Independent People
(Halldor Laxness)
Independent People is a poetic and
insightful portrayal of Icelandic life in the mid-twentieth century. In a land
foreign and exotic to most, Halldor Laxness beautifully conveys one man's
struggle for independence and questions what it means to be truly
independent. Bjartur, Independent People's protagonist, was born into
servitude and breaks free the shackles of debt only to become enslaved by
sheep, the harsh Icelandic climate, and to a lesser degree the supernatural
world and politics. Bjartur is a stoic man, a hard worker and a poet. However,
Bjartur is not an amiable man and Halldor Laxness does not try to make
Bjartur a likable protagonist. The story of Bjartur's life unfolds gradually, at
the pace one might expect for a lifetime, where changes take placed without
obvious fanfare. Bjartur is driven to achieve independence at all costs and
believes sheep are the way to sustain an independent life. However,
eventually those around Bjartur realize that Bjartur?s major shortcoming is a
stubborn and undying faith in sheep. The story provides a great view into the
connections between man and nature, as well as man and animals.
Particularly, how those destined to be truly independent enough to sustain
their life by their own hands have an essential reliance on nature, and strong
bond with other living creatures. Bjartur?s struggle for independence through
his battles with nature is contrasted with the encroaching modernity that is
slowly infiltrating Iceland. It is also a wonderful look at family, love and death,
which is so graceful accomplished that reading Independent People is akin to
having experienced life through Bjartur's eyes. It is a story of incredible
hardship and strife, but contains moments of unforgettable tenderness. For
the novel, Halldor Laxness received the Nobel Prize in Literature, which is not
surprising given magnitude and depth of Icelandic life he as captured, and
the incredible skill Halldor Laxness employed to create such a magnificent
novel.
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