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Hedda Gabler Essay

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The conflict between aristocracy and bourgeoisie in “Hedda Gabler”, is a stark contrast of privilege against a backdrop of those seeking success through their own effort. The middle class striving for mobility to the upper echelon while being scorned by them. This is epitomized in the marriage of Hedda Gabler to George Tesman.
Tesman is enamored and willing to go into debt for Hedda. He views this as a sacrifice for her. Meanwhile, Hedda is increasingly bored, and is realizing that she will not have an aristocratic lifestyle. She is unable to make more purchases, get a new piano, have a horse, or footmen. She despises the life she chose.
Hedda looks at everyone as though they only exist to please her. Therefore that she lies, or flirts, or manipulates to hurt others is irrelevant to her end goals. Her shallow ambition for the center of attention and her trepidation of scandal keep her from obtaining her true desires and force her into isolated …show more content…
He has worked hard in his research and will potentially be receiving a professorship, in addition to securing the lady of his dreams. He has secured a place within the upper ranks of society. He is fully aware of sacrifice. However, he is naïve in his outlook and cannot see beyond the surface his wife presents. Consequently we find Hedda and Tesman in the exact same place for entirely different reasons. Hedda concedes failure. Tesman announces victory.
As the story unfolds, Hedda maneuvers everyone she knows in an attempt to regain the control she feels she lost in marriage. Her disregard for anyone other than herself is evident by her confession of not loving Tesman to Eilert Lovborg and Judge Brack; her petty humiliations of those she feels are inferior; her eagerness to get between Thea and Eilert for jealousy’s sake alone; and her spiteful act of burning Eilert’s manuscript. Finally, her doom is sealed when Judge Brack promises extortion for his

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