who isdestroyed by the unharmonious and irreconciliable contrasts in her own character. Ibsenfirst expressed Heddas emotional sterility by showing how she is unable to reciprocate ina relationship. Heddas lack of freedom to act independently in the society that caused herto believe that she would find an answer in manipulation causes her to come face to facewith reality. She is forced to realize that her efforts are futile and her manipulation is onlyhurting herself. Like a young child, she can only receive without knowing how to give inreturn. This highly intense interest with the lives of others is another aspect of heremotionally empty life. While at the same time of investigating and analyzing otherpeoples lives is one way for Hedda to gain some understanding of her own unsatisfiedself, she ultimately reveals that she herself is very frail, fragile, and self-centered. It is thisindeed that puts Hedda on her path to a tragic destruction, a path that is being taken ratherquickly. Another way in which Isben displays her thirst for more in her life is when Heddaburns the manuscript. Hedda feels that somehow destroying something that she shouldhave been able to create in the first place will make her feel better about her own life. Bydestroying the manuscript, Hedda also destroys those constant reminders of her owninadequicies and affirms her own unsatisfied sense of worth. Now Im burning yourchild, Thea! You with your curly hair! Your child and Eilert Lovborgs. Now Imburning -- Im burning the child. (Ibsen 288). It appears as though Hedda feels betterabout herself knowing that an accomplishment between two other people has beendestroyed, which unfortunately is a natural human thought and behavior. Since Heddaseems to not have any positive influence in the world, she can only define herselfnegatively: she destroys what she cannot accept. For Hedda, happiness may be achievedby controlling the immediate environment around ...
