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Laura Fitinghoffs Barnen ifrån Frostmofjället

Abstract

Among Peasant Children, Laplanders, and Rectory Girls: Laura Fitinghoff’s Barnen ifrån Frostmofjället

Laura Fitinghoff’s Barnen ifrån Frostmofjället (1907) is one of the first Swedish children’s books to depict the life of working class children in the northern parts of the country. This article argues that Fitinghoff’s novel aims to broaden the scope of contemporary children’s literature through the description of Sweden’s cultural and ethnic diversity. Simultaneously, the novel serves a nationalistic project; outlining the creation of the ideal citizen. Through a discussion of nationalistic features, educational norms and images of childhood, I wish to show that Barnen ifrån Frostmofjället problematizes middle class conceptions of childhood. Rather than a universal or timeless condition, childhood is portrayed as a varied experience defined by class, ethnicity and gender. At the same time, the novel formulates a set of common values stressing religious devotion, sobriety, industriousness, cleanliness and patriotism. These character traits are put forward as desirable in all people, regardless of social background, and are the result of a proper upbringing rather than economic wealth.