Hjalmar Bergman

Generally regarded as the finest dramatist Sweden has produced since Strindberg, Hjalmar Bergman is a conspicuous example of the writer who is obsessed by a single motive. In his case the motive was the fear of father, and his entire dramatic production may be viewed as little more than variations on this theme. However, in tracing this theme through the plays of Bergman, I am less interested in showing the development of a personality than in revealing the struggles of an artist as he seeks a form in which he can not only express his personal feelings but get a wide audience to share those feelings openly with him. Born in 1883, Bergman was a sickly, weak, fat, and extremely sensitive child, the butt of his playmates’ jokes. His father was a stern, successful, small-town businessman who completely dominated the thought and activities of young Hjalmar.