The story in one page
Hedda Gabler is the daughter of a General, now married to the academic George Tesman. She detests her new social obligations and the dull, domestic surroundings of her villa. When Eilert Lovborg, a brilliant writer and former flame, arrives in town with a new manuscript, Hedda begins to manipulate the lives around her to escape her own restlessness. She encourages Eilert’s self-destruction and destroys his life’s work. When Judge Brack learns the truth behind a stray pistol and a death, he holds his discovery over her. Finding the prospect of his control intolerable, Hedda takes matters into her own hands.
Who's who
- Hedda Gabler
The General's daughter, now struggling with a tedious marriage.
- George Tesman
An academic who prefers his research to his wife's needs.
- Eilert Lovborg
A talented writer battling his own unstable impulses.
- Judge Brack
A family acquaintance who treats secrets like leverage.
- Mrs. Elvsted
An old school friend whose life revolves around Eilert.
What it's really about
- Domestic Suffocation
- The crushing weight of polite social expectations.
- Control
- Using others' vulnerabilities to exert personal power.
Why it's memorable
- Hedda burning a manuscript page by page in a stove.
- A pair of General Gabler's pistols sitting in a cabinet.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Hedda retreats to an inner room, leaving the others to discuss work. A sudden gunshot signals that she has ended her life, leaving Judge Brack in shock that anyone would actually do such a thing.
For your book club
- Why does Hedda resent her husband's morning slippers so much?
- How does the General's shadow haunt a domestic drawing room?