This summary is of the short story "The Father" by Bjornstjerne Bjornson: Thord Overaas visits the local priest four times regarding his son Finn - to baptize him, for his first communion, to publish wedding banns as Finn plans to marry, and finally after Finn's death by drowning in a lake. After Finn's death, a humble Thord sells his farm and donates half the money to the poor, having learned the importance of appreciating life and family.

1. “THE FATHER”
By: Bjornstjerne Bjornson
Buletic │ Hermias

2. Bjornstjerne Bjornson
Born 8 December 1832
Kvikne, Norway
Died 26 April 1910 (aged 77)
Paris, France
Occupation Poet, novelist, playwright, ly
ricist
Nationality Norwegian
Notable award(s) Nobel Prize in Literature
1903

3. •was the son of a Norwegian pastor
•was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in
Literature laureate.
•is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian
writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and
Alexander Kielland.
Bjornstjerne Bjornson

4. Summary
The Short Story Father is about a man who
was the wealthiest and most influential person in his
parish. A peasant, Thord Overaas, visits his priest
four times.
The first time he asks that his son, Finn, be
baptized by himself. Sixteen years later Thord pays
the priest ten dollars, for Finn to stand first for
communion.

5. Summary
Third when Thord requested that the banns
may be published for his son when he is about to
marry Karen Storliden, daughter of Gudmund, the
riches girl in parish. Thord pays the priest three
dollars.
Soon the father and son were rowing across
the lake, to Storliden to make arrangements for the
wedding.

6. Summary
His son stood up to straighten the seat in
which he was sitting but suddenly the board slipped
under him and fell.
Thord visits the priest for the last time but
not for his pleasures now. Thord has sold his farm,
and presents half of its price to be given to the poor.

7. Characters
•Thord Overaas
-the father of Finn
•Finn Overaas
-the son of Thord
•The priest

8. Settings and Theme
•Setting
-Lake, where Finn Overaas died
•Theme
-Life is short, learn to value your life and the
lives of the people around you.

9. •Point of View
-Detached Omniscient
•Conflict
-Man vs. Himself
Conflict and Point of view

10. •Characteristics of the Father Before the death of Finn:
-Proud
-Arrogant
-Fearless
•Characteristics of the Father after the death of Finn
-Humble
-Kind
Epiphany (Thord)

11. Analysis
•Who is the Father? Thord? Finn? Priest?
- Thord is the father in the story who shows
fatherly love to his son Finn.
•Why Thord’s son was named Finn?
-Thord named his son Finn, it wasn’t only
because that was his father’s name, but because
it foreshadowed Finn’s death. Finn died from
drowning in a lake, and fish swim in lakes as well
as they have “fins”.

12. Analysis
•What do you mean by the following passage spoken
by the priest?
“God grant that the child may become a blessing
to you!”
-In saying this the priest shrewdly implied to the
father that his child is a piece of good fortune for
him and his future. Also, that the child will teach
him something of great importance within the
time they have allotted together.

13. Analysis
“I think at last your son has brought you a true
blessing.”
-It says that because of his sons death, the man
learned to love his son, and learned to value how
short life may be. As well as he learned to value
others lives as well as his own.

14. Quotable quotes…
4 years: My Daddy can do anything!
7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot.
8 years: My father does not know quite everything.
12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know
that either.
14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-
fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of date!

15. Quotable quotes…
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not
much.
30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.
35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad's idea
first.
50 years: What would Dad have thought about
that?
60 years: My Dad knew literally everything!
65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once
more

16. Thank you!
Prepared by: Justin Leah B. Buletic & Stella Amor P. Hermias