Hugo and Josephine by Maria Gripe

First published:Hugo och Josefin (1962; English translation, 1969); illustrated

Type of work: Social realism

Themes: Education and friendship

Time of work: The 1950’s

Recommended Ages: 10-13

Locale: A Swedish village

Principal Characters:

• Josephine, (whose real name is Anna Gra), the gullible but persevering protagonist and youngest daughter of the village vicar
• Hugo Andersson, a remarkably self-sufficient, moral leader and artisan at the age of six
• Ingrid Lund, a loving and understanding first-grade teacher
• Edvin Pettersson, a good-natured joker and classmate of Hugo and Josephine
• Karin Erika Magdalena Westerlund, the orderly, thoroughly indoctrinated daughter of the village policeman and Josephine’s “best” friend
• Gunnel, the haughty and cruel daughter of the sweetshop owner
• May-Lise, the prettiest and most snobbish of Josephine’s classmates
• Berit, the tidy friend and coconspirator of May-Lise

The Story

Josephine enters first grade in a Swedish village school with great solemnity and expectation only to find that little is as she had imagined. Her teacher, Miss Ingrid Lund, is not glamorous and enigmatic, as is the teacher described in a lurid women’s magazine belonging to the family cook, Mandy. In addition, Miss Lund persists in calling Josephine by her real name, Anna Gra, long since set aside by its owner in favor of the less intimidating Josephine. Instead of becoming her friends, classmates snub Josephine and ridicule her religious parents. The sweetshop owner’s daughter, Gunnel, sets the example by taunting Josephine with her candy handouts, given to only those children already accepted as members of the group. Things look more hopeful, however, when Karin makes overtures of friendship toward Josephine, and so at last Josephine has a “best” friend.

From the start of school, Miss Lund has asked the children about the whereabouts of a missing student, Hugo Andersson. On the way to school, Josephine meets Hugo, who, with head down and seeming disinterest in Josephine, hunts for bits of wood appropriate for carving. The next day he arrives at the door of Miss Lund’s class with his cowlick, unusual blue eyes, and commanding demeanor. He informs Miss Lund that he set off for school each day, but it was closed before he had finished with the attractions of the outdoors. Hugo takes the seat next to Josephine and gives her the troll he had been carving, marking the beginning of a lasting friendship. Without doubt or hesitation, Hugo establishes himself as the moral authority of the class. Hugo’s presence enables Josephine to at last enjoy acceptance among her peers. Hugo senses that his not knowing how to read is painful to Miss Lund, and so he teaches himself: the only way it can be done, he informs her.

Karin invites Josephine to her home to celebrate her seventh birthday. Josephine learns from her authoritative friend “truths” about houses, parents, and occupations. In comparison to Karin’s family, Josephine feels puny and apologetic about her own but also grateful for being initiated into the mores of the world.

Without warning, Hugo stops coming to school, and Josephine is again reduced to the role of victim of Gunnel’s taunts. Josephine sinks further into despair when she is falsely accused of delving into the teacher’s purse. The guilty parties, May-Lise and Berit, woo Josephine to prevent her from implicating them. Josephine temporarily succumbs to their insidious charms, partly because she has had a falling out with Karin, the policeman’s daughter, over the whereabouts of Hugo. Soon, however, everyone knows that Hugo’s father is in prison, and Karin and Josephine make up.

Josephine and her “Papa-father” go to town on a day off. After they have com pleted their appointments, they are to meet at the Grand Hotel dining room. Josephine arrives early and a hilarious scene evolves out of her ignorance of restaurant protocol.

Hugo finally returns to school and everyone is so delighted that Miss Lund orders gingerbread cookies for a celebration. Josephine relates to Karin about her fairy-tale experience in the hotel dining room. Karin understands things like menus and the importance of maintaining one’s figure in order to get married. The two write diet rules for themselves that carefully avoid any sacrifice on their part.

Each morning after eating breakfast at the vicarage, Hugo walks to school with Josephine. Josephine learns of her father’s involvement in solving Hugo’s family problems, and Hugo defends his own father’s actions as just. Name day for those called “Anna” arrives, and Miss Lund, upon Hugo’s insistence, allows the class to celebrate it as “Josephine Day” instead. The story ends on Lucia Day, December 13. Miss Lund has the class under control, and Josephine and Hugo accept their given assignments in the festivities.

Context

Maria Gripe, one of Sweden’s most distinguished writers, has achieved international importance through translations of her work. Hugo and Josephine is part of a trilogy composed of Josefin (1961; Josephine, 1970), Hugo (1966; English translation, 1970), and Hugo and Josephine. For Hugo and Josephine, Gripe received the 1963 Nils Holgersson Plaque. For her overall contribution to children’s literature, she received the Astrid Lingren Award in 1972 and the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1974. She has received numerous awards for other titles.

Gripe’s ability to capture and maintain the point of view of the child is a distinguishing mark of her work. The dialogue and innermost concerns of her charac ters represent universal qualities of childhood. Those concerns are notably with loneliness, insecurity, seeking knowledge of the world, and finding a place for oneself.

The Swedish setting in no way detracts from the commonalities of child-adult relationships, which are central to the plots in most of Gripe’s books. Gripe’s stories invariably contain critical portrayals of adult attitudes toward, and treatment of, children. Her language is exquisitely simple and precise, reflecting the limited experience of her characters. The English translations are successful at maintaining these characteristics.

Having been steeped in the work of Hans Christian Andersen as a child, Gripe’s stories often take on the mystical, poetic quality associated with Andersen. The symbolism and folk qualities of her stories add depth to story lines that explore various levels of friendship and life’s moral choices. In spite of the poignancy in many of her stories, Gripe describes the situations of childhood with rich, tender humor. The stories show the trials of childhood, the failings of adults, and the defects of society without didacticism. They are memorable for character, style, and the tentativeness of human relationships.