This novel explores the issue of the unequal marriage, a theme also taken up in plays such as

(1865),

(1883) and

(1901).

highlights the problem of poor and uneducated women being pressurized into marriages with older disabled men (see, for instance,

).

At the age of eight or nine, Magnhild’s life was changed by a landslide which swept away her fourteen relatives and her home, the “gard”. Her remarkable survival gives rise to the notion that Magnhild “must be destined to something” (12), a leitmotif that runs through the novel. The local priest, “in order to set a good example” (18), takes Magnhild in. Although she is allowed to have lessons with the priest’s two children, she is generally overlooked:

1093 words

Citation: Rees, Kathy. "Magnhild". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 June 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38736, accessed 26 November 2024.]