Analysing The Characters Of Hedda Gabler English Literature Essay

Analysing The Characters Of Hedda Gabler English Literature Essay We are introduced to Hedda Gabler as the daughter of the venerated General Gabler, and as a woman born into an extremely wealthy aristocratic family. Though having lived a pampered life, she believed her time as a single woman was growing thin, leading her to marry George Tesman, a man she clearly no longer has feelings for – if indeed she ever did. Throughout the rest of Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, we observe how Hedda’s obsession with freedom and free will conflict with the norms of nineteenth-century society which surrounds her, leading her to manipulate those around her, and eventually her own death. It would seem that Hedda’s greatest asset throughout the play is her ability to manipulate the individuals around her. The tediousness of monogamy is most likely the largest driving factor for her scheming all through the play: â€Å"How mortally bored I’ve been†Ã‚   [ 1 ]   as she conveys it to Judge Brack. The deception of others i s one of her solutions to the suppressed life she must lead under the nineteenth-century societal standards. We witness her feign friendship in the conversation between her and Miss Tesman, all the while deviously making remarks about her hat: â€Å"Look there! She has left her old bonnet lying aboutà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fancy, if anyone should come in and see it!†.   [ 2 ]    We witness her clandestine motives when she burns Eilert Là ¸vborg’s manuscript and convinces her husband that she did it because she â€Å"could not bear the idea that any one should throw you [George] into the shade†.   [ 3 ]   We also see evidence of her suppressed emotions as she â€Å"walks about the room, raising her arms and clenching her fists as if in desperation†.   [ 4 ]   Her greatest skill however lies with her ability to extort information and secrets from others; as Eilert remarks about their past relationship: â€Å"[I] told you about myself, things that no on e else knew†.   [ 5 ]   She frequently displays her talent of asking questions without actually answering any on her part; soon after, Eilert asks: â€Å"What was the power in you that forced me to confess these things?† to which Hedda replies elusively: â€Å"Do you think it was any power in me?†.   [ 6 ]   Hedda feels as though she can suppress the boredom in her life by obtaining power over others. When asked by Mrs. Elvsted why she is manipulating Eilert so, she replies: â€Å"I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny†.   [ 7 ]   Although Hedda is wealthy, she considers herself lacking in influence, and thereby poor. If Hedda cannot attain any sort of power – whether it is political, authoritative, or pecuniary – then she must find power through the lives of others. Because Hedda is proscribed from carrying out the life that she wishes to live, she finds that she must live vicariously. However, the life of another woman – namely Mrs. Elvsted – would not suit Hedda’s criteria, for she is just as subdued as any other woman during that time. We come across this notion when Hedda asks to Là ¸vborg:

History of German Films and Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History of German Films and Cinema - Essay Example Fassbinder's success in German theatre allowed him leverage when it came to ascending the rungs in mainstream cinema which he considered in greater esteem than theatre. But the German bourgeois always valued the older German theatre more highly than the younger cinema (Barnett p.137). He continued to make an impression in German theatre, and this improved his chances of being recognised and accepted in popular cinema which he did with films on a diverse range of prevalent issues. One such film that explored the issue of individuals resisting traditionalism was Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. A storm outside forces a middle-aged cleaning lady named Emmi into a local German bar. The place is filled with Arabic regulars who gaze at her entrance. This bar is one of the select few public spots where foreigners are openly received. It's owner fills the jukeboxes with Arabic music but when Emmi enters, she is no longer a welcome visitor but is looked on as a stranger. The owner prods a former lover, a Moroccan man named Ali, to engage Emmi in a dance. Soon after, they become close companions, sharing common internal conflicts and emotions, along with feelings of loneliness and isolation. As their union develops, they find that society turns harsher towards them more so now than when they were isolated individuals. Emmi's neighbours chitchat continuously about her companion who is living with her and this provokes the landlord to question their living arrangements. Ali fac es further embarrassment when a local grocer refuses to serve him until he improves his German. When Emmi meets her family and divulges her relationship with the Moroccan, she is met with cynicism and ridicule. The quarrel finally ends up with her TV set being destroyed. Later after Emmi's co-worker visits her at her apartment and finds Ali there, the following day she is spurned by her cleaning squad. She is then left to wallow in her predicament. In this film, Fassbinder explores the experiences of people who do not conform to society's norms. His cinematography uses space and framing of the nonconforming individual to mirror his or her isolation and seclusion from the rest of society. When Emmi and Ali dance on the floor, a long shot of them amplifies their isolation. The confined kitchen also highlights the suffocation she feels about her life. At a bistro, the vacant surrounding tables overstated by the staff's distance from the present visitors also reflects her isolation. Fassbinder, referring to use social commentary rather than melodrama, produces a narrative that reveals the depth of exclusion that the two protagonists are faced with. He shows that although they learn to deal with unwelcome pubic scrutiny, the pressures of society continually eats the soul of both Emmi and Ali. This fractures their delicate relationship and the question begs, will the two survive their union. There are no simple answers in the real w orld. In his 1979 film, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Fassbinder crafts a darkly comic and contemptuous portrayal of the revitalization program undertaken by Germany. The story is of Maria Braun whose wedding happened as a result of a swift two week courtship and a hastily conducted marriage ceremony during the last period of the second world war when

Common Difficulties Encountered in Academic Writing Essay

Common Difficulties Encountered in Academic Writing - Essay Example For me, writing can be really difficult at times because the act itself is solitary. It comes from within us. We concentrate on planning and thinking on how to transform our complex thoughts into an organized written text. For instance, when I write argumentative essays, there are abstract concepts that I need to explain using my own words and this makes writing difficult for me. Sometimes, I would find myself staring at a blank paper for hours because I do not know how to start the topic I am working. I would have difficulty in coming up with solid arguments for my essay topic. Even though I have read a lot about the theme of the essay, I still have trouble translating what I have read into writing. Worse, when I get to start writing, I would it difficult to end the topic. It is as if I am going nowhere when I start my writing task. Moreover, in the middle of the work, I would get distracted because sometimes I would be confused in grammatical rules especially when I construct complex sentences. Also, the rules in punctuation and spelling would confuse me a lot, especially when I would try to write longer sentences. Indeed, I am very conscious of all the technicalities in grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary when I start to write. However, amidst all these difficulties I encountered in writing, I have remained patient in re-writing and editing my drafts to come up with a presentable essay. I have learned that there are methods that would make writing easier for beginning writer and that is to have a plan. In this class, I have learned the process of pre-writing, writing, revising, and editing in order to get my essays done. Prewriting would mean that I have to jot down all the ideas I have, regardless of my ideas are correct or not. Writing an outline would then help me in organizing my thoughts and ideas.