Bjørnstjerne Martinus Bjørnson, En Hanske [A Gauntlet]

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The play addresses the question of the double standard of morality for men and women: Bjørnson asserts that men must be as chaste as women if marriage is to be truly fulfilling.

Act 1

Act 1

Svava Rus, an energetic young woman who devotes herself to kindergarten charity work, has just got engaged to Alf Christensen: although they have known each other since childhood, “with a certain given moment [Alf] became in my eyes quite a different man” (28). The Christensen family is furthermore “one of the richest families in the country, and also one of the most honourable” (47).

Svava Rus, an energetic young woman who devotes herself to kindergarten charity work, has just got engaged to Alf Christensen: although they have known each other since childhood, “with a certain given moment…

898 words

Citation: Rees, Kathy. "En Hanske". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 May 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35916, accessed 28 March 2024.]

35916 En Hanske 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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