Page:The Journal of English and Germanic Philology Volume 18.djvu/611

 The Family in Bjtfornson's Tales 607 THE FAMILY IN BJ0RNSON'S TALES I INTRODUCTION Bjtfrnson's Early Attitude Toward Woman's Rights Among the great social problems which confronted the rising generation in Bj^rnson's youth, the most important perhaps was the question of woman's rights. Social democracy, based upon the recognition of human rights, necessarily involves the moral and social equality of the sexes. It is not surprising, therefore, that during the 50's and 60's the question of woman's rights became one of the vital themes in Norwegian literature. The emancipation of woman was clearly recognized as a prime requisite for the regeneration of the whole social order, to which Wergeland, Ibsen and Bj^rnson had devoted themselves. The social health of a nation is founded primarily upon the family and in the family it is woman who is the chief moral factor. It seems, therefore, paradoxical that when Camilla Collett introduced this momentous problem into Norwegian literature by the publication of her epoch-making novel, Amtmandens Dtftre (1855), Bj0rnson's criticism 1 of her work seemed to be unduly severe. As a matter of fact, Bj^rnson never opposed the cause which Fru Collett had espoused, altho at first he did assume an openly hostile attitude towards her lack of con- structive propaganda 2 and the depressing atmosphere of her novels. Bjjzfrnson's own definition 3 of the poet's mission in life, illustrated so beautifully in the parable " ^En om vi klaedde 1 According to Camilla Collett, Bj^rnson referred to her novel as "an ugly book" (en styg bog). This statement, however, Bjjzlrnson denied in his review of 1880 in MorgenUadet (cf. Footnote 10). 2 Cf., for instance, his series of articles directed against Fru Collett under the title of Kristiania og Studenterne (1855); cf. Christen Collin, Bjfirnstjerne Bjtfrnson II, 109 f . 3 "Digteren kaster straaler med sin personlighed, giver solglade ord, hjaelper til at laegge livet tilrette; at kunne sige ord til rette tid, som flammer; det er at vaere digter."