Independent People

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Lore & Background

The novel follows Guðbjartur Jónsson, known as Bjartur of Summerhouses, a sheep farmer who after eighteen years working as a shepherd at Útirauðsmýri puts down the first payment on his own farm. The land is said to be cursed by Saint Columba, referred to as 'the fiend Kolumkilli', and haunted by an evil woman named Gunnvör who made a pact with Kólumkilli. Bjartur marries Rósa, who is pregnant by Ingólfur Arnarson Jónsson, the bailiff's son. After Rósa dies in childbirth, Bjartur's dog Titla curls around the baby girl, keeping her alive; Bjartur names her Ásta Sóllilja. Thirteen years later, Bjartur is remarried to Finna, with sons Helgi, Gvendur, and Nonni. A gift cow from the Women's Institute is refused by Bjartur. A harsh winter kills several sheep; Bjartur kills the cow and Finna dies. A ghost killing sheep is revealed to be Helgi, who flees and is later found dead. The Teacher rapes Ásta, who becomes pregnant. Nonni leaves for America; Gvendur misses his ship after chasing a girl. World War I brings soaring prices for mutton and wool; Bjartur takes a loan for a new house but after the war cannot pay, and Summerhouses is sold by the bank. Bjartur and Gvendur leave; Gvendur stays with socialist strikers. Bjartur reunites with Ásta, who has tuberculosis and two children.

Reader's Guide

Independent People is considered among the foremost examples of social realism in Icelandic fiction in the 1930s. The most important theme is independence—what it means and what it is worth giving up. Bjartur is stubborn and callous, leading to death and alienation. Strong economic themes discuss the co-operative movement and exploitation of crofters by Danish merchants and rich Icelanders like Jón the Bailiff. The novel reveals Laxness's anti-war leanings in a chapter where farmers discuss the economic benefits of the Great War. Icelandic sagas and folklore are alive in characters' imaginations, inhabited by elves, ghosts, and demons; Bjartur is a talented poet embodying the oral tradition. The author's ironical appraisal is expressed in the title and chapter titles like 'Free of Debt' and 'Years of Prosperity'. The popular Icelandic poet Hulda wrote the two-volume novel Dalafólk as a reaction, presenting an idealized picture of rural life. In a 1997 review, Annie Dillard wrote, 'Independent People fits the dual bill: it is a mythic tale -- cum Marx.'

Did You Know?

• The novel was originally published in two volumes, in 1934 and 1935.
• The farm Summerhouses is said to be cursed by Saint Columba, referred to in the novel as 'the fiend Kolumkilli'.
• Bjartur's dog Titla saved the life of the baby Ásta Sóllilja by curling around her after Rósa died in childbirth.
• The popular Icelandic poet Hulda wrote the two-volume novel Dalafólk as a direct reaction to Independent People.
• World War I caused soaring prices for Icelandic mutton and wool, leading Bjartur to take a loan for a new house that he could not repay after the war.