Feminism in Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

 Hedda Gabler

By Henrik Ibsen

• Discuss the above captioned drama by Henrik Ibsen as a feminist writing expounding feminist movement.

With respect to males and females, Inequality,  Gender performity, gender discrimination, hypermasculinity, hyperfeminity, Patriarchy, and Gender stereotypes are found in one way or the other in every conventional and traditional society.Eeverybody is assigned a typical role to play in the society. Males are given the absolute authority. There is found the master slave relationship between husband and wife. Actually, Ibsen criticises this social condition of Norwegian society during the 19th century. He challenges the social conventions that are at heart to personal development and liberty. His themes are universal freedom of speech, repression of women, the institution of marriage, business ethics, religion and education. Through his play Hedda Gabler, Ibsen shows that each human being has infinite worth. He shows that 

Patriarchal system in this play attacks women because woman does not have an important role in the family until she is marginalized and oppressed.

He applies feminism by using sexuality and motherhood. Feminist theory basically aims at understanding the nature of inequality of women and focusing on gender politics, power relations, capability and creativity and sexuality. It shows and criticizes how women are oppressed and stereotyped and underscores the drastic consequences of the unjust attitudes towards women. Patriarchy and phallocentrism can easily be seen in this play, I.e

 A man is superior, intelligent and strong while a woman is inferior, passive and imperfect.

 Ibsen does not, however, suggest the solutions to what are called the woman questions❓like problems that Hedda encounters in her family and society. In examining Hedda_Tesman's character, we learn that Hedda is created in Henrik ibsen's image of a woman raised without a feminine influence. Hedda Gabler is depicted utterly against the stereotypes set by society though she is forced to marry and have child. Unlike other women, Hedda is not interested in ordinary concepts associated with women like being a mother and having children. She tends to act as if she were a man and strongly like to show men's values and thoughts. She desires to work the impossible and the forbidden without being an outcast but her conditions which are surrounding her, makes it impossible. However this role shuffling causes are still and we witness this stir throughout the play as Judge comments at the end of the drama of Hedda's life:

One does not do such a thing.

 Throughout the play, Hedda systematically rejects all the elements of marriage and womanhood. Hedda's gender-inverted marriage to George Tesman, her desire for power and her use of General Gabler's pistol are unacceptable in her society. Her marriage is the marriage of convenience with George Tesman. Moreover the marriage of Thea also supports these stereotypes of marriage customs and if viewed critically,the rebellious nature of Hedda Gabler and the bold steps of Thea predict the woman's discourse_ A discourse that will swallow the Western culture enduring phallocentrism. 

Hedda's animosity is shown in her hatred of the fixture of humanity_Thea. She is beautiful with thick healthy hair and entirety ready to assume the motherly position that Hedda has such aversion to; the girl with the irritating hair that she was always showing off. Thea is comfortabel assuming the motherly role for her husband's children. She is  also thoroughly prepared to put her own ambitions aside when she helps her lover Eliot Loevborg. This ingenious masterpiece, metaphorically the child they created together, is only attributed to the man and his contributions are only counted and therefore undermines the female role in its creation. However، Hedda is silent about many things during the story up to the end of the play. Her silence is created by phellocentric society which appreciate women's silence and oppression. It denotes a system that privileges the phallus as the symbol of source of power.