Hedda Gaber Symbolism

Henrik Ibsen’s play, Hedda Gabler is primarily concerned with representing and critiquing bourgeois Norwegian society in the nineteenth century. In order to achieve this, the play employs symbolism to represent the psychological states of the central characters, a symbol being an object which stands for something else, and often has cultural meanings attached to it. Hedda Gabler being a play these objects are visible to the audience and the symbols give power to the delivery of the themes. Ibsen’s play explores issues associated with the prescribed roles society constructs for women and men and how these prescribed roles limit the agency of the individual. The audience comes to the play with certain cultural expectations, the use of symbolism works to subvert these cultural values. Symbolism allows the audience to understand Hedda’s inner turmoil which in effect serves to destabilise the naturalised ideologies of the period, and represent this society as being heavily circumscribed by notions relating to gender and c

“I’m just looking at my old piano. It doesn’t go very well with all these other things.” (Act I, p277)

Another symbol, which serves to link Hedda to her pre-marital identity and also serves to construct her in terms of difference when compared to endorsed female figures of nineteenth century is her association with pistols. Pistols are representative of masculine power, a phallic symbol which serves to link Hedda to her father and thus her past. Hedda uses the pistols in an attempt to define herself and this has a jarring effect on the audience as it clashes with the traditional roles of women as mother or carer. The pistols reveal much about Hedda’s character and psyche especially in her interactions with Lovborg; Hedda invites Lovborg to commit suicide “beautifully” and to Hedda the pistols are symbolic of liberation. It also demonstrates Hedda’s need for power

The piano is symbolic of the character of Hedda and her discomfort and displacement. Hedda repositions the piano which is symbolic of how she deals with problems: readjusting rather than changing . Hedda’s writing table like the inner room is representative of her personal space and when invaded it is symbolic of the way in which the bourgeois woman constantly has her identity defined by those around her, being forcibly molded into the endorsed role of carer and nurturer.

Some topics in this essay:
Hedda Gabler, Act II, Tesman Gabler’s, Ejlet Lovborg, Mademoiselle Diana, Lovborg Hedda, Act III, Jorgen…General Gabler’s, Thea Lovborg, Ejlet Thea, hedda gabler, act ii, prescribed roles, nineteenth century, play hedda gabler, bourgeois society, play hedda, ejlet lovborg, link hedda, defined terms, ii p324, symbol serves link, life power human, power human being’s, ultimately control lovborg,