Friday, December 10, 2010

Discuss Your Reading: Interpreting Acts 1 and 2

Discussion Topic


r

What do you think of the characters in the play Hedda Gabler? Many people, for example, think Hedda is unethical, spoiled, and rude. Even so, Henrik Ibsen manages to create sympathy for her.

For this discussion, pick one of the major characters in Hedda Gabler and post a response to the following:



  • What do you like or dislike about this character?
  • What makes this character interesting to you?
  • Select an interaction this character has with another character in the play. What does this interaction reveal about the character?

As a follow-up, post a question or comment about one of your classmates' postings. Do you agree or disagree with the interpretation of the character your classmate selected?

Your study sheet will tell you more about the characters in the play. Your reading guide will give you additional questions to think about from Professor Robinson.

Scoring

This discussion is worth a maximum of 15 points. You'll get 10 points for your first posting. Your instructor will give you another 5 points if you post a follow-up comment or question that furthers the discussion.

42 comments:

  1. The Character I choose is Miss Tesman. She's an old woman but the fact that bothers me about her is that she lets Hedda Gabler push her around. She's disrespected by Hedda in front of her nephew, Tesman, and she tolerates her attitude just because of the class difference and her nephew. She tends to be to sacrificial and unselfish which I like about her but at the same time I dislike it. She doesn't talk bad about anyone, event when she was talking to Berta about Hedda. She respects everyone, young and old.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Original:
    It is obvious that Hedda is a finicky, upper-class woman who looks down upon everyone around her and wants things to go her way. If they don't she uses a means of violence.

    I admire, though, her strength to do so because not many people whether they be high-class or not have the ability to do so. But I suspect that she feared marrying a man of higher-class because he might not treat her the same way as Tesman. So in a way, she isn't all that strong.

    There's this one scene in which Hedda is with Aunt Julie and takes Miss Tesman's hat and claims it belongs to a servant, knowing that it is Aunt Julie's. Although Miss Tesman may not be as wealthy as the Gablers, she is older than Hedda and should be respected anyways, but Hedda will take none of that. This only further reveals that Hedda Gabler is selfish and does not care who you are, she will treat you however she feels.

    ReplyDelete
  3. To Marium:
    I enjoy how the characters we chose are complete opposites. Miss Tesman is always nice and never has nothing bad to say about anyone, while Hedda is a horrible woman who never has a positive comment or compliment for anyone.

    I don't agree though with the fact that you said Miss Tesman only tolerates Hedda's attitude because of the class difference and because Hedda is her nephew's wife. You contradicted yourself by saying that Miss Tesman never has anything bad to say about anyone. I believe that if Hedda was just another woman out there whether she be rich, middle-class, or poor and have no relation to her whatsoever, Miss Tesman would still talk about her the way she does currently.

    ReplyDelete
  4. To Christian:
    When I stated that she never has anything bad to say about anyone and the fact that the only reason she tolerates Hedda is because of her class and her being Tesman's wife is that if there wasn't that difference she still wouldn't have said anything bad about her. She would have however, responded to her in a more aggressive tone.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Original:
    Hedda Gabler is an interesting character. She represents the struggles and the kind of attitude women sometimes need in order to succeed. She is manipulative, controlling, and untrustworthy. Hedda was born to a specific social standard and expects that she be treated with respect and esteem. She is not the typical women seen in the time period the play was written. Hedda wants to be more than that “typical woman,” and is willing to do anything to make sure she doesn’t end up like that. Overall Hedda is misunderstood. She grew up with her father, a sheriff, therefore she is tough and demanding. She is different that most of the women in the book and she realizes that she does not fit in. Instead of trying to fit in, she stays true to herself and her ambitions.

    In the first act, there is an interaction with Hedda and her husband Tesman. The interaction illustrates the importance of Hedda to Tesman and of Tesman to Hedda. Tesman and Hedda are on completely different sides of a personality spectrum. Hedda is confident, demanding, and controlling, while Tesman is unsure, ready to please, and looking for approval. If Hedda were to marry someone that is more like her, I do not believe that relationship would survive. Both characters feed over each other, and in a strange sense, complete each other. Tesman is the type of person Hedda needs to succeed. She can control him and mold him into anything she needs, while Tesman needs a person to manage him. He needs someone to tell him what to do, someone to be dependent on.

    ReplyDelete
  6. To Marium
    I too admire that Mrs. Tesman does not talk bad about anyone and treats everyone with respect, but I think that attitude comes with age. I think she does not disrespect Hedda because she realizes that Hedda is her nephew’s wife and she does not want to cause tension between Tesman and herself. Tesman is basically the only sufficient family she has left. If she burns that bridge, then she is alone, and I think she is the type of person that needs company. I don’t think she likes or can stand to be alone.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Original:

    Its hard not to choose Hedda Gabler because she is just such an interesting character. I actually think that this character was created in earnest and honesty. Unlike many of the other characters including Tesman I can plainly detect a sense of conflict within Hedda. Tesman is not supposed to be so subservient to Hedda all the time. I understand that he wants to please her but I am sure there must be instances that he changes his attitude. Hedda on the contrary portrays a different part of herself within each conversation she has with other characters. I see her condescending side when she refers to Julia’s hat as the servant’s even though she knew it wasn’t. I observe her conniving side when she befriends Thea out of jealousy. However I also note her sincerity with Brack and the sophisticated tone that she establishes while speaking with Lovborg. Even the realistic approach she has to her marriage with Tesman. People are not always consistent with their behaviors and Hedda shows this. Her character depicts the importance of women like her. Women that began to speak their mind and take responsibility for their own well being. If all women maintained the depth of character as seen is Thea, then today we would probably fail to see any independence in women. Perhaps they still would not have the backbone to sustain a family on their own working two part time jobs or even simply stated their opinion in the presence of their mate. I like that Hedda was brought up unconventionally by a General, it obviously impacted her personality immensely, making her pride on her independence. Despite the fact that she seems like a dangerous person due to her most prominent qualities, I find Hedda Gabler an empowering figure. Hedda does what is necessary to get want she wants depicting drive and ambition even though she may approach it in an inappropriate manner.

    ReplyDelete
  8. To Shevana:

    I completely concur with your analysis of the relationship that Hedda and Tesman have. I do think that they attributions compliment each other. In addition, I believe that this type of relationship can be disguised as both a blessing and a curse. On one side having someone that compliments you in a relationship can make both people more sympathetic of the others actions. For example, Tesman understands and accepts Hedda’s crave for certain material items such as a new piano. On the other side this relationship can also result in exploitation. Hedda knows that Tesman lives to please her and exploits him by controlling him, such as getting him into politics.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Original:
    Tesman seems to be a scholar in a sense, though he seems to be wrapped up in his work and not quite aware of Hedda's needs. While he tries to devote himself to her, he doesn't seem to understand what Hedda really wants, and she doesn't show much affection for him. In this way, he seems to be a Petrarchan lover, as he gives Hedda everything he thinks she wants, but gets little in return. Eilert Lovborg seems to be an intellectual rival to Tesman, and Tesman is a bit envious of Lovborg's newfound success, which both strains and reconciles his relationship with Hedda. At first Tesman becomes more interested with Lovborg's work than Hedda, but then Hedda burns Lovborg's work and their relationship grows stronger, for a few moments. Shortly after, Tesman decides to devote his time to trying to recreate Lovborg's work out of guilt, which leads to the end of the relationship between Hedda and Tesman.

    ReplyDelete
  10. To Ellysa:
    I agree with your assertion of Hedda. While she may not be the most likable or honest character, her ability to manipulate those around her and be a strong, independent woman definately shows how she was ahead of her time and most of the people around her.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I chose Hedda, who's character is unarguably is a snobby, higher-class woman who looks down her nose on to every person surrounding her. Extremely used to getting her own way, she absolutely demands it--that is, whatever is takes... even violence, which was definitely alluded t in the first two acts.

    What I find interesting about Hedda is the fact that while she looks overly plain as far as characters go, as you read you see that there are layers to her personality, she isn't the strong image that she puts off at all. As the play progresses more layers of Hedda appear to be peeled back.

    In the play, there is a scene where Hedda takes a hat belonging to Aunt Julie, a fact to which she is fully aware. In front of a few characters she openly insults the hat, claiming it must belong to the servant, because who on earth that wasn't a servant would own such a piece of clothing? This scene revealed a malicious side of Hedda, the side that subtly tells the world the lengths that she is willing to go to get what she wants.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Christian, I agree with you when you said "This only further reveals that Hedda Gabler is selfish and does not care who you are, she will treat you however she feels." To the extent that Hedda is a very selfish character, no matter who you are.

    Hedda has exhibited more than enough examples of these pieces of her personality within the first two acts of the play.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Original: Eilert Lovborg, I believe, is one of the more mysterious characters of the play "Hedda Gabler". That he is intelligent and perhaps underestimated makes him likeable and slightly piteable. In addition, that he appears all of a sudden makes him unpredictable, which can explain Hedda's attraction to him. Hedda herself is unpredicatable and hard to read. An unlikebale feature of Lovborg, though, is the challenge he poses towards Tesman, when it comes to his career as well as his love-life, since Tesman is a respectable and likeable character. This relationship between Lovborg and Hedda is the least known, or told about, which creates an engaging suspense. This leads the reader to feel as if Lovborg is holding a vital piece of information about Hedda that would reveal her or lead to her end. Lovborg's hazy past with Hedda is, thus, why he is interesting in the play.

    ReplyDelete
  14. To Ellysa: I feel as if your description hit Hedda right on the head! She truly is a character that has goals in life, such as attaining rights and power as men in society had at that time. She, however, goes about them in manipulative ways.

    To Shevana: The manner in which you described Tesman and Hedda's relationship is interesting and clear. The notion that they both complete each other makes sense because Hedda wants "to mould a human destiny" while Tesman wants to study and write, which makes him passive in the play.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Original:
    The character that intrigues me the most would have to be Hedda Tessman. Obviously, this is a women deeply frustrated by the restrictions society has placed on a female. She does not fit in the time period that she was born in, rather she would fit into the modern world quite successfully. One of the reasons that I can say this is the fact that Hedda realized that in order to be a successful women, she would have to stand behind a man and make him successful in order to be recognized. This cunning cleverness indicates that Hedda knows the true meaning of the saying, "Behind every successful man stands a woman" and she intends to apply it dutifully to her situation. For this reason, I can honestly say that I admire Hedda because she truly does try to make the best of her situation despite the rather unorthodox medthods she uses.

    ReplyDelete
  16. To Ellysa:
    I agree with your interpretation of Hedda Tessman because she is unarguably ahead of her time in that she is an independent woman and uses any and every means availble to further her agenda whether she has to manipulate and control others to do that.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I say that George Tesman has a bit of a one-track mind, and seems oblivious to the feelings of others at time (Namely Hedda) because of how immersed he gets in his own research. What interests me is that he seems almost unfazed by Hedda's cold, uncaring attitude towards him despite them being husband and wife. He clearly places his research above even her, for example, in Hedda's description of their honeymoon researching seemed to be all Tesman really focused on instead of her.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Response to Ellysa:

    I quite agree that she is certainly the most interesting of the characters (After all, the play is named after her), and I find it interesting that she's an empowering figure, I wouldn't have thought of her that way before. It's possibly just because of her intentions behind her actions. What makes her sketchy isn't how she does things, per se, but what she is actually aiming to do.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Original:

    Hedda Gabler is just in general a very deceitful and hurtful person, but what i like about her is how honest she is towards people even though they may seem a bit harsh. Hedda Gabler is interesting to me because she seems like she has other intentions such as achieving her own individual goal and doing anything to get there.
    Hedda Gabler has an almost disconnect relationship with her husband Tesman; almost as if she despises him although Tesman tries to justify what she does. Almost as if he is sympathetic to her actions.

    ReplyDelete
  20. To Jasbir:

    I really didn't piece that together about Hedda Gabler, but now as I look at the novel I see that I agree with your statement. Hedda Gabler does not fit the time period she was in, she is more of a "go-getter" and feels as if she doesn't need a man to complete the agenda she has.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I find Mr. Tesman an interesting character. While it is quite clear he is a petrarchan lover, Hedda evidently does not feel the same way toward him. In fact, it can be said Hedda resents Mr. Tesman. As Mr. Tesman is not aware of Hedda's true feelings it causes one to question whether he truely is unaware, or would just rather live in disbelief. Additionally throughout the play the reader is drawn to feel simpathetic toward Tesman. For, as he repeatedly tries to please Hedda, she continues to complain about her new lifestyle.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yan: I completely agree! Mr. Tesman does seem to put his studies above that of his wife's wants. However, can one blame him! Her cold heartedness, and apathetic nature toward her husband don't create a likeable personality. Overall, Hedda's reasoning as to why she married Tesman (out of pity) alone could cause one to dislike her.In my opinion, Mr. Tesman stays constantly buried in his studies to avoid his wife's cold nature, and reality.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Original:

    Hedda is an extremely strong individual; however, the fact that she is a woman and possesses this strength is not the only reason why a negative connotation comes along with her character. Regardless of gender Hedda is extremely manipulative. She uses people in order to amuse herself, obtain pleasure, and to fulfill her own motives. There is no doubt that if she was a man feelings and interpretations of her would be less harsh. In the time period when these events are taking place women have an extremely traditional role. They are perceived as housewives, subjected and confined to the home and their husband’s whim, and as individuals that should be seen, but not heard. Hedda, however, does not adhere to the boundaries and restrictions placed on her by society, she is a leader who lives by her own principles and acts with independence from all others. Despite this all, I do not think that as readers we should take away from the fact that she is extremely manipulative. Yes, she is a women who acts against the social dogmas that are associated with women, especially in the time period in which she lives, but the negative connotation that comes with her character is solidly grounded in the fact that she is manipulative, deceitful, and corrupt in her acts.
    Hedda can be said to be an individual that was born in the wrong time. She possesses the strength and independence that women have constantly been moving towards. Her qualities of leadership and independence are those that are prominent in women of today and despite the fact that she is manipulative, her character would be more accepted in the present day. I have a sense of admiration for the qualities of strength and independence, which lie within the character of Hedda; however her manipulative ways disgust me. The mix of extraordinary qualities and negative characteristics makes for an extremely interesting character, which no one can deny, Hedda is.

    ReplyDelete
  24. To Naomi:

    I completely agree with you in regards to her relentlessness. The quality of being ruthless in her approach and being willing to knock down every obstacle in her way in order to achieve what she wants is a quality that I adore. However, I still do not favor her manipulative ways. Despite this, Hedda’s approach to her goals with relentlessness, as a women, is extremely ahead of her times. Rather than doing as she is told she acts on her own, doing what she wants to get what she wants. She disregards the feelings of others and all other factors that may detract from her main goal and works towards achieving it, regardless of what means she may have to take in order to do so. Hedda’s character is one that on the surface one cannot bear to stand. However, when they look beneath her actions, towards her actual qualities, for example, relentlessness, independence, and strength, they cannot help but have a genuine respect for her. She does what she wants and she does not care what people think in regards to that. This transcends through her as an individual, which makes all people respect her.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Original:

    If I had to choose a character that I found most interesting it would be George Tesman, Hedda's husband. Right off the back it is lucid that he is from a class below Hedda. Where she is formal and reserved, he is casual and open. At the least, he's unsophisticated, or as Brack refers to him, "a simple soul." Because of this class difference Hedda resents him, and this is something that George has no control over. In Hedda's eyes, George fails in numerous ways. For example, let's compare his professional life to that of Eilert. Eilert is productive, creative, and daring; he's just written two brooks, one extremely controversial. Hedda says that George would never be able to accomplish such feats, but she fails to realize that George does not create; he can only immerse himself in other people's work. That's why his defining prop is a suitcase full of notes or a stack of books. In terms of social status, George follows the rules without question. This brings me to my next point, about his love for Hedda. One is never really told how he truly feels for her, besides him having an "adoration" for Hedda. Honestly, he is too starstruck to deal with her as a real person, and this is shown when he constantly congratulates himself for marrying the most eligible bachelorette in town. In my opinion, George's enigmatic personality and views make the play even more compelling, and personally made me want to keep reading to find out what would transpire next.

    ReplyDelete
  26. To Cherisse:

    I concur that Hedda's character is excessively manipulative and mean. I mean for instance she takes advantage of her husband's dying aunt to embezzle an inimitable document; she tries to deceive a man into committing suicide and takes satisfaction in the romance of his death; and not to mention jeers a recovering alcoholic about his manliness and provokes him into drinking again. Because this callousness stems from her being a woman and the time period being that of the late 1800's, it isn't really unapproriate for her to act the way that she does. In my opinion it actually emphasizes how difficult times were for women during the Victorian era and what they had to go through.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hedda is a complex character. She is spoiled and she is used to luxury and high-class living. I would characterize Hedda as a selfish, proud, and cold character who is cruelly unaware of the pain she inflicts on others in order satisfy the inner desires that she is unwilling to honestly deal with. Hedda is a very interesting character because she is unlike the other characters. She is driven to find a purpose in her life as she increasingly finds the world closing in on her. For example; the norms of society dictate who she should marry, that she must be a mother, and that she must stay at home and be an exemplary scholar's wife. One interaction where Hedda showed her true colors was when she interrupted Tesmans conversation with Aunt Julle. She made a comment on the ugliness of Aunt Julle's hat, which Hedda thought to be the maid's.

    ReplyDelete
  28. To Naomi:

    I agree with on the fact that Hedda is a deceitful and a hurtful person. I also agree with you on the honesty part about Hedda. She is not scared to speak her mind. I didn't realize that she had a disconnect relationship with her husband Tesman until you pointed it out. I didn't think she was in despite of her husband but almost like she was in power and felt like she could rule the whole world surrounding her.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I think the character of Eilert Lövborg is very interesting. A character who always seems to be stuck in the middle. I favored his blunt personality towards Mrs. Elvsted. His character was very easy for me to imagine, thats why hes my favorite

    ReplyDelete
  30. To Paulina : I agree with you. You brought up the fact that Hedda is different than every other character in the play. I think that his is for a reason. I think the fact that Hedda is the most different and not exactly part of societies "norm" makes her an antagonist almost. I think Hedda Gabler's character had a purpose. When a man acts rude, "cold" and selfish, a sense of pride is given off the man. Those around him look up to him, and usually have respect out of fear towards him. However, when a woman begins to take on these characteristics shes classified as "mean" and "maniuplative" . I just think that since the book is from so long ago, the writer wasnt used to woman standing up for themselves. He would create a character to illustrate what a woman would be IF she did do this.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Original:
    The character I chose is Aunt Julia. She seems very loving and generous. Even though she is being treated extremely rude by Hedda, she does not treat her the same way. When Hedda saw the hat Aunt Julia was wearing, Hedda made it known that she did not like the hat at all, however she did so in a degrading way. Aunt Julia brought that hat to wear to impress Hedda. This shows that Aunt Julia is a pleasant person; she treats people they way she wants to be treated, even though Hedda is very rude towards her.

    ReplyDelete
  32. To Naomi:
    I agree when you say that Hedda is a deceitful and hurtful person. However, how does she give the impression that she have another intention in mind?

    ReplyDelete
  33. The character that intrigues me the most in Hedda Gabler is not the protagonist herself, but her newly wed husband, George Tesman. In the play George is under his wife's will and power. George always protects himself in the sense that he does not place himself in the many situations that his wife is involved in. He is a class under his wife, where he married "up" and he married someone who is elite and he is undeserving of her. Hedda makes this feeling that George has strong. She makes him feel as though he is unworthy of her and she deserves the absolute best as she was treated before she was wedded to him. George is the ideal symbol of a petrachan lover in where he idealizes her and places her on a pedestal, which places George Tesman as a character who is interesting in the play.

    ReplyDelete
  34. George Tesman is an intelligent young scholar. He tries very hard to please his young wife, Hedda, and often does not realize that she is manipulating him. I dislike this character because he does not understand the circumstances of his marriage. He is being used as a puppet by his wife and he fails to recognize her harsh and demeaning nature.

    ReplyDelete
  35. To: Naomi
    I don't think that George is sympathetic towards towards Hedda's actions. I just think that he does not realize her true intentions. He is blind to her true nature. He is unaware of her actions to get everything that she wants. I think he is just a pushover. He is constantly being used by Hedda.

    ReplyDelete
  36. In response to Naomi, I agree with the last of oyur comments in where you say tesman is almost sympathetic to Hedda and her nature. I think he sees Hedda as an idol and an object but he possibly also believes that she does not know much about atcual society, so he himself denounces her, all the while he is failing to realise what is occuring to him and the control that Hedda has over him.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Original: The most favorable character would have to be Mr.Tesman , his naive characteristics further shows how sweet and trusting he is of people. Although he is used by the main character Hedda , he still remains the same from beginning to end and was not rendered useless by Hedda

    ReplyDelete
  38. My two favorite characters in the first two scenes are Hedda and Tesman, husband and wife. Its ironic that these two characters are almost complete opposites of each other. Hedda being the self-centered egotistical wife, and Tessman being the kind forgiving husband. This clash of personalities does not not end up leading to a positive relationship, and foreshadows events to come.

    ReplyDelete
  39. To Jalin: I agree with your analysis, Aunt Julia is the kind warm-hearted soul in the bunch, as well as Tessman. They have a lot in common particularly in relation to the way they must put up with Hedda. Both try to constantly please Hedda no matter how harsh the response or how badly they are treated.

    ReplyDelete
  40. To Yan : I agree with you that his actions at some point seem to completely neglect Hedda , but simultaneously Hedda prefers not to be acknowledged by Mr.Tessman because she finds him unappealing.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Original: Hedda was an extremely dominant character in the play. She desired dominion over every companion she encountered. Hedda was of high arrogance and she did not conform to the characterristics of self-sacrifice and submission that women were expected to embrace. Her ill-mannered demeanor made her a stranger of her time.

    ReplyDelete
  42. To Jalin: I completely agree with your desciption of Aunt Julia. What surprised me about her character was her lack of complaints regarding Hedda.

    ReplyDelete