Pelle the Conqueror · Chapter
Book II: Apprenticeship explained
Pelle begins his apprenticeship with the shoemaker Sort, a hunchback who is both a craftsman and a preacher.
What happens
Pelle begins his apprenticeship with the shoemaker Sort, a hunchback who is both a craftsman and a preacher. The chapter explores Pelle's adjustment to the harsh conditions of the workshop, his growing awareness of social inequality, and his first encounters with the labor movement through the workers at the 'Ark' community.
Themes in this chapter
Coming of Age and Self-Discovery
Pelle's transition from childhood to apprenticeship marks a key stage in his personal growth and understanding of the world.
Social Class and Inequality
The stark contrast between the lives of the wealthy and the working poor is highlighted through Pelle's experiences in the workshop and the 'Ark' community.
Characters to notice
- Pelle the Conqueror
Begins his apprenticeship as a shoemaker under Sort, experiencing the rigors of the trade and the broader social struggles of the working class.
- Sort
The hunchback shoemaker who takes Pelle as an apprentice; a complex figure who combines religious preaching with his craft.
- Father Lasse
Pelle's father, who remains in the background but whose influence and hopes for Pelle are felt as Pelle embarks on his apprenticeship.
Key passages
“Pelle was now a shoemaker's apprentice, and the world lay before him, full of promise and peril.”
Pelle begins his apprenticeship, facing both opportunities and dangers in the wider world.
Captures the pivotal moment of Pelle's entry into the trade and his uncertain future.
“The hunchback Sort was a strange master, preaching the word of God while his hands worked the leather.”
Sort, Pelle's master, is a contradictory figure who combines religious devotion with his shoemaking craft.
Highlights the complexity of Sort's character and the blending of spiritual and material labor.