Jerusalem: A Novel Literary Elements

Fiction

The rural village of Dalarna, Sweden, in the late 1800s

Third-person omniscient narrator

The novel employs a nostalgic tone and a pastoral, atmospheric mood to highlight the pull of spirituality and traditionalism during times of great social change.

Ingmar is the primary protagonist; John Hellgum is the antagonist.

Hellgum's attempt to convert the villagers of Dalarna, culminating in the exodus to Jerusalem, is the novel's major conflict.

The novel reaches its climax when Ingmar chooses to marry Sven Persson's daughter to retain ownership of Ingmar Farm.

When the parson first visits Storm to discuss the mission house, Gertrude plays with blocks, constructing a model of her village. She then tears down the parish “in order to build a Jerusalem." This foreshadows Hellgum's influence in the community; to create his vision of "a New Jerusalem" where all Christians live in harmony, Hellgum tears apart the community's religious and social fabric.

The captain of the ship L'Univers sees a vision of his mother performing a funeral rite just before the ship sinks. This foreshadows the impending tragedy and the survivors of the wreck clinging to Christianity to process their grief.

N/A

The novel relies on Biblical allusions to contextualize the historical and religious setting and to simulate the character's spiritual worldview. Characters compare their sufferings and beliefs to Biblical passages, including the Book of Revelation, the Prophet Elijah, and the Destruction of Ninevah.

The novel also alludes to the historical events leading up to the founding of the American Colony in Jerusalem, albeit with altered names. For example, the chapter "The Loss of L'Univers" parallels the experience of Anna Spafford, cofounder of the American Colony in Jerusalem, surviving the sinking of the ship Ville du Havre.

The text uses Biblical imagery of hell to contrast sharply with the pastoral backdrop of the village and explore the more insidious aspects of religious devotion. For example, when the preacher Dagson gives his sermon, the villagers "likened it to a roaring torrent of flame." Fearing hell and damnation, the congregants feel "trapped in a burning forest" when "fire creeps along the moss" and "smoke clouds fill the air." By likening religious fear to the destruction of the natural world, which is frequently presented in the text as a magical haven, this imagery establishes the anxiety and torment of characters exploring religious faith.

The Hellgumists fixate on Jerusalem because they believe their missionary work will alleviate poverty and unrest in the region. They also romanticize the city, hoping to return to an ancient, mystical environment as the world around them industrializes. Paradoxically, the Hellgumists introduce unrest and poverty into their previously harmonious and prosperous community. They also must rely on the forces of industrialization, like the newly built train station and the mechanized logging company, to reach their fantasy of a simpler time.

Hellgum preaches that unity is the most essential quality a Christian community must embody. However, Hellgum paradoxically attempts to achieve this unity through dogmatic, strict rules, distancing himself and his followers from "nonbelievers" and abandoning his community entirely.

Ingmar's final interaction with Gertrude parallels Big Ingmar's confrontation with Brita. Both Ingmarssons experience intense pain and regret when their respective love interests present them with envelopes. Gertrude presents Ingmar with an envelope containing his inheritance, which would have allowed them to be together if she had given it sooner. Similarly, Brita gives Big Ingmar a letter confessing her love for him; Big Ingmar regrets that if Brita had felt or expressed these feelings sooner, they would have enjoyed a happy, tragedy-free marriage.

Throughout the text, characters refer to the Christian community as "the church" or "the parish." These physical buildings represent the social connections between congregants.

When Mother Stina surveys the objects for sale at the Ingmar Farm auction, she feels that every object "had something to tell her" about the Ingmarsson family history. The text illustrates the importance of legacy and inheritance within the narrative by portraying these heirlooms as sentient beings with agency.

As the Hellgumists depart their village for Jerusalem, they feel that "the very hills and vales echoed the plea, 'Do not go! Do not go!'" This personification demonstrates the theme of connection to land and community. Within the text, the land is portrayed as an eternal, active force that influences characters' decision-making and informs their identities.