HERTHA

Author: Fredrika Bremer
Year: 2020 (1856)
Publisher: Svenska Vitterhetssamfundet
Language: Swedish 

Anybody who has cared to ask, should know that I am not an undivided supporter of literary canon. No matter how you slice it, it will be exclusive and narrow, or if you make it more comprehensive, it is soon rendered meaningless. And yet, I hereby submit, contradictory as it may be, that every resident of Haninge municipality where Fredrika Bremer’s residence Årsta Castle is located, ought to read at least one of her works; and in particular her most famous one “Hertha” from 1856.

“Hertha” is often celebrated as a foundational text in the Swedish women’s rights movement. The story follows Hertha, a young woman trapped by her father’s authority and by laws that deny her legal independence, education, and meaningful work. Under the 1734 Civil Code, unmarried women in Sweden were treated as perpetual minors under the guardianship of male relatives, limiting their legal capacity to work, own property, or make decisions about their own lives. Unlike her peers, who are more concerned about getting married and avoiding scandals, Hertha finds it impossible to accept her fate. She demands change; not only for herself, but for all women in King Oskar I’s dual monarchy.

Beneath the most obvious romantic and dramatic narrative, “Hertha” is, however, a sophisticated political treatise*, only thinly disguised as fiction. Through her protagonist and key supporting characters such as Yngve and Rudolph, Bremer crafts a forceful critique of the social and legal structures that limited women’s autonomy in mid-19th century Sweden, while simultaneously offering a vision for reform that is both rational and morally sound.

A critical figure in amplifying this argument is Yngve whose role is central in demonstrating Bremer’s vision of a society in which men support women’s rights. Yngve is not portrayed as a revolutionary, nor as a mere romantic interest. He is a morally and intellectually engaged participant in the broader social debate. His respect for Hertha’s autonomy illustrates an essential point: men’s support of women’s rights is not a threat to their masculinity, authority, or social power. On the contrary, Yngve embodies the idea that enlightened men have a vested interest in promoting justice and equity. By affirming Hertha’s agency and moral insight, he models how a man can act as an ally without diminishing his own stature or influence.

What makes Hertha particularly convincing is her insistence on constructive change rather than simple rebellion. The way the societies in Sweden and other Nordic countries were transformed in the 20^th century by social reforms, contrasted many other at the time by their emphasis on peaceful and gradual transformation, rather than radical and violent revolutions (see review of “What is Social Democracy” from November 2025). Fredrika Bremer foreshadows that ambition in her writing and holds it up as a preferred vehicle for lasting change. Hertha’s struggle is framed not in terms of personal vengeance or overturning social order, but as a reasoned plea for structural reform. She challenges the legal guardianship system and the social expectation that women must remain dependent, but she does so through reflection, argumentation, and moral appeal rather than impulsive action. Explicitly so, as when presented with an offer to bring her father in front of a judge to force him to grant her autonomy, she refuses.

Bremer drives her point home early in the novel by introducing the character of Rudolph, Hertha’s distant relative. Contrary to Hertha’s, Rudolph’s actions are designed to liberate them from the oppressive father by force. Not only does the path of violence that Rudolph chooses fail to solve the problem, it moreover creates unimaginable destruction and, ultimately, his own defeat. Bremer’s message could not have been clearer.

Bremer’s use of surnames in the novel carries another powerful symbolic weight, particularly through bird imagery. Hertha’s surname, Falk (Falcon) evokes strength, freedom, and agency, emphasizing her aspiration for autonomy and moral elevation. This symbolism recurs with other characters: minor female characters often bear names suggestive of small birds, representing potential, delicacy, or the societal constraints placed upon them. Owls, cocks and other feathered animals are similarly utilised for different effects. By weaving bird imagery into the naming structure, Bremer creates a thematic network in which characters’ identities reflect their moral or social roles. Flight and freedom are not merely personal desires but symbolic markers of agency of all womankind, linking Hertha’s personal quest to broader social reconfiguration. Even birds unaware of their ability to fly, ought to have the liberty to do so.

The novel’s political strategy is further enhanced by Bremer’s literary techniques. The narrative alternates between Hertha’s personal experience and broader social observation, allowing readers to engage emotionally while also absorbing analytical critique. Bremer’s attention to Hertha’s internal life, her reflections on morality, education, and the limitations imposed upon her, transforms the novel into a vehicle for social argument. Every moment of personal frustration is carefully linked to systemic issues, from legal guardianship to marriage customs, illustrating the interplay between individual suffering and societal structures. Some sections, although framed as dialogue, read like lectures or info-dumps.

In the end, when all facts and declarations have been identified, established, and elaborated on, more than anything else it is Hertha’s very self: intelligent, morally unbreakable, steadfast, and rational; that embodies the main argument why women can be nothing but equal to men.

 

 

*This is amplified by the appendix that followed the book, containing a factual breakdown of the legal situation in Sweden at the time, complete with recent court decisions on the matter of women’s rights and the written arguments issued by the judges in support of their verdicts.