The Story of Gösta Berling · Theme
Nature and the Supernatural
How The Story of Gösta Berling develops Nature and the Supernatural.
The wild Värmland landscape is depicted as both beautiful and malevolent, inhabited by supernatural forces like the devil appearing at Christmas Eve and the bear that requires a silver bullet, reflecting the characters' inner turmoil.
Where it surfaces
- The Landscape
The lake is personified with playful, angry, and dreamy moods, and the mountains are depicted as speaking and acting with intent, blending natural description with a supernatural or animistic quality.
- VIII: The Great Bear in Gurlitta Cliff
The bear is portrayed as a supernatural creature, only killable by a silver bullet cast under specific conditions, blending natural and magical elements.
- Ghost-Stories
Sintram is associated with demonic omens: a black dog with fiery eyes, black bulls drawing his carriage, and ghostly heralds.
- I: Cousin Christopher
The Easter witch burning ritual and the personification of spring as a smiling, enchanting force blend natural and supernatural elements.
- Lilliecrona's Home
The beauty of the natural world at Löfdala is described in vivid, almost magical terms, with trees and gardens flourishing under the care of the mistress.
- The Witch of Dovre
The witch embodies supernatural forces of nature, controlling storms, lightning, and animals, and her curse manifests as a literal plague of magpies.
- VII: Midsummer
The beauty of Midsummer nature is juxtaposed with Sintram's supernatural malevolence; his letter to the devil and the superstitious fear of the people highlight the supernatural elements.
- XI: The Plaster Saints
The plaster saints seemingly rise from the lake to reclaim their place, blending natural imagery with a supernatural sense of justice.
- God's Wayfarer
The peasants interpret the sand-filled sacks as a miracle, attributing supernatural power to Lennart.
- XV: Death, the Deliverer
Death is personified and heralded by natural omens: the fox's howl, the snake, the owl, and the mysterious candle seen by the judge.
- XVI: The Drought
The drought is portrayed as a divine punishment or sign, and the rainstorm as a miraculous answer to prayer, emphasizing the connection between human actions and natural phenomena.
- Kevenhüller
The wood-nymph embodies the supernatural, granting Kevenhüller magical abilities but cursing him with isolation and despair, reflecting the tension between human ambition and natural forces.
