# Jenny Winge — Jenny character guide > Jenny Winge in Jenny by Sigrid Undset. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Jenny, May Jenny, VI Jenny, VII Jenny, X Jenny **First appearance:** 0000-part-i-i ## Snapshot A gifted Norwegian painter in Rome, Jenny Winge builds her life around art and freedom, only to find love threatening the independence she has fought to claim. ## Who they are Jenny has left Norway for Rome, where she works seriously at her painting and moves among a circle of expatriate artists who treat her as a peer. She is drawn to Helge Gram, but the affair exposes how much she needs both tenderness and autonomy, and how badly the two can collide. Her struggle to be honest about what she wants, rather than what is expected of her, drives the novel's central arc. ## In the story ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-i) One of the two Norwegian women Helge encounters; she gives him directions. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-ii) Acts as a mediator in the group, soothing Cesca and engaging with Helge, showing her comfort in the Roman setting. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-iii) Discusses her past as a teacher, her decision to leave home to pursue painting, and her philosophy of independence and self-reliance. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-iv) Jenny wakes up, comforts Cesca, and shows her artwork to Gunnar. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-v) Though not present, Jenny is a central topic of conversation. Francesca describes her as a caring, strong, and talented friend who acts like a mother to her. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-vi) Engages in serious conversations with Helge, listens to the debate, and expresses her views on marriage and free love. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-vii) Celebrates her birthday in the Campagna; receives Helge's confession and gives him a brief kiss, feeling embarrassed afterward. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-viii) Reflects on her childhood, her stepfather's death, and her longing for love and connection. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-ix) Reflects on her loneliness and past pride, decides to be more open, and enjoys a day with Helge. ### [The Slow Growth of Love](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-x) Reflects on her growing love for Helge, feeling it has matured slowly and naturally. She is aware of her own strength and independence but also feels a sense of loneliness and the burden of always being the strong one. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-i-xi) Bids farewell to the Campagna, feeling the weight of leaving and the sadness of parting from Helge. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-i) Returns home to Christiania from Italy, feeling a mix of homesickness and longing for Helge. She is an artist, and her family's attitude towards her work has changed since she sold a painting. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-ii) Returns to Kristiania, sets up her studio, and visits Helge's parents. She feels a strong longing for Helge and is disappointed by the reality of his mother. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-iii) Hosts Mr. Gram in her studio, shares her feelings for Helge, and grapples with the secrecy surrounding the visit. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-iv) Overjoyed by Helge's surprise visit, but feels uneasy about her secret relationship with his father. Shows her new painting and tries to comfort Helge. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-v) Feels increasingly uncomfortable in the Gram household, struggling with the deception and tension. She longs for her Roman life and shows signs of emotional distance from Helge. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-vi) Listens to Gert's confession, feels compassion for him, and becomes entangled in the Gram family's tensions. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-vii) Feels listless and unable to work, decides to leave for Holmestrand to escape her current situation. She is emotionally overwhelmed by Helge's jealousy and her own confusion, ultimately asking for time apart to recover. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-viii) Confronts her self-deception about her love for Helge, expressing shame and self-contempt. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-ix) Feels tired and dissatisfied, but enjoys Gunnar's company. Engages in a debate about women's roles and defends her own ambitions. ### [X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-ii-x) Feels profoundly lonely and lovesick, waiting for a 'master' rather than a lover. She is struggling to resume her painting after her disappointment with Helge and is uncomfortable with Gert Gram's confession of love. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-i) Reflects on her affair with Gert, feeling guilt and shame for deceiving him. She plans to leave for Tegneby to end the relationship. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-ii) Jenny receives a letter from Gert, feels disconnected from him, and later experiences sickness that leads her to contemplate a possible pregnancy. She resolves to face the consequences alone. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-iii) Convinced of her pregnancy, she is in a better frame of mind but unable to plan for the future. She feels distant from Cesca and unable to offer comfort. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-iv) Reveals her pregnancy to Gert and her decision to go to Berlin, asserting her independence and commitment to her art. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-v) Leaves for Copenhagen, feeling conflicted about her pregnancy and her relationship with Gert. She is emotionally exhausted and seeks isolation. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-vi) Grieves the death of her infant son, falls ill, and corresponds with Gert Gram. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-vii) Grieving the loss of her child, she is restless and unable to work. She decides to leave Germany and travel to Italy, eventually arriving in Rome. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-viii) Drinks heavily at a party, resists Gunnar's concern, but later reflects on her behavior and agrees to stop for a while. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-ix) Reveals profound grief over the death of her infant son, expressing how the loss has consumed her and hindered her artistic work. She admits to feeling unable to find meaning or direction in life. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-x) Rejects Gunnar's love, feeling dead inside and unworthy of happiness. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-xi) Struggles with fear and self-loathing after seeing Helge; hopes Gunnar will save her but feels doomed when Helge arrives. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-xi) Though deceased, she is central to Gunnar's thoughts. He remembers her character, her fragility, and the love he never expressed. Her death is the catalyst for his mourning. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/characters/jenny - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/jenny_se/characters