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 Characterization of Hedda GablerPlaced in similar crises as previous Ibsen heroines, Hedda Gabler faces an impasse

in her life. Sharing Noras craving for freedom and !rs. "lvings compliance #ith socialconventions, Hedda $nds no outlet for her personal demands% she is constantl& tornbet#een her aimless desire for freedom and her commitment to standards of socialappearance. 'efusing to submit to her #omanl& destin&, Hedda has such an unsatis$edcraving for life that she is incapable of being emotionall& involved #ith others.

(hen Nora Helmer recognized her o#n unsatis$ed needs, she left her husband andchildren. Considering her most )sacred duty" #as to $nd herself, she left home todiscover her personal #orth through facing lifes e*periences before being able to relateto others. +ie Nora, Hedda Gabler is a stranger to herself. Ho#ever, lacing Norasdaring and de$ance of conventions, she is unable to undergo the trials of self-evaluationand becomes a morbidl& self-vindictive, destructive virago, capable onl& to strie outagainst the successful sociall& conforming individuals #ho represent an implicit reproachto her uninformed cravings. In the pla&, Ibsen provides enough information to sho# ho#Heddas problem is the product of her special bacground.

'aised b& her militar& father, Hedda must have gro#n up in an atmosphere of strict discipline and conformit& to rules. ecoming a beautiful sought-after &oung#oman, she attended man& social a/airs but never found an&one to marr&% probabl& she#as not rich enough to interest the eligible bachelors of high social standing.

"s a product of the nineteenth centur&, #hen #omen #ere destined to becomeeither respectable old maids lie Georges aunts or humble houseeepers lie !rs.0lvsted, Hedda is an anomal&. Instead of preparing his daughter for #ifehood ormotherhood, General Gabler taught her to ride and shoot, sills s&mbolic of the militar&m&stiue #hich became for Hedda the basis of her fascination #ith the violent and theromantic. Inheriting from her father, #hose forbidding portrait hangs in the 2esmansdra#ing room, his pride and coldness as #ell as his imperious commanding attitude

to#ard others of a lo#er ran, Hedda lacs compassion for #ea and submissivecreatures lie 2hea and "unt 3ulia but has a respect for po#er and independence,ualities she $nds in rac and +4vborg.

Since it #as unthinable at the time for a #oman to receive either an intellectual ora professional education, Heddas intelligence remained stulti$ed. 5nable to recognizethe demands of her individualit&, she remains enslaved to a standard of socialconventionalit& and can onl& admire from afar the forbidden #orld #here there isfreedom of e*pression and an uninhibited e*uberance of life. 0ilert +4vborg providesHedda #ith the vicarious e*perience of an individual #ho en6o&s an unfettered creativelife. She dre# sustenance from his souls outpourings as he told her of his dreams, his#or, and his e*cessive #a& of life. "t the same time, Hedda #as too ignorant and

ine*perienced to accuratel& evaluate +4vborgs character% she regarded him not as acreature of realit&, but as the person 7 and realization 7 of her adolescent uest for theromantic. (hen +4vborg made serious demands on her, Hedda re6ected him. Stulti$ed atthe emotional level of an adolescent and repelled b& his unconventionalit&, she could nolonger tolerate the intensit& of an actual relationship and shran from responding to hisdemands.

George 2esman, on the other hand, is an acceptable husband especiall& becausehe maes no demands on Heddas emotional incapacit&. Posing no threat to her internalsecurit&, he is able to provide her #ith material securit& and to indulge her tastes forlu*ur& and an active social life. esides being sincerel& fond of his bride, George satis$esHeddas conventional standards 8he is )correctness itself)9 and leaves her imagination

free to indulge her demand for independence and courage.Having thus married to inure herself from an& internal threats, Hedda coldl& plansto base her life on the en6o&ment of e*ternal advantages. 2he drama begins at this pointand develops characters and events #hich s#iftl& undermine Heddas s&stem of values.Her pregnanc& is the $rst disturbance to her calculated s&stem of inner protection.Hedda then learns that Georges appointment ma& be deferred, a situation #hichdeprives her of lu*ur& and active social entertainment.

Courtes& of Prof. "li 'aza :ahad ;ept. of 0nglish Govt. Postgraduate College, Go6ra

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It is signi$cant that +4vborg, Heddas romantic ideal of the free and life-into*icatedhero, becomes Georges professional rival. "ccording to her conception, 0ilerts free spiritmust have someho# been conuered, or she must have deceived herself as to his truenature. In either case, Hedda is deprived of her favorite ideal and must tr& to reinstatethe old +4vborg in order to maintain an euilibrium bet#een fantas& and realit&. (henshe discovers that 2hea 0lvsted has preempted her former po#er over 0ilert, no#temperate, hard-#oring, and successful, she overrides 2hea to gain the desired

in=uence over +4vborg. 2his too bac$res, for his liberation from 2heas stead&ingin=uence becomes a sordid debaucher& that ends #ith 0ilerts ignoble death. 2hus, allHeddas e*pectations dissolve into a vulgar residue that she cannot accept.

rac administers the $nal blo# to her dream of independence #hen he threatensher #ith blacmail. "fter all her e/orts at manipulating others so that she can remainfree of fettering responsibilities and slavish domestic attachments, Hedda learns that sheis forever at racs "beck and call" if she #ishes to avoid being involved in a sordidscandal. (ith this $nal disillusion, Hedda no longer has a life #orth facing. In a tragicattempt to "do it beautifully," she puts a bullet through her temple.

Courtes& of Prof. "li 'aza :ahad ;ept. of 0nglish Govt. Postgraduate College, Go6ra