Who is Hedda Tesman?
The character of Hedda Gabler or Hedda Tesman has always been a topic of heated discussion among scholars and literary critics. Some regard her as a neurotic figure while others try to justify her boredom. Hedda is a complex character with a complex state of mind. Driven by the closely-knit morality of the Victorian Society. Before discussing at length about her character, first, we have to trace down who Hedda Tesman [sorry, don't point your pistol at me, Hedda] or Hedda Gabler actually is?
Hedda Gabler is the only daughter of General Gabler. After the death of her father, she is left alone and subjected to the hearsays of her society. She could have married a miss-adventurous person like Loevborg but her society did not permit her to do so. She married Tesman because of acclaiming social protection. Hedda is manipulative in many ways but her manipulation only centres around relieving her boredom. But objectively speaking, Hedda's attempts of attaining amazement led to many mishaps happening in the play.
Is Hedda, Tesman or Gabler?
Hedda is both known as Hedda Gabler and Hedda Tesman in the play but the prominence lies in the first name. The name Hedda Gabler hints at Hedda's being the daughter of General Gabler. But it also hints at her insecure past. That is why, she commands Loevborg to call her Hedda Tesman, not Hedda Gabler:
LOVBORG.
And I must teach myself never to say Hedda Gabler again—never, as long as I live.
HEDDA.
[Still turning over the pages.] Yes, you must. And I think you ought to practise in time. The sooner the better, I should say.
Thus, it is clear that Hedda does not want to reopen a closed chapter of her past. But it is noteworthy that the married women were not expected to be called by their original names. There was always a reference added to the names of their husbands. That is why, calling Hedda, Hedda Tesman was more appropriate as a married woman instead of calling her Hedda Gabler.
Her Physical Charm
Hedda Tesman boasts some serious physical beauty that sets her apart from the rest of the crowd. Aunt Juju and Bartha are the first ones in the play to be marvelled by her striking beauty,
Hedda Gabler — the beautiful Hedda Gabler! Only think of it—she, that was so beset with admirers! (Aunt Juju)
It is through Aunt Juju we learn that Hedda's majestic posture during horse riding amassed a lot of admirers for her. If Hedda had been a man of the Late-Victorian Era, wise, charming, bold and of noble-birth, he would have led a boredom-free life. But still, her attractive personality compels Loevborg to complain about Hedda's choice of marrying George Tesman.
Dark Side of Hedda Gabler
On the surface, Hedda Gabler looks exactly like a vicious character. She is manipulative, dishonest, hypocrite, stern-mouthed and jealous. She is jealous of the success of others. For instance, when Thea is successful enough in reforming Loevborg from his drinking, Hedda, in a fit of jealousy, proclaims:
I will burn your hair after all.
Hedda is dishonest in what she says and what she actually does. For instance, she asks Tesman to go and write a long letter to Loevborg. But she opens up her heart to Thea by telling her that she did so to keep her husband away from her. Tesman has bought an expensive and precious house for Hedda but she does not care much about it. She keeps on persuading Tesman that the house is good but in her private conversations, we learn that she does not pay a heed to what her husband has purchased out of his financial limitations.
Hedda is stern-mouthed. She does not have any regards for the feelings of the older people and things belonging to them. When she sees Aunt Juju's bonnet, Hedda remarks sternly:
Look there! She (the servant) has left her old bonnet lying about on a chair.
Hedda is utterly manipulative and that adds up to the dark side of her character. As stated before, Hedda is not particularly happy about Loevborg's reforms. She knowingly provokes Loevborg to go in Bachelors Party and to wear a crown of vine leaves. But he fails miserably. After his failure, Hedda lulls him to commit suicide; gives him her pistol and commands him that he should "do it beautifully". How to do it beautifully, you may ask: by simply firing a bullet at his temple (head). But she is disillusioned when her pistol goes off accidentally and kills Loevborf in the scaffold. Thus, Hedda Gabler does look like an antagonist but every coin has another side of it as well.
Her Fear of Scandals
Hedda is reasonably fearful of scandals. Why? Simply because she wants to retain her good name in the Victorian society which was ridiculously conscious of morality. Hedda married Tesman to avoid scandals that are usually associated with an unmarried girl even in our society. Similarly, when Brack finds out about the pistol that was given to Loevborg belonged to Hedda. Brack sought an opportunity to manipulate Hedda through her fear of scandals,
BRACK.
Well, Hedda—then comes the scandal!
HEDDA.
The scandal!
BRACK.
Yes, the scandal—of which you are so mortally afraid.
Hedda's fear of scandals was a normal act of any woman who belonged to the Victorian Era (or our society).
In Defence of Hedda Gabler
Before announcing Hedda Gabler as an apostle of evil, we have to see her human side first. Her major problem is her boredom. She herself claims that she is bored to death. The women of the Victorian Era were granted little to no freedom as compared to men of that era. Women were not allowed to take part in politics. They were not permitted to go into bachelor's parties like men. Travelling alone was not considered suitable for them. Their duty was to be a subordinate to their husbands. A woman like Hedda would usually feel bored of her household life. That is why, she tried to know about the misadventures of men through Loevborg in the past. But she remained fearful of society that what will the society think when they learn about the relationship between Hedda and Loevborg? It was her fear of scandal that provoked her to threaten Loevborg due to his sexual advancements.
This fear is still a ruling factor in the play for Hedda. She points one of her armguns at Brack to keep him away from her. She gives Loevborg her pistols after he loses the manuscript in his intoxicated condition only for a reason to put an end on the chapter of Loevborg's past life and his link with Hedda.
Critics on Hedda Gabler
The character of Hedda has been a subject of controversy since its creation. Some critics come in favour of Hedda while others do not even hesitate to call her a neurotic figure. A review in The Ledger reads as thus:
What a hopeless specimen of degeneracy is Hedda Gabler! A vicious, heartless, cowardly, unmoral, mischief-making vixen.
Another review in New York Suns ridicules the play as below:
What a marvel of stupidity and nonsense the author did produce in this play!
A review in London Sunday Times favours the play and character of Hedda as follows:
Hedda Gabler appears a wonderful work of art, one that must produce a profound impression upon those who will accustom themselves to regard a stage-play from the point of view of real, living character in actual contact with the facts and sensations and possibilities of human experience, instead of gauging it by the conventional standard of playmaking, or the superficial observation of ordinary social intercourse. Ibsen has a way of going to the root of the matter, and exposing the skeleton in the cupboard, which is certainly not always a pleasant sight. But life, with its infinite subtleties and inconsistencies, is always interesting, and Ibsen shows the wonder and the pity of it, while perhaps he only infers its loveliness by contrast. But therein he proves himself a master artist, for his point of view is definite, and the impression he produces is complete and final. In Hedda Gabler he gives us a typical tragedy of modern life, and in the strange, sensitive, selfish heroine, he presents one of the most wonderful and subtle conceptions of woman in the whole range of dramatic literature.
That long slab of text surely justifies the legitimacy of this play and Hedda's character.
Is Hedda's Suicide Tragic?
The play ends with Hedda committing suicide by shooting herself in the temple. There can be numerous reasons behind her commitment. One can be to prove her courage; to put an end to her boredom; to not to be "plagued with any responsibilities" (children in this case) and to silence Judge Brack and his blackmailing. But the question arises, is Hedda's committing suicide makes her a tragic character? The answer is as complex as her character. Her suicide is tragic in the sense that her limited exposure in society compels her to do questionable deeds. If her society was lenient towards women, such things would not have happened. And she could have accepted her limitations and lived peacefully but this would drop her rank as the Hedda Gabler.
Conclusion
Hedda is a character of great complexity. Despite her inhumane characteristics, she shows some human side of it. Let's sum it up in Ibsen's own words for Hedda:
What I principally wanted to do was to depict human beings, human emotions, and human destinies, upon groundwork of certain of the social conditions and principles of the present day.
Sources and Suggested Readings
- Lectures of Sir Hassan Akbar
- https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/hedda-gabler/hedda-tesman
- http://myenglish62.blogspot.com/2019/02/character-sketch-of-hedda-gabler.html
- https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hedda_Gabler
- Literary Criticism - KM Literary Series - Hedda Gabler - Page 366
