# Father — Martin Birck’s Youth character guide

> Father in Martin Birck’s Youth by Hjalmar Söderberg.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0031-the-winter-night

## Who they are

Martin's father, a family figure who appears in his memories or scenes.

## Relationships

### [Martin Birck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/characters/martin_birck)

_family_

Martin's father is a distant, authoritative figure whose expectations and conventionality clash with Martin's artistic temperament.

### [Martin Birck](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/characters/martin_birck)

_family_

Martin's father is a distant, authoritative figure whose expectations and conventionality clash with Martin's artistic temperament.

## In the story

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/iv)

Martin's father is a government clerk who enjoys simple pleasures, mends furniture, and creates toys. He builds a cardboard castle in the stove and sets it on fire for the children.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/v)

Discusses selling the piano and buying a pianino, causing Martin distress.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/vii)

Points out the Milky Way and the Dipper on the way home from a Twelfth Night party.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/viii)

Briefly appears, setting the glass prisms in motion, and later is the subject of Martin's disturbing dream.

### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/vi)

Pleased with Martin's decision, helps him apply for government positions, and takes him to Blanch's café.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/viii)

Mentioned as having a similar conception about confirmation as a legal duty, but he remains silent on the matter.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/chapters/iii)

Martin's father, a government servant, discusses his embarrassment over his Vasa decoration and shows interest in the city's development.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/characters/father
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/martin_birck_s_youth_se/characters