Love and Illusion

Romantic relationships in the novel are often built on self-deception, myth-making, and unfulfilled longing, such as Niels's chaste, theatrical affair with Mrs. Boye and Gerda Skinnerup's idealization of Niels, highlighting love as a fragile construct of the imagination.

Niels's infatuation with Mrs. Boye exemplifies how love can be a self-deceptive illusion, masking deeper emotional needs and leading to disillusionment.

Bartholine's love for Lyhne is based on a fleeting illusion of soulfulness, which shatters when she sees his true nature.

Both Niels and Mr. Bigum love an idealized image of Edele, mistaking beauty and elegance for deeper virtues.

Niels's intense, unspoken love for Erik is described as 'exquisitely modest' and 'made up of longing and admiration,' highlighting the illusion of perfect connection.