Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University
College of Languages and Translation
Department of English
A Feminist Reading of Some Selected Plays by Ibsen
By:
Afnan Hamad Al- Abdulatif
Submitted to the Department of English
of the College of Languages and Translation
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts
Dr. Mongi Raddadi, Advisor
Rabi' II 1430- April 2009
Al-Abdulatif
i
Abstract
The title of this dissertation, Feminist Reading of Some Selected Plays by
Ibsen, clearly suggests the main topic of the study, namely that the two social plays A
Doll's House and Hedda Gabler will be the subject of a feminist analysis and
examination. The introduction of this dissertation states briefly the arguments about
Ibsen's association to either the feminist trend or the social trend. These plays are used
as a sample of the nineteenth century society and culture. The thesis hypothesizes that
women are victims of suppression and oppression by the dominating male, brother,
father or husband. The motive behind choosing this research topic, especially Ibsen's
two master plays, is to highlight the unjust treatment to women in that century, and
the stereotyped images of women in these literary texts.
This research paper is divided into two sections which are applications of the
feminist theory on Ibsen's two plays by using the American feminist approaches.
These sections discuss the two stereotyped images of women that the misogynist
society depicts for them. Furthermore, they argue women's rights for freedom and
equality, and they limelight on the reality of the marriages in these plays. They
conclude by asserting that women, who attempt to fight male-domination, are the real
victims because they are unable to deal with the circumstances and eventually take
their own way out of it. The conclusion highlights feminists' tasks toward the feminist
issues that have been discussed in the two sections.
‫‪Al-Abdulatif ii‬‬
‫اﻟﻤﻠﺨﺺ‬
‫ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ و اﻟﺼﻼة واﻟﺴﻼم ﻋﻠﻰ رﺳﻮل اﻟﻬﺪى ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲ‪ ،‬وﺑﻌﺪ‪...‬‬
‫إن ﻋﻨﻮان هﺬﻩ اﻟﺮﺳﺎﻟﺔ‪" :‬ﻗﺮاءة ﻧﻘﺪﻳﺔ ﻧﺴﻮﻳﺔ ﻟﻤﺨﺘ ﺎرات ﻣ ﻦ ﻣ ﺴﺮﺣﻴﺎت إﺑ ﺴﻦ" ﻳﻮﺿ ﺢ ﻣ ﻨﻬﺞ ه ﺬا اﻟﺒﺤ ﺚ‬
‫اﻟﺬي ﻳﺮآﺰ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺗﺤﻠﻴﻞ اﻟﻤﺴﺮﺣﻴﺘﻴﻦ اﻻﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻴﺘﻴﻦ‪ :‬ﻣ ﺴﺮﺣﻴﺔ "ﺑﻴ ﺖ اﻟﺪﻣﻴ ﺔ" و ﻣ ﺴﺮﺣﻴﺔ "هﻴ ﺪا ﺟ ﺎﺑﻠﺮ" ﻣ ﻦ ﻣﻨﻈ ﻮر‬
‫ﻧﻘﺪي ﻧﺴﻮي‪ .‬آﻤﺎ أن ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺗﺒﻴﻦ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻣﻮﺟﺰ اﻟﺠ ﺪل و اﻵراء اﻟﻤﺘ ﻀﺎرﺑﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻲ دارت ﺣ ﻮل اﺗﺠ ﺎﻩ إﺑ ﺴﻦ إن‬
‫آﺎن ﻧﺴﻮﻳﺎ أو اﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻴﺎ‪ .‬وﻟﻘﺪ اﺧﺘﺮت هﺎﺗﻴﻦ اﻟﻤﺴﺮﺣﻴﺘﻴﻦ ﻟﺘﻜﻮﻧﺎ ﻧﻤﻮذﺟﻴﻦ ﻳﻌﻜ ﺴﺎن ﺛﻘﺎﻓ ﺔ اﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻘ ﺮن اﻟﺘﺎﺳ ﻊ‬
‫ﻋﺸﺮ‪ .‬و ﺗﻮﺿﺢ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ آﻴﻒ أن اﻟﻨﺴﺎء وﻗﻌﻦ ﺿﺤﻴﺔ ﻟﻈﻠﻢ وﻗﻤﻊ )اﻟﺬآﺮ اﻟﻤﺴﻴﻄﺮ( ﺳﻮاء آﺎن أﺧًﺎ أو أﺑًﺎ أو زوﺟ ًﺎ‪.‬‬
‫إن اﻟﺪاﻓﻊ وراء اﺧﺘﻴﺎر ﻣﻮﺿﻮع اﻟﺒﺤﺚ و ﻣﻨﺎﻗﺸﺘﻪ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻼل أﺣﺪاث ﻣﺴﺮﺣﻴﺘﻲ إﺑﺴﻦ ﺑﺎﻟﺬات هﻮ ﺗﺴﻠﻴﻂ اﻟﻀﻮء ﻋﻠﻰ‬
‫اﻷﻋﺮاف اﻟﺠﺎﺋﺮة اﻟﺘﻲ واﺟﻬﺘﻬﺎ اﻟﻨﺴﺎء ﻓﻲ ذﻟﻚ اﻟﻌﺼﺮ و إﻇﻬﺎر اﻷﻧﻤﺎط اﻟﺴﻠﺒﻴﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺮأة ﻓﻲ اﻟﻨﺼﻮص اﻷدﺑﻴﺔ‪.‬‬
‫ﻟﻘ ﺪ ﻗ ﺴﻢ ه ﺬا اﻟﺒﺤ ﺚ إﻟ ﻰ ﻗ ﺴﻤﻴﻦ وهﻤ ﺎ ﺗﻄﺒﻴﻘ ﺎن ﻟﻠﻨﻈﺮﻳ ﺔ اﻟﻨﻘﺪﻳ ﺔ اﻟﻨ ﺴﻮﻳﺔ ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﻣ ﺴﺮﺣﻴﺘﻲ إﺑ ﺴﻦ‪" :‬ﺑﻴ ﺖ‬
‫اﻟﺪﻣﻴﺔ" و "هﻴﺪا ﺟﺎﺑﻠﺮ"‪ .‬و ﻳﺴﺘﻌﻴﻦ هﺬان اﻟﺘﻄﺒﻴﻘﺎن ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻨﺎهﺞ اﻟﻨﻘﺪﻳﺔ اﻟﻨ ﺴﻮﻳﺔ اﻷﻣﺮﻳﻜﻴ ﺔ و اﻟﺒﺮﻳﻄﺎﻧﻴ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﺘﺤﻠﻴ ﻞ و‬
‫اﻟﻨﻘﺪ‪ .‬آﻤﺎ ﻳﻮﺿﺤﺎن و ﻳﻨﻘﺪان اﻟﻨﻤﻄﻴﻦ اﻟﻠﺬﻳﻦ ﺳﺒﻜﺖ ﻓﻴﻬﻤﺎ ﺻ ﻮرة ﻟﻠﻨ ﺴﺎء ﻣ ﻦ ﻗﺒ ﻞ اﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤ ﻊ اﻟﻈ ﺎﻟﻢ ﻟﻬ ﺬا اﻟﺠ ﻨﺲ‪ .‬إن‬
‫هﺬﻳﻦ اﻟﻘﺴﻤﻴﻦ أﻳﻀﺎ ﻳﺆآﺪان ﺣﻘﻮق اﻟﻤﺮأة اﻟﻤﺸﺮوﻋﺔ ﻟﺘﻨﻌﻢ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﺮﻳﺔ واﻟﻌﺪاﻟﺔ‪ ،‬آﻤﺎ أﻧﻬﻤﺎ ﻳﺴﻠﻄﺎن اﻟ ﻀﻮء ﻋﻠ ﻰ ﺑﻨ ﺎء‬
‫ﻣﺘﻬﺎﻟﻚ ﻟﺰﻳﺠﺎت ذﻟ ﻚ اﻟﻌ ﺼﺮ ﻣ ﻦ ﺧ ﻼل ه ﺎﺗﻴﻦ اﻟﻤ ﺴﺮﺣﻴﺘﻴﻦ‪ .‬وﺗﻮﺿ ﺢ ﺧﺎﺗﻤ ﻪ اﻟﺪراﺳ ﺔ اﻷﻣ ﻮر اﻟﻨ ﺴﻮﻳﺔ اﻟﺘ ﻲ ﺗﻤ ﺖ‬
‫ﻣﻨﺎﻗﺸﺘﻬﺎ‪ ،‬وﻣﻬﻤﺔ اﻟﻨﻘﺎد اﻟﻨﺴﻮﻳﻴﻦ ﻓﻲ ﻧﻘﺪ اﻟﺠﺎﺋﺮ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ودﺣﻀﻪ‪ ،‬وﺗﻮﺿﻴﺢ اﻟﻌﺎدل ﻣﻨﻬﺎ وإﺛﺒﺎﺗﻪ‪.‬‬
Contents
Abstract ……………………………………………………………………….……... i
Dedication…………………………………………………………………………….iii
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………….iv
Introduction………………………………………………………………………...… 1
Hedda Gabler………………………………………………………………………....6
A Doll's House……………………………………………………………………….28
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………40
Works Cited……………………………………………………………….………….43
Al- Abdulatif
1
Introduction
Unlike any other movement, Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and
a political movement that seeks justice for women and puts an end to sexism in all
forms. In fact, Feminism has numerous definitions and several interpretations because
the theory itself varies according to which division of feminism is using it. However,
it has a general aim that gathers all these definitions under one umbrella, which is
changing the degrading view of a woman as a ''non-significant other'' both in real
world and in literature. Robbins in her book, Literary Feminism, states that "feminism
is most commonly understood as meaning the 'advocacy of the rights of woman', and
it has to do with oppression" (13). Moreover, Carla Freccero, in her article "Feminist
Literary Criticism" in Reader's Companion to U.S Women's History, defines feminist
literary criticism as "the study of literature by women, or the interpretation of any text
written with an attention to gender dynamics or focus on female characters" (85).
In fact, this theory inspires many scholars and critics to reread and re-examine
any literary text from a feminist point of view. Furthermore, its numerous approaches
and methods to analyze a literary text encourage scholars and critics to follow any
approach they prefer. Since literature has been thought by most as a mirror that
reflects real-life situations, feminist critics will be able to trace the roots of gender
discrimination that has been embedded in literature. Actually, finding these roots is
essential because the first step in overcoming any dilemma is to reveal and face its
causes which in turn provide the basis for finding solutions. Eventually, the more
precise the reflection is, the more precise the analytical outcome will be.
Therefore, Ibsen, the father of the modern theater, is seen by those who dealt
with feminism in his plays such as John Northam, James McFarlane and Rolf Fjelde,
as a craftsman who creates works of art that reflect real society in a very daring and
Al- Abdulatif
2
unconventional way (Wiegand 30). He has a unique way of going to the root of the
matter and exposing it on stage, and he skillfully portrays through his plays how
women were suppressed in the nineteenth century. He expresses his view of a doublestandard society. He actually becomes the scourge of conventional middle class
morality, exposing all those inhibitions that stand in the way of free and unfettered
self-realization (Zucker 62). Thus, most of his plays are about the influence of the past
with its strict conventions on ordinary people (especially women), and so the tragic
outcomes of such an influence give feminist critics a great opportunity to criticize the
conventional society. Raymond Williams states that "Ibsen's plays expose the great
issues of the day as they work through the lives of ordinary people, in the politics of
marriage and the relations of parents and children" (13). Therefore, these plays have
succeeded in creating a reputation for the Norwegian dramatist who has prompted
leading theater critics and theater historians to link his name with innovations in
modern drama.
However, the notion that Ibsen's objective in his plays, especially A Doll's
House and Hedda Gabler, is non-feminist or super-feminist has become so
widespread that even feminist critics feel obliged to mention it. For years, literary
critics have tried to reach some sort of conclusion on questions concerning these plays
and Ibsen's personal view, and if he is a feminist or a socialist playwright. In fact,
Ibsen's plays were composed and performed in the same century when Feminism
became a recognizable movement. Thus, some critics and scholars associate Ibsen to
Feminism as if his plays have been supportive to this movement; such as Rose
Shideler, Gail Finney and Joan Templeton. Feminist critics argue that the view
supporting Ibsen as a feminist can be seen through his feminist themes that his plays
present. As a result, many have begun to argue that his plays and female characters
Al- Abdulatif
3
are his way of advocating feminism such as Christopher Byrne, John Grace and
Michael Werth Gelber. They argue that Ibsen depicts female protagonists, such as
Nora and Hedda, who take their lives decision to challenge the social conventions by
stepping outside the box that society has made for them. Rose Shideler in her book
states that Ibsen's plays are signs of a collapsing masculine authority and the rise of
feminine independence. Shideler has placed Torvald Helmer, the male protagonist of
A Doll's House, within a declining patriarchy:
"Torvald is an example of the decline of the patriarchal idea. He is
incapable of fulfilling the obligations of a domestic suzerain, and a
woman's gesture suffices to sweep away the vesting of what was
perhaps once a truth. Torvald is therefore fated, as a husband to go
down with the patriarchy which he unworthily represents." (102)
However, Ibsen declared that he was humanist when the Norwegian Women's
Rights League rewarded him in 1898, he said,
"I thank you for the toast, but I must disclaim the honor of having
consciously worked for the women's right movement…True enough, it
is desirable to solve the women problem, along with all the others; but
that has not been the whole purpose. My task has been the description
of humanity." (Templeton 110)
In this statement, Ibsen announces that he is not a feminist, and he unconsciously
wrote pieces that support the women's right movement. This fact drives social critics
to deny that Ibsen is a feminist playwright; and they assert that he is a socialist
playwright who depicts real-life situations on the stage. Joan Templeton in his book,
Ibsen's Women, writes that "A Doll's House is no more about women's rights…Its
theme is the need of every individual to find out the kind of person he or she really is
Al- Abdulatif
4
and to strive to become that person" (112). Templeton believes that Ibsen's main
theme in A Doll's House is not about women's right of freedom but one's right to
know oneself (Templeton 113).
Furthermore, some critics consider it a feminist's propaganda and they argue
that Ibsen never meant to write a play, especially A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler,
about the topical subject of women's rights. They believe that the female protagonists'
conflict represents something other than, or something more than, women's. James
McFarlane in The Oxford Ibsen, the standard English edition of Ibsen's complete
plays, excludes the subject of feminism from the historical and critical material on
Ibsen's plays, especially A Doll's House. Moreover, critics who deny that Ibsen's plays
are feminist plays often present their works as part of a corrective effort to rescue
Ibsen from an erroneous reputation as a feminist playwright. Richard Gilman states in
his critical book that "Ibsen was completely indifferent to [the woman question]
except as a metaphor for individual" (254).
In fact, the question concerning whether Ibsen is a feminist or socialist is a
problematic one. However, it has been stated that feminism in literature is considered
as a form of socialism (Johnston 42). Therefore, Ibsen's plays, especially A Doll's
House and Hedda Gabler, are undeniably realistic plays, and perfect examples of
feminism for these plays address a universal problem that women faced in the
nineteenth century, and depict everyday life. It seems that Ibsen has noticed the
inequalities that existed in society at that time between men and women, and he
attempted to write about them by showing how women were the real victims of this
discrimination. In other words, it seems that Ibsen prefers to use feminine issues to
compose his plays even though he declares that his original intention is to write about
humanist problems that require attention.
Al- Abdulatif
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Consequently, even though Ibsen is not a feminist but a social dramatist, his
plays are used as brilliant samples that crystallize the central issues of feminism that
advocate women's rights. Therefore, this research paper does not attempt to argue
whether Ibsen is a feminist or not, but it aims to show the feminine issues in his major
plays by applying feminist methodologies. So, this research is divided into two essays
which are applications of this theory on two selected plays by Ibsen, Hedda Gabler
and A Doll's House. However, since Nora's relation with her husband and her bold
decision to leave her "doll house" have been the main subjects of a feminist analysis
in many critical essays, this research attempts to raise new points in analysing A
Doll's House and discuss them from different feminist prospects in order to avoid
repeating what the critics have already discussed. Thus, the space that is given to
Hedda Gabler's essay is more than A Doll's House's essay.
Furthermore, this research attempts to highlight the real life depictions in
literature in the nineteenth century to show and criticise how women were oppressed
and stereotyped. Moreover, these two applications follow the American and the
British methodologies in analyzing Ibsen's social plays. The American methodology
concentrates on highlighting the stereotypical images of women, and focuses on how
a woman is identified as an "angel woman" and a "monster woman". It also asserts
that women must free themselves from being reduced to these images which too often
appear in literature (Bressler 150). The British methodology, on the other hand,
examines how women are oppressed in literature, and highlights the drastic
consequences of the unjust attitudes toward women. Hence, this paper examines the
westerns' assumption in fiction that puts man in the hierarchical position i.e. that a
man is superior, intelligent, and strong, while a woman is inferior, passive, and
imperfect.
Al- Abdulatif
6
Hedda Gabler
Hedda Gabler, published in 1890, is one of Ibsen's masterpieces that inspires
many scholars and critics. Its major themes revolve around women's rights and the
oppression of the misogynist society that affects the lives of the two main characters,
Hedda and Mrs. Elvsted. Therefore, Hedda Gabler crystallizes and supports some of
the central feminine issues in the nineteenth century; it highlights the reality of
marriages that appear to be conventional happy marriages, but are not. It reveals how
the circumstances drive women to accept the first marriage proposal, Mrs. Elvsted's
poor and miserable life drives her to marry an older man; on the other hand, Hedda
believes that marriage will give her a sense of worth. Furthermore, the play reveals
the two stereotypical images of women of that time, Hedda is presented as a "monster
woman" who acts wildly and unconventionally; whereas, Mrs. Elvsted presents the
conventional "angel woman" who sacrifices her life for others' sake. Moreover,
freedom, the major theme of the play, is one of the major feminine issues that deal
with women's oppression and their rights for liberation and equality. Ibsen exposes
within the play the social conventions that do not only suppress women's creativity
and talents, but also cause inner conflict and pressure that sometimes bring about
women's tragic ends, an end very much like Hedda's. Thus, this play inspires many
feminist critics to interpret and criticize the play's language, its characters, and its
themes.
Marriage is, in fact, one of the main themes in the play that requires a feminist
interpretation. Since one of the social conventions states that marriage is women's
ultimate goal, the feminist task then is to reject this notion by highlighting the
unhappy marriages in a literary text (Fjelde 144). Ibsen in this play presents two
images of marriage that are unhappy because both marriages are incompatible and
Al- Abdulatif
7
based on economical reasons even though they appear to be conventional marriage.
Mrs. Elvsted is inexpensive to maintain, and Hedda is expensive; the first marries for
convenience and the other for a meaningful life. This actually reflects that these
marriages are not based on love and mutual understanding which seem to be the keys
to happiness. In fact, the two women were driven to marry the men whom they do not
love because they believed that this marriage will improve their lives. Unfortunately,
these marriages turn to be like prisons that drive Mrs. Elvsted to fall in love with
Lovborg, and Hedda to commit suicide.
Mrs. Elvsted's unhappy marriage reflects a clear picture of an incompatible
marriage even though the writer does not present the husband's character at all in the
play. The reader depends on Mrs. Elvsted's actions and words regarding her marriage
to realize this fact. It is shown that Mrs. Elvsted, who appears as a conventional wife,
has realized that her marriage is a mistake. She tells Hedda that her poor
circumstances drove her to marry a man who is older than her in order to make her
life secure. When Hedda asks her about her husband, Mrs. Elvsted replies,
"MRS. ELVESTED: [Evasively] I am sure he means well in
everything.
HEDDA: I should think he must be altogether too old for you. There is
at least twenty years difference between you, is there not?
MRS. ELVSTED: [Irritably] Yes, that is true, too. Everything about
him is repellent to me! We have not a thought in common. We have no
single point of sympathy- he and I." (52)
She admits to Hedda that her marriage is not a happy one when she says, "Everything
about him is repellent to me! We have not a thought in common". She has nothing in
common with her older husband who has married her because it is cheaper for him to
Al- Abdulatif
8
keep a wife rather than a housekeeper to look after his children. This is clear when
Hedda asks her how she married Mr. Elvsted.
"HEDDA: I do not quite remember- was it not as a housekeeper that
you first went to Mr. Elvsted's?
MRS. ELVSTED: I really went as a governess. But his wife- his late
wife- was invalid, and rarely left her room. So, I had to look after the
housekeeping as well.
HEDDA: And then- at least- you became mistress of the house.
MRS. ELVSTED: [Sadly] Yes, I did." (49)
In fact, the age difference between the couple causes an obvious gap between them
which stands as a barrier at Mrs. Elvsted's face to understand her husband and achieve
her happiness with him. However, the poor circumstances forced her to marry the
master of the house because this marriage will secure her life financially regardless of
the lack of passion in their relationship. In fact, Mrs. Elvsted's unequal marriage
justifies her unconventional action that drives her to leave her house, her husband and
her children and look for Lovborg, a man with whom she fell in love. This also
reflects her feelings of loneliness in her marriage and that her husband cannot fulfill
her desire of love.
On the other hand, Hedda's marriage reflects another image of an unequal
marriage which eventually brings about Hedda's tragic end. The aristocratic Hedda
socially, financially, and emotionally enters the bourgeois Tesman family and their
world. In fact, these two levels of society believe in different values and traditions.
Consequently, it seems that Hedda does not 'fit' into the Tesman family and its
bourgeois lifestyle and values because of the distinction of the social levels of the two
families. This social division causes a gap between the couple; therefore, Tesman's
Al- Abdulatif
9
efforts to please and impress Hedda are rejected by her. Thus, it is obvious that the
couple's relationship is not that of love and mutual understanding, although Hedda
does not actually come out and say this point. However, this is evident in her cold
interaction with her husband, especially when she does not show any sign of
excitement about her six months honeymoon. Furthermore, Tesman assumes that the
duty of a husband is merely to satisfy the domestic requirements of his wife so that
she can be happy in the confines of her home. With this notion in mind, he agrees to
buy the house that Hedda has set her heart on and maintain the luxuries that are
important according to her social requirements. As all men at that time, he believed
that a woman naturally fell into household routine once she married regardless of
class differences or relationships.
As all women at that time, Hedda believed that marriage would give her a
better life. She marries Tesman because she wants to escape from her depressed and
miserable life, and she hopes that marriage would add a new meaning to her life.
Unfortunately, she finds life with Tesman dull and boring, and she feels both
emotionally and spiritually empty towards him. Furthermore, during that time, women
were expected to be married by a certain age; so, Hedda gets married because she was
reaching thirty (Beauchamp 58). Therefore, she marries Tesman because she is
getting older and because no one of her admirers proposes to her except Tesman. This
event proves the fact that men prefer to look at certain women more as a source of
pleasure than as life partners. Thus, Hedda accepts the first proposal without any
hesitation hoping that this marriage will prove her worthiness and make her happy for
the rest of her life. On the other hand, Hedda has hoped that she will be able to
influence Tesman to achieve political success; but Brack, the Judge and Tesman's
friend, disappoints her when he tells her that Tesman has neither the talent nor the
Al- Abdulatif 10
wealth to succeed in politics. In the end, Hedda realizes that her hopes will never
materialize during her marriage life, and her ambitions will not be fulfilled even
through her husband.
Furthermore, even though Tesman appears to be a loving husband, he prefers
his career life over his marriage life. This is actually obvious from the beginning of
the play when the couple return from their honeymoon, which Tesman calls a
"handsome traveling-scholarship". This statement reflects his idea that the
honeymoon is more of search for experience than the opportunity to be with his newly
wed-wife. This is clear when Aunty Julia inquires about the honeymoon and expects
to hear details of a romantic journey, Tesman says, "Fancy, Auntie- I had the whole of
that portmanteau chock full of copies of the documents. You would not believe how
much I have picked up from all the archives I have been examining- curious old
details that no one has had idea of." (10). It is obvious that he delights in recalling his
tours through the archives and the collections of various libraries in order to gather
material for his intended book, The Domestic Industries of Brabant during the Middle
Ages. Comically, when Aunty Julia asks if he has "anything special" to tell her, he
merely answers that he expects to be an appointed Professor. Tesman profits from his
honeymoon, which should have been a time for a couple to understand each other
more, in doing research in history (Paglia 16). In other words, rather than spending
the majority of his time with his bride, he spends it in the libraries. So, it is obvious
that he is more concerned about the future of his career than the future of his
marriage.
In addition, the final act reflects clearly the reality of Tesman's relations with
his wife.
Al- Abdulatif 11
"HEDDA: [As before]. Fancy that! [Passes her hands softly through
Mrs. Elvsted's hair]. Doesn't it seem strange to you, Thea? Here you
are sitting with Tesman- just as you used to sit with Eilert Lovborg?
MRS. ELVSTED: Ah, if I could only inspire your husband in the same
way!
HEDDA: Oh, that will come too- in time.
TESMAN: Yes, do you know, Hedda- I really think I begin to feel
something of the sort. But won't you go and sit with Brack again?
HEDDA: Is there nothing I can do to help you two?
TESMAN: No, nothing in the world. [Turning his head]. I trust you to
keep Hedda company, my dear Brack." (227)
She becomes a "nothing" to him because he has found a partner who will insure his
professional future. When it is a matter of inspiration, Tesman chooses a partner who
will inspire him to achieve the position he dreams of. Thus, when he realizes that Mrs.
Elvsted is the one who will help him to achieve his goal, he immediately excludes
Hedda from his life by saying that he needs "nothing in the world" from her. It
becomes clear that he does not look at Hedda as his partner in life and success, and
this suggests that Tesman married Hedda only to satisfy his sexual desires. So, when
it concerns the future of his career, he works alone for his own achievements and
success regardless of the pain he causes Hedda when he banishes her from his
professional life. Besides feeling worthless, Hedda realizes that her unequal marriage
will never make her happy. So, she prefers to end her life in her own way when she
realizes that no one needs her, especially her husband.
In the play, Ibsen tries to reflect the two prejudiced images that women were
reduced to at that time. These two stereotypical images are: the "angel woman", who
Al- Abdulatif 12
is appreciated by the patriarchal society for her obvious respect to her conventional
role in life; and the "monster or mad woman", who shows signs of disrespect or
rejection to the social conventions. These images are considered by Susan Gubar and
Sandra M. Gilbert as stereotypical images that women must free themselves from
being described by them, especially in literature (Bressler 150). Thus, one of the
feminist tasks is to highlight these prejudiced images and criticize them from a
feminist point of view.
Hedda in the play represents the image of a "monster woman" who acts
unconventionally and wildly. Whereas, Mrs. Elvsted represents the image of a
conventional "angel woman" who reflects the conventional qualities that an
archetypal model should have in the society's point of view at that time. Ibsen actually
provides two opposite physical appearances to both Hedda and Mrs. Elvsted that
support and assert their opposite images; such as the colors of their hair. Mrs. Elvsted
has hair that is "remarkably light, almost flaxen, and unusually abundant and wavy"
which reflects her feminity and generosity. However, Hedda with her hair of "an
agreeable medium brown, but not particularly abundant" reflects her wild
womanliness.
Mrs. Elvsted's relationship with Eilert Lovborg reflects one of the prejudiced
conventions that states that the "angel woman" always gives and never waits for or
expects any rewards (Plain 124). Therefore, Mrs. Elvsted does her best to change
Lovborg from a degenerated man to a respected gentleman, and she helps him to stop
drinking and to stop being a reveller. She also supports him to begin a constructive
and serious work that is highly respected in society. With her feminine devotion, she
inspires him to accomplish a book that he never dreamt of. She lifts him up from the
ground to create a respectable person who enjoys a high position, and she gives with
Al- Abdulatif 13
generosity to the extent that she prefers him over herself. She makes a great sacrifice
for his sake; she leaves her house, her husband and children to look after him. Thus,
supporting others especially men drive the audience to appreciate her and consider her
as an "angel woman".
However, it seems that Mrs. Elvsted is treated as a device that helps others,
especially men, to get what they want; on the other hand, she never waits for any
rewards, and her generosity is simply ignored. Lovborg, who represents the majority
of men at that time, does not appreciate Mrs. Elvsted's efforts toward him. This is
obvious when he has lost the manuscript during a night of "debauchery and riotness",
as he describes it, he simply informs Mrs. Elvsted that "there will be no book" for he
has lost the manuscript. He simply destroys the manuscript that she considers as her
"child" because it has taken her so much trouble to help him until the manuscript is
almost finished. This event also shows how Mrs. Elvsted is doing her best to make
Lovborg a respectable gentleman with a high position by accomplishing such a book,
while Lovborg rewards her by destroying the book that she participated in
accomplishing. It seems that destroying Mrs. Elvsted's efforts and hard work are the
only things Lovborg can reward her with. Furthermore, this event represents how a
woman at that time seems to have no right to question a man, and he had the complete
will to do anything without having to answer any questions. So, Mrs. Elvsted does not
question Lovborg about the manuscript and how he has so easily lost it; instead, she
gathers herself again and recharges her power to rewrite the manuscript. Even thought
she is frustrated by what Lovborg does to the manuscript, she still has one further
chance of retaining her influence over Lovborg by rewriting the script. This proves
that a woman is more determined and can bear shocks more than a man, and that goes
against the misogynist concept that labels women as inferiors to men.
Al- Abdulatif 14
It is realized, however, that what Mrs. Elvsted has done is not only to be
appreciated and respected in the society's view, but because she enjoys the feeling of
being an important person on whom the future of others depends. She feels pleasure
when she senses how she is a vital person with an ability to change others' lives for
the better. This is clear when she proudly declares to Hedda that Lovborg "never
wrote anything without my assistance" (57). She makes this statement because she
feels that Lovborg cannot take any further step without her advice, and she feels that
she is not a "non-significant" other. In fact, Mrs. Elvsted breaks the social norm that
considers women as "marginalized" members of the society. She proves that she is not
a wife who is doing the housework only; but, she is a woman who has the ability to
improve the lives of others.
Besides, Mrs. Elvsted does not help Lovborg to accomplish the book only to
secure a respectable position for him, but because helping him gives her a sense of
happiness and "freedom" as she believes it. She unconsciously says that to Hedda,
"But he talked to me about such infinity of things. And then came the lovely, happy
time when I began to share in his work when he allowed me to help him!" (57). It
seems that she enjoys working side by side with a man and doing manly works. She
feels both free and equal when she writes the manuscript with Lovborg. She is very
interested to learn more about the sciences that she never had the opportunity to learn.
With Lovborg she is exposed to the outside world which she finds so exciting, and she
feels free from the social restraints that prevent her from exploring a man's world.
Thus, she considers this manuscript as her "child" that belongs to her, too, because it
gives her life a new meaning.
It is obvious that accomplishing this creative manuscript not only proves
Lovborg's brilliance and creativity as a writer; but, also proves Mrs. Elvsted's
Al- Abdulatif 15
brilliance and creativity. Even though she does not try to assert her part in this
manuscript, she doubtless is the real writer of it because she helps Tesman to
reconstruct it after Lovborg's death. However, it seems that Ibsen prefers to use the
word "inspire" rather than "write" when he shows Mrs. Elvsted's effort in
accomplishing the manuscript in order to avoid encountering social conventions
directly. Furthermore, this event highlights one of the feminist hypotheses which
states that a woman's gender, which is determined by the society and culture, deprives
her of her right to write a book and publish it under her own name (Bressler 144).
Therefore, her inner talent will never flourish except if she finds a man whom she can
inspire so that he can bring her talent to light by using his name. It is seems that Mrs.
Elvsted is aware of her gender, so she inspires Lovborg with her ideas. So, it must be
admitted that Lovborg's success refers to Mrs. Elvsted in the first place because she is
the real engine who drives Lovborg to success. Even though the society praises
Lovborg for his great achievements, a woman, Mrs. Elvsted, stands behind him.
On the other hand, Hedda represents the dark image of women in literature,
who act wildly and unnaturally, or show sign of rebellion against their gender role.
She rejects the roles that are dedicated to women: she has no turn for motherhood and
she is violent toward others. Thus, it seems that her rejection drives the patriarchal
society to consider her as a ''monster'' and a ''mad" woman. In fact, the "monster
woman" is a title that is given to any woman who shows signs of rejection to her
conventional role as an obedient wife or a responsible mother, or her gender as a "non
significant" other (Beauvoir 151). This image, which places women in a spot below
the world as punishment for their unconventional acts and their revolt to gain
emancipation, reflects how prejudiced and misogynistic the society is at that time
which gave women such titles.
Al- Abdulatif 16
In the beginning of the play, Hedda shows a sign of refusal toward her female
nature when she denies the fact of her pregnancy. She rejects every reference Tesman
unknowingly makes to her physical appearance that reminds her of her pregnancy.
This is clear when Tesman assumes that Hedda's body is filled, she directly replies, "I
am exactly as I was when I started." (28). Consequently, Hedda's unnatural rejection
toward her pregnancy is considered by some critics, such as Lou Salome and John
Northam, as a mad reaction. They consider this as a rebellion against her femininity,
and an unnatural desire to occupy a masculine role. Biddy Martin, in Women and
Modernity, comments on Hedda's rejection of her pregnancy by stating that "she
cannot help a man create, biologically or intellectually, because…she desires to
arrogate the masculine role to herself." (139).
Furthermore, one of the social conventions states that the main and major job
of a woman is to have a child (Belfiore 136). Brack, the Judge and Tesman friend,
asserts this notion in his conversation with Hedda:
"BRACK: You have never gone through any really stimulating
experiences.
HEDDA: Anything serious, you mean?
BRACK: Yes, you may call it so. But now you may perhaps have one
in sort.
HEDDA: [Tossing her head] Oh, you are thinking of annoyances about
this wretched professorship! But that must be Tesman's own affair. I
assure you shall not waste a thought upon it.
BRACK: No, no, I daresay not. But suppose now that what people call
– in elegant language- a solemn responsibility was to come upon you?
[Smiling] A new responsibility, Mrs. Tesman.
Al- Abdulatif 17
HEDDA: [Angrily] Be quite! Nothing of that sort will ever happen!
BRACK: We will speak of this again a year hence- at the very outside.
HEDDA: [Curtly] I have no turn for any of the sort, Judge Brack. No
responsibilities for me!" (99)
Brack, who is a fine example of a conventional man, suggests that Hedda should look
for a job as a relief from the boredom that influences her life. He says that having the
responsibility of a child will give her life an objective and a meaning. It is clear that
Brack is influenced by social conventions which drive him to believe that a woman's
main responsibility, which will fulfill her life, is to have children to look after. But,
Hedda rejects his suggestion by saying, "no responsibilities for me" because this new
responsibility will suppress her freedom forever. However, Brack unjustly interprets
this statement as a sign of Hedda's unnatural instincts which distinguish her from
other "ordinary" women.
It seems that Hedda does not reject her coming child because she is mad or
unnatural; but because she feels trapped by her pregnancy and impending
motherhood. In other words, she does not want to chain herself with a child who will
destroy her craving for freedom. Furthermore, it seems that she is not ready to bear
the responsibility of a child because she knows her limited abilities. She knows very
well that Tesman will not share the coming responsibility with her because he is busy
with something more important to him which is his professional career.
Moreover, Hedda is regarded as a "monster woman" in the society's view for
her violence toward others, especially Lovborg and Mrs. Elvsted, and their creative
manuscript. Unlike Mrs. Elvsted, Ibsen depicts Hedda as a mad character who is
unable to realize her femininity, and to make use of her feminine power. From a
masculine point of view, a violent nature is manly and not a womanly nature (Paglia
Al- Abdulatif 18
93). Therefore, by acting violently, Hedda is considered a "mad woman" who rebels
against her gender and her female nature. However, there are many factors that justify
Hedda's wild nature and the major factor that influences her is the way she was raised.
In the Second Act, Hedda's violent reaction and her desire to attain
Machiavellian power become noticeable and clear to the audiences. This is obvious
when she fully expresses to Mrs. Elvsted her desire to have power over someone:
"HEDDA: …I want for once in my life to have power to mould a
human destiny.
MRS. ELVSTED: Have you not the power?
HEDDA: I have not and have never had it.
MRS. ELVATED: Not your husband's?
HEDDA: Do you think that is worth the trouble? Oh, if you could only
understand how poor I am." (142)
This scene reveals her desires to feel that she has complete control over
someone or something. Consequently, this unusual desire justifies why she is so
amused by pistols; they give her the power to destroy life because with a gun pointed
at someone, you hold that person's life directly under your control. Moreover, Hedda's
usage of her father's guns helps her to overcome her sense of weakness and lack of
power. Besides, she wants to use "manly" things such as a pistol in order to feel that
she is not inferior or degenerated, and using a gun gives her a sense of equality to the
"superior" gender, a man. Therefore, when Hedda uses the guns, she breaks the strict
conventions that chain her to her gender role, and prevent her from her freedom and
equal rights. Yet, Hedda never kills anyone with her father's pistols, and she is using
them as play things, as a release from her boredom and as her defense. This is obvious
when Lovborg has asked her for a sexual relation before she married Tesman; she
Al- Abdulatif 19
threatened him with the pistol in order to protect herself and her reputation. Also, she
uses the gun to kill her time with; as she says to Tesman, "I shall have one thing at
least to kill time with in the meanwhile- my pistols George." (74).
Furthermore, Hedda's Machiavellian desire justifies her wild and violent
actions toward Mrs. Elvsted's and Lovborg's creative manuscript. Because she is
incapable of being creative the way she wants to be, her passions become destructive
to others around her. So, she burns the manuscript that Mrs. Elvsted and Lovborg
spent a long time to accomplish; and while burning the papers, Hedda says, "Now I
am burning your child, Thea." (159). Hedda's cruel reaction toward Mrs. Elvsted's
papers reflects her jealousy toward Mrs. Elvsted's creative accomplishment which
reminds her of her own inadequacies: her inadequacy to have a child and bearing his
responsibility, and her inadequacy to accomplish such a work. Besides, the packet of
papers she possesses represents the material hold she has on Lovborg's destiny, which
gives her a sense of satisfaction because she controls someone's life. In fact, this
represents one of the central feminist theses which state that the oppression which
limits women's creativity will drive them to explode violently (Plain 105).
Moreover, Hedda's destructive desire to control the lives of others drives her
to encourage Lovborg to commit suicide when he feels despised for losing his
manuscript. In fact, Hedda does not act in such a way because she has a Dominic
nature, but she does so because she wants to examine and assert her ability to
influence others (Moses 86). On the other hand, she believes that Lovborg is chained
by conventions which do not allow him to do whatever he wants; therefore, she
encourages him to drink and go to parties as he used to do. She idealizes Lovborg's
drink and suicide because they are brave and daring rejections of the society's
restraints; and, so they become for her an expression of freedom. For Hedda, the
Al- Abdulatif 20
reformed Lovborg has lost his love for life, his courage, and his freedom; therefore,
by resuming his former lifestyle, she says, "he will have regained control over
himself, then he will be a free man all his days."(142)
Even though Hedda has a violent nature, she never has the courage to break
the conventions directly and openly. She is chained by her aristocratic class status and
its conventions, and she must be aware not to go over them. Thus, her behavior is
partly determined by her "dread of scandal". This is clear in her conversation with
Lovborg which reveals her skill at hiding socially unacceptable interests under a
social behavior. When Lovborg used to visit her in the past, they discussed his sexual
life and his wild drinking while pretending to read a newspaper. However, when
Lovborg makes conventional assumptions about Hedda's interest in his wild life, she
immediately lets him know her motive, the desire of a young lady to peep into the
world of male experience of which she is forbidden to know anything about. It is
obvious that Hedda is able to safely fulfill desires which are forbidden to respectable
women; and she victoriously gains sexual knowledge without any damage to her
reputation or losing control over herself.
John Northam explains Hedda's actions by stating that:
"Despite her refusal to accept a traditional role assigned to women,
Hedda does accept society's values of proper and improper behavior.
Propriety (i.e., rigid rules of what is proper) is a potent force in her life;
it is also a destructive force…The propriety cuts her off, but it breeds
depraved interest. Hedda is not a woman disinterested in life; her
interest in life is vivid but depraved by the constraints that forbade her
to engage directly in it. Depraved is not too strong a word for Hedda's
behavior; it is justified not merely by reference to her love of the
Al- Abdulatif 21
unsavory, but even more by the strangely vicarious way in which she
has chosen to indulge it. She has used Lovborg to do her living for her
while she sheltered behind a curtain, peered at the world outside" (15).
Furthermore, some critics compare Hedda's action toward others as animal-like
actions. Salome states, in his book Ibsen's Heroines, that Hedda resembles a ravenous
wolf on which a sheep's skin has been growing for a very long time and who has
forfeited its predatory strength. Thus, she protects herself fearfully from every risk,
and she only plays impertinently with her own thirst for freedom, her own wildness,
in the way a timid hand plays with weapons (Salome 65).
It is obvious Hedda's destructive reaction toward others and her fear of scandal
reveal how General Gabler raised his daughter. In the introduction of the play, Ibsen
writes:
"The title of the play is Hedda Gabler. My intention in giving it this
name was to indicate that Hedda as a personality is to be regarded
rather as her father's daughter than her husband's wife… What I
principally wanted to do was to depict human beings, human emotions
and human destinies upon a ground work of certain social conditions
and principles of the present day." (2)
Ibsen's note highlights a feminist issue that a woman is identified by a man whether
he is her father, her husband, or her brother (Beauvoir 140). So, Hedda is identified in
terms of her relationship with her father and the way he raised her. As a General's
daughter, Hedda is raised as a soldier and her father's house is almost like a military
camp; and this justifies her violent actions toward others and her use of the guns as
play things to kill time with. Besides, raised by the General, Hedda has the character
of a leader, which is wholly unsuited to the role of a "suburban housewife". Hedda's
Al- Abdulatif 22
unsuitability for domestic tasks is shown by her impatience at any reference to her
pregnancy. In other words, the way she is raised justifies her rejection of her
pregnancy because she is not willing to raise her coming child the way her father
raised her, and she is not ready to be a mother because she was raised as a boy.
So, it is not exaggeration to state that Hedda is influenced by her childhood,
and this influence causes an inner conflict within her. Thus, Ibsen writes in the
introduction of the play, "She [Hedda] really wants to live the whole life of man. But
then come her reservations. Thing inherited and acquired" (2). The feminist
interpretation of Ibsen's statement states that by "things inherited and acquired", Ibsen
means the values, beliefs and behavior patterns expected of General Gabler. In other
words, she must realize that she is a member of the aristocracy and the daughter of a
man with high status in his community. These values, beliefs and behavior patterns
are imposed on her by society, and they are internalized or accepted by her (Paglia
47).
One of the feminist issues that are dealt with in Ibsen's social play is the lack
of freedom that limits women to domestic life. At that time, there was nothing called
"women's freedom" in the social conventions which are established by men. Rolf
Fjelde writes, "Beautiful women… are often oppressed and belittled. If, however,
these beautiful people will only bear with patience their lot in life, they will be
rewarded." (143). In other words, beautiful women, such as Hedda and Mrs. Elvsted,
must bear with patience the misogynist fact that they are inferior to men. Once they
accept this fact, they will be rewarded at any time. Thus, in Hedda Gabler, Ibsen
reveals how Mrs. Elvsted and Hedda try to search with patience for means that will
provide them with a sense of freedom. Mrs. Elvsted finds her liberty and a way to
inter the masculine world by inspiring men, and using their names in order to bring
Al- Abdulatif 23
her creative ideas to light. However, it seems that Hedda is impatient and does not
have such long lasting patience in order to gain her freedom. Even thought she
idealizes the concepts of freedom, courage and beauty which form her "craving for
life", she lacks the 'courage' that motivates her to break the social rules and traditions,
and release herself from the social suppression. Therefore, she commits suicide in
order to release herself from the social suppressions.
In fact, Hedda is driven by many factors to commit suicide; lacking the
resources to occupy herself in a productive or satisfying way, she shoots her father's
pistol at nothing, and with no real purpose. She says, "I shall have one thing at least to
kill time with in the meanwhile- my pistols, George." (74). This statement reflects that
Hedda realizes that her life is meaningless and empty, and she fails at seeking an
outlet of her depression. She despairs her purposeless life, she says, "I often think
there is one thing in the world I have any turn for- boring myself to death" (100).
Therefore, deprived of freedom, Hedda faces either "boring herself to death" or
committing suicide.
Furthermore, one of the main forces that have driven Hedda to suicide is her
realization that she is worthless person and no one depends on her, especially her
husband. This is obvious in the final act in the play when she asks Tesman if he needs
her help, he replies, "No, nothing in the world" (227). This statement does not only
reveal how Tesman prefers his professional life to his married life; but, it also reveals
that Hedda is a person who is not worthy of being dependable simply because she is a
woman. Tesman does not believe in Hedda and her abilities, and he does not even
think of giving her an opportunity to express her opinions or ideas. This statement
also reveals how selfish Tesman is who finds rebuilding others' lives even after their
death is his real duty in life; whereas, he destroys his own married life because of his