Married

"Married" by August Strindberg is a collection of stories written during the late 19th century, reflecting Strindberg's evolving views on relationships and society's expectations of marriage. Through a series of narratives, the book explores complex themes surrounding love, duty, and the struggles faced by couples, delving into the psychological and social implications of marriage in a patriarchal society. The opening of "Married" sets the stage for the exploration of familial relationships and personal development, particularly through the lens of young Theodore Wennerstroem. The narrative begins with an intimate portrayal of his relationship with his mother, who imparts wisdom and warnings about life's temptations as he navigates the loss of her presence. This deep, emotional connection shapes Theodore's character, indicating his struggle with societal expectations, sexual awakening, and personal autonomy. His experiences in the garden and encounters with the gardener's daughter hint at his contrasting desires to embrace life and adhere to the constraints imposed by society, ultimately serving to introduce the multifaceted experiences and conflicts that arise from the institution of marriage. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Johan August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 plays and more than 30 works of fiction, autobiography, history, cultural analysis, and politics during his career, which spanned four decades. A bold experimenter and iconoclast throughout his life, he explored a wide range of dramatic methods and purposes, from naturalistic tragedy, monodrama, and historical plays to his anticipations of expressionist and surrealist dramatic techniques. From his earliest work, Strindberg developed innovative forms of dramatic action, language, and visual composition. He is considered the "father" of modern Swedish literature and his The Red Room (1879) has frequently been described as the first modern Swedish novel. In Sweden, Strindberg is known as an essayist, painter, poet, and especially novelist and playwright, but in other countries he is known mostly as a playwright.