Fall of Miss Julie And Rise of Jean: A Stylistic Look on the Power Relations of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie
Fall of Miss Julie And Rise of Jean: A Stylistic Look on the Power Relations of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie

Summary/Abstract: One of the most important figures of 19th century drama, Swedish August Strindberg’s 1888 play Miss Julie is a rich, complex work open to begetting different interpretations. The play is only one act and set mostly in a kitchen on a midsummer’s eve with three main characters who become Miss Julie, the daughter of the Count, footman Jean and cook Christene. An upper class, noble character Julie’s wish to get out of the class and sexual constraints of the society results in a flirtation followed by a sexual intimacy that brings about her tragic doom in a scene of hypnosis at the end of the play. As the night proceeds, the relationship between Julie and Jean turns into a power battle and presents a rich pattern that could be analyzed within stylistic features and devices. The play allows exploring how power relations between characters are indicated in speech acts, turn-taking, dramatic irony and other features of conversational structure especially uncovering who is in control or how one builds up power over one another. A stylistic analysis of their interactions acknowledges the exchange of power between them- the degree to which Jean imposes a set of gradually growing attitudes of authority and the degree to which Julie endeavors to resist with her social status privilege. In that battle of power Julie’s descend or ‘fall’ from upstairs to the kitchen is replaced by Jean’s authoritarian rise which is in accordance with the rise of the sun. Therefore the aim of this study is to adopt a closer look on how the strength gained by social status or personal characteristics clash and change hands in the course of the play which could be revealed with reference to power in various forms as Miss Julie’s social power over Jean because she is from upper class clashes with Jean’s personal power over her as he is confident, proud and ambitious.

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