Article #299-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Tales from Two Hemispheres, by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

The gate swung open and the pressure from behind urged the timid
traveler on, while an extra push from the gate-keeper sent him flying in
the direction of a board fence, where he sat down and tried to realize
that he was now in the land of liberty.

Halfdan Bjerk was a tall, slender-limbed youth of very delicate frame;
he had a pair of wonderfully candid, unreflecting blue eyes, a smooth,
clear, beardless face, and soft, wavy light hair, which was pushed back
from his forehead without parting. His mouth and chin were well cut, but
their lines were, perhaps, rather weak for a man. When in repose, the
ensemble of his features was exceedingly pleasing and somehow reminded
one of Correggio’s St. John. He had left his native land because he was
an ardent republican and was abstractly convinced that man, generically
and individually, lives more happily in a republic than in a monarchy.
He had anticipated with keen pleasure the large, freely breathing life
he was to lead in a land where every man was his neighbor’s brother,
where no senseless traditions kept a jealous watch over obsolete
systems and shrines, and no chilling prejudice blighted the spontaneous
blossoming of the soul.

Halfdan was an only child. His father, a poor government official, had
died during his infancy, and his mother had given music lessons, and
kept boarders, in order to gain the means to give her son what is
called a learned education. In the Latin school Halfdan had enjoyed the
reputation of being a bright youth, and at the age of eighteen, he had
entered the university under the most promising auspices. He could make
very fair verses, and play all imaginable instruments with equal ease,
which made him a favorite in society. Moreover, he possessed that very
old-fashioned accomplishment of cutting silhouettes; and what was more,
he could draw the most charmingly fantastic arabesques for embroidery
patterns, and he even dabbled in portrait and landscape painting.
Whatever he turned his hand to, he did well, in fact, astonishingly
well for a dilettante, and yet not well enough to claim the title of an
artist. Nor did it ever occur to him to make such a claim. As one of
his fellow-students remarked in a fit of jealousy, “Once when Nature had
made three geniuses, a poet, a musician, and a painter, she took all the
remaining odds and ends and shook them together at random and the result
was Halfdan Bjerk.” This agreeable melange of accomplishments, however,
proved very attractive to the ladies, who invited the possessor to
innumerable afternoon tea-parties, where they drew heavy drafts on his
unflagging patience, and kept him steadily engaged with patterns and
designs for embroidery, leather flowers, and other dainty knickknacks.
And in return for all his exertions they called him “sweet” and
“beautiful,” and applied to him many other enthusiastic adjectives
seldom heard in connection with masculine names. In the university,
talents of this order gained but slight recognition, and when Halfdan
had for three years been preparing himself in vain for the examen
philosophicum, he found himself slowly and imperceptibly drifting into
the ranks of the so-called studiosi perpetui, who preserve a solemn
silence at the examination tables, fraternize with every new generation
of freshmen, and at last become part of the fixed furniture of their
Alma Mater. In the larger American colleges, such men are mercilessly
dropped or sent to a Divinity School; but the European universities,
whose tempers the centuries have mellowed, harbor in their spacious
Gothic bosoms a tenderer heart for their unfortunate sons. There the
professors greet them at the green tables with a good-humored smile of
recognition; they are treated with gentle forbearance, and are allowed
to linger on, until they die or become tutors in the families of remote
clergymen, where they invariably fall in love with the handsomest
daughter, and thus lounge into a modest prosperity.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Tales from Two Hemispheres by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen**

This passage introduces Halfdan Bjerk, a young Norwegian immigrant arriving in America, presumably in the late 19th century. The excerpt is rich in characterization, irony, social commentary, and cultural contrast, reflecting broader themes of idealism vs. reality, the immigrant experience, and the limitations of talent without discipline. Below is a close analysis of the text, its literary devices, and its significance.

1. Context of the Source

Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen (1848–1895) was a Norwegian-American novelist, professor, and literary critic who immigrated to the U.S. in 1869. His works often explore Scandinavian-American identity, cultural displacement, and the clash between Old World traditions and New World opportunities. Tales from Two Hemispheres (1890) is a collection of short stories that contrast European and American life, often with satirical or melancholic undertones.

This excerpt likely comes from a story about Norwegian immigration to America, a common theme in Boyesen’s work. The late 19th century saw a wave of Scandinavian immigration to the U.S., driven by economic hardship, political disillusionment, and the promise of democratic freedom. Halfdan embodies the romanticized immigrant dream—only to have it subtly undercut by the narrator’s ironic tone.

2. Summary of the Excerpt

The passage begins with Halfdan physically and symbolically entering America—pushed through a gate by an unseen force, stumbling into the "land of liberty." The rest of the excerpt provides a detailed character sketch of Halfdan, emphasizing:

His physical and intellectual traits (delicate, artistic, charming but weak-willed).
His idealistic motivations for emigrating (a belief in republicanism and personal freedom).
His failed academic career in Norway (a "perpetual student" who never quite succeeds).
His social charm and artistic dilettantism (beloved by women but never a true artist).
The contrasting fates of such men in Europe vs. America (Europe tolerates them; America discards them).

3. Key Themes

A. The Immigrant’s Idealism vs. Reality

Halfdan’s arrival in America is both comic and pathetic:

The gate swinging open and the gatekeeper’s push suggest he is not fully in control of his own destiny—he is propelled by external forces.
His attempt to "realize that he was now in the land of liberty" is ironic—he has a romanticized vision of America as a place of absolute freedom, but the narrator’s tone hints that reality may not match his expectations.

His republican convictions are described as "abstract"—he believes in democracy in theory but has no practical experience with it. This foreshadows a possible disillusionment with American life.

B. The Dilettante and the Failure of Potential

Halfdan is a jack-of-all-trades, master of none:

He can "make very fair verses, play all imaginable instruments, cut silhouettes, draw arabesques, dabble in painting"—yet he is not truly an artist.
The simile comparing him to a "melange of odds and ends" (from a jealous student) suggests he is a product of scattered talents rather than focused genius.
His failure to pass the examen philosophicum (a preliminary university exam) symbolizes his lack of discipline and direction.

This reflects a 19th-century anxiety about mediocrity—Halfdan is charming but ineffective, a type that European universities tolerate but American institutions reject. The contrast implies that America demands practical success, not just potential.

Halfdan’s feminized charm is notable:

He is described with traditionally "feminine" traits—"sweet," "beautiful," "delicate," "soft"—and is adored by women for his aesthetic sensibilities.
His artistic talents (embroidery patterns, silhouettes) are domestic and decorative, not "serious" art.
The jealous student’s remark ("Nature took all the remaining odds and ends and shook them together") suggests he is a man who doesn’t fit masculine ideals—neither a scholar nor a laborer, but a social ornament.

This reflects Victorian gender norms, where men were expected to be strong, disciplined, and productive. Halfdan’s weak chin and lack of facial hair reinforce his androgynous, almost childlike nature.

D. Europe vs. America: Cultural Contrasts

The passage contrasts European and American attitudes toward failure:

In Europe (especially Scandinavian universities), men like Halfdan are tolerated, even pitied—they become permanent fixtures, eventually finding modest roles (e.g., tutors marrying clergymen’s daughters).
In America, they are "mercilessly dropped"—there is no patience for underachievers.

This reflects Boyesen’s own experience as a Norwegian immigrant in America, where individualism and practical success were prized over Old World leisure and artistic dabbling.

4. Literary Devices

Device	Example	Effect
Irony	Halfdan’s grand arrival in the "land of liberty" is undercut by his stumbling, passive entrance ("an extra push from the gate-keeper sent him flying").	Highlights the gap between expectation and reality in the immigrant experience.
Simile	"The ensemble of his features was exceedingly pleasing and somehow reminded one of Correggio’s St. John."	Compares Halfdan to a renaissance saint, emphasizing his ethereal, almost unreal beauty—but also his lack of worldly strength.
Metaphor	"The European universities... harbor in their spacious Gothic bosoms a tenderer heart for their unfortunate sons."	Personifies universities as motherly, protective institutions, contrasting with America’s harsh efficiency.
Sarcasm	"He could make very fair verses, and play all imaginable instruments with equal ease, which made him a favorite in society."	The narrator’s tone suggests that society values superficial charm over real achievement.
Foreshadowing	"He found himself slowly and imperceptibly drifting into the ranks of the so-called studiosi perpetui..."	Hints that Halfdan’s lack of direction will continue in America.
Hyperbole	"Nature had made three geniuses... and shook the remaining odds and ends together at random and the result was Halfdan Bjerk."	Exaggerates his scattered talents to emphasize his lack of true genius.

5. Significance of the Passage

A. Critique of Romantic Idealism

Halfdan represents the naïve idealist who believes in abstract principles (republicanism, freedom) without understanding their practical challenges. His physical delicacy mirrors his intellectual and emotional fragility—he is not built for the harsh realities of either Europe or America.

B. The Plight of the "Perpetual Student"

The studiosi perpetui (eternal students) were a real phenomenon in 19th-century Europe—men who lingered in universities, never graduating, often due to lack of funds or ambition. Boyesen uses Halfdan to critique this cultural tolerance of mediocrity, suggesting that America’s meritocratic system, while harsh, may be more honest.

C. The Immigrant’s Cultural Disorientation

Halfdan’s passive arrival (pushed through the gate) symbolizes how immigrants are often propelled by forces beyond their control—economic need, political unrest, family expectations. His idealized vision of America will likely clash with reality, a common theme in immigrant literature.

D. The Limits of Artistic Talent

The passage questions what it means to be an "artist." Halfdan has talent but no discipline—he is a dilettante, not a master. The narrator’s mildly mocking tone suggests that true art requires more than charm; it demands struggle, focus, and sacrifice.

6. Conclusion: Halfdan as a Tragicomic Figure

Halfdan Bjerk is both sympathetic and ridiculous:

Sympathetic because he is gentle, talented, and full of hope.
Ridiculous because he is weak-willed, impractical, and likely to fail in America’s competitive society.

Boyesen does not outright mock him, but the ironic distance in the narration suggests that Halfdan’s romantic dreams will collide with hard reality. His story serves as a cautionary tale about:

The dangers of idealism without preparation.
The fragility of talent without discipline.
The cultural shock of immigration.

In the broader context of Tales from Two Hemispheres, Halfdan’s character embodies the tension between Old World dreams and New World demands—a theme that resonates with many immigrant narratives, then and now.

Final Thought:

This excerpt is a masterclass in subtle characterization, using physical description, social context, and narrative tone to reveal a man who is both charming and doomed. Boyesen’s gentle satire invites readers to laugh at Halfdan’s foibles while pitying his fate, making him a tragicomic figure in the tradition of Ibsen’s failed idealists or Chekhov’s aimless intellectuals.