Throughout the story of Hedda Gabler, our title character is found trying to control her immediate surroundings simply because she knows how dependent she truly is. Hedda Gabler uses her beauty to manipulate and control her environment as well as other characters. Taking advantage of her physical splendor, Hedda gains many resources that are readily at her disposal.

“The social subordination of women thus stands out an isolated fact in modern social institutions; a solitary breach of what has become their fundamental law; a single relic of an old world of thought and practice exploded in everything else, but retained in the one thing of most universal interest; as if a gigantic dolmen, or a vast temple of Jupiter Olympius, occupied the site of St. Paul’s and received daily worship, while the surrounding Christian churches were only resorted to on fasts and festivals.” (Mill)

In this passage from The Subjection of Women, John Stuart Mill describes women as defined by the standards of Victorian time periods. Hedda Gabler finds herself in the midst of this period, and chooses not to live by this designation. Because of her sex, Hedda could not successfully and pleasurably live independently. So Hedda did as most women did in those times, she married. For Hedda, not only did marriage bring a ring, but also dependency. Hedda was now dependent upon one man who could throw her aside with much ease. Now realizing the actuality of her dependency, Hedda Gabler decides to alter the script. She takes hold of every aspect and every object she can grab and controls it to the last detail, manipulating them with her beauty and splendor.

“When we put together three things—first, the natural attraction between opposite sexes; secondly, the wife’s entire dependence on the husband, every privilege or pleasure she has being either his gift, or depending entirely on his will; and lastly, that the principal object of human pursuit, consideration, and all objects of social ambition, can in general be sought or obtained by her only through him, it would be a miracle if the object of being attractive to men had not become the polar star of feminine education and formation of character” (Mill, 1015).

Hedda now grasps this control and guards it with her life, for she knows that with out it, she runs the risk of losing all of the pleasure and leisure she has come to knows and love.

“Well—and his powers of research, at all events, are untiring. –I see no reason why he should not one day come to the front, after all” (Ibsen, 28). In this statement, Hedda confesses to Judge Brack that she did indeed marry Tesman for his potential in succeeding. Tesman, at the time of their marriage, was currently well off, and Hedda marrying him guaranteed her a padded life. Using her beauty and seductiveness Hedda slowly gained control over Tesman. Soon, Tesman would comply with every word Hedda spoke. Having her husband at bay offered protection and comfort, each small pieces of the puzzle that disclosed her dependency.

Later in the story, Hedda is found seducing Judge Brack. “Then what in heaven’s name would you have me do with my self?” (Ibsen, 26), Hedda replies to Brack when told to put her guns away. Upon hearing this, Judge Brack mentally falls to his knees and thanks God for blessing him so. Hedda is so very interested in Brack because of his position in their society. Brack is a character of power, and being a Judge, has much power over their community. Hedda is very attracted to this power for that is what she is trying to accomplish. John Stuart Mill once wrote that any needs or objects women desire “…can in general be sought or obtained by her (women) only through him (men)” (Mill, 1015). Throughout their conversations, Hedda progressively leads Brack on, until she knows that she has Judge Brack in her pocket. Hedda needs to feel the type of power that Judge Brack has, and through him she can accomplish that (a strong example of Mill’s ideals.) “And then, what I found most intolerable of all—was being everlastingly in the company of—one and the same person—” (Ibsen, 27). In these passages, Hedda admits to Brack that she is tired of Tesman, and is looking for other company, or other resources.

Hedda is determined to acquire as many human and materialistic resources as she can. She is so obsessed with doing this because she needs to reassure her self. Hedda needs to feel confident at all times in her current situation and environment. She knows of the actualization of her dependency, being female, and feels the need to collect as many assets as possible as ‘back-up’ plans.

In the last scenes of the play, Hedda is found burning the lifetime works of Mrs. Elvsted. When asked by Tesman what compelled her to do such a horrible thing, Hedda replies, “I did it for your sake, George” (Ibsen, 63). Yes Indeed, Hedda may have sacrificed this great work for the benefit of George, however Hedda fully receives all of George’s success. Hedda’s acts were completely selfish and show exactly how determined she was to her self-assurance. Hedda knew that the piece of work was not a direct threat to George. Knowing this, Hedda still went ahead and destroyed the manuscript, showing exactly how cautious she was to enforcing her destiny.

In the last scenes of the play Hedda looses this control when she is subjugated by Judge Brack. Now under the subjection of Judge Brack, Hedda knows now that she no longer has any way to shape her world and she decides to take her own life. Hedda Gabler could not live with out control over her life, thus she could not stand to live as a dependant character.

In certain scenes of the play, it seems that the objects that Hedda is controlling, begin to control her. She is so infatuated with gaining as much as she can, that these things start to shape her actions, statements and emotions. Hedda never really seems to notice this, but by the end of the play, she is in full control of those objects. If not so possessed with attaining so many resources, she would have not taken her life.

Hedda Gabler is truly a dependent character. Because of this she knows she must have direct control over as many aspects of her life as possible. From marrying a wealthy professor to burning the lifelong works of a friend, Hedda Gabler is without a doubt, an insecure, reliant character. Hedda taking her life proves that she could not live with out control over her life, thus proving that she could not stand to live dependently.

Works Cited

Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. Dover Publications, Inc. New York. 1990.

Mill, John Stuart. The Subjection of Women.

In the last scenes of the play Hedda looses this control when she is put in the subjection of Judge Brack. Knowing now that she no longer has any way to shape her world, she decides to take her own life. Hedda Gabler could not live with out control, thus she could not stand to live as a dependant character.

Conclusion:

Hedda Gabler is truly a dependent character. Because of this she knows she must have direct control over as many aspects of her life as possible. From marrying a wealthy professor to burning the lifelong works of a friend, Hedda Gabler is without a doubt, an insecure, reliant character.

At the end of the play Hedda decides to end her life because she has lost all control. She can no longer affectively manipulate Tesman, Lovborg or Judge Brack. Seeing how Hedda went to such extremes as to forfeit her life, the reader can clearly comprehend how dedicated she was to controlling her own life, or to feel independent.

Hedda to Brack (flirting): “ And then, what I found most intolerable of all—was being everlastingly in the company of—one and the same person—”

Hedda of Tesman to Brack: “Well—and his powers of research, at all events, are untiring. –I see no reason why he should not one day come to the front, after all.” (Showing how Hedda married Tesman because she thinks that he will one day succeed and become even wealthier.)

Hedda to Brack (flirting, after told to put the gun away): “Then what in heaven’s name would you have me do with my self?” (A highly sexual suggestion.)

The Woman Question, notwithstanding (Implied when talking of Hedda flirting w/ Brack vs. boredom):

“To be bored was the privilege of wives and daughters in upper- and middle-class families in which feminine idleness was treasured as a status symbol.” 

Suggested from reference by John Stuart mill, utilitarianism, Liberty and Representative Government (New York: E. P. Dutton, 1951), pp. 8, 14-17.

“…When people who are tolerably fortunate in their outward lot do not find in life sufficient enjoyment to make it valuable to them, the cause generally is, caring for nobody but themselves. To those who have neither public nor private affections, the excrements of life are much curtailed, and in any case dwindle in value as the time approaches when all selfish interests must be terminated by death: while those who leave after them objects of personal affections, and especially those who have also cultivated a fellow-feeling with the collective interests of mankind, retain as lively an interest in life on the eve of death as in the vigor of youth and health.”

And further attribution cited by John Stuart Mill, in The Subjection of Women (source tbd.)

“The social subordination of women thus stands out an isolated fact in modern social institutions; a solitary breach of what has become their fundamental law; a single relic of an old world of thought and practice exploded in everything else, but retained in the one thing of most universal interest; as if a gigantic dolmen, or a vast temple of Jupiter Olympius, occupied the site of St. Paul’s and received daily worship, while the surrounding Christian churches were only resorted to on fasts and festivals.”