Symbols, Symbolism and Feminism in Ibsens Hedda Gabler Essay example -

Symbolism and Feminism in Hedda Gabler Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House painted the picture of a strong and independent woman standing up to an oppressive and dominating society the lead character, Nora, abandons not only her husband, but her entire family, in an effort to discover herself and become a liberated woman. The touch is known for its universal appeal, and the strong blow it dealt to a male-dominated society, by showing not only that a woman could break free from the restraints which society position upon her, but that men were actually quite powerless in the face of a strong woman Noras husband, Torvald, is left weeping as she leaves him at the mingy of the play.The strong feminist themes which were the defining elements of A Dolls House are equally evident in the play Hedda Gabler, though the latter seems to be lacking the directness, clarity, and military group of the former, in regards to its feminist ideals. Hedda and Thea, the two female leads, posses within them bo th admirable and detestable female traits, and only in combination with each other cigaret the characters reveal the true feminist message of the play. In order to assist the reader in understanding these concepts, and to illustrate the distinct differences between the two characters, Ibsen uses symbolism. The symbolical nature of hair, Lovborgs manuscript, and General Gablers pistols, often seem to strip Hedda of her feminine characteristics, and emphasize the femininity of Thea.During the time in which this play was written, and as is very true in modern times, a mark of feminine beauty was long, abundant, flowing hair. Even today, short hair is often considered to be a mark of a to a greater extent liberated female, and it has been used to charact... ...ety. Thesis. Brigham Young U, 1990. Dyhouse, Carol. Mothers and Daughters in the Middle-Class Home c. 1870-1914. Labor and Love Womens Experience of Home and Family 1850-1940. Ed. Jane Lewis. New York Blackwell, 1986. 27-45. G ilbert, Sandra M., and Susan Gubar. The Madwoman in the Attic The Woman generator and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination. New Haven Yale UP, 1979. Ibsen, Henrik. Hedda Gabler. New York Dover, 1990. Lewis, Jane. Introduction Reconstructing Womens Experience of Home and Family. Labor and Love Womens Experience of Home and Family 1850-1940. Ed. Jane Lewis. New York Blackwell, 1986. 1-26. Lyons, Charles R. Hedda Gabler, Role and World. 1990. Twaynes Masterwork Studies 62. Boston Twayne, 1991. Salom, Lou. Ibsens Heroines. Ed. and trans. Siegfried Mandel. Redding ridge Black Swan, 1985.