How are the characters' identities affected by their social class in Miss Julie?

How are the characters' identities affected by their social class in Miss Julie?

How can a character be affected by its social class in a play? August Strindberg was a Swedish playwright who lived in the 1800s. He was majorly known as a playwright and is also known as the father of naturalism. His most famous play, Miss Julie, was written in 1888 and is about the controversial relationship between an aristocrat and a servant. TTherefore, it is evident that the author uses symbolism, monologue, and metaphors to transmit how the characters' identities are affected by their social class.

Firstly, a way in which the author demonstrates how the characters' identities are affected by their social class is through symbolism. This is evident in the following quote: “KRISTIN: Yes, it's sick. Diana sneaked out with the gatekeeper's mongrels and now something is wrong. Miss Julie can't stand that.” (Strindberg, 2009. p.2). In this quote, it is noticeable how the writer uses symbolism to explain the connection between the characters’ class and their identity. Kristin refers to someone named “Diana”, who is Miss Julie's dog, and says that she “sneaked out with the gatekeeper's mongrels”. The gatekeeper works in Miss Julie’s house and the mongrels are a mixed dog breed. Miss Julie is mad because Diana had sneaked out and was running around with the gatekeeper’s mongrels. So now Julie doesn't accept her dog simply because it is purebred, and she thinks it has been corrupted by a dirty mixed dog. It can also be seen as Julie rejecting her dog because it is from the higher class, and has played with a lower-class dog. Therefore, we can see that this character’s aristocratic status affects her identity, because her status makes her unaccepting of the lower class, as she thinks that they corrupt the upper classes' purity. The dog symbolizes a relationship between the higher and lower class, which Julie doesn’t approve of. This symbol, Diana, and her actions give the reader an insight into Julie’s cruel ideas and beliefs toward the lower class. The author uses this element to transmit this information to the reader while still leaving space for interpretation, therefore giving the chance to form their conclusions on Julie’s lower class disapproval.

Another way in which the writer shows how social status has an effect on the characters’ identities is via the use of monologues. This is apparent in the following quote: “JEAN: No, I dream that I'm lying in a dark wood under a tall tree and I would up--up to the top, where I can look far over the fair landscape, where the sun is shining. I climb--climb, to plunder the birds' nests up there where the golden eggs lie” (Strindberg, 2009. p.9). In this quote, it is clear how the author uses this monologue to expose how the characters' identities are affected by their class. Jean explains this dream to Julie in this monologue, but it has a deeper meaning. He describes a tall tree that he climbs to get the “golden eggs'' which lie at the top. This means that Jean dreams of belonging to the higher class. The golden eggs, which lie at the top of the tree, represent richness, and the tree represents Miss Julie because Jean wants to use Julie as a way to get out of the lower class and into the upper one. The author includes the repetitions “up--up” and “climb--climb” to emphasize that Jean wants to climb in social status. Strindberg also uses “where the sun is shining” to describe that Jean thinks the upper class is much better than his current status. Consequently, this character’s identity is affected by his inferior social status because it makes him want to grow socially and have the ambition to belong to the higher class. This is Jean’s objective throughout the play, and he sees Julie as a passage to get to the upper class. The author uses this monologue to directly communicate to the reader Jean’s goal, and therefore a way in which his identity is affected by his class. This makes the reader question Jean’s motives for why he wants to be with Julie.

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