Under the Sun

Illusion can be a powerful force, in literature and in life. In the book Under the Sun by Hanne Marie Svendsen, the juxtaposition of reality with dreams and fairy tale themes combine to bring the reader on a journey that seems as real as it does imagined. Much of the imagery contained in the illusory passages of the book can be found to parallel events that take place in the here and now of reality, and this duality offers the reader an opportunity for deep insight into both the origin and development of the characters as the story progresses.

The story follows the main character, Margrethe Thiede Holm, from her youth in a small, unnamed coastal fishing town in Denmark, through her life as a scholar, housewife, teacher, and peace activist. The story reflects the changes Margrethe goes through, as well as changes to the town and to those around her. Some of the key hometown characters with whom Margrethe interacts in various ways throughout her life include her childhood friend, Lily Lund; her schoolyard antagonist, Egon; shy outcast Carl Holm, who Margrethe marries after her return to the town; and her family, mainly her parents, brother Harald, great aunt and Grandmother.

Margrethe is an intelligent girl who likes to see herself as cultured, and to further this end she has