time. She had no power politically, academically, or professionally. One could sympathize with her if one were a woman because women would like to be able to have some say in their lives and be able to do some of the same things as men, but if you were a woman living during the Victorian era and you felt that way it could be a very frustrating, sad life for that woman. Also, during those times it was a social must that a woman be married by a certain age. Hedda felt she had to be married so she married a man whom she did not love. Once could see that she was unhappy in her marriage. She was from a wealthy family and when she married Eilert she kind of took a step back. Meaning that Eilert was not as well off as she was. He was more like middle class and she was used to upper class living. She was also very aesthetic. She had a conversation with Brack where she discussed her unpleasantness with her marriage. Hedda tells Brack,”Yes, yes, yes! And then all this about the domestic industry of the middle ages —! That’s the most disgusting part of it! (27).” She was displaying to Brack how unpleasant her marriage is. One could sympathize with her for being in a loveless marriage. Also, Hedda ended up committing suicide due to her being so unhappy. She found herself being at the mercy of Brack because Brack knew that she had given Eilert the pistol. Brack made it a point to let Hedda know that there would be questions for her to answer by the authorities regarding Eilert’s death and only he knew the truth. Brack said that he would say nothing but Hedda felt that he had power over her and that she would be a slave to him. Hedda states, “I am in your power none the less. Subject to your will and your demands. A slave then. No, I cannot endure the thought of that! Never!” (71). One could definitely sympathize with someone in that type of situation. No one wants someone to have power over them in that way.

Hedda Gabler arouses scorn from the reader because she was mean and manipulative. Even though she arouses scorn, the reader can also feel sympathetic towards her due to being a woman living during the Victorian era as well as being in a loveless marriage. She also arouses sympathy due to someone having leverage/power over her. So it is possible to feel scorn and sympathy for someone simultaneously as was displayed in the play, Hedda