The Homecoming

     A woman's sexuality is a large part of both the play Hedda Gabler and The Homecoming.  In The Homecoming, Ruth uses her sexuality to seduce the men of her husbands family.  It is unknown to the reader why she does this, but it is most likely just for the attention.  At the end of the play it is made clear that she is also willing to perform sexual acts in order to have her own flat in London.  The men of the play continue to discriminate against and make sexual comments about Ruth and women in general, referring to them as "tarts" (41).  On numerous occasions Max also makes derogatory comments about his deceased wife.  After Ruth arrives at the house, Max comments to one of his sons that he has "never had a whore under this roof before.  Ever since your mother died" (42). 
     Like Ruth, Hedda also uses her sexuality in order to gain others attention and receive the material objects that she so desperately desires.  Although Hedda is not as straight forward as Ruth is, it is made clear that she knows what she is capable of doing to men.  One main difference between the plays, however, is that the men in Hedda's life seem to be more respectful of women than the family portrayed in The Homecoming.

The Cherry Orchard

     Throughout The Cherry Orchard, Anton Chekhov continues to bring up the characters urge to return to the past. The character that expresses this need the most is Liubov, who continually brings up the past. Liubov feels guilt and sorrow for the tragic events that have occurred, such as the death of her son and her former love running away with all of her earnings. Liubov also brings up numerous times how wasteful she is with money and feels guilt that she is now losing the cherry orchard which is “a landmark!” (352). After returning to her childhood home, Liubov becomes overcome with emotions and says “If only I could shake off this weight I've been carrying so long. If only I could forget my past!” (355).

     Other characters also deal with feelings of wanting to return to the past. The play ends with Firs sitting alone in the Liubov's former house. While reflecting on what has happened he says “it's all over now, and I never even had a life to live” (385). Unlike Liubov who lived her life only worrying about her needs and not the well being of anyone, not even herself, Firs realizes that he has spent his entire life dedicating himself to others.

     Just as the characters of The Cherry Orchard, there is still the desire to return to the past. Everyone wishes that they could go back to their past and fix their mistakes. This is an aspect of life that will never change, as everyone makes mistakes and is regretful of something that has occurred in their past.

Hedda Gabler

      Although the play Hedda Gabler consists of many issues that are still alive today, they are not handled in the same manner. One large example of this is with the main character Hedda. It quickly becomes obvious to the reader that Hedda has severe psychological issues, however these are ignored or simply not seen by the other characters who adore her. In today's society someone like Hedda would most likely receive treatment for these medical issues that are easily recognizable by the advances in psychological studies today.

     Another example of the differences in society between now and when the play was written in the 1890's is the roles of women. Even though many women today take on the position of a housewife, this is no longer expected or forced upon them. Many women today have their own careers or choose not to have families at all. Hedda struggles with being married and with the unwanted pregnancy that is hinted at throughout the play. During the time this was written it would not be understood why a woman would not want to take on the roles of a wife and a mother, however such choices are a more accepted aspect of today's culture.

     If a similar play were written today, it would defeat the purpose of the play to change the script so that it fit in with the current freedoms of women. For instance, if Hedda were to divorce Mr. Tesman and have an abortion, she would no longer be faced with the extreme unhappiness that leads to her manipulation of the other characters.