When we think about the job of raising children now, we usually consider it as a responsibility for both parents. However, back to nineteen Century, this job fell completely on females. Society considered the function of motherhood as an essential thing for women, but the responsibility of fatherhood seemed to be unnecessary for men. Society believed that women had to take care of children, while males could only provide money and did not need to actual raise his children. Fortunately, people awaken their consciousness of feminism in Norway in nineteen Century. Ibsen was one of active promoters of this revolution. As plays that represented the Ibsen’s point of view of new woman, A Doll House and Hedda Gabler compare and contrast new woman’s
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Her extreme anti-motherhood attitude strongly contrasts with society’s idea of motherhood function. When everyone around her hopes she would get pregnant, she refuses to admit she has anything related to that even though she is actually pregnant. When George Tesman delightfully mentions to Aunt Juliana that Hedda has grown more “plump and buxom” and how well she “has filled out” after the trip, Hedda appears to be impatient and says “do be quiet” to George (Ibsen 230). Later on, when George tells Judge Brack how “flourishing” Hedda becomes, Hedda gets irritate again and says “Oh, leave me out of it!” (Ibsen 243) Since the physical state of chubby for women stands for pregnancy, George tries to imply Hedda may be pregnant. Compares with others’ positive and happy attitude about that, Hedda seems to be annoyed by that. For Hedda, the function of motherhood is a nonessential thing. However, it is her for her to say that directly since everyone else around her deeply believes that is her duty to be a mom. Hedda’s anti-motherhood attitude also shows in a more intense way: destroying of children. She first destroys symbolic child of Thea and Eilert—the manuscript. While she is burning the manuscript, she is whispering to herself, ‘Now I’m burning your child, Thea! Your child and Eilert Lovborg’s. Now I’m burning—I’m burning the child” (Ibsen 288). After she destroys the symbolic child, she later on destroys her own unwanted child by ending her own life. Since abortion was not morally acceptable in Norway and no one around her would let her do that if they know she is pregnant, she chooses a more intense way to end her motherhood duty. Throughout the play, Hedda strongly expresses her unwillingness of taking the responsibility of motherhood. However, everyone around her still thinks she should take that responsibility no matter what her thinks about it. Hedda’s story shows us the conflict
Her extreme anti-motherhood attitude strongly contrasts with society’s idea of motherhood function. When everyone around her hopes she would get pregnant, she refuses to admit she has anything related to that even though she is actually pregnant. When George Tesman delightfully mentions to Aunt Juliana that Hedda has grown more “plump and buxom” and how well she “has filled out” after the trip, Hedda appears to be impatient and says “do be quiet” to George (Ibsen 230). Later on, when George tells Judge Brack how “flourishing” Hedda becomes, Hedda gets irritate again and says “Oh, leave me out of it!” (Ibsen 243) Since the physical state of chubby for women stands for pregnancy, George tries to imply Hedda may be pregnant. Compares with others’ positive and happy attitude about that, Hedda seems to be annoyed by that. For Hedda, the function of motherhood is a nonessential thing. However, it is her for her to say that directly since everyone else around her deeply believes that is her duty to be a mom. Hedda’s anti-motherhood attitude also shows in a more intense way: destroying of children. She first destroys symbolic child of Thea and Eilert—the manuscript. While she is burning the manuscript, she is whispering to herself, ‘Now I’m burning your child, Thea! Your child and Eilert Lovborg’s. Now I’m burning—I’m burning the child” (Ibsen 288). After she destroys the symbolic child, she later on destroys her own unwanted child by ending her own life. Since abortion was not morally acceptable in Norway and no one around her would let her do that if they know she is pregnant, she chooses a more intense way to end her motherhood duty. Throughout the play, Hedda strongly expresses her unwillingness of taking the responsibility of motherhood. However, everyone around her still thinks she should take that responsibility no matter what her thinks about it. Hedda’s story shows us the conflict