Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1946 Morality and Redemption in the Novels of Sigrid Undset Mariruth L. Renesch Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Renesch, Mariruth L., "Morality and Redemption in the Novels of Sigrid Undset" (1946). Master's Theses. 333. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/333 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1946 Mariruth L. Renesch MORALITY AND REDEMPTION IN THE NOVELS OF SIGRID UNDSET BY MARl RUTH L. RENESCH A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN LOYOLA UNIVERSITY JANUARY 1946 .,' TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE • iii CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM • • • 1 II THE EMPHASIS ON REDEMPTION . • 32 III THE ANALYSIS OF EROTICISM 80 IV THE TREATMENT OF MARRIAGE 115 V TEE IMPLICIT CATHOLICISM IN TEE NOVELS OF SIGRID UNDSET ••• • 135 APPENDIX • • 158 BIBLIOGRAPHY • • 166 PREFACE .,' Much of the criticism directed against Sigrid Undset has been based on prejudices rather than on literary ten­ ets. The attacks have come from both non-Catholics and Catholics; the former object to the influence of Cathol­ icism which permeates her books, the latter object to her realistic and vivid portrayal of passion. Many Catholics frequently have difficulty when pass­ ing judgment on the moral qualities of fiction. This is no unfavorable reflection on them, for the subject of art and morality has never been satisfactorily settled and probably never will be. It will continue to be a problem baffling even great minds, unless an Aquinas again stands among us. In this thesis some attempt has been made to deal with the aspect of art and morality. The ways and extent in which literature violates morals are viewed in so far as the portrayal would constitute a source of sin to the average reader. Even this aspect is not treated in full. This, thesis merely attempts to formulate some simple rules for the judging of the morality of a piece of literature. These are used as a working basis in analyzing the criti­ cism directed against Sigrid uhdsetts vivid portrayals of her characters in their violations of the Sixth Commandment iii iv An attempt has also been made to discover the ~ssible inrluences operative in Americans, both non-Catholic and Catholic, who rind literature distasterul when it deals over-realistically with sexual sins. Possible solutions have been presented as an aid to help those who have dirriculty in judging literature in an unprejudiced manner when it deals with man's carnality. Sigrid Undset's novels are then analyzed ror essential qualities. From .this analysis it is apparent that her works are based on the Aristotelian concepts or tragedy enlight­ ened by Christian concepts or redemption. Her themes, while treating or man's sinrul nature, his repentance and atonement have their emphasis on this redemptive quality. With regard to the vivid depiction or eroticism against which some Catholics revolt, it is admitted that such por­ trayals do exist; but that Sigrid Undset consciously depicts carnality with the intention or appealing to the lower passions or man is denied. Her aim is to show the dis­ integrating efrects that sin has on man and on society. Her medieval novels, in which her genius is more apparent, do not give a one-sided representation of Cath­ olicism. The crudities of the age and or the early Church in the Scandinavian countries, the laxness or its eccles­ iastics, and the superstitions or the people are depicted along with the Church's splendor and spiritualityo v Thoughtful readers will find in her delineations a~eeper appreciation of the spiritualizing and civilizing influences of Christianity, and will view these as such, rather than as s'omethlng to be e:ensured. Matrimony is a subject which has great interest for Sigrid Undset. Her depictions of marriage are based on the wisdom of the Church and the tradition that the welfare of the race lies in its adherence to the inviolability of the home. Its sacramental nature is shown and its indis­ solubility. Her novels dealing with medieval life show this indissolubility in a positive way. The modern novels show it in a negative way in that they stress social aspects. The latter approach was necessitated by the trend of the day, in which the home has lost its dominant position in man's life and mankind is reaping the effects of the disintegration of home life. In analyzing the viewpoints of Sigrid Undset, this thesis presents some of the most prevalent attitudes among Catholics and non-Catholics in order to account for the prejudices found in criticisms of her work. While the emphasis is on the Catholic viewpoint and the evaluation of Sigrid Undset1s novels in the light of Catholic principles, the non-Catholics' position is also taken into consideration. Objections to the permeation of Catholicism in the novels are examined and an appraisement is made. CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM The quarrel of morality with literature has been a long and endless one. It is one which has frequently troubled Catholics because of the rather widespread belief that any literature that would prove an occasion of sin should be avoided. A distinction, however, should be made between an immoral act and the immoral telling of that act. The Catechism with its exposition of manls sins is not a source of sin because these sins are not immorally told. With the intention of analyzing the works of Sigrid Undset because of the controversy that has risen over her treatment of sin and in particular of sexaal sin, this thesis examines certain aspects regarding the legitimate portrayal of sin. Literature is concerned with man. Any view of him should be presented in his entirety. This includes both his physical and his spiritual nature. Literature portrays manls conflicts. These arise out of his love of virtue and his inclination toward evil. Both aspects must be depicted if the novelist's portrayal is to be a true one. Therefore, literature's subject is man, sinful or other­ wise. The emphaSis is not on man's repeated $in, but his 1 2 conflict with sin. Literature is concerned with men as a moral being when his spiritual nature seeks dominance over his lower passions. Frequently the latter conquers. Man's story is then ended unless he tries to redeem him- self. Therefore, a legitimate theme in literature is sinful man, the struggle ensuing to avert his tragic fall, and the means to overcome this. However, a true artist does not deliberately deal with man's sins and temptations without a good purpose. He is motivated neither by the desire of presenting sin in all its harrowing details, nor by the desire of glori- fying it. But knowing as he must the extent to which the sinfulness of man throws his greatness into strong relief the' true artist, unhesitatingly and by a kind of inspired instinct, chooses this subject as one oflthe noblest vindica­ tions of beauty. Is there any aspect of man which may not be depicted? In general there is no ground on which the novelist may not venture. Nevertheless, the novelist's verbal, imaginative, and emotional material and attitude, must be governed by de cenc~ by the conventions of his time~ by inherent good tast~ and by the reticence that is closely linked to morality. For 1 Blanche Mary Kelly, The Sudden Rose, (New York: Sheed and Ward, 1939), 28. 3 examplel there is inherent in civilized man a retic;nce and secrecy attending certain thingsl such as the sacredness and honorableness with which he surrounds the subject of court­ ship and marriage. The question now arises: Bow may the novelist treat of sex, its temptations, and sins? Love, passionl and their allied sins are an integral part of the drama of life. As such they are legitimate material for the novelist. Shelving this side of man gives rise to a false portrayal in its vio­ lation of reality. It is common knowledge that: ••• the ~al side of man, its activities and its effects in human life, constitute an ele­ ment' of reality. In particular man's sexual life is a fact ~hat must ge reckoned with, an all but universal fact. 'It would,' says a writer in the Catholic Review America, 'be altogether false not to admit that the human personality is most frequently torn in the conflict that rages between brute passion and the white sense of duty. And just as passion is the most frequent human temptation, so the record of its struggle in the soul of man is the most readily accessible material of the writer. ,2 Although the artist is granted complete freedom in choosing his mater-iall there iS I nevertheless" imposed upon him an obligation. He assumes the grave responsibility of handling his material properly. The principle of right 2 Stephen J. Brown, flLi terature and Morality, ff Libraries and Literature from a Catholic Standpoint, (Dublin: Browne and Nola.n;-I'937), 187. 4 morality must be applied indirectly or directly so ~hat the right influence may dominate. The emphasis is not on man's sin but on the inevitable discord resulting. The portrayal of the appetites of the flesh has always been a vexing pro~lem because of its deep effects.