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DIESTA, JONATHAN B.
LITT 508 – 20th Century European Literature
December 14, 2019

The Image of the Peasant in Sillanpää’s The Meek Heritage

Introduction
The peasants play a vital role in Finland’s history. In fact, they comprised the
majority of the population of the country during the Swedish rule from 13 th – 14th century
to 1809 and the autonomous region known as the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russia
from 1809 to 1917. They contributed in the agricultural sector, the major economic activity
of the country during the period. In addition, they endured in historical struggles from the
period of famine to the outbreak of the revolution. Therefore, they have a life story to tell
in order to depict their experiences in the class struggles in Finland during the
administration of Sweden and Russia. This paper will discuss the image of the peasant in
Frans Eemil Sillanpää’s The Meek Heritage and the problems that they overcome and
endure in their history.

Essential Questions
 What are the struggles encountered by the characters and how did the events reflect
in Finland’s history?
 How did the problems of the farmers and the peasants affect Finland’s present
situation?

Author’s Background
Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888 – 1964) is a Finnish writer who was born into a
peasant farming family. His parents are poor, but they managed to send him to school in
Tampere. He studied medicine at University of Helsinki in 1908 with the help from his
benefactor, Henrik Liljeroos. Five years later, in 1913, he moved to his old home village
and devoted himself to writing. Sillanpää wrote articles for the newspaper Uusi Suometar
(Finnish for The New Finland). By principle, he was against all forms of violence and
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believed in scientific optimism. In his works, he portrayed rural people as living united
with the land. In 1919, he published Hurskas Kurjuus (The Meek Heritage) which depicted
the reasons for Finnish Civil War. Sillanpää was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in
1939 “for his deep understanding of his country’s peasantry and the exquisite art with
which he was portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature.” He is the first
Finnish writer who receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. After he received the prize, talks
between Finland and Soviet Union broke down and the Winter War began. Sillanpää
donated the golden medal to be melted for funds to aid the war effort. He died on June 3,
1964 at the age of 74.

Synopsis
The novel tells about the life story of Jussi Toivola, a humble cottager as he goes by
many names such as Juha, Johan or Janne, He is born in 1857, sixty years before the Red
Rebellion and spends his childhood days at Nikkiä. He is a sad loner, orphaned by the early
death of Penjami, his alcoholic, old father and the master of Nikkilä and his mother and a
servant-girl named Maija. After the death of his parents, Jussi moves to Tuorila where his
aunt and uncle, Kalle who works as the town master, takes him but thrust their charity
upon his consciousness. He is always a clumsy, slow-witted child and his adult life follows
the pattern of his childhood. He returns to Toivola where he begins his life over again from
a new starting point. He becomes a crofter where he works for a wealthier landlord through
farming and lumbering in exchange for land to farm. Unfortunately, Jussi has a miserable
domestic existence, burdened with a wife named Riina and a child who becomes disabled
after he is attacked by his older brother. For instance, Ville, Riina and Hiltu die and Jussi is
truly affected by the deaths, particularly on the latter. Jussi falls in with the local
“temocrats” and gets involved in the Finnish Civil War where he becomes a fighter on the
side of the Reds. He is filled with self-importance, but it all ends with sorrow. After the
assassination of the master of Paitula, he was captured by the Swedish army and he is
executed for treason and shot inside his grave.
Historical and Political Context
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The novel reflects the life of Jussi Toivola who was born in 1857 and he passed
away in 1917. In fact, it is a period where the country was under the Russian occupation
known as the Grand Duchy of Finland where political and economic struggles occurred.
Some of the historical events happened during his childhood days include the declaration
of Finnish as an official language and the Finnish Famine of 1866 – 1868. On the other
hand, the Russification from 1881 t0 1917 reflects on his life where Jussi established his
work as a crofter to help his family and there are political conflicts happened within the
nation and various factions are formed. Lastly, the General Strike of 1905 and the Russian
Revolution of 1905 and 1917 occurred on Juha’s rebellious life during his later years up to
his death which the country gained their independence and the Finnish Civil War began on
1918.

Analysis
The Meek Heritage is an example of novel of the soil, a literary work that depicts
regionalism in which the lives of the people struggling for existence in remote rural
sections are portrayed. Most of the characters in this type of novel are the farmers and the
peasants. In fact, the events and themes are based on agrarian and economic problems.
The title reflects on the character of Jussi Toivola who is meek and humble, yet he is
submissive and lack of knowledge about everything happens around him. He didn’t have
enough education because of his status in life and he was orphaned at his very young age
which causes him to transfer from Nikkilä to Toivola for a better life. Jussi was adopted by
his Maija’s brother, but he has poor relationship to his uncle because he is inferior.
However, he really works hard for his own progress to help his family. His values are
reflected on the meekness and passivity of the Finnish people because they have no choice,
but to follow and obey the rules of the Russian empire who administers them.
There is also the struggle of the proletariat that is depicted in the novel. When Jussi
have his own family, he tries different kinds of job such as farming, logging and freighting
papers. He becomes a crofter where he needs to work to a wealthier landlord to make a
living for his family and to gain his own land. It implies how people work in Finland
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which serve as the prosperous decades in their history. However, the conflict between the
town masters and landlords, known as the bourgeoisie and the farmers, peasants and
workers or the proletariat is also evident in the novel. In fact, Jussi works too hard for his
family, but he faces the death of his wife and two children where he becomes affected and
changes his political belief into a Socialist. He takes side with the Reds under the Soviet
Russia and he participates in the assassination of the master of Paitula, who belongs to the
Whites under the Swedish Brigade and German Empire. For instance, he is disappointed
with the progress of the master of the farm because he grew steadily richer and he did not
suffer unlike him. In the end, he was executed by the Swedish army. Therefore, it implies
the class struggles and political turmoil in Finland because of the factions between the
proletariat (the farmers and workers who live in the South as well with the Red Finns) and
the bourgeoisie (the landlords and their farmers as well with the landlords and middle-class
from the North and the White Finns). This conflict exemplifies one of the reasons of the
Finnish Civil War in 1918.
Therefore, the problems of the peasants and farmers in the novel affect Finland’s
present life because they gained independence from Russia in 1917. For instance, the
country became a war-torn nation and they identified themselves as “citizens of two
nations”. It also causes political factions and economic crisis in their country during the
period. In the end, a slow but painful reconciliation process leads Finland towards steady
and national unification.

Conclusion
Sillanpää’s work shows a deep understanding of the life of the peasants by showing
their way of life and their struggles that they experience in their history. For instance, Jussi
Toivola is the representation of a Finnish peasant who experiences struggles in his life - a
victim of economic struggles, political turmoil and injustice. In addition, the events in the
novel reflects Finland’s historical struggles from suffering in famine, the division into
different factions because of diverse political and economic beliefs and facing the
revolutions and wars which makes them a war-torn nation. Lastly, The Meek Heritage
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explores the reasons behind the Finnish Civil War by showing the struggles of the
proletariat to serve their landlords and the division of the Finns based on their political
faction whether they belong to the Reds or Whites. The most important aspect of this novel
is the problems of the working class in order to fight for their existence in the society.

Selected Lines from the Novel

 In war one has to enjoy killing, if war is not to be a failure.
 But war in an exact sense, is nothing in itself; it is a certain fleeting relationship
between individual and collective fates.
 Parliament is an old woman’s game; the bourgeoisie always hampering us there lose
or win.
 Dear is the ransom of blasted liberty.

References
A. Book
Sillanpää F.E. (1938). The Meek Heritage. (A. Matson, Trans.) London: Putnam Books

B. Internet
Pactor, Scott. (2019). The Meek Heritage by Frans Eemil Sillanpaa: A Book Review.
Retrieved from https://catdirtsez.blogspot.com/2019/03/meek-heritage-1938by-frans-
eemil.html

History of Finland. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Finland