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Hedda Gabler Acts 3 and 4

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For the majority of the first and second acts Hedda appears to be in control of those around her, manipulating them as she pleases or in other she was the “cock of the walk”. Although this trend does continue through acts three and four a shift in control is visible as her relationship with Judge Brack develops. Unlike Lovborg, Judge Brack is the only character that manages to take control away from Hedda and corners her into an unknown realm. This shift in power initially begins on page 823 when the use of the expression “the cock of the walk” is first mentioned. There is a plethora of interpretation of this saying but to Hedda it signifies a potential loss of control over Judge Brack. This expression plays to be extremely influential on the rest of the events that follow and lead up to her death.

Another character who Hedda looses control over is Tesman and its another factor that motivates her to kill herself. Tesman, devoted to make amends with Lovborg’s death, takes on the responsibility to aid Mrs. Elvsted publish Lovborg’s work. Hedda quickly feels helpless at the fact that he will not be around. She feels powerless over Tesman and its evident when she says “Cant you find any use of me here” only to be pushed away into Judge Brack’s hands.

In addition, the events that transpired with Lovborg’s death leave Hedda at the mercy of Judge Barck. Before shooting herself she directs her final words to Judge Brack and says “Yes, that’s what you’re hoping for, isn’t it Judge? You the one and only cock of the walk” (838). This particular line signifies that Hedda is no longer in control, therefore, driving her to kill herself. The tragic ending in Hedda Gabler is quite controversial because it is hard to explain if Hedda’s decision to kill herself was an act of bravery or a cowardly way to escape from a bitter reality. Nonetheless, it is certain that Hedda’s death was greatly influenced by her receding control over those around her.

Underground Man: Notes From Underground. Part Two

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Although the Underground Man appears to be insane in the initial part of this story one thing is for sure, he is perfectly sane. As hard as it may be to believe, after reading the second part of Dostoyevsky work “Notes From Underground”, it clearly answers why the Underground Man thinks so little about others and the reason he is stuck in a never-ending cycle of misery. As previously mentioned in the initial portion, the issue of identity, reemerges itself yet again and it is an issue that allows an individual to sympathize with the Underground Man, regardless of his irrational thoughts and actions.

On encountering Liza, the Underground Man invites us in on how he envisions the role of parents in a child’s life by stating that even after death children, they will carry the “thoughts and feelings” of their parents (689). This is a subject that the Underground Man is naïve to because of the absence of his mother and father during his childhood. His “distant relatives,” who after a point were no longer heard of, neglected him and regarded everything about him as “savagely.” The absence of his family leaves the Underground Man clueless as to who he is or the part he is suppose to play in society, even though, it is not specifically mentioned.

Nevertheless, this clarification greatly shows the agony that the Underground Man goes through on a daily basis and why he despises so many people. His hatred for everyone and desire to be alone leaves him incapable to live the standard life any ordinary individual would. Unlike others he will never be able to love or be content and in order to replace these feelings he is driven to attempt to show his dominance over everyone else. This is greatly exemplified when he bashes Liza future when they first meet and when she comes to visit him. He displays the common traits that a parentless child would. In reality the Underground Man is nothing more than a mislead child attempting to find his own identity while crushing those of others to make himself feel better.