This play makes one think about truth-telling, how it can be used for good or ill, and how good intentions can very well end in bad results. While being honest is recognized as a morally good thing in general, one's motivations behind telling the truth and realistic expectations of likely consequences do matter when trying to judge whether or not it is a good thing to do in particular situations.
The wild duck, though silent, is in a way the most important character in the play. Apparently they have a tendency, when shot, to plunge all the way down to the bottom of the water, get hold of the weeds that are found on the lake bed, and hang on tight to them until death, never coming back up to the surface.
Ibsen seems to indicate that life is like a lake scene. The water is beautiful and smooth, while at the bottom lie all the weeds and junk that nobody wants to see and that people prefer to not think about. But it's there all the same. The "wild ducks" among us are those who are forced by others, well-intentioned or not, in the name of "honesty" to get down to the bottom of the lake to see all the debris. But once they see it, they are unable to let go and live life on the surface as before, so the sight destroys them.
Showing posts with label Scandinavian literature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scandinavian literature. Show all posts
Friday, June 1, 2018
The Master Builder, by Henrik Ibsen
Another great play by Henrik Ibsen. It's about a builder named Halvard Solness who experienced tragedy early in his life. Ibsen leaves it ambiguous as to whether the tragedy was an unavoidable accident or due to willful negligence since it resulted in career opportunities for Solness. Since that time, he has been angry at God, and carried out his life as if there isn't one. As far as money and career go, his life has outwardly been very successful; he takes great pride in being a self-made man who owes nothing to anyone (especially God).
But despite the formidable exterior, there are signs that not all is well. The tragedy destroyed his marriage such that his wife is a shell of what she once was, and Solness has been consoling himself with the admiration of younger women. There's a certain type of building Solness refuses to work on: churches. Then there's his odd habit of putting tall church-like spires on all the buildings he designs, and the Norwegian custom of the builder climbing up to the highest part of the building to put a wreath on it on opening day.
In many ways this play brings to mind Icarus and Daedalus, not to mention the Tower of Babel--stories of what happens to people who think they can attain heaven on their own instead of being humble enough to rely on God's grace.
But despite the formidable exterior, there are signs that not all is well. The tragedy destroyed his marriage such that his wife is a shell of what she once was, and Solness has been consoling himself with the admiration of younger women. There's a certain type of building Solness refuses to work on: churches. Then there's his odd habit of putting tall church-like spires on all the buildings he designs, and the Norwegian custom of the builder climbing up to the highest part of the building to put a wreath on it on opening day.
In many ways this play brings to mind Icarus and Daedalus, not to mention the Tower of Babel--stories of what happens to people who think they can attain heaven on their own instead of being humble enough to rely on God's grace.
A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen
I like this even better than Hedda Gabler. Husband Torvald is kind and affectionate to wife Nora, but has a tendency to treat her like a pampered child to spoil, amuse himself with and protect from all cares. However, years ago when they were poorer and Torvald seriously ill, Nora decided to bend the law, risking her own good name to borrow a large sum of money for his extended rest cure in Italy. She has been living in fear ever since that her secret will get out. Meanwhile her creditor wants a favor from her that she has little power to give and he's threatening to talk.
It brings to mind that Bible verse everyone hates but never quotes in its entirety (because they've already blown their top before they get halfway through), Ephesians 5:22-27: Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.... This play is about a husband who fell short, a disappointed wife, and the need to do a lot of growing up, not to mention a lot of reflection about what marriage is, before they can be reconciled.
It brings to mind that Bible verse everyone hates but never quotes in its entirety (because they've already blown their top before they get halfway through), Ephesians 5:22-27: Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.... This play is about a husband who fell short, a disappointed wife, and the need to do a lot of growing up, not to mention a lot of reflection about what marriage is, before they can be reconciled.
Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen
This has some similarities to Madame Bovary in that the title character is a beautiful woman who marries a good natured man that she finds boring and who looks for excitement elsewhere.
However, Hedda Gabler has a cold calculating nature that I don't remember Emma Bovary as having. She is quite capable of deliberately ruining other people's lives purely for her own entertainment. She has a foil in her friend Mrs. Elvsted and also Aunt Julie--women who freely give of themselves to care for others. The two men who are interested in Hedda are Judge Brack, whose coldness and calculation are quite similar to her own, and Eilert Lovborg, an old beau with a generous, romantic nature and a self-destructive streak. The play is about how these differing personalities affect each other's lives.
However, Hedda Gabler has a cold calculating nature that I don't remember Emma Bovary as having. She is quite capable of deliberately ruining other people's lives purely for her own entertainment. She has a foil in her friend Mrs. Elvsted and also Aunt Julie--women who freely give of themselves to care for others. The two men who are interested in Hedda are Judge Brack, whose coldness and calculation are quite similar to her own, and Eilert Lovborg, an old beau with a generous, romantic nature and a self-destructive streak. The play is about how these differing personalities affect each other's lives.
Friday, July 21, 2017
The Axe, by Sigrid Undset
I'm liking this series as much as <i>Kristin Lavransdatter</i>. Like <i>Kristin</i>, it is the life story of a person in medieval Norway, a man this time, named Olav Audunsson. The book is separated into two parts, the first primarily concerning Olav and his experiences; the second primarily about his fiancee Ingunn. Olav's parents having died early in his childhood, he becomes the foster son of Ingunn's parents and the children grow up with the knowledge that they are betrothed to each other. Their betrothal was not carried out with all the formalities as it ought to have been, leading to problems for the couple and their families. It's set in an earlier time than <i>Kristin</i>, so Norway has become a Christian country, but in the people have still not fully transitioned from their old ways.
Marta Oulie, by Sigrid Undset
** spoiler alert ** This is Sigrid Undset's first novel, published when she was 24. The novel is written as a series of entries in a diary, which outline the thoughts and feelings of Marta Oulie, a woman in her thirties, the wife of Otto, a successful businessman and mother of four children, who allows herself to fall into an affair with Henrik, who is her cousin, her husband's best friend and business partner.
For such a young writer with no similar life experiences, Undset does a very convincing job outlining Marta's thoughts and feelings--her reminiscence of how she and her husband met, the happy early days of their marriage, her dissatisfaction with her role as wife and mother, the creeping (though undeserved) condescension in her attitude towards her husband, and her attraction towards the more sophisticated and educated Henrik. After she has her fourth child, (Henrik's), she comes to her senses and realizes how spoiled and selfish she has been, but her newfound appreciation for her family, husband, and comfortable middle class life comes too late. Otto's TB has been discovered to be terminal, and, like it or not, she's about to lose it all.
This early short novel is obviously not as complex as the historical series she is most famous for, like Kristin Lavransdatter, but it's very realistic and believable. Undset has already started to explore themes that appear in her later work: family relationships, sin, repentance, and redemption.
For such a young writer with no similar life experiences, Undset does a very convincing job outlining Marta's thoughts and feelings--her reminiscence of how she and her husband met, the happy early days of their marriage, her dissatisfaction with her role as wife and mother, the creeping (though undeserved) condescension in her attitude towards her husband, and her attraction towards the more sophisticated and educated Henrik. After she has her fourth child, (Henrik's), she comes to her senses and realizes how spoiled and selfish she has been, but her newfound appreciation for her family, husband, and comfortable middle class life comes too late. Otto's TB has been discovered to be terminal, and, like it or not, she's about to lose it all.
This early short novel is obviously not as complex as the historical series she is most famous for, like Kristin Lavransdatter, but it's very realistic and believable. Undset has already started to explore themes that appear in her later work: family relationships, sin, repentance, and redemption.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Kristin Lavransdatter: Book III, The Cross, by Sigrid Undset
I think his final book of the <I>Kristin Lavransdatter</I> series is the best of all, because it's where the threads of the many interwoven lives, not just Kristin's, are resolved. The books in this trilogy are not as self-contained as the books in other multivolume novel series I've read, such as for example <I>Anne of Green Gables</I> or <I>The Chronicles of Narnia</I>. In those you can read just some of the books, or mix up the order, and it doesn't really affect your enjoyment of the books. Not so for <I>Kristin Lavransdatter</I>, which is really best treated as one long novel instead of three separate ones. I know I will be reading this series again, as there was so much to take in! My favorite novels are always the ones that seem to create a whole world that feels real in my imagination, and Sigrid Undset definitely excels in this.
Gunnar's Daughter, by Sigrid Undset
I first heard of Sigrid Undset a couple of years ago after coming across an article about a new English translation of her <i>Kristin Lavransdatter</i> trilogy. Since it's such a huge book, I thought I would read one of her shorter works first and decided on this one.
<i>Gunnar's Daughter</i> is a dramatic story of a woman who was raped by the man she wanted to marry, and how this betrayal of trust changed the whole course of both their lives. That the story is set when Norway and Iceland were in a time of transition between paganism and Christianity, so that the characters sometimes act in a Christian manner, sometimes not, makes it even more interesting. We get a sense of what it was like to live in a time when infanticide, Viking raids, and blood feuds were normal and people were only beginning to question the morality behind those practices. These days one comes across quite a few people who like to dwell on the imperfections of societies with long Christian histories, blame them on Christianity, and think things would be so much better if Christianity were done away with altogether. Beware of what you ask for.....
I knew Undset was trying to emulate the style of the Icelandic sagas when she wrote <i>Gunnar's Daughter</i>, but I thought a saga was a long epic poem, like the medieval lays or the <i>Iliad</i> and the <i>Odyssey</i>. Turns out that the saga is a very pared down prose style that focuses on actions and events and does not dwell on descriptions or the thoughts of the characters. As a result, the story moved at a fast pace and the style gave it a timeless quality. I could not put it down and finished it in one (late) night! The spareness of the style actually gives more scope to the reader's imagination since everything is not spelled out.
Looking forward to reading more by Sigrid Undset.
<i>Gunnar's Daughter</i> is a dramatic story of a woman who was raped by the man she wanted to marry, and how this betrayal of trust changed the whole course of both their lives. That the story is set when Norway and Iceland were in a time of transition between paganism and Christianity, so that the characters sometimes act in a Christian manner, sometimes not, makes it even more interesting. We get a sense of what it was like to live in a time when infanticide, Viking raids, and blood feuds were normal and people were only beginning to question the morality behind those practices. These days one comes across quite a few people who like to dwell on the imperfections of societies with long Christian histories, blame them on Christianity, and think things would be so much better if Christianity were done away with altogether. Beware of what you ask for.....
I knew Undset was trying to emulate the style of the Icelandic sagas when she wrote <i>Gunnar's Daughter</i>, but I thought a saga was a long epic poem, like the medieval lays or the <i>Iliad</i> and the <i>Odyssey</i>. Turns out that the saga is a very pared down prose style that focuses on actions and events and does not dwell on descriptions or the thoughts of the characters. As a result, the story moved at a fast pace and the style gave it a timeless quality. I could not put it down and finished it in one (late) night! The spareness of the style actually gives more scope to the reader's imagination since everything is not spelled out.
Looking forward to reading more by Sigrid Undset.
Ida Elisabeth, by Sigrid Undset
This is one of Sigrid Undset's contemporary novels, written and set in the 1930's. It explores how changing ideas about marriage and family affect people's lives.
Ida Elisabeth is a young woman who makes the unwise choice to marry an amiable but irresponsible man (from a whole family of similarly amiable irresponsible people) who isn't anchored firmly enough in reality to reliably support his family. She becomes the breadwinner, then decides to leave him and move away with her children when she discovers his infidelity. She meets a much more eligible man in her new town but is torn between her love for him and doing what is in her children's best interest, as she senses his incompatibility with her children. On top of that, her ex comes down with a bad case of TB and she feels duty bound to help him during his stay at the local sanatorium.
This book is what one might call a "kitchen sink drama" about ordinary people, their decisions, and their dilemmas. I like this genre, so I did enjoy reading it, especially as Ida's problems are ones that are even more common today. Loyalty and the unfashionable virtues of reliability and fulfilling one's obligations are major themes in the book.
Ida Elisabeth is a young woman who makes the unwise choice to marry an amiable but irresponsible man (from a whole family of similarly amiable irresponsible people) who isn't anchored firmly enough in reality to reliably support his family. She becomes the breadwinner, then decides to leave him and move away with her children when she discovers his infidelity. She meets a much more eligible man in her new town but is torn between her love for him and doing what is in her children's best interest, as she senses his incompatibility with her children. On top of that, her ex comes down with a bad case of TB and she feels duty bound to help him during his stay at the local sanatorium.
This book is what one might call a "kitchen sink drama" about ordinary people, their decisions, and their dilemmas. I like this genre, so I did enjoy reading it, especially as Ida's problems are ones that are even more common today. Loyalty and the unfashionable virtues of reliability and fulfilling one's obligations are major themes in the book.
Jenny, by Sigrid Undset
This is a very sad story of a young woman artist who lost first her father, then a loving stepfather, too early in life and who has learned to put too high a value on independence. One of her best friends describes Jenny as generous, reliable, and always there for others, but with a strong tendency to withdraw when she herself needs help. She expresses doubt about whether it is possible to love someone and also to be dependent on them. I enjoyed reading it because it explores many of the ideas about relationships and the strong emphasis on independence that are so common now, and that are apparently not as new as we think (<I>Jenny</I> was published in 1911, 105 years ago).
The Faithful Wife, by Sigrid Undset
This is one of Sigrid Undset's contemporary novels. It deals with the difficulties of married life, particularly infidelity. Nathalie and Sigurd have been happily married for a long time. Nathalie, except for her inability to have a child, seems to have it all: a husband she loves and gets along with, a job she enjoys and is good at. Sigurd, on the other hand, has felt insecure since he had to give up his engineering practice due to some business problem with his partner, and has been an employee ever since then, not earning as much as he would like. He starts an affair with Anne, a much younger woman who looks up to him, and Nathalie finds out about it when Anne gets pregnant. It's a very realistic story, and Undset shows her talent for characterization by making all the characters quite complex so that you see both the good and the bad in each one. These are three fundamentally decent people caught up in a dilemma. Great read.
Kristin Lavransdatter: Book II, The Wife, by Sigrid Undset
I enjoyed this book just as much as <i>The Wreath</i>. Its focus is Kristin's married life with Erlend on his ancestral estate of Husaby. Kristin bears seven sons, and it is largely to her efforts and leadership that the badly managed farm and household are brought into shape, farming not being one of her husband's interests. He is much more interested in politics, and this is where he gets involved in a group of partisans who prefer a different successor to the throne and falls out of favor with the king. Kristin's younger sister Ramborg gets married...to Simon, who was Kristin's betrothed before she broke the engagement to marry Erlend. She also loses her parents in this book, which is bad news to me because her father Lavrans is my favorite of all the characters in the story! His gradual decline in health, and the account of Lavrans's taking leave of her on horseback after a visit to Husaby, which is when Kristin realizes that her father will not be around forever, is particularly moving and made me cry!
This book, just like <i>The Wreath</i>, is quite detailed on how the people of medieval Norway lived and did things, but Sigrid Undset presents their lifestyle as an integral part of the story, so it never feels as if one is just absorbing a bunch of boring facts. I'm actually surprised at how few footnotes are needed to clarify some custom or other to modern readers.
Already started on the third volume <i>The Cross</i>.
This book, just like <i>The Wreath</i>, is quite detailed on how the people of medieval Norway lived and did things, but Sigrid Undset presents their lifestyle as an integral part of the story, so it never feels as if one is just absorbing a bunch of boring facts. I'm actually surprised at how few footnotes are needed to clarify some custom or other to modern readers.
Already started on the third volume <i>The Cross</i>.
Kristin Lavransdatter: Book I, The Wreath, by Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset has a great talent for creating realistic characters and evoking the atmosphere and way of life in medieval Norway. I very much enjoyed reading this first installment of the <i>Kristin Lavransdatter</i> trilogy, which covers Kristin's childhood up to age 17, when she gets married. As with real people, Kristin is sometimes a sympathetic character and sometimes not. She starts out as a gentle, obedient child to become a rebellious young woman who betrays her parents' trust by making an unwise decision to start an illicit affair with an older man of dubious reputation and lots of baggage (rather reminiscent at times of Marianne Dashwood in Jane Austen's <i>Sense and Sensibility</i>). Except that Kristin is not so lucky as Marianne because the affair does not stay platonic. It leads to consequences that are all too forseeable (a pregnancy), and she succeeds in getting her parents to give their consent to the marriage--which includes breaking her betrothal to a more honorable man.
As with other Undset books I have read, the power to make decisions, the responsibility to shoulder the consequences, and the effects of one's decisions on other people are a major theme in <i>The Wreath</i>.
Have already started on the second book in the series, <i>The Wife</i>.
As with other Undset books I have read, the power to make decisions, the responsibility to shoulder the consequences, and the effects of one's decisions on other people are a major theme in <i>The Wreath</i>.
Have already started on the second book in the series, <i>The Wife</i>.
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