I am reading
the Vilhelm Moberg series: The Emigrant
Novels. He provides an interesting
perspective on the push/pull forces the drive so much of immigration to the
United States. In his historic novels we
have eight characters that for a variety of reasons immigrate to the United
States from Sweden. We have the farmer
looking for more, better farm land; his wife who is running from the emotional
trauma of losing a child during the starvation times. We also have the two young men who are
running away from their labor contracts with a cruel farmer. In the novel there is also the group seeking
religious freedom, and the woman who is a social outcast with her illegitimate,
teenage daughter. And, finally we cannot
forget the man who hates his wife and is fleeing an unhappy marriage “after the
children have grown.”
All of these
characters are moving to the United States seeking a better life. But each of them illustrates a different
personal reason that either pulls them to immigrate, or pushes them out of
Sweden.
Moberg
originally published this series in the 1940s and 1950s. There are four volumes. He is rich in detail and creates a set of
unique and entertaining characters. The
books are very readable, but more importantly, they seem to be well researched
and, although historic fiction, they are accurate. The push pull factors are not the only memorable
details of this story. They are simply
the first of many that slowly are emerging from these pages.
Yes, the
books are somewhat old, written more than 60 years ago. But the story line and the messages presented
here are worth visiting. We will visit
Moberg again as the story unfolds.
