The Individual vs. The Collective in Laterna Magica

The selection of short stories from the compilation Laterna Magica, by William Heinesen, explores an array of connections between the situations of an individual and the experiences of collective humanity. In providing examples portraying such a relationship, Heinesen is addressing our notions of contingency vs. universality. Heinesen does a great job of taking the tiny, seemingly unimportant, little town in the Faroe Islands and creating it into something bigger than life, bigger than understanding, full of wonder and meaning that applies worldwide, not just in Torshavn.

Most can relate to a blissful, free time in our young lives when dinner and bedtime were calling, and we felt the ‘infinite pleasure’ of ‘screaming and howling’, not quite ready to face losing this perfect time to the confinement of darkness and rest. Although this in itself is a common childhood experience, in the context of the interweaving short stories of Laterna Magica, we may see that Heinesen is discussing the coming of death. At the end of our lives, when we hear the call to come back in, it is then we will most desire to scream and shout in childlike wonder and freedom. Darkness will come, “something has to come to an end.” As one grows older and nearer to this imminent departure, he lets go of everything the world holds as important and normal and prepares to fly out of the window and out of this life.

You may not have broken your leg in two places like Miss Urd, and you may not play the violin like Master Jakob does, but like Jakob, so many of us have sought to pacify our loneliness and need for comfort through music, drinking alcohol, or pursuing romantic relationships. He is not disliked, not isolated from society, but Jakob is still empty. He is well-educated and has spent much effort collecting literature of all sorts, yet he still has “just managed to keep body and soul together.” As the other stories play out, happiness in life depends on perspective, on your boldness to step outside of the conformity of society around you and live for something greater than the expected, greater than rules and ritual.