selma lagerlof Swedens foremost storyteller first woman to

selma lagerlof • Sweden’s foremost storyteller • first woman to receive the Nobel Prize for literature • loved folktales • main theme: reconciling desire for happiness with desire for integrity

King Gustaf III of Sweden

structure I. Discovery of the silver mountain. II. Result of the discovery a. Negative: pursuit of material wealth i. Innkeeper Stensson (drunken driving) ii. Israel Persson (suicide) iii. Two Brothers: Olaf and Eric Svard (Olaf hanged for murdering his brother. ) iv. Parishioners—idleness and drunkenness

structure b. Positive: rejection of material wealth i. Decision of the parson: 1. Not to use money from the mine. 2. Not to tell the location of the mine. ii. Decision of the villagers: Not to continue their search iii. Decision of the king: Not to accept the offer of wealth

contrasts/ Parallels Integrity of the villagers Corruption of the army Past local strife Threatened international strife

similarities Similarities between the peasants and their king Both believed money could solve problems. Both realized its corrupting power. Both learned that people are more important than things.

Differences • The peasants happened upon riches. The king was seeking wealth. • The peasants learned through experience. The king learned through the experiences of others. • The peasants fell to the temptations of wealth and suffered. The king was protected from error and pain.

overall theme Because of man’s nature, even those who are ordinarily ethical are likely to succumb to the corrupting power of excessive wealth.