Hedda Gabler versus Nora Helmer (from A Doll's House)

Discuss your opinions on the character. Is it accurate to say that Nora is like a prototype, that Hedda is simply a more complex Nora Helmer?
Hedda Gabler is said to be the female Hamlet although I think this comparison is rather restrictive. She is far more interesting, though less complex than Hamlet. She is said to be evil, but I think her real problem was that she was always so bored. Chronic boredom led to her needing something to do so she turned to manipulating people's lives. She may also have been frustrated by her choice not to marry Lovburg and instead marry Tesman which has led to her boredom.

Reply 1

bright-eyes

OP

1

Anybody? Surely there has to be an Ibsen lover out there somewhere?

Reply 2

Tyler Durden

17

I'm yet to read Hedda Gabler, but I'm writing an essay on femininity in A Doll's House (so am obviously focussing quite heavily on Nora). She's an interesting character. I don't know if I am fully convinced by her sudden decision to leave - but then again she is quite capricious throughout (although her abandonment of her children is hardly done on a whim). Do you prefer Hedda G. as a play?

Reply 3

Shelleypop

We're doing Hedda Gabler as part of our A2 AQA Theatre Studies course. This is an incredibly brief summary of the character of Hedda:
I think that her frustration lies with the fact that she didn't have the choice to marry Lovborg - from what i gather, she put an end to their 'relationship' quite probably in the hope that he would propose to her and prove his love - as this manipulation failed, she had to change her plans. she was so afraid of never being married that she constructed the interest shown to her by Tesman. This was perhaps to spite Thea Elvsted - as there are clearly issues in the past between the two. Hedda is not evil, but she is incredibly manipulative and strives to have power in all of her social situations - when she fully loses this power, she regains it in the most final way possible. She thrives on positive attention, as may be seen from her initial encounters with Brack. She is clearly used to having a flamboyant lifestyle and her fear of losing this is also tied up in her frustration. Finally the incredibly - almost overly - close relationship that Tesman has with his Aunt Julle signifies another area that Hedda feels that she is losing control of!

Reply 4

in-between-dreams

I haven't read Hedda Gabler.. but on the subject of Nora, I find her a difficult character to fully empathasize with - primarily, I think, because I find it difficult to understand her decision to leave her children. I can understand her want to explore the world she feels she doesn't know - but the fact she never really considers her children does turn me against her. :confused:

Reply 5

bright-eyes

OP

1

The point is that Nora never really was a mother to her children, the maid Ann-Marie took care more of their maternal needs. She only played with them-they were her 'dolls'. Her whole life has been defined by the male figures in her life, first her father, now Torvald. So she leaves to 'find herself' and until she can do that she cannot do or be anything else, including be mother to her children. Ibsen was thus commenting on the role of women in society at the time. There was a second draft of the play which Ibsen was forced to write due to critical reaction to the play, in which Nora does not leave Torvald but stays with him and the kids. It does not really work. Thus the original setup is still used.

As for Hedda Gabler, no she is not evil, just very dangerously bored. But in many ways she is very weak. She is afraid to go after what she wants because she fears scandal. In this way Thea Elvstedt is the stronger character, although she is outwardly demure, because she is not afraid to go after what she wants-leaves husband for Lovborg. In a way, Hedda Gabler's situation becomes entirely of her own doing.

Reply 6

hic_et_ubique

bright-eyes

Hedda is simply a more complex Nora Helmer?
QUOTE]

definitely not i would say. hedda gabler is much more intelligent than nora, or so it seemed. on the other hand, you could make the argument (and that would strengthen what i have just said) that both hedda and nora were in a very -boring- situation. both had overbearing husbands, and their life was dominated my male influence. one, nora the songbird chose to go with the boredom and integrate it in her life... well almost until the end. she never really viewed her life as "boring." hedda, however, did have the brains to figure out the monotony of her life. nevertheless, both hedda and nora pretty much "messed2 up their life of their own doing. i also disagree with your saying thea is a stronger character than hedda. i might be wrong, but i had this feeling thea was being mocked all along by ibsen...

Reply 7

in-between-dreams

bright-eyes

The point is that Nora never really was a mother to her children, the maid Ann-Marie took care more of their maternal needs. She only played with them-they were her 'dolls'. Her whole life has been defined by the male figures in her life, first her father, now Torvald. So she leaves to 'find herself' and until she can do that she cannot do or be anything else, including be mother to her children. Ibsen was thus commenting on the role of women in society at the time. There was a second draft of the play which Ibsen was forced to write due to critical reaction to the play, in which Nora does not leave Torvald but stays with him and the kids. It does not really work. Thus the original setup is still used.

Mm...I've read the edited ending and agree that it doesn't work and definitely weakens the play. Whilst I certainly enjoy the play and its motives/social commentary, I do find it difficult to accept a woman leaving her children so easily and hence find it hard to be sympathetic towards Nora. But I don't think it matters that I don't have any sympathy towards her, and perhaps it helps to reflect on how extremely the audience at the time would have reacted to her leaving.

Hedda Gabler versus Nora Helmer (from A Doll's House)

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you