Hedda Gabler on The Self-destructive Path of Abjection

Julia Kristeva in her book the Powers of horror: An Essay on Abjection sheds light upon the idea of abjection. She delineates abjection as a process by which we define ourselves by rejecting what we are not and this rejection of the abject is accompanied by repulsion, nausea and aversion. Kristeva states that the abjectifying process is necessary for setting a boundary between the self and the other and this process leads to self-recognition. Various interpretations have been provided to explain the main reason for the hostile behavior of Hedda in the play Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. In this paper, many of her antagonistic and negative behaviors, specially her suicide at the end of the play, are to be scrutinized through the lenses of abjection. This paper attempts to show that the main reason for the suicidal act of Hedda is her self-identification with the abject; which in this case is her middle class status. Thus, the writers of this article will clarify that Hedda tries to arrive at a lucid self-definition through the concept of abjection but her futile attempts encounter her with the abject middle class status at the end and this recognition of the abject leads her toward suicide.

Keywords:

Abjection , Henrik Ibsen , Heda Gabler , Julia Kristeva , Self-identification , Suicide