great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

“JEAN: As Miss Julie commands. I’m here to serve. (4)”

“JULIE: That’s true, I am the lowliest–the lowliest of the lowly. Oh, now I can’t go. Tell me once more that I must go. (33)”

 In my opinion, Strindberg contradicts himself in the character Miss Julie. Class and gender are major themes through out the play. It is contradicting because in my first quote, Julie has all of the authority and power. Julie is superior to Jean in terms of class because he is Julie’s valet. On the other hand, in terms of gender Jean is superior to Julie because he is a man and she is a woman. She is asking for his help in making her decision, because she cannot make it on her own. Power is constantly shifting during the play.

I think Strindberg uses the term half-woman to define Miss Julie. She is a woman with a self-destructive personality and mixed feelings toward men. He described her as a man-hating half-woman which I think has a lot to do with her relationship with her father.