Jerusalem: A Novel Essay Questions

Why is the Ingmar Farm important to the Dalarna community?

The residents of Dalarna find their identity through their connection to their land and community. The villagers look to the Ingmarssons, an ancient and influential family, as a moral example and for practical guidance. Ingmar Farm, though not the wealthiest or largest estate in the village, embodies the idea of ancestral connection to the land, symbolically representing tradition and the community itself. Thus, when the community's social fabric is threatened by Elof Ersson and then Hellgum, the fate of Ingmar Farm is unsure; Ingmar loses ownership of the farm after Elof steals his inheritance. Ingmar is unable to assume a leadership role in the community until he owns and operates Ingmar Farm. Sacrificing his relationship with Gertrude, Ingmar buys back his farm just as the Hellgumists leave for Jerusalem. This reclamation of legacy and ownership symbolizes the community's return to normalcy after Hellgum's disruptive influence.

How do the villagers interpret their lives using signs and omens? Why is this worldview important to the narrative?

The villagers maintain an active spiritual life influenced by Christian beliefs and magical superstitions. For example, Strong Ingmar simultaneously holds a Biblical worldview and a strong belief in supernatural creatures, like fairies. Steeped in this environment, the villagers tend to interpret inexplicable events and coincidences as signs that then direct their behavior. For example, when Karin regains use of her legs during an emergency, she interprets the "miracle" as a sign that she should join the Hellgumists, since she had overhead Hellgum discussing his ability to perform spiritual healings that same day. Signs and omens hold more weight for the villagers than tradition and logic, as they consider signs and omens as a direct communication from the Christian God. For example, the "sign" that Karin experiences shifts the direction of her entire life, which she consequently devotes to Hellgum, following his orders and selling the farm even at the expense of her personal happiness and her family's wellbeing.

How does Hellgum's preaching change the village, and why do the villagers gravitate to him?

Hellgum arrives in Dalarna during a period of anxiety and change. As the outside world industrializes, village leaders like Storm and the parson fear that heretical Chrisitan sects will inevitably divide the village, particularly because after Big Ingmar's death, no Ingmarsson assumes the role of moral leader. Because of this power vacuum and widespread fear of change, Hellgum's conservative, legalistic version of Christianity appeals to the villagers looking for a strong authority figure and a sense of certainty. Additionally, after the villagers experience an ominous avalanche, they see the world in terms of signs and omens more acutely, priming them to receive Hellgum's message. Though Hellgum is a poor public speaker, his sense of self-assurance and willingness to listen makes him charismatic.

Why do the Hellgumists focus on Jerusalem, and how is their pilgrimage ironic?

After Hellgum is exiled from the community, many of his followers return to their old faith. The remaining few, however, are his most zealous believers. Seeking to retain the excitement, certainty, and influence they enjoyed during Hellgum's time in Dalarna, the Hellgumists latch on to Hellgum's suggestion that they move to a mission in Jerusalem. Since they are experiencing a change in their community, the villagers romanticize Jerusalem as an ancient, unchanging city where they can reclaim Hellgum's fantasy of a Christian commune inspired by the early Christians.

The Hellgumists justify their pilgrimage by claiming that their presence and work in Jerusalem will solve poverty, social unrest, and political violence. However, to achieve this vision, the Hellgumists sell their houses and farms to the highest bidder, a logging company notorious for exploiting nature and locals. Thus, the Hellgumists ironically destroy and change their own community to return a foreign land to its former unity and glory.

How does the text use dreams and visions within the narrative, and how do these sequences affect the novel's tone?

Throughout the text, many characters experience profound dreams or visions that influence their worldview and decision-making. For example, when Ingmar rejects Gertrude, she dreams of magical beings that help her exact her revenge. Distressed by these dreams, Gertrude attempts to connect with religion to ease her desire for vengeance. Later, Gertrude receives a vision of a man she believes is Jesus, solidifying her decision to join the Hellgumists. Dreams and visions are treated with just as much gravity, if not more, than actual, experienced events. This blurring of dreams and reality creates a mystical, ominous tone, giving the reader a sense that the people of Dalarna inhabit what they interpret to be a supernatural world. This tone explains why leaders like Hellgum hold so much sway and appeal and why the question of religious faith is vital to characters from all walks of life.