# V explained — Jenny

> Chapter companion for Jenny by Sigrid Undset.

## What happens

Jenny leaves Christiania for Copenhagen, feeling a mix of relief and despair. She is haunted by her affair with Gert Gram and the pregnancy that resulted from it. She settles in a village with a widow, Mrs. Rasmussen, but soon moves to another location near Warnemünde, as arranged through Gunnar Heggen. She writes to Gert, telling him not to contact her until after the birth. Gunnar visits her at her new lodging, showing his support.

## Themes in this chapter

### Loneliness and Isolation

Jenny's journey and subsequent stays with strangers highlight her profound sense of isolation as she grapples with her pregnancy and the aftermath of her affair.

### Sacrifice and Consequences

Jenny's decision to leave and hide her pregnancy is a sacrifice of her former life, and she faces the consequences of her affair with Gert, including emotional and physical strain.

### Motherhood and Unwanted Pregnancy

The chapter directly deals with Jenny's unwanted pregnancy, her conflicted feelings about the child, and her attempts to conceal it from her family and society.

## Character check-ins

### Jenny Winge

Leaves for Copenhagen, feeling conflicted about her pregnancy and her relationship with Gert. She is emotionally exhausted and seeks isolation.

### Gert Gram

Sees Jenny off at the station and later visits her in Copenhagen. She writes to him to break off contact until after the birth.

### Gunnar Heggen

Provides Jenny with addresses for possible places to stay and later visits her at her new lodging near Warnemünde.

### Mrs. Rasmussen

The first widow Jenny stays with in the country. She is quiet and does not mention Jenny's condition.

### Mrs. Schlessinger

The second widow Jenny stays with near Warnemünde. She is talkative and tries to encourage Jenny.

## Key lines

> “You are a lucky one, Jenny!” said Bodil, smiling all over her little soft brown face.

Bodil cheerfully calls Jenny lucky as she sees her off.

_Highlights the irony of Jenny's situation, as she is far from lucky._

> If it had been impossible to go away Jenny thought she would rather have taken her life. It was not love⁠—it was cowardice.

Jenny thinks she would rather die than be forced to stay, admitting her motivation is fear, not love.

_Reveals Jenny's deep despair and self-awareness about her own motives._

> She gave up thinking⁠—it was no sacrifice, for as a matter of fact her brain was tired out.

Jenny stops thinking, not as a sacrifice, but because she is mentally exhausted.

_Shows Jenny's state of mental fatigue and emotional numbness._

> I am tired and unnerved; I know I was tiresome and disagreeable to you when you were here, and I don’t want it to happen again, so have decided not to see you until all is over and I am normal again.

Jenny writes to Gert that she is too worn out to see him and will not meet him until after the birth.

_Jenny's letter to Gert is a way of setting boundaries and protecting herself from further emotional turmoil._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jenny_se/chapters/part-iii-v
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jenny_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/jenny_se/chapters