Björnson, in his masterly character delineations, seldom produces
portraits. He gives the reader suggestive glimpses often enough and of
the right quality and arrangement to produce a full and vigorous
conception of his characters. His female parts are especially well
done. His characters present themselves to the reader by unique
thinking and choice expressions. Students should analyze _The Father_
for this phase of character building. Note also the simplicity of the
words, sentences, paragraphs, and complete story arrangement, the
author's originality of story conception and expression, his short,
passionate, panting sentences, the poetic atmosphere that sweetens and
enriches his virile writing, and the correct, religious pictures he
paints of his beloved northland.
After having read a number of selections from Björnson, students will
see that he has a wonderful breadth of treatment for every imaginable
subject. He is so universal in his choice of subjects that Lemaître in
his _Impressions of the Theatre_ half-humorously and half-ironically
puts these words in Björnson's mouth, "I am king in the spiritual
kingdom," and "there are two men in Europe who have genius, I and
Ibsen, granting that Ibsen has it."