Helge Gram

Mother

Helge has a close, dependent relationship with his mother, who enables his obsessive behavior toward Jenny.

Gunnar Heggen

Gunnar and Helge are rivals for Jenny's affection, with mutual resentment and jealousy.

Miss Jahrman

Helge knows Miss Jahrman as Cesca's relative, maintaining a distant, formal acquaintance.

Father

Father disapproves of Helge as a son-in-law, seeing him as weak and unsuitable for Jenny.

Mr. Gram

Helge and Mr. Gram have a strained father-son relationship, with Mr. Gram critical of Helge's choices.

Mother

Helge has a close, dependent relationship with his mother, who enables his obsessive behavior toward Jenny.

Father

Father disapproves of Helge as a son-in-law, seeing him as weak and unsuitable for Jenny.

Gunnar Heggen

Gunnar and Helge are rivals for Jenny's affection, with mutual resentment and jealousy.

Miss Jahrman

Helge knows Miss Jahrman as Cesca's relative, maintaining a distant, formal acquaintance.

Miss Jahrman

Helge knows Miss Jahrman as Cesca's relative, maintaining a distant, formal acquaintance.

Mr. Gram

Helge and Mr. Gram have a strained father-son relationship, with Mr. Gram critical of Helge's choices.

Gunnar Heggen

Gunnar and Helge are rivals for Jenny's affection, with mutual resentment and jealousy.

I

Arrives in Rome, feels lonely and excited, explores the city, and meets Jenny and Cesca.

II

Feels like an outsider among the artists, reflecting on his struggles and newfound freedom in Rome.

III

Reveals his father's unfulfilled artistic ambitions and his own conflict between family expectations and his desire for scientific work.

V

Helge is in Rome, struggling to find affordable rooms and feeling isolated. He is drawn to Francesca and begins to develop romantic feelings for her.

VI

Nervous and awkward around Francesca, finds it easier to talk seriously with Jenny.

VII

Confesses his love for Jenny during the birthday outing, expressing his feelings openly and asking for a kiss.

IX

Visits Jenny for tea, shares his past engagement and views on marriage, and shows tenderness towards her.

The Slow Growth of Love

Shows affection and desire for Jenny, but also displays a certain immaturity and need for reassurance. He is seen as less strong and independent than Jenny, which raises concerns among others.

XI

Carves their initials, expresses doubts about the future, and struggles with the impending separation.

I

Jenny's lover, who remains in Italy. She writes him a letter full of yearning and thinks of him constantly.

II

Absent but central; Jenny reads his letters and visits his parents on his behalf.

III

Discussed at length by Jenny and his father; his relationship with Jenny and his family dynamics are central to the conversation.

IV

Surprises Jenny in Kristiania, having told his family he is in Berlin. Becomes jealous and upset about Jenny's interactions with his father, and expresses hatred for his home.

V

Torn between his love for Jenny and his loyalty to his troubled family. He confides in Jenny about his parents' unhappy marriage and his own childhood suffering.

VI

Returns home and argues with Jenny about her coming home with his father.

VII

Confronts Jenny, expressing his deep-seated jealousy and fear of losing her. He believes he is inherently jealous like his mother and feels estranged from Jenny, leading him to leave when she cannot give him the absolute reassurance he demands.

VIII

Mentioned as having left for Kongsberg, his absence prompting the conversation.

X

Though not present, he is a central topic of conversation. Jenny asks about him, and Gert reports that he is working on his doctorate essay and is not writing to his mother.

XI

Visits Jenny in Rome, revealing his parents' divorce and his own troubled past.

Chapter XI

Mentioned as the man who was with Jenny when she died. Gunnar considers him a casual stranger and feels no vengeance, only a distant pity.