This novel explores the narrow mentality of the Norwegian small country town, and the way in which bold characters can assert authority and thrive, while weaker individuals fade into the background, living shadowy unfulfilling lives. It also attests to the smallness of the country as a whole, and the difficulty of shaking off a bad reputation once acquired. As in many of Bjørnson’s early novels, the location is unnamed, giving it a representative quality, but once the protagonist moves out of that restrictive sphere, she enters the more tangible world of Bergen, then into the countryside beyond, finally ending up in the metropolis, where she finally has the opportunity to practice her long-desired vocation as an actress.
The novel’s theme of the Lutheran objections to theatre and play-acting rehearses the debates gripping the traditional factions...
2173 words
Citation: Rees, Kathy. "Fiskerjenten". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 September 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35808, accessed 14 December 2025.]
