SOPHIE’S WORLD

BY JOSTEIN GAARDNER
SOPHIE’S WORLD
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
• Jostein Gaardner was born in Oslo, Norway on August 08, 1952. He was born in a
pedagogical family. He grew up in Bergen, Norway, and later studied theology and
literature in college. He taught high school in Bergen for many years, during which
he began to write Sophie’s World, the novel that would make him famous. During
the late 80s, Gaarder wrote children’s mysteries that gained him a wide following in
Scandinavia. It wasn’t until 1991, when Sophie’s World was published, that he
became an international figure. Following the success of this book, Gaarder became
a popular columnist, talk show guest, and journalist, in addition to a writer of
children’s books. He established a “Sophie Prize,” named after his novel’s
protagonist, which honored education and environmental awareness, and also
penned a column in which he lobbied for Palestinian rights. Gaarder continues to
write children’s books.
•
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF NORWAY WHEN THE LITERARY
PIECE PUBLISHED

• Sophie’s World was published in 1991. During

this literary period there was a celebration pf
Late Cold War in Western culture.
The End of the Cold War
• With the passing of several Soviet leaders, Mikhail Gorbachev assumed control of the
Soviet Union. His rise to power ushered in an era of perestroika (restructuring) and of
glasnost (openness).
• U.S.-Soviet relations improved considerably during the middle 1980s. At a
dramatic summit meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, in October 1986,
Gorbachev proposed a 50-percent reduction in the nuclear arsenals of
each side, and for a time it seemed as though a historic agreement would
be reached. The summit ended in failure, owing to differences over SDI.
However, on December 8, 1987, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF)
Treaty was signed in Washington, eliminating an entire class of nuclear
weapons. The INF Treaty was the first arms-control pact to require an
actual reduction in nuclear arsenals rather than merely restricting their
proliferation.
• As the decade came to an end, much of the Eastern Bloc began to
crumble. The Hungarian government took down the barbed wire on its
border with Austria and the West. The Soviet Union did nothing in
response. Although travel was still not completely free, the Iron Curtain
was starting to unravel. On November 10, 1989, one of the most
famous symbols of the Cold War came down: the Berlin Wall. By the
end of the year, leaders of every Eastern European nation except
Bulgaria had been ousted by popular uprisings.
• By mid-1990, many of the Soviet republics had declared their
independence. Turmoil in the Soviet Union continued, as
there were several attempts at overthrowing Gorbachev. On
December 8, 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Boris
Yeltsin, president of the Russian Republic, formed the
Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.). After 45 years,
the Cold War was over.
 A GLIMPSE OF NORWAY

• Norway is mostly known for its natural beauty, fjords and

mountains, the amazing Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun.
The Kingdom of Norway is a constitutional monarchy located in
Northern Europe, the western portion of the Scandinavian
Peninsula.
 NORWAY’S GEOGRAPHY & PEOPLE

• Geographically Norway is located about as far north in Europe as

you can get, and hosts the northernmost point of Europe- the North
cape cliff. It is part of the Scandinavian peninsula. Norway has a
population of about 5 million, and it is the second least densely
populated country in Europe, with a majority living in Oslo and the
eastern parts of the country. Norway has a very elongated shape,
one of the longest and most rugged coastlines in the world, and some
50,000 islands off this extremely indented coastline.
 NORWAY CLIMATE

• Due to the Gulf Stream ocean current Norway experiences

warmer temperatures than expected at such northern
latitudes, especially along the coast, with summer
temperatures of around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, and
winter temperatures mostly above zero degree Celsius
(+32 F). Even the Arctic city of Tromso does not have very
cold winters, with a mean temperature in January of -3
degrees Celsius. The mainland experiences colder winters
with snow, excellent for winter activities.
WAY OF LIFE IN NORWAY
• Søndagstur
• It is a Norwegian tradition to go out for a Sunday trip in the
mountains with the family and wander through nature, and have a
cosy lunch on top of a mountain overlooking the fjords. This is part
of the overall concept of “Friluftsliv”, which is the Nordic concept
of getting outdoors. Norwegians are very outdoorsy people who
spend a lot of time, sometimes all by themselves, in nature.
EATING BROWN CHEESE ON WAFFLES

• Brown cheese is a Norwegian institution in itself. Made

with cow’s or goat’s milk, whey, and cream, the cheese
has a soft, sticky consistency and tastes almost
caramelized. To become a fully fledged Norwegian, try this
unusual-yet-delicious topping on a soft waffle.
 REQUIRING ENDLESS AMOUNTS OF PERSONAL SPACE IN
PUBLIC

• Norway is a huge country with only five million inhabitants. Perhaps

this sparse population density is why Norwegians love their personal
space. This is particularly true while riding public transportation –
where Norwegians will only sit down next to or directly opposite
someone else if there are no other options available – or while
waiting for the bus or train.
TACO: THE NATION AL DISH

• Like brown cheese, the humble taco has become

a bit of a culinary institution in Norwegian
culture (top tip: don’t try to mix the two) to the
extent that someone has created a history of
the taco in Norway webpage. The taco became a
regular Friday-night guest in Norwegian homes
in the 1990s. Now, the consensus seems to be
the more tacos, the better. Its nearest rival is the
‘Grandiosa’, a brand of frozen pizza. In the
interests of full disclosure, ‘taco’ in Norway also
includes tortillas for some reason.
SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON ‘BUNADS’
• Many Norwegians spend as much as 50,000
NOK ($5878, £4624) on bunads, which are
worn on special occasions such as Norwegian
Constitution Day (also known as Norway’s
National Day). The beautiful suits and dresses
are often worn with accessories specific to a
particular region. It’s quite something to see
Norwegians, known for their parred back,
monochromatic fashion, wearing these unique
traditional outfits.
NORWAY ,”LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN”

• Norway experiences a natural phenomenon known as

the midnight sun. The country acquired the name as the Land of
Midnight because in the summer months, some parts of the
country experience sunshine throughout the day. Norway is
situated on the northern end of Europe. It borders Sweden to the
west, Finland, and Russia to the North. A small part of Norway is
situated north of the Arctic Circle. This northern part of Norway
experiences the midnight sun during the summer
CHARACTERS
 SOPHIE AMUNDSEN
• protagonist of the story
• young teenager who is about to celebrate her
15th birthday
• she receives a series of letters from a mysterious
man
• the literary creation of Albert Knox
 HILDE MOLLER KNAG

• another protagonist of the story

• teenage girl same age as Sophie
 ALBERTO KNOX

• Sophie Amundsen’s friend and teacher

 ALBERT KNAG/THE MAJOR

• Hilde Moller Knag’s father

• intelligent, quick witted man who understand
the importance of teaching his daughter the
history of Western philosophy
THE SYMBOLS
• 1. GOLD CRUCIFIX
• Hilde Moller Knag owns one, then loses it.The
crucifix is an obvious symbol of Christ and, more
abstractly, of religion and faith.
• 2. THE BINDER
Hilde Moller Knag reads from a binder her father, Albert
Knag, has sent her. In this binder, there’s a book called
Sophie’s World, which corresponds pretty closely to the
book we, the readers,are reading.
• 3. THE BRASS MIRROR
• Sophie Amundsen discovers a strange brass mirror that
allows her to see her “real-life” counterpart, Hilde Moller
Knag. It’s interesting that in Sophie’s World the mirror, a
traditional symbol of self-contemplation, is depicted as a
tool for interpersonal communication—a magical device
that allows. Sophie to see another part of the world.
•
• .THE HEDGE /SOPHIE’S DEN
• Sophie Amundsen reads her letters from Alberto Knox in
her “den”—a tiny, secure area in the hedge surrounding
her family’s house. The hedge is a safe, womb-like space
from which Sophie must emerge as she gains more
confidence, bravery, and curiosity.
•
 GENRE
• Philosophical Novel
• refers to the class of works of fiction which devote a
significant portion of their content to the sort of questions
normally addressed in discursive philosophy. These might
include the function and role of society, the purpose of
life, ethics or morals, the role of art in human lives, and the
role of experience or reason in the development of
knowledge.
LITERARY DEVICES
 FORESHADOWING

• Alberto hints several times about Hilde’s father’s

power, the importance of Berkeley, and the
possibility that they might escape. Dreams in the
book often foreshadow events that will occur later.
METAPHOR
• “Yes, we too are stardust.”
• “We are the white rabbit being pulled out of the hat.”
• “…. A ship sailing through life with a cargo of genes….”
• SIMILE

“A philosopher remains as thin-skinned as a

child ..“
“..like a giddy planet round a urning sun.”
IMAGERY
• “She thought she was so ugly that she wondered if she
was malformed at birth.”b
• “..several buildings had risen from the ruins.”
 UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

• “ We humans do not think alike or have the same degree of

reason”
• “I never realized how rich life was until now”
• “But most people are content with a life among shadows. ”
• “We do not live in our own time alone; we carry our history
within us. ”
 The wisest man who knows that he does not
• “

know ... “
• “True knowledge comes from within. …”
• “Whoever knows what is right will do right..”
APPLICATION TO 21ST CENTURY

• CLIMATE CHANGE

• https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/sophie-s-world-author-turns-from-philosophy-to-climate-change-1.432265
HTTPS://GRIST.ORG/ARTICLE/CNN-AND-THE-NEW-YORK-TIMES-SKIP-CLIMATE-CHANGE-IN-THE-FOURTH-DEMOCRATIC-DEBATE/
THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!