Strindberg Miss Julie Analysis

Many literary classics explore the way in which fate is inevitable. August Strindberg’s infamously controversial play Miss Julie, written in 1888, pertains to that specific group of literary classics. His play tells the story of Julie, the daughter of a count and a commoner, who is driven by a desire to be apart of the lower social class. Overcome by her physical sexual needs but also the temptation of lowering herself socially, she goes to bed with her servant, Jean. This series of events leads to her suicide at the closing of the play. Through the characterization of Julie, Strindberg shows that humans can make choices, however these choices will only prolong their inevitable fate. This unavoidable fate of the protagonist creates strong sympathy in the audience. The playwright effectively foreshadows this unavoidable fate for Miss Julie through her mother’s psychological instabilities, her mother’s relationship with her lover and her father’s weak character.

Strindberg created a character that is driven by hereditary tendencies. Miss Julie’s mother is one of the most prominent absent characters of the play and holds a strong power over her daughter’s personality and
In this era, beer was considered to be drunk by the lower class while wine was considered to be drunk by the higher class. For example, when Miss Julie asks Jean what there is to drink he answers, “Just beer, I think” (77). To that she responds, “What do you mean ‘just’? I’ve simple tastes; I prefer it to wine” (77). In this time period Miss Julie would normally be looked down upon by another member of the same class as her as they are the only ones who can afford wine and did not wish to have many similarities between them and their servants. She is indeed part of the high class but does not have money for her own, which is what keeps her from running away from the unjust society she lives