How Does Hedda Gabler Treat Women Differently From Men?
Discussion Questions for Hedda Gabler
Why is Hedda so cruel to other females in the play? Does she treat women differently from men? * I think Hedda is so cruel to other females because she wishes she was them. She wishes she had the life and the relationships they have with other men. She wants the attention that she believes that other women get. Hedda is so similar to Regina George, a character in the movie Mean Girls. Regina George loved all the attention and love from everyone but it still wasn’t enough. The moment others started to get the attention that she felt was hers, she wasn’t happy. She did whatever it took to get attention back on her. No matter how drastic.
Do you think Hedda is pregnant? * I think Hedda is pregnant
for several reasons. One reason is her hatefulness and the increase of her hatefulness. Pregnant women are often hormonal and in pain, thus making them hateful most of the time. Hedda is constantly hateful and a pregnancy would explain everything. Another reason is when she burned the manuscript; it was like burning George’s baby. I feel like in Hedda’s mind, burning the manuscript symbolizes what she would like to do with an actually child because she probably hates children as much as she secretly hates herself. The final thing that makes me wonder if Hedda is pregnant is the fact that she kills herself. If we go with the assumption that she hates children, why would she put herself through the pain and body changes that she would have to go through to birth a child she doesn’t even want? So killing herself would get rid of the child as well as end her life so she doesn’t have to live with her poor decision.
Why is Hedda so cruel to other females in the play? Does she treat women differently from men? * I think Hedda is so cruel to other females because she wishes she was them. She wishes she had the life and the relationships they have with other men. She wants the attention that she believes that other women get. Hedda is so similar to Regina George, a character in the movie Mean Girls. Regina George loved all the attention and love from everyone but it still wasn’t enough. The moment others started to get the attention that she felt was hers, she wasn’t happy. She did whatever it took to get attention back on her. No matter how drastic.
Do you think Hedda is pregnant? * I think Hedda is pregnant
for several reasons. One reason is her hatefulness and the increase of her hatefulness. Pregnant women are often hormonal and in pain, thus making them hateful most of the time. Hedda is constantly hateful and a pregnancy would explain everything. Another reason is when she burned the manuscript; it was like burning George’s baby. I feel like in Hedda’s mind, burning the manuscript symbolizes what she would like to do with an actually child because she probably hates children as much as she secretly hates herself. The final thing that makes me wonder if Hedda is pregnant is the fact that she kills herself. If we go with the assumption that she hates children, why would she put herself through the pain and body changes that she would have to go through to birth a child she doesn’t even want? So killing herself would get rid of the child as well as end her life so she doesn’t have to live with her poor decision.