BACKGROUND

HANNAH KENTBelieved that no-one is really a monster, like Agnes had been described. Went on exchange to Iceland after schoolFound the isolated landscape reminded her of her own emotional stateAim is not to make readers sympathise with Agnes, but to empathise with a deeply complex woman

BURIAL RITES

Kent stayed true to all known factsTook a few known historical facts and weaved a story around themSet in Kornsa

STRUCTURE OF THE NOVELEach chapter starts with some historical material, often translated

Mix of unnamed omniscient narrator and Agnes’ telling of her story

Contrasting tones:Official document – dry, impersonal, slightly pompousNarrator – matter of fact, reporting, realityAgnes – often telling to us or others, but doesn’t address us, isn’t clear who she is talking to, how reliable is she?

ICELAND 1830s

Isolated, governed by Denmark but there is a large distance between themeRemoteIn the Arctic, terribly coldPeople are spread out Population at the time of 54,000Temperatures of June 6-13 and January -5-1 (dark a great deal of the time)Bad weather is debilitatingUnderdeveloped – schooling is unclear, everyone is run out of private homesAggressively hostile and cold environment

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Strict hierarchy – King of Denmark rulesBlondal’s word is lawMinor officials – JonFarmers – like Inga and BjornPoor farmers like Fridrik’s family – really poorServants – Agnes – extremely powerless – little say over your own life

Vagrants – no stability of work – hangs as a threat over others (they could be worse of than they are)

No social mobility

NAMES

Your father’s first name is the basis of your surname e.g. Magnus’ daughter – Magnusdottir, MagnussonDifferent surnames in one householdIs says who you belong to – you are named after their particular name

PLACE

Stora Borg – better house than Kornsa – insult to Kornsa that the people there were too important for AgnesKornsa – servants there, some are named and some are not, Agnes has more of an identity in the house than the servants, people sleep in the badstofas (communal sleeping/living rooms)Illugastadir – remote, he is paranoid, only visitor is Fridrik, cold and hostileHvammur – civilized, glass windows, Blondal is smug

EPIGRAPH + PROLOGUE + CHAPTER 1KEY EVENTS

Document: Public notice - BlondalBlondal visits Kornsa

Agnes is being held in Stora-BorgJon and Margret returnToti leaves for KornsaCHAPTER QUESTION

As readers, how are we positioned to feel towards Agnes in Chapter 1 and 2 and how does Kent do this? Question morals Mixed feelings/signals Portrayed as frail

SHORT RESPONSE Discuss Agnes’ narration. What is her motivation in telling her story overall?

Love letter to Natan Her own processing Having her story heard, her truth out Having something left of her

Agnes’ motivation in Chapter 1 in not sharing her story (p.29)

‘They don’t know me’ – so much of her has already been twisted and all that remains is her true identity

‘I will hold what I am inside’ Her identity and the truth (that she believes) is why she is keeping to herself; she doesn’t want it to

get twisted ‘slip away’ – eventually will be killed, but is not letting herself go before her time ‘They will not see me’ – their accusations & identity that they have created for her, leave no room

for her true self ‘I will not be there’ – it is not passive, she is retreating and refusing to step into that identity that

they have created.

KEY THEMES/TECHNIQUES

Visual imagery and language in the Prologue- Kent weaves visual imagery throughout her entire writing, e.g. flames, candles, cold etc.

Character development through setting - Blowing out like a candle – weak, disposable, fragile, controlled by others, vulnerable - ‘Ache of winter’ ‘cold’ – literally is cold, however winter is also depressing and affects her emotionally, she has had better times

Bleak unforgiving setting: Agnes

p.18 ‘In the winter the Stora-Borg folk were as imprisoned as I’ – the weather controls them, it traps/imprisons them, the weather dictates their lives.

Light and darkness p. 26 – Lauga’s ‘small’ voice comes from ‘dark corner of the room’ – her opinion matters less, also hints at her future feelings towards Agnes – ‘dark’p.29 – ‘they leave me in the dark, deny me light’ – they are the ones making her miserable, denying her basic human rights and treating her like an animal, dehumanization, associated to her crime – condemned to death/darknessp.32 – Toti – physical light appearing – reflection on the change in Toti (dread dissipates), also foreshadows the light he will bring to Agnes

Reliable narratorUnreliable – Agnes’ perspective, her emotions and her story are so intertwined and tangled that it may be hard to see the truth amongst it all.

Identity/Agnes’ name p.25 – ‘the murderess’p.28 – ‘her’, ‘the criminal’, ‘the woman who killed…’ p. 29 – Agnes describing how others see her: ‘the whore, the madwoman, the murderess, the female dripping blood…’ p.31 – ‘the criminal’ ‘the murderesses’ p.32 - ‘workmaid and a murderess’, Toti – ‘daughter of God’, ‘sister of Toti’.Shows that Agnes’ identity is tied with her crime

Firep. 22 – symbolic (anger, lack of control, heat, passion) and (rejuvenation, growth) – start of new era

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “They said I must die” (p.1)Agnes: “I imagine, then, that we are all candle flames, greasy-bright, fluttering in the darkness and the

howl of the wind…” (p.1)Agnes: “They will blow us all out, one by one…” (p.1)

Laxdaela Saga: “I was the worst to the one I loved best”Agnes: “If I speak, it will be in bubbles of air… They will see the whore, the madwoman, the murderess…

(p.29)

Toti: ‘I will save her’ (p.32)

Servant: “They pick a mouse to tame a cat” (p.10)

Agnes: “They said I stole the breath from men and now they must steal mine” (p.1)

CHAPTER 2

KEY EVENTSEpigraph: Record of Agnes in the Ministerial Book

Agnes leaves Stora-BorgToti arrives at Kornsa

Agnes Arrives at KornsaToti’s initial reaction to Agnes

MARGRET

p.44-47 and 51-55 – How does Margret react to her first contact with Agnes?- Apprehensive, hands clenched, doesn’t know what to say- Believes Agnes deserves no charity, but feels sorry for her (death sentence)- Wants to hate Agnes, but feels sympathy (hand cuffs, the noise Agnes makes) - Progressive (nervous, disgusted -> assumes control, less fearful, stern, enforces power)

- Expectations: assumed she would be beautiful, Natan’s possession - p.53 physical description of Agnes – body ‘terrain of abuse’, weak, helpless – M is less intimidated - ‘rare’ dark hair – Agnes is different to everyone else, saga-esque/she’s a story, hair is visible – so it relates to how others see her (dark – external evidence of the devil) - Stuck between the dehumanized identity and her interactions with Agnes

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Stonep.36 ‘they can pocket me in the earth like a stone’This is where she will end up, dehumanization, Agnes can see the value that they see in her (in that she has no value), Agnes has been suppressed (like a stone in the earth). Stones cannot be moved by themselves, they rely on others around them – this symbolises that from here on Agnes has no control over her life, she is a puppet to the wind and those in power.

Magical realismp.37 ravens – symbols of death/ill-fate to come, playing and toying with death (imagines feeding them) – at this point death has more freedom than her life, ‘watches the birds’ (younger Agnes) – fascinated with death? Aware (as a child) that her life may not have been good Boy drowns – ‘raven had known’ – they don’t cause it, the ill-fate finds you, ravens = warning (but you don’t always know what will happen)Illugustadir – her fascination with ravens deepens and darkens, more significantwisdom and kindness quote – mirrors how she feels about Natan, reflects her story (sharp & full of insight)

p.40 ravens - ‘flock of ravens’ ‘looked like ashes’- night of murder, shows how much her actions are playing on Margret’s mind, all Margret can focus on is Agnes as a murderer. ‘Conspiracy’ ‘unkindness’ – is what Agnes did a conspiracy or an unkind action?

p.43 – ravens – ravens present shows that meeting Toti is a significant moment (foreshadows their r/ship), ultimately Toti can’t save her, she is alone at the end, just her and the ravens (death).

Setting as a character/character development through settingp.36-37 – people there are kinder in the valley (‘rocks give way to grass’), can symbolise Margret (tough, sharp, but even she can show sympathy), ‘flies’ – people everywhere are drawn to her out of curiosity, even though they are small irritations, she doesn’t have the power to stop. ‘Sea is a nag’ – noisy, can’t control, gets angry easily – symbolises how her story spreads, Natan, also just reminds her of Illugustadir.

p.43 – Margret’s environment – Margret is tough, yet her environment reflects her despair, life is a struggle, she pauses to reflect on her wants, struggles & feelings.

Power/Freedomp.38 – constantly reminding her of her crime and who holds the power over her life (not her).

Gender roles p.42 – women go inside, Jon talks to the officers (gender roles at the time)‘I’m no longer a woman’ – shows how abused and malnourished she is, also shows that a woman’s identity/worth is tied to her ability to have children

KEY QUOTES

Toti’s thoughts: “The woman. The criminal. Agnes” (p.48)Margret’s thoughts: “She’s a landless workmaid raised on a porridge of moss and poverty’ (p.52)

“The woman’s body was a terrain of abuse” (p.54)

CHAPTER 3

KEY EVENTSAgnes dreams of Natan

Brooch incidentSteina has met Agnes beforeToti’s first session with Agnes

CLOSE STUDY

Conversation between Róslín and Margrét on pages 64–68

This conversation takes place the day after Agnes has arrived at Kornsá. Róslín, a heavily pregnant neighbour who is a great gossip and ‘know it all’ has visited under the pretext of concern for Margrét’s bad chest. It is quickly established that Róslín has heard rumours of a woman visitor and is determined to discover as much information as possible. The interaction between Margrét and Róslín is important to the author’s early establishment of these two characters, particularly Margrét who has been placed, through no fault of her own, in a very challenging situation.

• How does each of the women view the murders at Illugastadir? R: Believes Agnes is a wicked person, who robbed the men of their lives, sympathetic, sees Agnes as very calculated (murder)M: Believes the men were not good people, is unsympathetic due to the men’s actions/character, believes it was wrong, but understands there are complex underlying factors.

• Do they differ in their views of Natan?

R: views Natan as a good man, recognizes that he made mistakes, but maintains he was nobleM: does not call Natan good, disapproves of his womanizing ways, concedes that he didn’t deserve to die

• What evidence is there that Margrét does not think very highly of Róslín?

Margret snaps, murmurs, is annoyed, remarks sourly, wishes Roslin’s husband came to collect her.

• How does this conversation highlight some of the views and values of the valley?

People are extremely nosey and trust the opinions of othersHigh position and stance of power run the valley and everyone else is forced to accept being lower. Don’t question authority

• Choose three quotes for each woman and explain your choice.

M: Nothing is simple

• Find three examples of how tone is utilised in the conversation.

• How does Kent challenge the reader to view Margrét in a different way from her earlier interactions with Agnes?

Margret appears to be warming up to Agnes, doesn’t see her as much as a threat anymore, she is taking on more responsibility of Agnes, although she is still apprehensive

• Now that you know how the novel concludes, do any of Margrét’s words in this conversation foreshadow the possibility of her and Agnes becoming closer?

‘Nothing is simple’ – foreshadows how she understands that Agnes’ case is not black and white and that once she understands Agnes’ life and motives more she begins to empathise with her.

GANG

Discuss how the three are described as a gang:

Whilst they are described as a gang at the start, but they are not a gang. They are not working together, they just happened to be there together (proximity). Ultimately Agnes is a woman alone.

KEY THEMES/IDEAS

Role of dreams

Sleep was a privilege taken away from her – sign of her being traumatizedDidn’t have enough stimulation to produce dreams – indicates harsh conditionsFinally moves away and has a dream – gives a hint of their relationshipDarkness pervades her life – her fate is ultimately darkness – she was living a nightmare

Truth

The label that she has been given is unchangeable no matter what the truth is – no matter how strong the evidence is, the label remains (bluster of the wind)She rejects ownership of that label, content in withholding the truth at this stage

Setting as a character/Personification of nature

p.69 ‘sky will cover me with her rough, grey hand’ – even if she does escape (freedom), she cannot ultimately be free, captured by the dark, looming sky (her fate).

p.70 ‘winter comes like a punch in the dark’ – cowardly act (winter attacking a defenseless opponent), winter is dark (literally), Agnes must be use to things coming her way like this (as she would be used to

‘Winter’) – not an injustice, but an unfortunate incident (as she is so used to bad things happening)

p.70 ‘blizzards howl like the widows of fisherman’ – blizzards are mimicking what they caused‘uninhabited places are as cruel as any executioner’ – her mind wanders to her fate, terms that didn’t belong in her life are now very much involved in her day to day. Natan kicks her out in a flashback – odd connection of her past (uninhabited places) and (executioner) her present. Therefore quite possible an indication of her life being a predestined one, that there was no hope for her from the beginning.

Magical realism Stone p.71 – Agnes’ last connection to her mother, stone in her mouth also symbolises her story and keeping it inside of herp.77 – represents Agnes’ ability to communicate with others, Steina’s nickname means stone – she is the first to offer friendship Ravens p.77 – proof that she can trust them and that they will bring her some form of happiness, even for her a good omen is tainted with death/darkness/ravens. Fate p.84 – Agnes does not take responsibility for her life, she feels imprisoned by external forces, ironically this is how she kills Natan. She is ‘knifed to the hilt’ because of what she did to Natan.

Power p.76 – ‘dress was my last possession’ – the last thing she held is now gone so she is at the complete mercy of her fate. To share her story, literally everything had to be stripped away.

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “I wake every morning with a blow of grief to my heart” (p.59)Agnes: “Winter comes like a punch in the dark. The uninhabitable places are as cruel as my executioner”

(p.70)Agnes: “That dress was my last possession. There is nothing in the world I now own; even the heat my

body gives out is taken away by the summer breeze” (p.76)Agnes: “I so often feel that I am barely here, that to feel weight is to be reminded of my own existence”

(p.83)Agnes: “I am knifed to the hilt with fate” (p.84)

Roslin: Agnes ‘pierced it [Natan’s eye] like an egg yolk’ – connects to when Agnes says that Natan ‘pierced the very yolk of her soul’ (p.221)

CHAPTER 4

KEY EVENTSHistorical document: Cost of the Axe - Blondal

Toti visits the Reverend of Undirfell – legend surrounding NatanThe Jonsson’s begin hay cutting - Harvest

Agnes shares about her motherCHAPTER QUESTION

Why do you think Agnes is so reluctant to discuss her past?

CLOSE STUDY

• Agnes’s first person narrative (pages 100–101) The placement of this passage is an excellent example of way the author constructs her scenes or sections. Tóti and Agnes have been conversing in the previous scene (although reported from Agnes’s perspective); we then shift to her first person interior voice, and after this to a third person narrative describing multiple characters the following day. Here, Agnes remembers her feelings of utter disempowerment at her trial as her story was manipulated into unrecognisable words. She has gauged Tóti’s inexperience and wonders what she can think of to say to him.

• How is simile and metaphor used in the passage? ‘I wonder if the Rev. sees me like that lamb’ (2 headed lamb) – Agnes – some people think she is cursed (mark of the devil), some are just nosey

• What do we learn about Agnes’s experience of the trial? Agnes is threatened with another kind of loss; that of her identityRealises everything will be written from the perspective of the winners in historySome hope, but all is shattered.

• Other references are made to religion in the passage. Why are they memorable for Agnes? Feels the weight of her sins cannot be so simply removed; ‘plucked out’‘Let the Devil take care of his own’ – symbolic of how other people view Agnes, i.e. she is demonic, can link to how Natan’s name comes from Satan – Natan will take care of her

• What does Agnes suggest about a woman’s place in the world? Women did not have freedom, or a voice, pick on her as a woman, women were expected to receive less and be grateful. Men become liars and become birds dressed in silver buttons – her word is nothing against that of men, women are weak and vulnerable and ‘crumble’

• How do she and Natan respond differently to the two-headed lamb?A: thought it was strange, wouldn’t eat it, disgusted, superstitious? N: interested and fascinated

• Choose three quotes of significance and explain your choice.

‘They took my memories… and wrought them into something sinister’

RESPONSE

“Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasn’t my own.” In what ways is Agnes disempowered in Burial Rites?

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Fire p.88Toti – prayer – does not want to be as easily affected by what he hears, ironic as Agnes’ character is one of fire, fire = strong, he is aware of his weakness, after this he wants to be strong like a fireBurning – he takes her story, burns it and then comes back with something to tell her (like a bush fire), also opens sealed seeds – exactly what happens with Agnes

Gender roles ‘supremely intelligent for a woman’ – women not considered intelligenthousewife is not even worthy enough for a name (p.97)

Redemption/new beginnings – p.100 thread quote – she believes that redemption does not come through religion, but through telling her story and proving her innocenceNatan believes in no need for redemption

Landscape and weather/Setting as character development Harvest – symbolic of the start of a new beginning for her – setting is mimicking Agnes’ story

Fight for survival (Mrs J)Mother left her early, from a young age, Agnes has had to fight to survive – that’s all she knows

Ravens - p.110 (2nd half)Ravens are cawing at the blood – generally they are an omen for death - the blood is present – confirming their presence for the rest of her life, symbolise and show the reader the depth and significance of her birth – Agnes declaring that from birth she has been marked by death

Stone – p.111 Memories – ‘shifting like loose snow’Stone = communication, how that can be changed (her memories are the only communication she has left with her mother) ‘A stone so that I might learn to understand the birds and never be lonely’ – gives her a sense of hope as a child, reference to her last connection with her mother, links to when she met Toti ‘ now I am alone, I watch the ravens’ (p.43), also could link to her learning to read the warnings of her fate.

KEY QUOTES

Dagga: “She was always fixed on bettering herself” (p.92)Agnes: “Everything I said was taken from me and altered until the story wasn’t my own” (p.100)

Agnes: “A thread once woven, is fixed in place; the only way to smooth a mistake is to let it all unravel” (p.100)

“To know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are two very different things” (p.107)Agnes: “How people think of you determines who you are” (p.108

CHAPTER 5 & 6

KEY EVENTSPoem exchange between Poet-Rosa

Agnes dreams of her executionAgnes finds out about Sigga’s petition

Toti makes an emergency visit to Kornsa

Epigraph: Agnes and Sigga’s itemsAgnes tells Toti about her time living at Kornsa previously with Bjorn and Inga

STEINA /SIGGA

SteinaReread the conversation between Steina and Agnes on pages 123–125. What is revealed about Steina and how she perceives Agnes at this stage of the novel?

Believes Agnes is innocent, Steina is willing to help her, looks up to her (memory), very optimistic (naïve?), childlike, focuses on the good she sees in Agnes, recognizes that Agnes has kept a lot of the true story to herself and that Agnes story has been changed, but Steina is still tentativeSteina does not feel like she fits in with her family, would rather be with Agnes

Sigga

How does Sigga’s character enhance your understanding of how women are treated in the novel? Why does Blöndal see Sigga so differently to Agnes? Sigga is considered pretty, innocent, young, less intelligent – couldn’t have been involved in perpetrating the crime, Sigga is a toy for Natan to play with, owned her, whereas Agnes stayed on her own delusional accord. Natan had power over both. Ultimately, women are disempowered: foolish and unintelligent, or smart – but crafty, manipulative

CHAPTER QUESTIONS

What does the story of Inga’s death add to our understanding of Agnes’s emotional history?

Read Agnes’ narrative on p.142-150There is a self-consciousness, even cunningness, in Agnes’ storytelling. Is she manipulative? (p.149)

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6

Identity/Agnes’ name p.116 ‘Murderess’ – forever linked to her death sentence, she is stuck – no escape, people think she is intelligent and therefore deserves her fate. She is perpetually chained to her crime.

Reliable narrator p.142 ‘This is what I tell…’ Agnes’ backstory is told through her eyes/perspective – we only know what she chooses to share – reliability? Is this the truth?

Magical realism (dreams) p.119Agnes dreams of the execution ‘Too many stones’

Ravens and stones p.117 ‘No doves comes from ravens’ eggs’ – her mother was a ‘raven’ and therefore Agnes could never be pure (dove), no good could come from her, ravens and doves (death and life) – always destined for death p.122 – ravens follow her in each key moment, bad omen, stone debilitates her – looses communication with her mother

Setting as a character p.119 - ‘nature is… watchful of us’ – personification of setting, ‘she is awake as you and I’ – influence of Natan in how Agnes feels connected to nature/setting.

p.120 – Agnes has started to find happiness, death will take something away from her – she feels less freedom in death (sun and warmth = family, will be obliterated by death/land frozen). ‘River’ that Toti helped her over before – symbolises her death

Setting mirroring Agnes p.125 – ‘the dark clouds opened up, and the two women were engulfed in a sudden, freezing downpour’ – setting mirrors Agnes’ reaction to Sigga’s appeal, despair and grief suddenly flood in – she is shaken to the core. p.136 – ‘weather had made the room quite gloomy.. the day was rapidly dying’ – reflective of how Agnes is feeling, she has lost hope, Agnes creates this mood.

Fire/Fate/The past – who Agnes could have been p.128 p.128 – ‘grey curtain’ the truth of a person is always hidden behind the discussions and fabrications formed by others – grey represents her gloomy life, words get filtered in an ugly way and become altered and twisted‘I could have been…’ returning to the idea of her identity having been tainted by others. She can’t escape – is ‘anchored’ to the crimeShe is getting pulled further and further apart, ‘anchored’ down, breath is ‘snatched’ and shared upward‘Monster’ – Natan using sorcery

Fire – p.143 - BethNorthern lights - ‘night sky… slowly burning’ (she is burning out) – describing the beautiful lights as something dark, foreshadows violence that will come, beautiful things don’t happen often – this represents the mistrust she has in life – close to the death. Significant moments – has to keep them safe in her memories (not much time left and don’t happen often)

Setting foreshadowing p.143 Storm – foreshadows the tragedy, Agnes’ last complete loss of her happiness

Setting as a character p .144 Characterizing wind or magical realism? ‘Wind was some form of ghoul’… ‘spirit had entered’ – Inga’s death comes soon after – weather dictating life and death.Agnes brings a ‘blizzard’ into HIS home.

Ravens p.157 ‘So lonely I make friends with the ravens that prey on lambs’ – ravens are predators, she is being friends with them, she becomes the murderess that preys on ‘lambs’, partially takes responsibility of the death, she was so lonely and no-one was there for her – takes blame away from her for her acts.

‘Agnes of the fire’ - identity is based on the murders‘They will not free Agnes’ – because of her name she will never be freed – it is reason for her persecution.

KEY QUOTES

Margret: “No doves come from ravens eggs” (p.117)Agnes: “I am quite alone” p.134)

Margret: “it’s full of holes, it wants unravelling” (p.136) - redemption

Agnes: “This is what I tell the Reverend. I try to tell the story in tbe best way I know how… and I snatch little looks at the Reverend’s face, to see if he is moved” (p.149)

Agnes: “Most good people are soon enough underground”

Northern lights: symbolise her life – bits of hope at different times, but then violence/death/despair enter rapidly.

CHAPTER 7

KEY EVENTS

Historical document: testimony of Reverend Johann Tomasson & letter from Blondal to Toti asking about Agne’s progress

Toti visits BlondalAgnes tells Toti of her dream of him guiding her

Agnes shares of relationship with her brother and supposed father

CLOSE READING: BLONDAL

Blondal’s account of the murders (pages 163-173)

In this section of the text Toti visits Blondal and his feelings towards Agnes become clearer.

What is the correlation between Toti and the reader in regards to Blondal’s comment that “She has manufactured a life story in such a way so as to prick your sympathy”(p.170)We become Toti when we read it in that the story has been ‘manufactured’ to ‘prick’ our sympathy. So in turn, Blondal is accusing us of blindly believing her.

Why do you think Blondal is more sympathetic towards Fridrik? (p.171)Fridrik acknowledges his crimes and takes responsibility; Blondal is able to manipulate Fridrik into cooperating through religion – gives Blondal that sense of authority. Fridrik is 17, Blondal believes he was under the influence of Agnes.Fridrik’s upbringing, Blondal saw the family (creates sympathy?), whereas with Agnes it’s all stories. Hierarchy of the time – Blondal sees the chaos that Agnes has created.

How does Blöndal treat and advise Tóti? Also, how does Hannah Kent further develop the reader’s response to Blöndal during the Hvammur visit? Blondal is condescending and acts superior – superiority complex – takes power for his apparent ‘religious’ appointment, particularly over the young and naive TotiB: ‘I bear some blame for this’ – B expresses regret for allowing T to handle case, readers see how B lives (luxury) and suffering/poverty of the valley – he demonstrates ‘slothfulness, greed and [a] rude’ lifestyle. Blondal compares Agnes to the devil – just as Agnes is getting hope, Blondal tears her down, contrasts with Toti, Kent wants us to see Agnes how Toti sees her, we want to believe him not Blondal.

RELATIONSHIPS

STEINAOn page 177, Agnes notes Steina ‘following me like a shadow’ and Agnes comments that Steina has not ‘seen [the tree of life’s] twisted roots pawing stones and coffins’ (p.178). What observations does she make about Steina’s life and about her own? How does Kent use Steina in the text?

Agnes gets annoyed that Steina believes that she is like her, because she has not been through the hardships that Agnes has been throughKent uses Steina as a tool to compare a normal girl’s life with Agnes’ – emphasizes how unfortunate

Agnes’ life has been, brings forth an image of the damage and upbringing that lacked provision that Agnes had and its effects on her later life. Kent demonstrates that no-one can truly empathise with Agnes due to her unfortunate events – Agnes is alone; she can never be truly understood. Steina never had to work as hard as Agnes did, she has never experienced the misfortune of the ‘tree of life’ – Steina more sees the fruit of the tree – she reaps some of the benefits that people like Agnes created.

TOTIAgnes remarks that she knew that Toti was “bound to [her] life in some way”. How true is this?

Dream of a priest at 16, later meets Toti at the river – made the connection – believes they are bound Continuing catalyst that drives Agnes to open up and share her story, has crept through the many avenues of her life (dreams, pivotal moments) – so present even in intimate moments (dreams) – the way she talks makes us see that they are truly bound If they are bound, when Agnes dies, part of Toti dies. Toti enables her life story to be told.

CLOSE READING: NATAN

Agnes recalling her first meeting with Natan (pages 190–94)

This is the final section of Chapter Seven so as to be expected, delivers important information that will be followed through in the next chapter. Agnes has previously told Tóti about her first meeting with Natan but now reveals she hasn’t told him everything; however, emphasises she has not lied to the Reverend.

• Why is it important to the reader to know Agnes has not lied to Tóti?

Agnes’ truth is very dear to her, she may not reveal all but she has not lied. Genuine despite not sharing everything. Reader is more likely to trust her later (ensures her credibility)

• What hasn’t she revealed and why? Her intimacy with Natan – she is aware of how Toti feels about Agnes and this may sabotage this, also wants to keep that part to herself (shame or reminiscence?) This event is a truth that hasn’t been manipulated, a blooming love that she cherishes and longs to keep pure

• How is the symbolism of hands used in the passage? Hands reflect who you are – Natan reads who she is – he says that people need another person to fill their palm (lives) – his nickname ‘long fingers’ correlates to his hands, Agnes’ name correlates to the blood on her hands.

Symbolism of hands is used to demonstrate the way she feels about Toti (p.185)– gives her comfort, security, with Natan the environment reflects her – passion, intrigue etc. Hands – symbol of destiny (e.g. palm reading) – they are bound to each other, destinies are intertwined.Hands – identity – servant (p.193)

• Comment on the final sentences of Chapter Seven. Agnes did not expect to fall for him, she also didn’t realise how dangerous her situation was until it was too late.Foreshadows Natan’s murder.

What do we learn of Natan’s character and of Agnes’ early interactions with him?charismatic, manipulative, seductive, confident, playful, selfish, sorcerer, womanizer, mixed opinions of him

Agnes loves him because he sees her, she takes comfort in how they are both outsiders (he uses this)

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Identity/Agnes’ name - p.163Toti calls her by her first name – he sees her as a human, allows her to speak. Blondal uses ‘prisoner’, ‘condemned’ etc. – superiority – constantly reducing her to her crime, disassociation with Agnes – refuses to see her as a human – easy for him to dehumanise her – easy to label someone a monster than associate them as an everyday human.

Reliable narrator – p.167 - 170

Blondal narrating the crime – unreliable, because he has taken 3 stories and twisted them to make Agnes seem like a criminal mastermind. ‘I am of the opinion that..’, he in a way testifies them.

Power and Justice – (Blondal p.173 onwards)

Asserts his power over Toti, wants Toti to understand Blondal’s position of authority, he acts in a way due to the position he is in.

Truth – (Blondal’s distortion of the truth p.168, 170)

Blondal – has made up his version of the truth – Agnes being vindictive etc. Karitas – whilst Blondal may label her as wild etc. Natan was cruel to her.

Life and death – Liorah p.180

p.178 - Agnes believes that Steina does not know the hardships of life, tree of life has its roots in hardships and death, maybe Steina will not know the true reality of life until she comes close to death. p.180 – As a new life is about to be brought into the world, another is taken away, ‘you ought to feel the sun on your face… before [you] die’ - small appreciations in life.

Freedom

p.180 - Sun brings freedom – links warmth with freedom (‘it wasn’t always so cold…’

Fate/what could’ve been –

p.188 - Highlights the life that Agnes could’ve had – would she have been happy? She craved fire,

passion etc.

Stone - p.194

Toti is soaking up her story (‘may as well be sucking a stone’) – him sucking a stone he is able to speak to her (she is a bird). At the same time, sucking on a stone is useless. Conflicting views.

Fire – p.195The passion that she craved (fire) has ultimately led to her downfall - Agnes has gotten herself into a misfortunate situation by getting involved with Natan – play with fire and you get burned.

Manipulation Audience is being manipulate – first we go through Blondal’s view, then Toti’s response – is Agnes manipulating Toti and therefore us?Karitas – the risk she takes in saying what she says adds credibilitySympathy is built through Agnes’ past – story is solidified through Toti meeting herAgnes tells the truth (‘I did not lie…’) – creating a bond with us and allowing us to become malleable – we are an easy audience susceptible to the manipulation of Agnes’ truth

KEY QUOTES

Toti: “I provide her with a final audience to her life’s lonely narrative” (p.166)Blondal: “Agnes believed that she deserved more” (p.169)

Blondal: “She is practised in deception” (p.170)Blondal: “She has manufactured a life story in such a way so as to prick your sympathy” (p.170)

Karitas: “They knew each other better than they knew themselves” (p.176, about Agnes and Natan)Sigga: “We are alike” to Agnes (p.177)

Agnes: “It wasn’t the darkness in the chasm that scared me. It was the silence” (p.184)Agnes: “I did not see that we were surrounded by tinder until I felt it burst into flames” (p.195)

Agnes: about Steina she has not ‘seen [the tree of life’s] twisted roots pawing stones and coffins’ (p.177)

CHAPTER 8

KEY EVENTSHistorical document: Poem from Poet-Rosa to Natan

Agnes helps with Roslin’s labourToti visits Agnes, the whole family are listening to her story about Petur

Agnes recalls first experience with NatanCHAPTER QUESTION

What do you make of all the dream imagery in this chapter? How has Kent used setting to develop the storyline/characters?

Setting often mimics Agnes’ emotions, foreshadows events, prohibits their activities/controls their lives….p.198-199, 201, 202, 206, 207, 218, 221

HOW CHARACTERS SEE AGNES

Margret: Re-read pages 200-202, 208 and comment on how Margret’s view towards Agnes is changing.

p.200 – M recalls the labour, she begins to recognise A’s knowledge and intelligence, how accustomed she has become to her home, ‘taught smile’, M affirms what A did during the birth, M realises that the way people see A has affected how A actsp.202 – had initially hoped A would unify her family, she is ‘worried’ at how natural A has fitted inp.208 – M holds a ‘fondness’ for A Snow – redemption

Lauga:• Reread the conversation between Lauga and Steina on pages 208–210. Why does Lauga view Agnes so

differently to her sister?

Lauga is focused on bettering her future (similar to A?) and A is disrupting this – holds a cold attitude, as everyone warms up, she becomes colder, Steina – sympathetic A = a stranger, Lauga emphasises the difference between them and A – ‘she is nothing like us’ – L has created her to be completely different to them.

AGNES AGNES THE STORYTELLING

In this section of the book, Toti realises that the other family members are listening to their discussion and comments that Agnes ‘seemed oblivious’. How accurate was his reading of Agnes? p.212

A shifts to get more lamp light – may have been oblivious as she couldn’t see? – could have also moved to be more aware of her surrounding or so others could see her better. Doesn’t have much to hide anymore – doesn’t care if others are listeningp.213 – A is not startled that others are there/listening – may have been aware

Gudmunder comments that Toti lets ‘her talk to [him] as though she’s telling a bedtime story’. How

accurate is his assessment of the situation? (Zoe and Hayden) p.216

Silence and A’s soft voice insinuate the storytelling atmosphere (parents telling a story), she does all the talking, T listens, L comments about fairy stories at night in reference to A’s stories and more like fairy stories than real life, these stories are like the stories that L tells at night.

AGNES AND NATANHow did Natan continue to charm Agnes? What do we learn about their relationship and why Agnes stayed with Natan? What has Agnes been searching for in life?p.218-222Charms her with his intelligence, confidence, both are different/outsiders, through him she is no longer an outsider, he makes her feel as though she is ‘enough’, she believes he will make her life better, wants to be chosen/lovedHoped ‘he would give [her] springtime’ – warmth, thaw the cold.

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Setting as a character p.222

A claims that N will give her springtime – happiness, N’s death leaves her open to her surroundings, death exposes her – pulls down the brick wall

Dream imagery p.214

N’s dream of being stabbed in the belly, 3 lizards feeding off of him (Agnes, Sigga & Fridrick). Foreshadows the death of Natan and the way people will perceive Agnes (evil spirit)

Magical realism

p.200 – superstition- Agnes wouldn’t hold the baby – feels she is cursed with the touch of deathp.218 – stones – talking piece for A - usually heavy – A is tired of explaining her story – brings back pain, feels like a ‘dead bird’, reflective of her story taking a physical toll on her body. Stones as her teeth - Toti is the only one she can speak to who hears her.

Fire p.206Natan as the heat in her life – she wants/ed him but he tears her from the inside out‘Fresh air’ – the fire suffocates her (literally remembering what happened, but also Natan)‘Burning meat’ – Natan’s death – burned ‘beyond recognition’ – after the fire N is not recognisable anymore, but neither is Agnes. She has been ‘burnt’ from the experience.

Redemption p.207, 211, p.221

‘The snow begins to fall’ – a ‘good sign’, her being saved, the snow falling is a sign that it will be ok. Being saved from reliving the memories. p.221 – ‘though the snow smothered the valley.. my soul thawed’ – Natan, he brings healing. Snow

redemption.

Light and darkness

Natan himself brings both light and darkness into Agnes’ life. p.215 – ‘can I come closer to the lamplight’ – A has an opportunity to tell her story but there is no room for it to be received the way she wants it to be. Refers to her life as ‘storytelling’. p.216 – ‘Agnes returned from her dark corner’ - Agnes is the darkness brought into the family, only some see that, stories by the lamplight stories bring redemption leaves her dark corner (moves into the light) she attempts to leave her dark past behind. Their perceptions of her leave her in the darkness. Her dark corner – she has possession over it.

Life and death p.219

‘We saw one another through the fog, the suffocating repetition of life’ Natan believes there is no heaven – ‘they don’t know if they’re living or dead’ – repetition of the stifling life in Icelandp.220 ‘soul asylum’ – she thinks she’s going to hell? Or everyone is? – to Natan it is blurred -

Manipulation p.218

Agnes became a story valuable enough to be manipulated when she met NatanNatan made her enough – her made her someone with a story

Agnes proves she is the only one who can understand her story/truth and therefore the manipulation of others is inevitable, her truth is only true in her eyes as no one else is capable of understanding it.

KEY QUOTES

Kent: Margret’s view “Agnes had seemed part of the family” (p.201)Agnes: “It is the waiting that cripples” (p.203)

Agnes: “The winter brought a new kind of loneliness” (p.218)Agnes on Natan: “We saw one another through the fog, the suffocating repetition of life” (p219)

Natan: “We’re better than this… this life of mud and struggle” (p.219)Agnes: “I loved him because he made me feel I was enough” (p.221)

Agnes: “Natan broke the very yolk of my soul” (p.221)

The waiting is worse than the weather (202 - ‘crippl[ing]’ weather) – prolongs her suffering – in the ‘killing pen for months’

Natan charms her, tells her that she deserves more

He got through to/pierced her core, he broke through, once open though she spilled out (like a yolk)

CHAPTER 9

KEY EVENTSHistorical document: Anonymous poem about Agnes

Agnes describes arriving at IllugastadirAgnus Jonsdottir

Agnes shares of her time at Illugastadir with Natan, Sigga and Fridrik

CHAPTER QUESTION

Do you think the family is stunned when Agnes announces her name because they believe she is claiming kinship with them? (p.230)

Agnes has claimed herself as a member of the family (Jon’s daughter)Symbolise – shows that Agnes feels safe with them, represents the life she wanted (not the life she had),

is no longer the Agnes of the murders/fire. ‘Prisoner’ – establishes a new name, but she still feels a prisoner inside. So really it’s not the outside

things that make her a prisoner but it’s how she feels on the inside. Retaking it as her own fault. More so, she claims the name of her true father, Jon Bjarnasson. On one hand she’s putting the past

behind her, but she is also imagining it as it could’ve been.

SHORT RESPONSE

“To know what a person has done, and to know who a person is, are very different things.” In Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites the misunderstood Agnes tries to show people who she really is. Discuss.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONSHow does Agnes’ comment on Illugastadir, ‘on a clear day it’s beautiful, and on others it’s as miserable as a grave-digging in the rain’ mirror her relationship with Natan?

It is also unpredictable, drastic changes, interesting use of ‘grave-digging’ – link with death – all the bad that Natan did and put onto her ultimately ended in her death, metaphorically and literally. 1st time they met – it was warm, sunny etc. hope, peace, excitement Other times – he is cold towards her etc. Agnes yearns for that initial love. She tries to dig up the love that was once there.

Agnes’ shares with the reader about what her life could’ve been like on p.232.

From this passage what do you think Agnes’ values most? Belonging, family, recognises the importance of Christian morals – doesn’t feel worthy enough for it.

Using the skill of inference, what does she blame for her misfortunes? Birth right - her family (mother, Magnus and Jon) – blames the woman that those people created, Natan

Agnes comments that Natan ‘was as changeable as the ocean’ (p.239). Why do you think setting is such a part of Agnes and the way she speaks?

It controls her life – environment/weather/places have all built on who she isMajor events on her life have been built on significant weather conditions (e.g. storms)Common thing that everyone in Iceland would understand – familiarAs a child, adult, it’s the only constant in her life – reliably inconsistent or consistently unreliable?She’s not disappointed by it, like she is with people, she can expect that. Is life for her consistently unreliable?

Why does Agnes claim kinship?

Her name gets written down like that – she wants to be remembered as who she could’ve been, who she feels she has become, not the murderer that she is known as.

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Setting

p.227 – ‘rocky ground…. wild grass growing’ – way she describes Illugustadir is reflective of her relationship with Natan and the way she viewed Natan – he was infamous and unavoidable, but he suffocated her in the end, she was surrounded by his all-consuming presence until all that is left are the buried parts of who she once was. Setting is easily described by Agnes as it is riddled with her emotions. p.231 – ‘weather is only going to get worse’ – reflective of A, so much for her to see in her life but her life is coming to an end – murder is like the weather, inhibiting any further action in her life.p. 234 – ‘cold sea air grasp me about the throat’ – symbolic of Natan, can’t escape her emotions with him, warmth – freedom, cold – imprisonment. Winter is trapping her – her condemnation traps her. p. 239 – Natan ‘was as changeable as the ocean’, changes mood quickly, his surroundings reflect him, ‘for every mountain there is a valley’ – Agnes has had a lot of valleys, not mountains, initially the feeling of being with Natan is a mountain, but really it is a valley (becomes darkest point in her life).

What could have been

p.232 – the life Agnes could have had, she wouldn’t have been so foolish p.231 – Rev. surprised with her education and speech (ladylike), considering her acts

Fate p.232

Agnes was born into her situation, reflection of what could have been if she had a different social standing could’ve had a good Christian life, product of her birth situation, her fate had been determined right from birth. Blames her misfortunes on fate.

Fortune p.236 - Gifts from Natan (brought luxury to life) – ‘sheer good fortune moving to Illugustadir’ – she believed moving in with Natan was good for her.p. 238 – Natan/Fridrick ‘wasn’t shy about trumpeting his own good fortune’ – lack of focus on hard work and your decisions. Good fortune for Agnes is always two steps ahead of her, when she arrives there, she finds out each time that what she thought was good fortune was in fact the opposite (living with Natan). Natan holds her back and good fortune becomes even more distant.

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “Agnes Jonsdottir. She sounds like the woman I should have been” (p.232)Agnes: “For every mountain there is a valley” (p.239)

CHAPTER 10

KEY EVENTSHistorical document: document by a clerk about Rosa

Toti becomes ill and hallucinates Agnes visitingAgnes recalls Natan’s changing moods, the boating incident and Natan’s premonitions

CHAPTER QUESTION

How do you explain Agnes’ continued desire for Natan despite his mistreatment of her?

AGNES

Agnes again describes what could’ve been (p.248) if it wasn’t for Natan. Why do you think Agnes does this throughout the story?

Hurt by/hate for the personWhen death is looming people tend to rethink previous decisions and think about what could’ve changed that. Boosts our sympathy for AgnesAgnes believes she is a victim of her situation – the responsibility of what happened to her falls onto other people

Steina comments on how ‘the roof is falling down’ and the ‘wet is getting in’ (p.252). How does this relate to Agnes and her development as a character and family member in Kornsa?)

Agnes’ wall is coming down and she is starting to trust themShe was a typical servant (normal like rain would be) but due to all that has happened she has infiltrated all of the homes of the valley with her actions and has created wet puddles in the cornersAgnes is seeping into them as a familyFamily is become attached to Agnes and vice versaManipulative A – she breaks down their walls and perceptions of her and gains their sympathy

On p.254-258 Agnes is not actually with Toti, but narrates as if he is present. What insight do we get into her thought process when she is sharing?

Agnes relies on Toti as an outlet for her story/emotionsShe feels safe with himMakes her think through how others will take her storyManipulative nature of sharing (calculating)Shows how much she desires to open up to him and she chooses Toti (in her head) – he is less judgmental – convinces herself that she has given her confession (even in her head), so she doesn’t get the backlashMoulds her story to best fulfil the legacy she wants to leave behind

NATANExamine how Natan is viewed by other characters in the novel through what they reveal to Tóti, Margrét

or the court.

• Dagga—pages 90–91

‘sorcerer and Satan’, ‘useful’, ‘nothing he did came from God’

• Margrét—pages 52 and 66.

‘sleeps with married women’, not ‘good’, less than others said he was

• Blöndal—page 170.

Natan healed his wife, ‘Saviour’, ‘indiscreet’, says that Natan preferred Sigga

• Karitas—pages 175–6.

Couldn’t wait to leave Illugustadir because of Natan, ‘toyed with people’ to ‘amuse himself’, ‘devil’, still is scared

• Róslín—pages 66-67, pages 214–215. Hayden

• Rósa—pages 243–244.

spoke well about Natan,

Make a list of adjectives and nouns that are associated with Natan. For example, ‘sorcerer’ and ‘superstitious’.

a) Why does Natan choose Agnes in the first place?

She was different too, both had hollow palms, he liked her intelligence, refreshing (her not knowing who he was), wit, because he could (power imbalance)

b) Can you explain Natan's behaviour before and after the boating incident? You will have to reread the section in the book (it's around 258-260)

Incredibly moody, very superstitious, believed in some kind of higher power, dreams of death – reveals what he sees as his place of Agnes as (when he dreams she is in one of those dreams).Deterioration of their relationship – the way he treats her shows this – as he grows close to her he makes her more submissiveDreams come full circle (his mother and now him)

c) What do you believe Natan wanted out of his relationship with: 1. Agnes? (peer?/slightly below and he enforces)

Someone who could understand him/independent (but contradicts this), physical intimacy, he enjoyed the game and toying with people – calls her a raven

2. Sigga? (below)Physical intimacy, to spite/upset Agnes, innocence

3. Rosa? (married and socially above him/charmer)Intelligence (created their own language) – calls her a swan (p.248)She was creating something good with her abilities (the way she used her words) – poems

d) Why do you think he dislikes Fridrik with such intensity?

Threatened to take away his power over Sigga, stupidity, keeps coming to look for money,

POET-ROSA

Agnes tells Tóti, ‘I don’t think she’d describe herself as my friend’ (p. 134); later she says to Margrét and Ingibjörg, in response to a query whether she and Rósa are friends, ‘We aren’t’ (p. 180). She also wonders if she and Rósa might have been friends ‘if we’d met in another way’ (p. 248). Now reread pages 249–251. Why are Agnes and Rósa unable to be friends? What evidence can you find of their jealousy towards one another?

Agnes felt threatened by Rosa and vice versaThey could each give Natan what the other one couldn’t; Agnes could give the independent life, Rosa could give the family/adventure etc. Ultimately he couldn’t have settled for either.

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Fire (p.251/245)

p.251 - Agnes fears love/touch, everything she touches dies, she’s been burnt by love (everyone leaves her and she fears Natan will leave her p.245 – Toti – Agnes has lit a fire beneath him, he needs to tread carefully with her

Setting

As Agnes is waiting the weather dwindles, snow, keeps them snowed in, she is stagnant/stuckWeather brings death

Light and darkness (247, 248, 254)

p.247 - Even though its becoming winter, the days feel longer and life is harder, ‘whipped dog’ – death and pain, not much good leftp.248 – Church no friends, nothing positive in her life, life associated with heaven no light in her lifep.254 – Winter has come, the ‘dark comes… but the Reverend does not’ – Toti is the light who has not

come, things are getting worse – she has had a problem always in being her own light – she relies on others.

What could’ve been (p.248)

If all these things had been different, she may have a different life now, Natan has a hold on her, the society at the time allowed that, but she also submitted to that.

Magical realism (p.258, 261)

Death waves – could be Natan’s version of Agnes’ ravensNatan has been described with ocean imagery – his actions come crashing upon him and result in his death, extremely paranoid, Agnes and Natan aren’t so different (A seeing ravens as omens and N in dreams), yet they are different – Natan does more bad things in his life, Agnes has more bad done to her.

Reliable narrator (p.248)

Reliable – her perspective – not entirely reliable – trying to convince us of her innocence

She may adjust her own memories unconsciously to believe what she wanted to believe.

Identity/Name (p.256, 268)

p.256 – Natan changes who Agnes is – her identity – Agnes was blinded to how she was being played links to how who you are is how others see you (Ch.4 quote)

p.268 – Margret referring to Agnes as ‘the criminal’ again

KEY QUOTES

Natan on Agnes: “You have to fight for everything” (p.249)Agnes can’t just get by in life as opposed to Rosa – polar opposite (people do things for her)

Natan: “Remember your place, Agnes!” (p.263)Agnes: “He needed me like he needed air” (p.256)

Natan needed her so that he could manipulate her and have power/control over her.Agnes is naïve/blinded in thinking that Natan appreciates her

Agnes: “A person you love as much as you hate the hold they have on you” (p.256)She knows that he is using her, but she loves him so much that she doesn’t do anything about it

Rosa: ‘the burnt child fears the fire’ (p.251)She has played with fire previously and it has tainted her life, her poverty/standing got her burnt in the

first place, so she is scared of being in that and is playing a role higher than she is.

Agnes: ‘We’re all shipwrecked’ (p.248) (helpless, stranded, ‘beached’ feeding off poverty)

Agnes: ‘Natan and I were as husband and wife’ (p.254)

CHAPTER 11

KEY EVENTS

Historical document: court document from Fridrik’s brother about sheepAgnes and Margret bond by the fire – 2 dying women

Agnes tells of how Fridrik asked permission to marry SiggaWe find out how Agnes approaches Natan but he throws her naked into the snow

CHAPTER QUESTION

How do you explain Agnes’ continued desire for Natan despite his mistreatment of her?

MARGRET AND AGNES

Examine how Margret’s view of Agnes is changing in Chapter 11, particularly p.268-274

Agnes states that they are ‘two dying women’. How else are they similar?

They both are closed off; hard exterior protecting what they cherishBoth are awaiting an inevitable death, but neither know whenChained to a death sentence that neither believe they have chosen – find comfort here (Agnes opens up once Margret coughs blood onto her sheet)

How is Agnes like the ‘December cold that had left frost on the walls’? (p.268)She has made a great impact on the Kornsa family and won’t be forgotten Everyone is affected by her death, her spirit is left behind through her experiences, the frost melts and leaves a puddle that is Agnes story that is still told today.Everyone keeps away and hide, too accustomed, shivering from its presence to try to see it as anything more than a bringer of death. Can’t be controlled.

Agnes bitterly remarks that she is ‘not worth much’ (p.272). How true has this been for her life?

She has been consistently deemed as a servant, toy to be played with, murderess etc. so society does not view her as muchPeople have continued to treat her that way, except for Inga and Natan (at the start)She nurtures this title, she takes herself as a reflection of what others say and cements and consumes their opinions When Margret and Toti looked past this, they saw her as valuable

Margret feels ‘an impulse to put an arm around’ Agnes. Why does she do this? What in regards to this has Agnes lacked in her life?

She views Agnes as a child, maternal instinct/impulse to care for her, groups Agnes with her daughters on p.268 or is there a separation? Torn between being cautious and seeing her as a daughterAgnes has lacked a mother, comfort, friend. Kent has highlighted the ‘older woman’ – motherly.

Do you think Margret feels empathy or sympathy for Agnes at the bottom of p.276? Why? Sympathy – sees how bad the cards that Agnes has been dealt with are, image of Agnes when she arrivedEmpathy – they are both dying (she knows how Agnes is feeling), she is trying to put herself in Agnes’ shoes. Would understand the loneliness to some degree, female role. But, there is a limit to her empathy as she believes Agnes did commit the crime.

How do you respond to Agnes during her time at Illugustadir? Do you see her as naïve, abused, deluded?

Naïve: Not as she recognises she is being treated poorly, too smart to be naïve? Or perhaps her naivety led to her delusions? Abused: In an abusive relationship, hit her/pushed her, mind games he put her in, yet she did have a way out (She did not see herself as being abused at the time)Deluded: She saw their relationship as more than it was (‘husband and wife’), constantly putting her in her place yet she still saw it as more. Everything she sees as a fault of his, she takes on as her own.

SHORT RESPOSNE/DISCUSSION QUESTION

‘If there is anyone deserving of blame for the events in the novel, it is Natan Ketilsson.’

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Fire p.271

‘Margret broke open the embers’ - Margret is giving Agnes warmth – she brings Agnes comfort (in comparison to the isolation, death and coldness Agnes is familiar with) – cares for her like she is her daughter. Embers – the small glowing wood in a dying fire – Margret is able to get Agnes to open up. Her story is the only thing left in her dying self.

‘as the light burned… devil couldn’t get in’ - Safety in the warmth – bad things are attracted to people in the cold (Agnes – maybe why she is always trying to escape the coldness and attaches herself to warmth/safety e.g. Natan). At Illugustadir the devil was already in the house (Natan), on the night Natan’s death/situation consumes her even more (it was what had defined her)

‘the fire went out.. it was my fault’ – blames herself for Natan’s death. Light = fire. Light came with Natan’s death, only when he burned, light came into her life through the Kornsa family. ‘Margret extended her hands towards the flames”

Manipulation (p.273, Eleni, Tom)

‘She lied…’ Even at her lowest point, that event was manipulated into something ugly by someone she had no choice to rely on. ‘They made it seem…’ – ambiguous ‘they’ – anyone can fit into thisHer story will always be manipulated as it goes from person to person.

Setting

p.279 – ‘two icebergs’ – represent Sigga and Natan or Sigga and Fridrik and Natan is the ‘driftwood’ messing around with them.Natan and Agnes being ‘blown together’ – represents fate and how Agnes believes they were meant to meet, ‘driftwood’ could represent Fridrik/Sigga/the situation/dreams, hopes, aspirations/characteristics/personality etc. and all of this together means that their relationship and them ‘erupt into flames’

p.283 – ‘there’s a snowstorm coming’ – trouble is coming/awaits them, foreshadow of all the future events to do with Fridrik’s plan. Agnes’ life is about to be flipped.

p.288 – Natan kicks Agnes out into the snow. ‘sprawling into the snow, naked’ – falling into the snow like another snowflake, she is unique, but to Natan she belongs to the rest of the snow, she is just another woman, snow – something that comes and goes.‘dark and snowing heavily outside’ – darkness = how she is feeling, snow = being thrown out by Natan is a saving grace because Natan is what was killing her.

Raven (p.281)

Foreshadows what happens to Agnes – sheep already dead (p.280) – Agnes could not have gotten out of the situation she was in, it was inevitable – ‘more snow is coming’ – trouble awaits ahead/her redemption will also come as well.‘You’ll catch your death’ – foreshadows her death.‘Hack[ing]’ the sheep – describes what people will do to Agnes (death) and twisting her story‘Raven descend upon the sheep…’ – death finally has found Agnes‘Snowflakes landed on its black feathers’ – Her death is ultimately the only thing that will lead to her redemption – or before her death she will have redemption (sharing her story)

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “I’m not worth much” (p.272)Agnes doesn’t see herself as worth much or is it a snarky remark on how Blondal sees her

Agnes: “Loneliness threatened to bite you at every turn” (p.274)Like how frostbite can get you and infiltrate you if left isolated – reference also to how death can get

you.

Agnes: “If I am cheap it is because you have made me so” (p.288)Her worth is closely linked to her actions – Natan thinks she is cheap – also shows Agnes’ commitment to

and depth of relationship with Natan

CHAPTER 12

KEY EVENTS

Document: excerpt from Laxdaela SagaAgnes and Fridrik returning to Illugustadir, but Natan was absent

Agnes describes what happened the night of Natan’s death

CHAPTER QUESTION

How culpable is Agnes in Natan’s murder?

DISCUSSION QUESTION

Comment on Agnes and Natan’s final moments together (p.301-303) and what their relationship was like right at the end. Who held the power? Was this the same as before?

Relationship is one sided, Natan still held control (he told her to kill him), yet Agnes technically had the control – power reversal and Natan no longer has the power, however the reason she has gotten to her sentence is because of her killing him so in that way he still has control after his death

‘Cradled his head’ – she still looks after him and treats him so much better than he treated her ‘Knife went in easily’ – it still pains her while it releases him, it’s easy for her to trade away his pain for

her death sentence. ‘Lost all her strength’ – still emotionally connected p.301 (his skull) He still has power over her emotions, he is desperate, weak and afraid and she is strong enough to do

what is necessary ‘gratitude’ – she is finally free of him, forgiven – yet is there some delusion? First time that Natan truly needed Agnes The act of killing Natan is what imprisons Agnes

All Agnes has wanted in life is to be loved and it is because of love she is executed.

SHORT RESPONSE

“He has pinned me to ill fortune, and although I have struggled, I am run through and through with disaster; I am knifed to the hilt with fate.” ‘It is Agnes’s struggle against fate and ill fortune that wins

thereader’s sympathy.’ Discuss.

KEY THEMES/SYMBOLS

Snow p.296Natan’s eyes ‘were cold’ and she flushes red – mimics their characters Their relationship is not what she is expected (snow = saying one thing (blanket), but you don’t know what is underneath it) – Agnes may put on a cover of redemption, but underneath she is still guilty. ‘It’s going to snow’ – snowing when she is executed, this is the death of their relationship

Setting p.298Sleeping in the cowshed – her lowest point (dirt)‘Snow squeaked’ – her redemption will not be silent, the ‘sting of the stars’ – all eyes on her as she is led to her death‘Clear night’ – how her redemption through the Kornsa family will finally bring clarity

Light and darkness p.300, 303

Agnes is bringing the light into the room/situation and is revealing the truthNatan only brings darkness and the darkness within him is pouring out onto the pillow There is no escape for unseeing the truth‘Glistened on the wall’ – the light – significant, made noticeable – this event is a significant one ‘fell to the floor in the darkness that erupted over us’ – as strength and hope leave Agnes, so does light – she becomes consumed by the darkness of the event – foreshadowing her future‘Fridrik’s pupil… looked black’ – opening, attempting to gain the light, but they remain black/dark shows his heart.

Life and deathDespite Agnes having life, she is condemned to her death, the ‘warmth’ will always be noticeable against the ‘chill of the night’ – comparison between her and Natan. Death leads to another death – part of Agnes is dying, her life is being stripped away in two ways.

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “… I couldn’t have stopped if I’d wanted to” (p.302)She couldn’t have stopped loving him if she wanted to and by killing him she is showing love.

She doesn’t kill him like a sheep, he is not innocentAll that she felt came into those moments and she couldn’t control it, like how in the past all that she felt

had driven her, she couldn’t control how he loved her. Could suggest that Natan’s death was beyond the decisions of any one person, destined to happen.

After such a long time of wanting to be needed, she is swept up in being needed.

‘Knifed to the hilt with fate’ – Agnes feels pierced with fate and it is how she kills Natan – hints that it was fate that destined that.

Fridrik: “If I am hanged… you will be burnt alive” (p.303)Foreshadows the trial and how it is not the truth – he’ll take her down with him

She’s already been burnt.

CHAPTER 13KEY EVENTS

Historical document: instructions for the building of the execution platform, burial hymnToti learns of Agnes’ execution date

Lead up to Agnes’ executionFridrik’s execution

CHAPTER QUESTION

How have attitudes to Agnes shifted over the course of the novel?

Agnes herself undergoes a transformation over the course of the novel.

AGNES

Agnes finds out about the execution on p.316-317. How does she take the news? What does it reveal about her?

Reverts to internal thoughts – like a turtle coming out and now she has gone back into her shell Freezes, realises how much she wants to live Has been waiting for these and now that it finally comes she is numb and unresponsive – her body

is dead – she doesn’t have control over it She realises that no one can understand her, even us as the reader, goes through so many

metaphors to try to convey this, ends on the birds – may be why she is out of the water and he is in the water (separating herself) – he is meant to be the one out of the water

She may be back in a delusional state of how much others needed her Natan used to be the one in the water, the ocean, she has moved on and now Toti is in the water

– Natan was the water and Toti is drowning in the water - competing for Agnes or is Toti drowning as a result of Natan?

Reread Agnes’ internal monologue on p.320-321. What is its significance to the text?

What is the significance of Agnes spitting out the stone on p.324? She no longer has the power to tell her story She realises that the stone was a hindrance to her communication and when she spits it out the

book begins (as she is executed and the book then is later written) She has shared all that she can, her truth has been able to come out Her mother gave her the stone she spits it out as Margret calls her ‘my girl’ – she has the

mother she never had

Agnes’ death is not part of the narrative. Why do you think Kent chose to leave this out?

Agnes wanted her story to be left, she states she ‘wants to be here’ – by leaving her death out, her being here is what is remembered. Demonstrates that she has finished told her story and has been redeemed. Gives the reader the ability to adjust/decipher what happens at her deathDeath itself is not what is significant By not seeing her perspective just prior to her death, it keeps her alive.

RESPONSE: Whilst Agnes is still condemned to death, she still experiences freedom. Discuss how.

CHANGING CHARACTERS

MargrétWhy has Margrét’s attitude to Agnes changed so significantly by the novel’s end?

She has created a relationship with her through living together, sees that Agnes needs help/female role modelBonded over the fact that they are both dying Truly saw Agnes beyond the ‘murderess’ and came to terms with Agnes’ story – starts to care for her and believes she doesn’t deserve such a fate.

What is the significance of her giving Agnes the brooch?

Lauga – confirmation gift – gift from a mother to a daughter in preparation for the day she meets the Lord.Margret believes she will go to heaven as she is not a true criminal. Shows the growth in relationship since when she first slapped Agnes for touching it. Brooch – represents what Agnes always wanted but never had – love, acceptance, wealth, good social standing

What is the significance of their exchange on p.324 where Agnes shares how she ‘want[s] to be here’ and Margret calls her ‘my girl’?

Margret is viewing Agnes as her daughter – she finally has found herself a mother and has been accepted – now has a reason for wanting to stay.

LaugaConsider Lauga’s tears on Agnes’s departure. Do you think she is crying for herself or for Agnes? Does your understanding of Lauga change at this point?

Herself – this point is the realisation of how cruel she has been and realises that Agnes isn’t ‘all bad’ – she was closed off to this. Agnes – as an apology. Distraught when the date of execution was given (Lauga crying in the pantry) – from the start never wanted to create a relationship with her, but has.All attachments that Agnes had demonstrates the strength of their relationships Is similar to Agnes – they both protect themselves.

TotiTrace her relationship with Tóti. Has Agnes actually gained any spiritual guidance from him?

Toti quickly realises that his high minded aspiration to save Agnes is ingenuous. Intuitively, he understands the value in letting her speak. Her salvation comes not from the unforgiving approach of the law, but from telling her story. Being treated with forgiveness and compassion, she may not be redeemed in the religious sense, but is rescued emotionally and spiritually. Therefore, she has gained spiritual guidance, not through religion, but through telling her story before she dies.

‘They pick a mouse to tame a cat’ (p. 10). Reread the first meeting between Tóti and Agnes on pages 42–43 and their last on page 328. How has Tóti changed, both as a man and a reverend?

Began very awkward and nervous, becomes close and confident with Agnes. Is reluctant at the start to help Agnes, tries to guide her religiously, quickly realises that emotional guidance is more important. By the end he is desperate to do anything he can to help her.He ends up being able to give her what she needs, not what everyone else thinks she needs (her story). Stands up to Blondal, sacrifices his reputation as a Reverend to help her.

Blondal

In the end, what do you believe Blöndal has gained from the execution of Agnes Magnúsdóttir?

Gained reputation as a hero for enforcing justice for Natan and Petur. Ruthless and powerful, aimed to discourage future crime. Respect for his authority.

Jon

As the reader does not see events from Jón’s perspective and must rely on Agnes, Tóti and Margrét, he is a somewhat enigmatic character. What conclusions do you reach about Jón?

Originally very reserved, protective instinct for his family, but trusts her with a scythe during harvest time, doesn’t tell Blondal about her hysteria. After Agnes helps Roslin he thanks her.Still has a duty to do with his role, needs to remain somewhat emotionally detached.

SHORT RESPONSE• The characters that most feel compassion for Agnes are the ones that can somehow personally

connect to or empathise with her experience and situation. Discuss.

KEY THEMES

Fear: Agnes’ fear of her execution

She only shows the fear once she finds out the date, it lays dormant before. Once she has the date, she realises how much she wants to stay, realises once it’s almost gone. She now has something that she wants to live for. Almost detaches herself; shock, but has also come to terms with it, there is a peace.

Life and DeathNot thinking about her death that much until she gets the date, then she wants to live. At the end of the book she is in between life and death.

GriefNo one wants to let go. Toti ‘feels the prick of tears’, Steina is ‘tear-streaked’. It’s the end of what they have with Agnes. Lauga still grieves, despite not having a relationship with her. Reflects how the reader feels at the end having followed Agnes so intimately.

LoveShe experiences love at the end through the family (e.g. motherly love with Agnes)She dies because of her love for Natan.

Setting p.317 – ‘I am the dead bird’ – Agnes associates herself with dead animals – raven = symbol of death, this is her coming to her death – the final closing. She always thought she was being warned about other people’s deaths, but now it is her turn; she never was one of those birds.

p.323 – World has stopped/frozen because of death – life has gone with summer and death has found its place in the valley.

Stones and ravens

p.321 – Now in this state of confusion she is asking for warnings that these (omens) are for other people, but is receiving nothing. ‘I eat stones. I shatter my teeth… they will not speak to me’ – even tell her story is ultimately futile.

p.324 – Agnes spits out the stone when Margret claims her as her daughter – she has filled the spot that her mother left. Her story has now been told, no more barriers. She realised that the stone was never a communication device; it was a figment of her imagination.

p.325 – ‘there are ravens in the sky’ – on the road to her execution. ‘what bird can sing without stones beneath him to listen?’‘like a dead woman they will bury me in the earth, pocket me like a stone’ – she feels as though she is already dead, dehumanised, lost her identity. By her being dead, her story will not come out, hidden.

p.327 – ‘over forty men… dressed in black. They look like birds of prey’ – look like ravens, overall, in her life the ravens were actually humans, foreshadowing and leading her to her death (e.g. Natan, family, Blondal, Fridrick).

Identity

p.326 – Agnes struggles with her crime, it has stripped her of her identity and she is dehumanised as the book progresses. She manages to gain some back, but still dies. p.328 – ‘The woman looked up into the blank sky’.

KEY QUOTES

Agnes: “I am barren, nothing will grow from me anymore” (p.317)Margret: “It wasn’t her fault” (p.318)

Agnes: “I am forgotten” (p.321)Margret: ‘You are not a monster’ (p.323)

Agnes: “We are all underwater and I cannot swim” (p.324)

AGNES MAGNUSDOTTIR

CHARACTERISTICS Remain static Change

Her love for Natan- ‘I must remember to ask Natan’ Her inferiority complex (she still believes she is

inferior) Her lack of responsibility for her actions

How is Agnes ambitious?

She wanted a marriage, thought her and Natan could get married, ‘It was as if…’ Seems to be content with life, she waits for life to happen around her, she just works hard.

How is Agnes powerless? She is a woman born into a low socio economic broken family in a patriarchal society She believes she has no power over her identity, ‘if I am cheap it is because you have made me so’ Believes she is powerless against fate (ravens etc.) Courts do not listen to her Believes she is powerless in her relationship against Natan (had nowhere to go)

Powerful?

Gains power through telling her story – she gets attention; people start listening to her She regains power of her identity and how she will be remembered She chose to be Agnes Jonsdottir Killing Natan was an act of power – either she held the power by choosing to kill him and end his

pain, or she was still powerless to Natan in that she felt compelled to kill him due to the inferiority she felt in their relationship

KEY QUOTES

Her view of family (broken view initially)

Her concern for her future, e.g. saving up money to buy land, but she later becomes numb (e.g. brooch incident), apathetic

Finds her desire to live ‘I want to be here’

TOTI

CHARACTERISTICS Remain static Change

Religious beliefs His compulsion/desire/obligation/call

to help Agnes

How is Toti young and inexperienced?

Had never ministered to a criminal ‘Mouse to tame a cat’ Easily manipulated, doesn’t take long for Agnes to ‘prick his sympathy’ Reminds people he is an ‘Assistant’, lack of confidence in himself? Ability to change, not set in his ways, but knows what is custom Suggests that because Sigga was reprieved from the death penalty, she may be too.

How is Toti dedicated? Continues to be a friend and confidant to Agnes Never gives up on his desire to help Agnes and to redeem her Even when he is sick he goes to help Agnes Disobeys Blondal Agnes falls at the end, but he carries her

KEY QUOTES

NATAN

Confidence Opinion of Agnes (he becomes more

sympathetic and sees her as a friend) Changes his approach (from preaching at her

to allowing her to speak) Relationship between Agnes

CHARACTERISTICS Charming/charismatic Well-educated Independent Manipulative/Persuasive Superstitious Talented ‘herbalist’/’sorcerer’ Deceptive Paranoid Dark Sly/cunning/calculating Cynical

How is Natan knowledgeable?

Seems to have seen more than most people through traveling, healing, education Understands the power of language and uses it to his advantage, especially with Agnes ‘He always knew what to say to people; what would make them feel good. And what would cut

them deepest’ p.193 Well versed in the more unfamiliar areas of study, capable and knowledgeable in his areas of

healing and sorcery.

How is Natan cruel? He is opportunistic, willing to exploit the vulnerable for his own means Breaks the front legs of a fox in order to make it cry to kill his mother – establishes him as a

predator and his cruel nature Foreshadows the quick nature of his death at the hands of Agnes and contrasts Agnes’ nature with

his as hers was more merciful Very open about sleeping with both Sigga and Agnes, almost wants them to turn on each other,

which exposes his manipulative nature He is emotionally abusive and explosive, ‘what makes you think I wait until you’re asleep?’ p.287 ‘You’re cruel’ (Agnes to Natan)

KEY QUOTES

MARGRET

Confident Knowledgeable/intelligent ‘Cruel’ Temperamental Explosive/aggressive Mysterious Guarded Womaniser Powerful Atheist Arrogant

CHARACTERISTICS Remain static Change

Motherly figure Still dying Always protective

How is Margret fierce?

She is a defensive woman She is protective over her children, initially wants Agnes to stay away from her children Commanding Holds her ground, (e.g. demanding the shackles be taken off Agnes), particularly for a woman Fearless – due to dying? – is secure, as opposed to Agnes – perhaps only fearless in the moment.

How is Margret compassionate? Becomes more of a motherly figure to Agnes Even before she knows Agnes and sees her as a criminal, she cleans her up, removes the shackles

etc. She gives Agnes the nice clothing and brooch for her execution Sits with Agnes after Agnes runs out from the smell of the burning hair. Sees Agnes as a person, not as her actions.

KEY QUOTES

BLONDAL

Opinion of Agnes Her health deteriorates Her hard exterior dissolves Protectiveness shifts to Agnes Learns to empathise with Agnes

CHARACTERISTICS Pompous He remains static in character throughout the

novel Egotistical Powerful A bully – gets joy out of belittling others,

‘bemused’ by Steina/Lauga Superficial

How is Blondal self important?

He shows disdain towards those he considers inferior – he judges them by their material possessions, rather than their morality or intelligence – he treats them with ‘bemusement’

He is arrogant towards Lauga and Steina, refuses to eat their food and lacks sympathy towards their fear of housing Agnes – emphasises his self-importance

Blondal can be likened to a god (condemning Agnes) – this highlights his power/perceived power over/to Agnes, which therefore feeds his sense of self-importance

He is responsible for taking Agnes’ life He is the face of the system that Agnes is fighting – creates a sense of arrogance/self-importance

How is Blondal indifferent to suffering? Kent highlights Blondal’s concern over the financial costs of the trial, the imprisonments and the

executions, and additionally his determination to make an example of Agnes, which ultimately paints him as an impersonal political figure, lacking any compassion.

Kent contrasts Agnes’ emotional farewell with the family and Toti, with Blondal’s distant and official language in the final documents of the novel to match Blondal’s detachment, officiousness and formality.

Treatment of Agnes is politically driven, he lacks compassion and a sense of justice.

KEY QUOTES

‘Honourable’ Impersonal Judgemental Condescending Patronising Proud Respected

STEINA & LAUGA

CHARACTERISTICS STEINA I CHARACTERISTICS LAUGA

How is Steina compassionate? I How is Steina less capable?

How is Lauga hostile? I How is Lauga socially aware?

KEY QUOTES

SYMBOLS AND METAPHORS

RAVENS

p.37 ravens – symbols of death/ill-fate to come, playing and toying with death (imagines feeding them) – at this point death has more freedom than her life, ‘watches the birds’ (younger Agnes) – fascinated with death? Aware (as a child) that her life may not have been good Boy drowns – ‘raven had known’ – they don’t cause it, the ill-fate finds you, ravens = warning (but you don’t always know what will happen)Illugustadir – her fascination with ravens deepens and darkens, more significantwisdom and kindness quote – mirrors how she feels about Natan, reflects her story (sharp & full of insight)

p.40 ravens - ‘flock of ravens’ ‘looked like ashes’- night of murder, shows how much her actions are playing on Margret’s mind, all Margret can focus on is Agnes as a murderer. ‘Conspiracy’ ‘unkindness’ – is what Agnes did a conspiracy or an unkind action?

p.43 – ravens – ravens present shows that meeting Toti is a significant moment (foreshadows their r/ship), ultimately Toti can’t save her, she is alone at the end, just her and the ravens (death).

p.77 – proof that she can trust them and that they will bring her some form of happiness, even for her a good omen is tainted with death/darkness/ravens.

STONES

p.36 ‘they can pocket me in the earth like a stone’This is where she will end up, dehumanization, Agnes can see the value that they see in her (in that she has no value), Agnes has been suppressed (like a stone in the earth). Stones cannot be moved by themselves, they rely on others around them – this symbolises that from here on Agnes has no control over her life, she is a puppet to the wind and those in power.

p.71 – Agnes’ last connection to her mother, stone in her mouth also symbolises her story and keeping it inside of herp.77 – represents Agnes’ ability to communicate with others, Steina’s nickname means stone – she is the first to offer friendship

LANDSCAPE/SETTING Prologue/Chapter 1

- Blowing out like a candle – weak, disposable, fragile, controlled by others, vulnerable- ‘Ache of winter’ ‘cold’ – literally is cold, however winter is also depressing and affects her

emotionally, she has had better times

p.18 ‘In the winter the Stora-Borg folk were as imprisoned as I’ – the weather controls them, it

traps/imprisons them, the weather dictates their lives.

p.36-37 – people there are kinder in the valley (‘rocks give way to grass’), can symbolise Margret (tough, sharp, but even she can show sympathy), ‘flies’ – people everywhere are drawn to her out of curiosity, even though they are small irritations, she doesn’t have the power to stop. ‘Sea is a nag’ – noisy, can’t control, gets angry easily – symbolises how her story spreads, Natan, also just reminds her of Illugustadir.

p.43 – Margret’s environment – Margret is tough, yet her environment reflects her despair, life is a struggle, she pauses to reflect on her wants, struggles & feelings.

p.69 ‘sky will cover me with her rough, grey hand’ – even if she does escape (freedom), she cannot ultimately be free, captured by the dark, looming sky (her fate). p.70 ‘winter comes like a punch in the dark’ – cowardly act (winter attacking a defenseless opponent), winter is dark (literally), Agnes must be use to things coming her way like this (as she would be used to ‘Winter’) – not an injustice, but an unfortunate incident (as she is so used to bad things happening)

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

p. 26 – Lauga’s ‘small’ voice comes from ‘dark corner of the room’ – her opinion matters less, also hints at her future feelings towards Agnes – ‘dark’p.29 – ‘they leave me in the dark, deny me light’ – they are the ones making her miserable, denying her basic human rights and treating her like an animal, dehumanization, associated to her crime – condemned to death/darknessp.32 – Toti – physical light appearing – reflection on the change in Toti (dread dissipates), also foreshadows the light he will bring to Agnes

FIRE

p. 22 – symbolic (anger, lack of control, heat, passion) and (rejuvenation, growth) – start of new era

ENTIRE BOOK

THEMES

Themes handout: Students get a copy and have to order the top themes of the text explaining how and why. E.g.:

o Losso Forgiveness/redemptiono Justiceo Relationships/belongingo Society/power/prejudiceo The way the past shapes the futureo Nature

Get students to find synonyms for each (to avoid repetition) and quotes. CHARACTERS

Character comparisons: Using the character cards students have to pair similar characters up and explain why they are similar, also characters that fit into the same themes etc.

Predisposition: We are predisposed to feel certain ways towards certain characters. Discuss what we are predisposed to feel towards and how this is achieved?

AgnesNatan

Fridrick (hatred) etc.

Motivations: use the motivations handouts to discuss different characters’ motivations.

SYMBOLS AND IMAGERY

Discuss the use of stones, ravens, wind, fire, snow etc in the book. Symbol circles are helpful with this where students look at first what each symbol represents in everyday life and then relate to the book.

Raven imagery handoutNature, similies and metaphors handout.

RESPONSE: How does the use of natural imagery become such a vital part of Agnes Magnúsdóttir’s story?

FULL CIRLCE

Discuss the narrative structure:- We know she has murdered at the start, so we have the whole novel to forgive her- If it started with her life, would you feel the same?- If we know the crime, we have time to forgive them and come to terms with them as a person- Think about the crimes bluntly and how does the narrative structure influence how you feel

towards them.- Agnes’ crime is worse, but you sympathise with her more.- We know the crime so we’re looking for something – - You are looking for justification for why throughout the story – you want to forgive her – you

want her version of events to be trueLITERARY DEVICES

Historical material:

Matter of fact nature that is emotionally reductive (e.g. her number of belongings) – each chapter opens really dry, unemotional – what they’re going to do with the axe afterwards etc – so it means we want to

sympathise with her – how do they prepare us for the emotional retelling?/

First person and title: Use p.8 of ‘How to Teach’ pdf.

Language and style: P.74 of VATE Burial Rites pdf.

KENT’S PURPOSE

- What is the purpose of the author – fictional account v. historical is a great activity to help- Here is a woman who we know what she has done, and Kent is trying to give a voice to the

voiceless- Use in introductions- Open with Kent’s purpose in writing and then go into topic- Students understand the greater perspective- Do this activity and then get them to write an introduction (most others you’d get them to write a

body paragraph)

RELIABLE NARRATOR

Important that they understand how first person influences us- They read a lot of first person, they are not exposed to third person narrative- First person is not also accurate/reliable- Agnes sometimes seems to know about things she wasn’t involved in, there are significant gaps,

she only shows one side.- Do they trust the narrator?- Dry factual accounts and highly biased personal accounts – how do we find the truth within this?

Agnes as narrator PDF.

THE PLIGHT OF THE INDIVIDUAL-EXISTENTIALISM: DISCUSSION POINTS FROM VATE PPT

- The struggle of the individual against society is highlighted in the prologue.- This arguably establishes ‘Burial Rites’ as an existential text.- In many ways the individual has few rights. Agnes’ death is seen as a ‘victory for justice’(p.16)- Agnes’ relationship with Natan was a reprieve from the meaningless of life haunting her- The relationship was an end to the ‘stifling ordinariness of existence’(p.221)- Natan ‘broke the very yolk of [her] soul’(p.221)

- When Margret says: 'We're all shipwrecked’ (p.248) encapsulates an existential philosophy at the core of the text.

A POST-MODERNIST TEXT: DISCUSSION POINTS FROM VATE PPT

- Here are some examples of stylistic techniques that are often used in postmodern literature: - Pastiche: The taking of various ideas from previous writings and literary styles and pasting them

together to make new styles. (Gothic/Victorian novels such as ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Tess of the D'Urbervilles)

- Intertextuality: The acknowledgment of previous literary works within another literary work. (documents, poems, letters)

- Metafiction: The act of writing about writing or making readers aware of the fictional nature of the very fiction they're reading. (Agnes’ unreliable narrative-admits she lied in court)

- Temporal Distortion: The use of non-linear timelines and narrative techniques in a story. (multiple narrators, some unreliable)

- Minimalism: The use of characters and events which are decidedly common and non-exceptional characters. (Agnes is a pauper)

- Maximalism : Disorganised, lengthy, highly detailed writing. (Barren Landscapes and Northern Lights)

- Magical Realism: The introduction of impossible or unrealistic events into a narrative that is otherwise realistic. (Stone, ravens)

- Faction: The mixing of actual historical events with fictional events without clearly defining what is factual and what is fictional. (Kent acknowledges that some documents are fictional)

- Reader Involvement: Often through direct address to the reader and the open acknowledgment of the fictional nature of the events being described. (‘This is what I tell the Reverend’)

A FEMINIST READING: DISCUSSION POINTS FROM VATE PPT

- In many ways, female characters have their opportunities limited by their gender.- Factors determining the mobility of characters are: wealth, education, appearance, reputation,

lineage. They restrict female characters in ways not imposed on male character.- Kent is clearly interested in the stereotypical portrayal of Agnes as "this scheming, scorned

woman…. It's the idea of women as either monsters or angels, with no middle ground," - So Kent set about to present Agnes as more than her gender and bestows her with complexity

established largely through Agnes’ first person narrative.-- Kent: “It's not like I set out to write a feminist novel. I just wanted to write a novel where the

characters' strength was a direct result of their necessary stoicism in the face of so much hostility.“

- Thus, Kent aims to celebrate the admirable response of characters constricted by an oppressive patriarchal system.

SETTING

Setting facilitating truth:- Agnes’ and Toti’s conversations can be overheard by the family and their servants because of the

badstofa – a traditional communal sleeping room. - It is in this atmosphere of oppression and stifling communal life, Agnes’ moral and ethical

dilemmas are aired, and independent reader’s judgements begin to be formed.

Setting facilitates character:- Kent often establishes character through setting.- Against the backdrop of the vast and unyielding landscape, Kent juxtaposes many of the novel’s

scenes through badstofas where the characters represent a microcosm of Icelandic society. - Emerging from this stifling communal life are the few individuals -Reverend Tóti, Margrét and

Agnes herself — who challenge societal norms and beliefs.

Characters facilitate setting:- Family at Kornsa are fundamental to the setting. The tension created by Agnes’ presence create

both division and ultimately unification where Agnes is made an honorary member of the family.- The earnestness of the family provides a platform from where the story can be told as Agnes

decides to tell it. - Although there may be some embellishment and some omission the opportunity for truth is

unencumbered by social, political and religious constraints.