General Gabler's Pistols
Quote | Context and Significance | Analysis and Evaluation |
Hedda Now I'll shoot you, judge brack! | After telling her husband she would use her pistols as a source of entertainment, she begins shooting at judge brack, the same person who had supported her and her husband in acquiring a property at the beginning of their marriage. | The pistols are a motif in the text and they are a reminder to all characters that Hedda did not lose her power when she got married. Hedda and Judge Brack had a complex relationship before her marriage, and by shooting at him, she demonstrates the control she has over Brack. Hedda places deliberate emphasis on the control she has on brack’s emotional state. |
Hedda Dare me- did I happen to hit you? | Hedda was shooting out the window near brack who was walking towards her back door. She was not trying to hit him, but this provides more evidence of hedda’s irrational and untamed personality. | This is not a personal attack on brack, rather at men. Hedda considers the gun to be a part of her, and she projects to judge brack her perspective on men’s use of guns. It is her entrance into the ‘men’s world’ by rebelling against the social box she was placed in at birth. |
Light from the window
Quote | Context and Significance | Analysis and Evaluation |
Hedda Oh, there the servant has gone and opened the veranda door, and let in a whole flood of sunshine. MISS TESMAN [Going towards the door.] Well, then we will shut it. HEDDA No no, not that! | The veranda door serves as a symbol representing Hedda's desire for control and confinement. Hedda converses with Miss Tesman while the door is opened, flooding the room with sunlight. This light from the window symbolizes an disruption to the controlled environment Hedda prefers. | While the open door represents the possibility of escape and liberation, Hedda's immediate reaction to close the curtains suggests her preference for the control. This tension between freedom and restraint mirrors Hedda's internal struggle throughout the play. It also highlights the Hedda's sense of entrapment within her marriage and societal expectations. |
Aunt Julle's Hat
Quote | Context and Significance | Analysis and Evaluation |
HEDDA. Interrupting.] We shall never get on with this servant, Tesman. MISS TESMAN. Not get on with Berta? TESMAN. Why, dear, what puts that in your head? Eh? HEDDA. Pointing. ] Look there! She has left her old bonnet lvine about on a chair. | Hedda's pointed criticism of the servant's abandoned bonnet symbolizes her dissatisfaction with the domestic sphere and her desire for control. The hat left behind represents the disruption of the orderly facade that Hedda strives to maintain, reflecting her inner turmoil and disdain for the conventions of her societal role. | Through her fixation on the hat, the author shows Hedda’s discontent and yearning for autonomy. The symbolism of the hat as a disruptive element within the domestic setting highlights the underlying tensions and power struggles present in the household, foreshadowing Hedda's attempts to assert her influence amidst societal constraints for her fulfillment. |
HEDDA. [Leaving the glass door.] "Do you think she was annoyed about the bonnet?" | Hedda's inquiry about Aunt Julia's reaction to the bonnet left behind by the servant serves as a subtle probing of the dynamics within the household. | Hedda's seemingly innocuous question about Aunt Julia's reaction unveils her strategic thinking and penchant for manipulation. By subtly interrogating the emotional responses of others, Hedda demonstrates her ability to navigate social dynamics and exploit interpersonal tensions to further her own agenda, and the importance she puts in her outer image. |
Tesman's Slippers
Quote | Context and Significance | Analysis and Evaluation |
TESMAN. Yes, I missed them terribly. [Goes up to her.] Now you shall see them, Hedda! HEDDA. [Going towards the stove.] Thanks, I really don't care about it. | The slippers are a gift from Aunt Julia to Tesman, and they represent a connection to the past and tradition. Tesman treasures the slippers since they are personal to him and bring back memories of his past. Hedda's lack of interest in the slippers is a reflection of her ambition for independence and power, as well as her disregard for Tesman. | Tesman's enthusiasm for his old morning slippers contrast with Hedda's lack of interest in them in this statement. Tesman shows a deep emotional relationship to his slippers by expressing how much he missed them and how eager he was to show them to Hedda. However, Hedda's reaction and the way she went to the stove in place of reacting to Tesman's sentimentality reveal her lack of interest in sentimental items or actions. |
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