Michelle Bromberg SCAND 490 Out With the Present, in with the Old and the New The

Four Great Ones of Norwegian literature were all talented writers of the realism period. Each of these authors contributions to this era made it a memorable phase in Norwegian literary works, but Jonas Lies writings were also important in bringing Norwegian literature to a new place. In his short stories Isak og Brnprsten and Andvrs-skarven, Jonas Lie bids farewell to the realism that he used to guide Livsslaven, and takes a turn in a new direction: symbolism. In this shift forward, Lie looks back in history to the use of folktales, the old familiar of Norwegian story telling. This combination of old with new allows Lie to create and explore a rich writing style. His neo-folkloric symbolism is a dense twist to the old style of sea tales that have been a part of Norwegian heritage for centuries. Reading Lies short stories along with the novels that he wrote prior to them provides a traceable transition from naturalism to symbolism. It is fortunate that Lies readers were able to follow him through his transition, as it sometimes happens that authors alienate their followers when they shift gears too abruptly. Readers of Norwegian literature in the late 1800s had grown to know naturalism quite well thanks to the works of Lie as well as Ibsen, Bjrnson and Garborg. Lies production of the raw and honest Livsslaven catered to the contemporary tastes for naturalism, but just as any great artist should, Lie did not stop at the comfortable state that he had achieved with realism. The Four Greats sought inspiration from the writing styles of the French naturalists of the times, and so Lie continued his

relationship with French literature by moving on to symbolism. Lie managed to succeed in the challenge of keeping up with the new era of literature, and did so without sacrificing his fan base. Instead of leaving behind his readers during his transition to symbolism, he made a strategic choice. He coupled his exploration of new writing styles with the use of the folktale, he was able to bring his readers long with him while he explored new literary territory by providing them with a familiar context. Instead of alienating his readers by suddenly changing to a new completely different writing style, he took themes of his well-received realism novels, expanding them and coupling them with elements of stories from generations past. In doing this, Lie appealed to the Norwegians appreciation of ancestral ties while crafting a novel type of short story. In Livsslaven, we see the beginning of his experimentation with the use of symbols even when he is still in his naturalism phase. The novel is a tale of a mans journey through life as he struggles to deal with the world despite his will, as his path is largely dictated by his surrounding. The plot of the novel is largely based on realism, but Lie includes a few symbols that indicate his interest in a different form of representation. One such symbol is that of the key. Nikolais life involves many locked doors, starting with the coal store at the house to which he was sold (Livsslaven, 19) and continuing on to his imprisonment (Livsslaven 51, 171). But all the while, Nikolai is looking to free himself and his mind. With a will as resolute as the iron of a key, he continually searches for a way out of his perpetual enslavement. The image of the key is a notable part of Livslavven, signifying the potential for freedom in Nikolais life. Upon his return to the smithy from his first round in

prison, Nikolais master instructs him to file keys (Livslavven, 55), a symbolic task that represents the process of liberation after his accusation of theft. Nikolai works diligently, as he is eager to take the lucky break he has received from the courthouse and continue on to an honest life, He might as well do the key-bit with the fine file at once, while the key was on that side of the vice; and he filed the notch as neatly and smoothly as if it had been intended for a chest of drawers, and not a great pipeless key for a wooden gate (Livslavven, 55). But even though Nikolai has been released from prison, he must continue to work for his freedom in the eyes of his fellow journeymen and the rest of society. Nikolai notices that his good intentions and hard work are not enough and that his peers are not so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, They were talking and laughingIt was only when the boy made a grimace at him, that it occurred to Nikolai that he was the subject of the conversation (Livslavven, 56). Unfortunately, no matter how hard Nikolai works on the key, his symbolic pass to a better life, the shackles of life continue to bind him. He finds that the key for which he labors will not be enough to unlock his path, so he turns to brute force, How he would strikestrike down the whole smithy one by one until justice was done him (57). Lies use of the classic symbol of the key compliments the timeless themes of realism present in the novel. In this way, Lie introduced a light form of symbolism without letting it impose upon the style of naturalism. He let the tone of realism take the main stage and let a few symbols enhance the story. Livsslaven is naturalistic novel, but Lies inclusion of a few symbols seems to foreshadow his eventual turn toward symbolism. Whether or not this can be seen as

a strategic element of transition in writing style or merely a coincidence, one cannot say, but either way it has the effect of continuity between his two styles of writing. Symbolism adds a mysterious depth to Livslavven that naturalism sometimes lacks, for better or for worse. A few years after writing Livslavven, however, Lie moves on to amplify the symbols that play a lesser role in his previous works and position them in his short stories as far-reaching components that tell a nuanced story in only a few pages. On the surface, Lies short stories harken back to the tales of Norways forefathers, a nationalistic tribute of sorts to Norwegian culture. These stories tell more of a tale, though, because Lie employs symbols to surreptitiously convey more of an agenda than that of the old folktales. This is not the first time a Norwegian author has used his writing style to disguise underlying thoughts and opinions. Just as Garborg takes advantage of landsml to comment on the current state of Norway without facing much critique from the state, Lie is able to cloak his critiques, such as his unfavorable views of this church, by addressing them with symbolism. Lie makes numerous references to Norwegian heritage in Isak og Brnprsten, a tradition that is based more on the land and remnants of Old Norse mythology than the presence of Christianity. Nonetheless, Lie acknowledges monotheisms affect on Norwegian culture by bringing Christianity into the story. Lie manages to walk the fine line between Norwegian pagan heritage and the modern Christian influence, which is what makes his pieces simultaneously traditional and modern. He accomplishes this tightrope walk by sprinkling his folktale story with Christian symbolism.

One of the symbols that Lie uses to discuss Christianity in the story is that of Isaks eye. When Isak is out fishing one evening, he cast out his line with its weight and all its hooks on it and the last of the hooks caught in one of his eyes (Isak og Brnprsten, 5). The removal of Isaks eye, an organ used for seeing, and subsequent casting of it into the sea represents a new awareness of perspective for Isak. With his eye at the bottom of the ocean, Isak can look down, go deeper, and return to the roots of his ancestors, people who were closely tied to the sea. He gains a clarity of perspective that can only be found by removing oneself from being so wrapped up in the matters at hand. While Christianity traditionally looks up for the answers, Isaks view is drawn to what lies beneath in order to figure out his situation. Down to the bottom went the eye, (Isak, 5) and so his perception takes a dive to a place where the church will not go, perhaps a critique on the presence oh Christianity in ones spiritual life. Isak feels the agony of this awareness, as that night, kept awake by the pain, he lay with a bandage over his eye, thinking till everything seemed utterly black (Isak, 6). With the use of this symbol of the eye, the reader starts to see that Lie is capable of telling a much fuller and critical story than that of the basic folktale. Another of Lies messages encapsulated in the form of a symbol in Isak og Brnprsten comes through the halibut. It plays a dual role in this story, acting as both a Christian and a traditional Norwegian cultural symbol representing the presence of both influences on Norwegian identity. Isak has already cast his eye out to sea, then came a huge white halibut and swallowed the hook, and then it became pitch dark (Isak, 6). The halibut, or fish in general, has long been a mainstay of the

Norwegian life as a livelihood for fishermen like Isak, as a staple in the Scandinavian diet, and as a cause of death, as many Norwegians have died at sea while chasing fish. This halibut of this story can also be seen in a religious light as the ichthys, which is a Greek acronym for Jesus Christ, Gods son, Savior and a symbol of modern Protestantism. The bible also makes a number of references to fish, such as in the books of Matthew and John, and a number of Jesus apostles were fishermen as well. Lie uses these two interpretations to connect to his readers, combining the tradition of fishing with the Christian fish to create a more complete picture of the Norwegian identity. Seeing as Lie likely had more to say in his story than to show that he could make a basic acknowledgement of traditional Norwegian and Christian influences, this example of the halibut and the ocean can be taken further. The fish, having eaten Isaks eye, might stand for Christianitys attempt to envelope Isaks perspective. Isak is trying to come to terms with his brothers death, but finds that the arbitrary rules of the churchs burial rituals prevent him from doing so. The [utter] blackness that Isak experiences the night after he loses his eye (Isak, 6) could be the shadow that the church casts over the mind. Later, the symbol of blackness paired with the presence of a sea creature reoccur when Isak returns to the skerries. No sooner was he out dredging again and had paid out the rope than some great ugly squid would come along and squirt the sea all black (Isak, 7). This squid, with its black ink and multiple arms, may represent the priest in the story, and perhaps the Norwegian priesthood at large. A slimy creature with multiple arms that can be used to control its prey, the squid

might just illustrate the priests position of power, one that allows him to control the lives of his parishioners. The black ink of the squid could be the priests black garb, or perhaps the ink, which darkens the sea and confuses its prey, is the churchs clouding of the mind and overall tainting of the traditional Norwegian mindset, something that was once as fresh and pure as the sea before the influence of the church. Along with his use of symbols, Lie draws from traditional folk tales to relate to the reader and show his talent at reinventing Norwegian storytelling. In understanding how and why Lie is able to make such a successful switch to symbolism, we look at Lies own life. Lie grew up in Troms, where he was presumably exposed to the old tales of the north. We see the influence of ghosts and superstitions in both Isak og Brnprsten and Andvrs -skarven. In the former, Isaac is haunted by the ghost of his brother, who drowned at sea and never received a proper burial (Isak og Brnprsten, 4). Isak must deal with his brothers ghost and other druker, it seemed to him as if his brother went stumping about the room shouting that he had to have this foot backthe banshees were driving and working him so hard (Isak, 5). At first glance, this seems to be strongly rooted in Christianity, as displayed by the symbols previously mentioned. However, Isaks experiences with ghosts are not a traditional aspect of the Christian religion. This is a reference to the superstitions about ghosts that have been present in the collective Norwegian consciousness since the beginning of Norse mythology, and Lies use of ghosts is well situated for the telling of a symbolic Norse folktale.

In Andvrs-skarven, the transitional piece between Livsslaven and Isak og Brnprsten, Lie blends naturalism and symbolism into the framework of the Norwegian folktale. In Livsslaven he takes a straightforward, predominantly naturalistic tone in addressing the process of life: this is Nikolais life, it is shaped by his environment; tough luck, kid, but that is the way it works. In Andvrs-skarven, Lie draws upon symbolism within the structure of a folktale to paint a different view of lifes path. He uses a motif of a large golden ring [that] glistens through the foam (Andvrs-skarven, 52) to depict the circle of life. In this story, Lie maintains the idea of the naturalistic process of life and death, but by addressing the cyclical nature of it all with the ring, he symbolically brings in the seasonality of the life cycle that is present in Christian belief. One of the suitors of the girl in the story promises that she could have a gold ring as big and stylish as she wanted (Andvrs-skarven, 53), alluding to a life that is however glorious as she may desire. The girl refuses, though, because the [ring she] must have lies beneath the handle on the iron chest out there on the skerry (Andvrs-skarven, 53), that is to say, life she must have has already been decided by her environment. With this we see Lie blend remnants of the concepts from his realism phase into his new symbolic style. The girl speaks directly with her suitors about the rings power over her life, You can have me if you put the betrothal ring on my finger. But you cannot keep me longer than the span on one day (Andvrs-skarven, 54). This is simultaneously symbolic and naturalistic, as the ring represents her life cycle, and the context surrounding the ring, elements of the natural world, dictates the course of her life. Lie continues the metaphor throughout the story: When the sun sank below the edge of the sea, only

some crumbling linen remained lying on the skerry (Andvrs-skarven, 55). The sinking of the sun, a symbol akin to that of the golden ring, illustrates the ending of the girls life. This story and its symbols show that Lie is still the same author he has always been, covering the same themes of lifes struggles and the inevitable of it all, but compared the way he tells the story of Livsslaven, the reader notices that Lie is trying out a much different approach. Lies writing shifted gracefully from realism to symbolism. He included bits of symbolism in Livsslaven, so that when he departed from naturalism he was able to make a smooth transition between writing styles. He continued to use remnants of naturalism in Andvrs-skarven, and learned to use the full power of symbolism to add depth to his stories with his completion of Isak og Brnprsten. Lie took a risk in order to keep up with the change in his environment, the world of European authors. What could have been a mundane return to the raconteurs folk turns out to be a nuanced mode of storytelling. By using classic symbols of the Norwegian quotidian and life in general, Lie encourages his readers, past, present and future, to relate to his stories while gaining a fresh perspective on life.

Works Cited Lie, Jonas. Andvrs-skarven.. Other details of publication unknown. Lie, Jonas. Isak og Brnprsten. Other details of publication unknown. Lie, Jonas. One of Life's Slaves. London: Hodder Brothers, 1895.

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