Burial Rites Essay Response

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Religion is often referenced in dialogue and narrative in this novel, and is frequently and commonly followed by the people of the time. So much so that anyone who did not follow or participate in the same as everyone else was frowned upon and speculated against. Many of the characters that knew of Natan, also knew of his views on the church, and that he did not believe in it. This is referenced many times in the text, that he “’dealt with the devil’” and the people who knew of it also held negative views of Natan, and spoke of them to others, damaging his character. Agnes whilst living with Natan was held from going to church, and thus as people did not know of her little control over it, assumed that she was of the same values of Natan.[q] The aforementioned quote [r]was also similarly used later on to reference Agnes after she was convicted. She was considered a “’Fjandi! Devil!’” as a result of her religious standing and this judgement of her, that she did not believe in God generated a destructive conviction of her in the view of others.

A persons preconceived idea of another can often end in the other feeling isolated and alone, and can leave them internally damaged. For a person to feel like everyone hates them would have an irreversible effect on their self-esteem. Agnes in Stora-Borg was very much in this position and she was very lonely and isolated. The harsh conditions played a role in expressing this isolation and feeling of being left out. The discrimination against Agnes led to her feeling “’alone. I am alone.’” This feeling of loneliness played a big role in her internal demise and damaged soul towards the end of the book. Toti is another example of a character that is damaged by feelings of inadequacy. Blöndal especially puts Toti down as he acknowledges that “’[Toti’s] responsibilities so far have been… of little political importance’”, and Blöndal’s idea of Toti is that he is a very inexperienced, young boy who has little importance. This opinion led to Toti’s insecurities being affirmed and feeling even more pathetic than he already did, leading to damage caused by Blöndal’s ageism. [s]

Many types of prejudice are explored in the novel ‘Burial Rites’, and the destruction caused by all the different kinds are considered and explained. Agnes is very much a victim of prejudice in the form of rumours, gossip and what people knew about her. This impaired her ability to feel included and loved and thus damaging her internally and her name also. There are many kinds of discrimination and prejudice and this is evident in the novel, and the damage it causes can be detrimental[t]. Thus, the author clearly highlights how normative pressures fostered rigid views on a woman’s place in society during the early 19th century, and attempting to break away from this collective mindset could lead to unfair ostracisation.