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Sorry for Disturbing You

In: English and Literature

Submitted By Nanna123
Words 1044
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Vi er lige stædige, og vi kæmper alle om den samme plads i hierarkiet. For at komme frem i verden må man til tider ofre sine sociale relationer og den nuværende tilværelse. At to kvinder kan hade hinanden så meget ligger ikke fjernt fra vores tid. August Strindberg har skrevet dramaet, som for første gang havde premiere i Danmark i 1889. Det var netop også i slutningen af 1800 tallet af Det moderne gennembrud fik set dagens lys, og det var her, en del forfattere gjorde op med den bundne kønsrollefordeling mellem kvinde og mand.

Dramaet tager udgangspunkt i en samtale mellem Frk. Y og Fru. X, hvis man kan kalde det en samtale. Det er nemlig gennem hele forløbet, Fru. X der fører ordet, og Frk. Y, også kaldet Amalie, nikker blot.
Dramaet finder sted på en lille café. De to forhenværende veninder møder tilfældigvis hinanden juleaften på caféen, hvor Fru. Y sidder alene ved et bord, med en flaske øl, halvt drukket. Her træder Frk. X så ind, og allerede ved første indtryk får læseren en særdeles klar overbevisning om, at hun lever et overklasse liv, med hus, mand og børn; ”Hun er vinterklædt i hat og frakke og har en smuk japansk kurv over armen”.(Den stærkeste, s. 1). Dette er modsat Fru. Y, som tilbringer juleaften helt alene på den lille café. Fru X er meget snaksagelig, og fører hele tiden ordet. Hun virker til at have det perfekte liv. Hun viser julegaverne frem til børnene og hendes mand, hun er stolt, og holder sig ikke tilbage. Dette ændrer sig hurtigt, da man finder ud af, at hendes mand Bob og Frk. Y har haft en affære. Da Fru X får snakket sig frem til den konklusion, ændrer hun sit ellers nydelige sprog; ”Du sidder derinde i dit hjørne – ved du, det kaldes ”Rottefælden” på grund af dig”(Den stærkeste, s. 4).
Med replikken; ”Jamen, kæreste Amalie! Sidder du her alene juleaften – som en stakkels pebersvend!” er starten på et dramatisk drama, med jalousi, utroskab og ulykkelig kærlighed.
Som dramaet udvikler sig, får man et indtryk af, at Frk. X ikke er lige så perfekt og pletfri, som man først havde på fornemmelsen.

Det er to vidt forskellige kvinder, vi får repræsenteret i dramaet ”Den stærkeste”. Det er to modsætninger, som alligevel har indgået et venskab. Fru. X er den prestige fyldte kvinde, der ligger stor vægt på familielivet, gaveindkøb, børnene og ferier. Hun er stolt over sin mand, og på det ydre virker alt perfekt. Frk. Y er den mere selvstændige kvinde, som endda har gjort det forbi med sin gifte mand, og nu sidder tilbage på den lille café, ensom. Som dramaet forløber, kommer Fru. X alligevel frem til, at hendes mand og Frk. Y muligvis har været tiltrukket af hinanden. Som læser får man dog aldrig det bekræftet, men læser man mellem linjerne, er det tydeligt, at et eller andet har der været mellem Frk. Y og Bob. Fru. X bliver vred, og hun holder sig ikke tilbage. Hun virker vred på Frk. Y, men inderst inde er hun måske mest ked af det på hendes egne vegne. Hun føler et stort tabt, når det kommer til hendes identitet og personlighed. Hendes mand har, uden hun bemærkede det, lavet langsomt om på hende så hun kom til at eje Frk. Y’s normer og værdier; ”Og vi skulle bo ved Mälarn om sommeren, fordi du ikke brød dig om havet. Og min dreng skulle absolut hedde Eskil, fordi din far hed Eskil. Det var derfor jeg skulle gå rundt i dine farver, læse dine forfattere, spise dine livretter og drikke det, du drak – chokolade for eksempel” (Den stærkeste, s. 4).
Hvis man dykker ind i historien, og ligger vægt på navnene Frk. X og Fru. Y, er X og Y muligvis ikke valgt helt tilfældigt. Man kan sætte det i perspektivering til matematikkens verden. X og Y udgør til sammen en ligning, men på den anden side fuldstændig modsætter. Selvom de er stik modsatte, er de dog i sidste ende afhængige af hinanden.

Den måde, som August Strindberg har formet hele dramaet på, ligger enormt meget vægt på det sagte og det usagte. Det sagte er Fru. X, som gennem hele dramaet fører ordet, og det usagte er Frk. Y, som gennem Fru X’s udtagelser kommer med miner og spøjse lyde. Dette gør at læser gennem dramaet, hele tiden må vente på modstand fra Frk. Y’s side. Dette sker dog aldrig. Selvom man lærer Frk. Y at kende gennem Fru X’s udtagelser, lærer man hende utrolig godt at kende. Selvom hun ingen replikker har, får man et stærkt billede af hende som person. Der er hele tiden den her kamp mellem de to kvinder, og det er der, selve navnet til dramaet kommer ind i billedet; ”Den stærkeste”. For hvem er den stærkeste? Der er flere forskellige måder at være ”stærk” på. Man kan være stærk fysisk, man kan være stærk indvendig og man kan være stærk når det kommer til udholdenhed. De to kvinder er stærke på hver deres måde. Fru X er offensiv og virker stærk, når det kommer til, at kæmpe for hvad man elsker; ”Når alt kommer til alt, du, så er jeg måske i dette øjeblik virkelig den stærkeste – du fik jo aldrig vristet noget fra mig” (Den stærkeste, s. 5). Frk. Y er stærk, når det kommer til at holde ud selv i de svære tider.
Den status begge kvinder søger i samfundet, er beskrevet med en del metaforer på dyreriget; ”Din sjæl krøb ind i min som en orm i æblet og åd og åd, gravede og gravede, indtil kun skrællen var tilbage og en smule sort støv! Jeg vil flygte fra dig, men jeg kunne ikke. Du lå som slangen og lammede mig med dine sorte øjne – jeg fornemmede, hvordan fangarme nærmede sig for at trække mig nedad” (Den stærkeste, s. 4). Dette får en til at referere til den kamp, som også udspiller sig i dyreriget. Den konstante søgen og kamp om status styret af de drifter som påvirker os. Dette påviser titlen også ”Den stærkeste”. Darwins teori ”Survival of the fittest” som netop repræsenterer deres indbyrdes kamp om overlevelse og søgen på en mage.

Nanna Petersen – 2.y

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