Symbolism In Hedda Gabler

Thomas Foster, in his essay “Is That a Symbol?,” suggests that every concrete object in a piece of literature can be a symbol. Foster supports his claim by describing a scenario and pointing out objects that are symbols. His purpose is to further inform students on what a symbol is in order to help them better understand pieces of literature and their many meanings. Foster establishes a formal but humorous tone with his intended audience for this essay which includes students from various levels of education, middle school and up. Based on my original claim, this essay will help me to further explain my symbols and why they are significant to the story.

Symbolism is a great way to show and express great ideas with a strength to a reader. Symbolism shows a big idea through an object in the stories. In the play Inherit the Wind written by Robert E. Lee and Jerome Laurence, multiple strong symbols were used to express messages. A radio is used to represent the growth in technology. In addition, the Golden Dancer a rocking horse expresses that you should look at the truth and facts and not be deceived by appearance. Lastly, a monkey symbolizes evolution of humans as they are descended from them, according to “Darwin 's Theory”.

In Antebellum America, gender roles were an important factor in how society ran socially and politically. A middle to upper class woman in the North would rarely be seen outside her home. Women were to be submissive, fragile and stay inside the bounds of their private sphere, which was the home. Men were to be the breadwinners, masculine, and politically engaged. Gender roles in the South were somewhat different than that of the North, but were still heavily patriarchal. Women had little to no say in anything in their personal lives as well as politically because they did not have the right to vote. However, in the mid 1830’s to 1840’s, different moral reform movements such as temperance, sexual morality and abolition swept the Middle-Atlantic

In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” the symbols and figurative language leave a lasting image on what the story has to offer. Symbolism and figurative language convey abstract meaning, by creating imaginative connections between our ideas and our senses. In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” the symbolism is not the yellow wallpaper itself, but nearly the sub pattern behind it.

Many people have heard that women in the seventeenth century had little to no rights, and that would be almost correct. In Amsterdam, women had more rights than most of the women in Europe at the time, which really, was not much. An unmarried woman had more freedoms than their married counterparts, but being unmarried in this century still had downfalls. If an unmarried woman never wed or had children in her lifetime many people considered it to be a waste of her life. An unmarried woman was allowed her own property and businesses but if she was to ever marry, then the husband would assume ownership of it all. Women during this time were told to remain silent, to be seen but not heard. Women were often controlled by their fathers, brothers

Women had to abide by certain rules and principles in the Puritan Society. If they did not obey the specific rules they would be severely punished, or even killed. The women who did not obey the rules were also seen as dangerous. “The husband is called the head of woman. It belongs to the head to rule and govern.”, this quote gives an example of just how much dominance the men had. Girls acquired how to act from their mother. The women were strictly in charge of cleaning the house and being the spiritual leaders of the house. It was their responsibility to see that their family attended church every week. The women were involuntary subordinate to the men of that day.

Women in England during the 1800s faced restrictions to participate in movements and were limited in their political speaking and voting capabilities. Although many women accepted their fate, some fought for a different social role. (“The Women 's Rights Movement”) Women such Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, and Mary Shelley inspired a new way of radical thinking towards human rights, specifically the rights of women (Surgis). Thanks to these inspiring individuals, there was a change in women’s attitude regarding their options to become part of the work force, gain an education, and have equal rights in marriage (Surgis). Educating women was the primary focus for many modern feminists, explaining that if women were educated the opportunities

Objects and people can be symbols and can have alternate meanings for other things. In lord of the flies, william golding is able to use symbolism in many ways to express an underlying message to the reader. Symbolism can be seen in many objects throughout the book some including piggy 's glasses, the conch, and the fire. Throughout the story, these symbols are used to explain the underlying message to the reader and are used as tools to show how the boys are slowly changing from being civil to being savages. After being trapped on an island, many things are needed in order for them to survive, and some of these things become symbols of their survival. Without the use of symbols the interpretation of the story could be altered and be taken in

Why are light and dark references so prominent in The Scarlet Letter? Many quotes from the book allude to a light or dark reference for the main characters. The light and dark we see in each character is critical to the book because the references show how they are developing. This is an important theme because the light and dark references are noticeable in our own lives, and change how we live day to day as well. Light and dark imagery, alluding to the larger conflict between good and evil, is present throughout the novel in the characters of Roger Chillingworth, Pearl and Hester Prynne.

Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the Scarlet letter to display the sin and indecency people see Hester as. The detail represents ,the deep beauty Hester has inside although most people do not see her as a beutiful women. The deep red is a representation of adultery which shows her being an oncast from society. The symbol of the letter “A” is repetitive throughout the novel and grows with Hester and overcomes this with time as people start to see her as a person again and not just a adulterer.

In the article “Traditions Subordinating Women”, Bonnie S. Anderson and Judith P. Zinsser explore the very strong opinions, theories and beliefs of female subordination within the eyes of various origin cultures through stories, passages and history itself. This article gives a vast understanding of a woman’s role, the purpose of her body, what is expected of her, society’s double standards and how literature and poems portray women.

The Enlightenment had a huge impact on society. The world before the Enlightenment must have been horrible. Just imagining a world where there is no liberty and as a women be almost a slave and the government taking advantage. All four philosophers have their mind set on different problems that society is dealing with, whether it's religion, economy, nature law, or women’s freedom. The one thing they all have in common is freedom.

The treatment of women has been a topic all throughout history. Women would be treated as lesser beings compared to men. Back in 430 b.c when Oedipus Rex took place, women were not treated equally by men in power. An example of this is when King Laius died, Jocasta did not become the ruler. She had to wait for someone to marry her to have a new ruler. Jocasta wasn 't allowed to rule because she was a women and men thought she needed a husband to guide her. From reading Oedipus Rex, Jocasta would have been qualified to rule because she is smart and cares about the people. Back in the 1700’s when Candide took place, women were still treated unequally by men as well. An example of this is when the Baron would not allow Cunégondé to marry Candide.

The play tells a tragedy about a newly married young woman, Hedda, who tries to seek joy in her dull and tedious life but is eventually overcome with the burden of responsibility and takes her own life.

These flavours of irony are enhanced through characters’ names. “Alec D’Urberville” is a counterfeit D’Urberville whereas “Tess Durbeyfield” is a rightful “D’Urberville”, evoking male perfidy and nobility of the “fallen woman”. Similarly, through the play title “Hedda Gabler”, Ibsen’s refusal to subsume Hedda’s personality into her marital title “Tesman” foregrounds her unorthodox personality, portraying the encumbering marriage facing every Victorian women, in which the limitation of the feminine role is embedded in the very nomenclature of society.