Finish

My reaction: it was pretty good :)
The ending of the play had a lasting effect on me, but so did Lorca's "The House of Bernarda Alba." Ending a play in death shows its significance, or has a big imapct on the viewer/reader. I think what really made "Hedda Gabler" a good play was the characterization of Hedda, she was pretty cool. The way she would just whip out a gun and point it at someone was crazy, that and the scene in which she burns the manuscript, that was eerie. What I hated was how Lovborg could just up and lose his manuscript like that, it seems like such a simple task to keep it close to oneself. In comparison, I really liked how simple and straightforward Lorca was in HoBA, but at the same time how intricate Ibsen's character Hedda was. Good read.

...twist

Hedda killed herself, it surprised me. It's pretty depressing thinking that the only way to escape a power structure/hierarchy is to just end your life, I feel like there are far more options to escape. Throughout the play it didnt really seem like Hedda had "control issues," considering how bossy she was towards other characters in the novel, and the way Tesman described how he spoils her. I guess it took some close reading to fully understand the intentions of all the characters in the play.

The Aunts

What is exactly the point of the aunts? Are they really only there just to show that Tesman has the backing of his family, and a representation of the "woman past." Ah, she just seems like filler.

Whoa

I just found an amazing similarity between "The House of Bernarda Alba" and "Hedda Gabler." Both Ibsen and Lorca have the same number of letters, five... I think they are the same people. All jokes put aside, I did notice that both plays have maids/butlers/service people. The difference between the maids is that in "The House of Bernarda Alba," all the maids complain and play a more important role in the play, while in "Hedda Gabbler," the maids obey to all orders. It's interesting, because all the characters have control over the maids, why does everyone complain about power!?!?

B-Rock

The thing that bothers me about Judge Brack is that he's a judge that doesn't really act like a judge should. he asks to be in a love triangle with Hedda, then goes out drinking with the boys all night. I think its a power thing. He's so cocky that he feels he can do anything and get away with it, and does. I don't like how he can get away with everything and still be un-biased as a judge. I guess thats what Ibsen was trying to achieve with this character though, maybe instill anger in the reader?

COLORS

I find it interesting how the "colors" in both plays read so far differ. "The House of Bernarda Alba" is so photographic, while "Hedda Gabler" is slightly more colorful. I specifically remember color being mentioned in Gabler, a reference to the autumn color, and also the amount of light that comes into the house. Lorca focuses much more on that black/white stark contrast stuff to get us to remember certain scenes. Ibsen doesnt need that, its easy to remember what happens in Gabler because a lot of it is so insane, such as Hedda pointing a gun at Brack. I'm showing bias, but eh, its my blog.

Manuscript

So what's in the manuscript? I've been wondering about it. I thought it would be cool if it were in reality something written by Thea Elvsted about how women can gain power in the current time period or future, a modern Machiavellian masterpiece, The Princess perhaps? But if so, then why would Hedda destroy the thing, why not read it if it explains how to attain power? Ah well, I thought it was neat.

The Most Important Motifs of All

The curtains and glass door. Hedda's obsessed with these things. At the beginning of every act, Hedda is seen looking out that glass door, and towards the end of the play plays with the drapery often. I think she looks out the door in a similar way that the sisters in the "House of Bernarda Alba" did, hoping to be free, and fantasizing about life outside of the house. I noticed that Hedda never goes outside during the play, she's always plotting from within her home. I think she likes pulling back the curtains because its something she has control over, hiow much light can enter a room, thats all she has to control. Eventually she'll pull the curtains on her life, committing suicide, shortly after the play comes to a close, pulling its own curtains.

Something I noticed...

I was just thinking about all the similarities between Hedda Gabler and The House of Bernarad Alba, and I came to question the significance of the titles of both these plays. So, the "power" characters in both plays are Bernarda and Hedda, and both of these names are seen in the title. The title of Ibsen's work focuses on one character, while Lorca's focuses on just the house of Bernarda, and moreover, her rule. Hm, interesting.