The People of Juvik: Analysis of Major Characters
"The People of Juvik: Analysis of Major Characters" offers an intricate portrayal of the diverse individuals who inhabit a Norwegian community in the eighteenth century. Central to the narrative is Per Anders Juvika, a patriarch who governs his family and sets the stage for the complexities of familial relationships. The character dynamics highlight contrasting personalities, such as Jens, the wild son, and Per, the gentle one, reflecting the varied responses to their father's authority.
Women in the story, like Ane and Valborg, navigate their roles within a patriarchal structure, while other characters like Mikkal and Petter represent different facets of masculinity and societal expectations. Tragic events, including the fate of Solvi, bring forth themes of superstition and loss, shaping the characters' development and their relationships with one another. The younger generation, exemplified by Odin Setran, grapples with legacies of heroism and sacrifice, culminating in significant personal growth and moral dilemmas.
Overall, the character analysis in "The People of Juvik" delves into the intricate social fabric of the community, exploring themes of love, rivalry, and the quest for identity amid the weight of ancestral expectations. This exploration invites readers to reflect on the complexities of human relationships in a culturally rich setting.
The People of Juvik: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Olav Duun
First published: Juvikfolke, 1918–1923 (English translation, 1930–1935): Juvikingar, 1918 (The Trough of the Wave, 1930); I blinda, 1920 (The Blind Man, 1931); Storbrylloppe, 1920 (The Big Wedding, 1932); I eventyre, 1921 (Odin in Fairyland, 1932); I ungdommen, 1922 (Odin Grows Up, 1934); I stormen, 1923 (The Storm, 1935)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Namdal district, Norway
Plot: Family
Time: 1800–1918
Per, Bear Anders, Big Per, and Greedy Per, heroic ancestors of Per Anders Juvika.
Per Anders Juvika, a prosperous eighteenth century Norwegian farmer who rules his family as a patriarch.
Ane, Per Anders Juvika's wife.
Jens, Per Anders' son, who is wild and reckless like the old Juvikings.
Per, Per Anders' other son, a gentle and hardworking young man. Like his brother Jens, he is ruled by his father.
Valborg, Per's wife, picked out for him by his father.
Ane, Aasel, and Beret, daughters of Per Anders.
Mikkal, Aasel's husband, a hard worker and a good provider.
Anders Haaberg, Per and Valborg's son. He takes over the family farm.
Petter Haaberg, Anders' worthless brother. He is a sly and reckless man.
Solvi, a Laplander, Anders' first wife. Suspected of being a witch, she is sent back to her father, but she and her child are killed on the way home by a rock slide. Having yielded to the pressure of his superstitious neighbors, Anders broods much over her death.
Massi Liness, Anders' second wife.
Ola Engdal, a rival of Anders for the hand of Massi. She accepts Ola, but he is killed in an accident while still young.
Kjersti, Massi's foster daughter, who bears a child by Peter.
Per, Gjartru, Aasel, Jens, Beret, and Ola, children of Anders and Massi.
Marja Leinland,Per'swife.
Hall Gronset, who is loved by Gjartru. He is lost at sea.
Petter Liness, Per's friend who, before he is drowned, gives Per some money to pass on secretly to Kjersti.
Johan Arnesen, Gjartru's husband. He is a storekeeper who prospers for a time, but his business finally fails. He and GjartrugotoAmericawithJens.
Kristen Folden, Aasel's husband, who takes over the Haaberg farm.
Peder, Elen, and Marjane, children of Kristen and Aasel.
Kjerstina, Peder's distant cousin. She is pregnant by him.
Andrea Ween, who marries Peder. After his death, she marries Otte Setran.
Arthur Ween, Andrea's brother. He marries Mina Arnesen, a cousin of Peder.
Mina Arnesen, the daughter of Johan and Gjartru, and Arthur's wife. She and her husband inherit Segelsund when JohanandGjartrugotoAmerica.
Otte Setran, Elen's lover and the father of Odin Setran. He eventually marries Andrea, after Peder's death.
Odin Setran, Elen's illegitimate son. He shows promise of being a heroic man, like the first Juvikings. When Elen marries, he is sent to live with foster parents.
Iver Vennestad, who marries Elen. He is disliked by Odin, whom he bullies.
Bendek and Gurianna Kjelvik, Odin's foster parents.
Lauris Kjelvik, Odin's playmate. Great friends in their youth, they become enemies in later life when Lauris proves to be unscrupulous and overly ambitious. Eventually, Odin sacrifices his life to save Lauris from drowning.
Astri, Odin's cousin, the daughter of Peder and Andrea. They fall in love but cannot marry because Astri's mother decides to marry Odin's natural father. Astri marries Arne Finne.
Ingri Arnesen, who marries Odin. They first meet as youngsters, when they almost drown while crossing the fjord in a storm.
Arne Finne, a childhood sweetheart whom Astri marries, even though he is dying of tuberculosis.
Engelbert Olsen, a leader of the workmen in the community. With Lauris, he plots to discredit Odin, but Odin hunts him down and drives him from the area.
Anders and Per, sons of Odin and Ingri. Like true Juvikings, they seem to possess their father's great generosity and courage.