Question

Compare/contrast the life decisions made by Hedda and Thea (think, in particular, in terms of fertility and sterility).

Answer 1

In his play ‘Hedda Gbaler’, Ibsen has recreated familial, social, cultural, economic, and psychological conflicts faced by women in everyday life through the caricatures of his female characters as powerful women who survive their personal relationships and exert their presence in the society in different ways.

One such female character is Hedda Gabler who is depicted as an unconventional subject of Scandinavian society caught in the tension between succumbing to the heteronormative role of motherhood or establishing her place as a single and independent woman in a male dominated society. While she deals with her marriage problems with herpartner Jorgen Tesman with an assertive stance, it was her decision to choose unwed motherhood and divorce rather than marry Tesman in order to keep a social face and avoid social stigma associated with premarital motherhood. Thus, a Hedda stands as a figure who contests the hypocrisy of the church, decides career over a heteronromative family, claims freedom and fairness in expression of salvation, universal rights, and suffrage of women in the modern society. She chooses to express her sexuality,rather than curtail it like other women in society and thus asserts her self identity outside the expected role of marriage and motherhood.

On the other hand is the characte of Thea Elvested who represents embodiment of traditional virtues associated with womanhood- she presents herself as a meal, gentle, caring, and compassionate person who is capable of unselfish love, committed to her homely duties as the devoted wive and loving mother.

She brings to light the nuances of female subjugation, marginalization and subordination that underlie the fabric of familial life a social one finds her relinquishing her own sens of self to her socially defined gender roles as a committed wife who accepts the position of bearing a child to her husband as her moral and social responsibility.