Out Stealing Horses: Analysis of Major Characters
"Out Stealing Horses" is a novel that intricately explores the lives of several major characters, centered around Trond Tobias Sander, a 67-year-old Norwegian man who seeks solitude in his secluded home known as "the Top." Trond reflects on his past, particularly a formative summer spent with his father during World War II, who was involved in the resistance against the Nazis. His father’s clandestine activities and eventual departure from the family create a profound impact on Trond’s life, shaping his memories and perceptions of trust and betrayal.
Lars Haug, Trond's neighbor, reconnects with him after decades apart, sharing a history marked by trauma and loss, including the accidental death of his twin brother. Another key figure from Trond's youth is Jon Haug, who inadvertently caused his brother's death, leading to a rift between him and Trond that lasts years. The narrative also includes impactful female characters, such as Mrs. Haug, who engages in resistance activities and has a complex relationship with Trond's father.
The story examines themes such as memory, identity, and the consequences of choices made during tumultuous times, inviting readers to reflect on the intertwining lives and legacies of its characters. The relationships depicted serve to highlight the deep emotional scars left by war and personal loss, offering a poignant exploration of human connections.
Out Stealing Horses: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Per Petterson
First published: 2003
Genre: Novel
Locale: Norway
Plot: Coming of age
Time: 1942–2000
Trond Tobias Sander, is a 67-year-old man from Norway. He has twice been married and is a widower with two daughters and grandchildren. His sister, who was three years his senior, died of cancer three years earlier. His wife died three years prior in a car accident in which Trond also was injured but recovered, although he suffers dizziness and other lingering effects from the incident. In the accident's aftermath, Trond retired and purchased a small, secluded house he calls “the Top” in East Norway, close to the Swedish border near where he spent a summer alone with his father in 1948 when he was 15 years old. He lives alone with only his dog, Lyra, for companionship. He craves solitude and the dark. He spends his time reading (Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities is a favorite) and listening to the BBC on the radio. He has a single neighbor, Lars Haug, who, coincidentally, he knew as a boy but hasn't seen in roughly 50 years. Trond loved and trusted his father greatly and spends a large portion of his time remembering the summer they spent together and his father's actions during the time when the German army was occupying the area. Trond never knew his father's profession but understands that he was involved with several other locals in the resistance movement against the Nazis. His father often passed illegally into Sweden with information and remained away for long periods. Eventually, his father informs his family that he won't be returning home again.
Lars Haug, is Trond Sander's neighbor. He is roughly in his early 60s and neither a wife or children are mentioned. Like Trond, he lives alone with a dog (Poker) in a small house in East Norway. As a child he had a twin brother, Odd, who he accidentally killed with his older brother Jon's gun. He renews his friendship with Trond after the two men meet when Lars is out at night looking for Poker, who has gotten away from the house. At first, the two men don't recognize each other. When a tree falls on Trond's woodshed and driveway, Lars helps him remove it and the two share a meal and some human companionship, including acknowledging their former friendship. When Lars is 20, his older brother, Jon, returns from years at sea to claim the family farm, causing Lars's departure and separation from his mother. Also like Trond, Lars's father left when he was a boy, following a logging accident in which he badly breaks his leg. His mother was involved in the resistance against the Nazis.
Jon Haug, is Trond's best friend during the summer he spent with his father in 1948 when they both were 15. They fish, hunt, and balance on the logs their fathers harvest to send down the river to sell as lumber for extra money. They also sneak into their rich neighbor Mr. Barkold's pasture to ride his horses. While his parents go out, Jon was told to watch his younger twin brothers Lars and Odd, but goes hunting instead. Upon returning he leaves his loaded gun in the hall where the boys find it, and Lars accidentally shoots Odd, killing him. When Jon discovers what has happened he takes Trond to a tree with a bird's nest and crushes the nest and its eggs with his hands. Jon never visits Trond again and goes to see for ten years until returning to take over the family farm. During his time at sea he sends many postcards from exotic ports, although he almost never leaves the ship in a form of self-exile. Jon teaches Trond to be reckless and not over think his actions, which for him has disastrous results.
Mr. Sander, is Trond's father and the focus of many of Trond's thoughts as he ages. His father seemingly has no single profession, although he owns a plethora of tools, which he keeps in pristine condition. The man was a member of the resistance against the Nazis and a spy who couriered information into Sweden. He becomes friendly with the German sentries in order to move among them freely and avoid suspicion. He often disappears for weeks at a time and eventually informs his family that he never will return and has left them money in a Swedish bank. Trond sees his father passionately kissing his neighbor, Mrs. Haug, who also is in the resistance, so along with his work as a courier and spy that takes him away from home, Mr. Sander may have been involved in extramarital affairs.
Mrs. Haug, is married and has three sons, Jon and his younger twin brothers Lars and Odd. Like Mr. Sander and a local man named Franz, Mrs. Haug is a member of the resistance and aids an allied courier's attempted escape to Sweden by hiding him and then rowing him across the river so he can flee into Sweden. German sentries, however, see the boat and shoot the courier while Mrs. Haug escapes. She is seen passionately kissing Mr. Sander after her husband has been hospitalized with a broken leg in a logging accident. When Mr. Sander informs his family that he won't be returning home, it is conceivable that Mrs. Haug is with him in Sweden.
Franz, is a local citizen who helps Mr. Sander and Mr. Haug harvest logs to sell in Sweden. He is a large, strong man with numerous tattoos. He also is a member of the anti-Nazi resistance and blows up the local bridge when the German soldiers discover Mrs. Haug trying to help a spy escape to Sweden by rowing him across the river near the Swedish border.
Ellen Sander, is Trond's oldest daughter. She is 39 years old. Ellen grew up in Norway but was schooled in England. She visits her father at “the Top” unannounced, which generates both warm feelings for her from her father as well as a sense of intrusion.