Class Conflict: Strindberg’s experiences with class tensions in Sweden
during the late 19th century heavily influenced Miss Julie. The play reflects
his disdain for the aristocracy, and its portrayal of Miss Julie’s downfall
mirrors his belief in the inevitability of class collapse.
Gender Issues: Strindberg’s turbulent relationships with women,
including multiple difficult marriages, deeply shaped his views on gender.
He often expressed misogynistic tendencies, which are evident in Miss
Julie, where Julie’s character is depicted as psychologically unstable,
struggling with her sexuality and societal expectations.
Mental Health Struggles: Strindberg went through periods of intense
emotional and mental turmoil, which translated into his writing. Miss Julie
explores the darker sides of human nature, including mental instability,
self-destruction, and existential crises, themes likely influenced by his own
psychological struggles.
Influence of Naturalism: Strindberg was deeply influenced by the
naturalist movement, which emphasized the deterministic power of
environment and heredity on human behavior. In Miss Julie, these themes
play out in the way characters’ actions are driven by primal,
uncontrollable urges, shaped by their class and upbringing.
August Strindberg was a Swedish playwriter known for his exploration of
human psychology and naturalism. He often drew inspiration from his own
life experiences. These included his childhood, life in school, marriages
and emotional struggles. This is evident in his writing as he often depicts
environments similar to those that he has lived through.
often drawing from his own tumultuous personal life. His play Miss Julie
reflects his own experiences with class tensions, failed marriages, and
emotional struggles. The characters embody themes of power dynamics,
class conflict, and gender roles, all of which Strindberg had intensely
experienced. His exploration of naturalism in Miss Julie mirrors his belief in
heredity and environment shaping human behavior, ideas deeply
influenced by his personal crises and mental breakdowns.
Prioritise: Select 10 things that you learn about Strindberg that can
be seen as being directly linked to Miss Julie.
1. Strindbergs works explored themes of power dynamics and class struggles in Miss
Julie, often reflecting upon his own beliefs with the social herirachy system.
2. His usage of autobiographical writing displayed his social relationships through his
life. Specifically, it is believed that he references his failed marriages and that
influences his portrayal of gender relationships.
3. Strindberg potrays his misogynistic views in Miss Julie by showing female characters
as manipulative
4. He believed in the inevitability of personal and societal collapse, seen in the tragic
fates of Miss Julie’s characters.
His writing in
5. His personal struggles with existentialism and meaning are echoed in the
protagonist’s crisis in Miss Julie.
6. Strindberg’s interest in expressionism is seen in his use of symbolic elements and
emotional depth.
7. He had a complex relationship with his childhood, shaping his depiction of class
conflicts.
8. Strindberg’s depression and emotional instability, especially during the "Inferno
Crisis," can be reflected in Miss Julie’s tragic tone.
9. His critique of aristocratic society resonates through Julie’s fall from privilege.
10. Strindberg’s fascination with societal decay, likely inspired by his own dissatisfaction
with his time’s social order, is central to Miss Julie’s themes.
What does the information you have read on Strindberg suggest
about his life?
How does Strindberg’s life connect to the attitudes we see from
characters in Miss Julie? Why might these attitudes be present?
