Essay Example on During Henrik Ibsen’s 19th century life nurturing Qualities

During Henrik Ibsen’s 19th century life nurturing qualities was what defined a woman s value however Ibsen the writer of Hedda Gabler disagreed Stating that women aren't all created to be mothers Ibsen used his writing abilities to reveal the stark contrast between a man and woman s power in Victorian society Ibsen criticizes the overwhelming limitation of opportunities for women in a rigid male dominated society by employing one s hair the abundance or lack of it to symbolize femininity and fertility Hedda Gabler focuses on women centered around a society of men Although the main characters of evaluation are Thea and Hedda the more minor characters go through the same situation For example Aunt Julia gave all that she and Aunt Rina have to live upon for a man George Ibsen 6 In short all of the women in Hedda Gabler are faced with the same problem pleasing the society they live in finding someone other than oneself to care for and living in a man's world 

Thea a woman of unusually abundant hair is the opposite of Hedda in more ways than one Although These is not pregnant nor has had any children of her own she and her hair symbolize fertility and creation to the fullest extent Mrs Elvsted has this ability to inspire and create a trait Hedda fails to possess Ironically Thea was the woman that had her fingers in a man's destiny Ibsen 58 Her moulding a human destiny by collaborating with Lovborg to create a masterpiece manuscript juxtaposes Hedda s abilities Even as Hedda tries to destroy it Thea is able to recreate and reproduce another with Tesman Unlike Hedda she puts her feelings into action and left her husband and stepchildren for Eilert Thea creates opportunities Even the extent in which Hedda is good at her job destroying still is unmatched to Thea s creating Eilert was a drunkard but Thea s presence her redemption changed his ways and inspired success Thea is everything that Hedda isn't a woman of life inspiration and courage Hedda cannot bear the fact that she has lost her control over Eilert Lovborg to the irritating Thea 11 A conversation between Hedda and Tesman reveal this fact Had he vine leaves in his hair Vine leaves No I saw nothing of the sort But he made a long rambling speech in honour of the woman who had inspired him in his work that was the phrase he used Ibsen 49 The vine leaves in Eilert s hair serve as a Greek allusion to Dionysus highlighting that he is a drunkard Eilert s now state of being absent of vine leaves and addiction and fixation on Mrs Elvsted suggest that Thea inspired Eilert to fix his faults and even figuratively produce a child the manuscript Hedda is jealous of Thea’s influence over 

Lovborg and more importantly herself Hedda is just the product of the society around her Hedda is the victim of her surroundings not her surroundings manipulated by her victim of her circumstances She is stuck within the limits of herself She wants to break free domesticity but not want to meet the consequences that come with it Instead of creating and seizing opportunities for herself like Thea Hedda destroys her chances of happiness in fear of falling into genteel poverty 32 Because of this fear Hedda becomes ends up in a marriage stripped of love and happiness all because she didn't have the courage to stand up for herself On the other hand Thea does Thea with determination and no fear of scandal leaves her husband for Eilert Lovborg In the end it is the timid Thea who serves as the quintessential modern woman in the traditional setting of Hedda Gabler Since it is a woman's purpose to create her value is placed solely on her fertility which is symbolized by an abundance of hair While Thea is able to inspire and create Hedda only destroys It is Hedda that destroys the manuscript destroys Eilert Lovborg and ultimately destroys herself She is essentially an ignorant highly romantic woman trapped in the rigid society of 19th century Europe The symbolic nature of hair seems to strip Hedda of her feminine characteristics and emphasize the femininity of Thea Hedda s lack of self fulfillment leads to her self destruction Hedda Gabler serves as a reminder of the importance of action