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

In Strindberg’s introduction to “Miss Julie,” it is evident that Strindberg regards women as inferior towards men. No matter how hard a woman tries, she will never reach a level that is equal to men. Strindberg labels Jean as a “half-woman,” and writes how her hatred towards men ultimately leads to her downfall. I believe that Strindberg’s evaluation of Miss Julie represents Miss Julie in the play. After Jean decapitates Miss Julie’s pet canary, Miss Julie lashes out ,”Oh, I should like to see your blood flowing–to see your brain on the chopping block, all your sex swimming in a sea of blood (28).” This illustrates how Miss Julie hates the opposite race so much to the point that she would like them to all be extinguished. Another quote which exemplifies her extreme hatred towards men is when she tells Jean ,”And it is due to my father’s training that I have learned to scorn my own sex” (32). This quote demonstrates how due to her upbringing, Miss Julie realizes that women are the inferior sex, which could explain her hatred towards men as written by Strindberg.