The Stronger By August Srindberg

The Stronger is a theatrically, intriguing piece of fiction by August Strindberg. A poignant one-act play with two women: Mrs. X and Miss Amelie Y. The first line within the play sets the scene “The corner of a ladies' cafe. Two little iron tables, a red velvet sofa, several chairs.” (Project, n.d.)
Mrs. X is an indignant, talkative, married actress with possibly a couple of small children. It is Christmas Eve and she has been shopping for Christmas gifts. She stops at a small cafe, and sees acquaintance, Miss Amelie Y. Miss Amelie Y is an unmarried single actress, with apparently no significant other, or children. She is already in the cafe, reading and possibly enjoying a cup of chocolate.
Mrs. X is the protagonist in this play. She is the starting and ending point within this performance. She also does most of the speaking. Mrs. X shows a variety of emotions through this small one-act play. Her emotions go from disappointment, in the beginning (from seeing Miss Y all alone on Christmas Eve) to happiness (discussing the children’s gifts that she just purchased) to disdainfulness (when she states the last line of the play to Miss Y). She is haughty,
indignant, and uppity, but also a little lonesome and unsure of her husband’s true relationship motives and his love for her.
Miss Amelie Y is the antagonist within this momentarily interaction of a play.
She has very few lines within the one-act play, but her gestures and lack of speech speaks volumes for her. Her response to Mrs. X’s introduction states how she feels about this particular interaction. She looks up, politely nods, then returns to her reading. This kind of response silently states to Mrs. X that while Miss Y acknowledges her entrance, she does not particularly want to interact with her at this time. Miss Y does, however, interact with Mrs. X when push comes to shove. She loudly, and possibly a little obnoxiously, laughs and shrieks at the antics of Mrs. X’s mocking of her husband. With this peculiar exchange, we, the audience, gets the hint that there may be something underlining between Miss Y and Mrs. X’s husband,
Bob.
This interaction and the subsequent monologue that Mrs. X indigently gives regarding Bob and possibly Miss Y, gives the audience the underlying reason for the entire one-act play. It is conceivable to conclude that Miss Y has or had some kind of intimate relationship with Bob. A relationship that for some reason could not continue on to marriage, and therefore has to continue on in an extremely secretive manner. With this happenstance meeting on Christmas Eve, in a small café, Mrs. X comes to the realization of this continuous secretive manner between her husband, Bob and Miss Amelie Y.
Mrs. X final words in this one-act theatrical piece of fiction, is possibly the most powerful one: “Now I'm going home—and take the tulips with me—your tulips! You are unable to learn from another; you can't bend—therefore, you broke like a dry stalk. But I won't break! Thank you, Amelie, for all your good lessons. Thanks for teaching my husband how to love. Now I'm going home to love him”. She now is aware of the ugly secretive relationship, but will make the best of it, because she has all the power. She is married with the money, the status, the children, and also with the knowledge that Bob chose to marry and be with her.