Good Earth

The novel, “The Wreath”, from the series Kristen Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, takes place in the 14th century in Norway. The novel illustrates the coming of age of a young girl who is raised in a religious Christian family. Kristen is dedicated to her father; therefore, she accepts that he has arranged her marriage at a young age. Kristen demonstrates an important character in society. Women during this time are suppose to be devoted to their families until they reach a certain age and are then married off. Kristen, on the other hand, defies her parents and falls in love with a man named Erlend Nikulausson. She goes against the norms of society by falling in love with someone who is not her fiancé. Kristen soon becomes the scandal in town and her fiancé retracts from their engagement. The love affair between Kristen and Erlend becomes a disgrace to Kristen’s family especially her father.

In many ways, this book addresses several topics on the roles of women in society during this time. Women were seen as possessions, for example, we see this with Kristen and her father and then later on with her husband. Kristen is conflicted between choosing the love of her life or the morals that her father has taught her. She doesn’t want to shame her father, however, she wants to ultimately be with the man she loves. In the novel, Kristen is almost raped by a man; nevertheless, she is afraid to tell her family because she fears she will be seen as a slut. Women did not have the right to choose the life they wanted for themselves their life was already planned for them as young girls. True love did not exist in the 14th century; fathers usually arranged the marriage of their daughter in order to maintain a good position in society. If wo...

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...ced with deciding between being unhappy or shaming their family and community if they chose to marry someone else. Women were obligated to leave their home and were often beaten if they decided not to marry the chosen person. In today’s society, women have gained the right to decide for themselves the life they desire. Making them feel more empowered to have a control over their own life instead of feeling oppressed by society.

In the novel, Kristen demonstrates defiance and dishonor to her family, but in reality she is standing up for what she believes is right. Thanks to women like her, have enabled other women to create a change in society that helped establish the rights of women. If women had remained silent and submissive there would be no change in todays society. Even though Kristen disgraced society, we now look at her as an admirable person for women.