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In the book Out Stealing Horses, the city Oslo isn't a huge city as it is now. Most of Norway is more rural, but it has grown to have technology  large cities like Oslo now. Before the 60's people had to work based of the land. In turn then there is a culture made based on the land features, and in the book, Trond uses the land and culture to find freedom, but Oslo (now being a technological driven city) is taken by the Germans taking the freedom of nature from that city.
"Culture and Identity of Norway". Safari the Globe, 2013. http://www.safaritheglobe.com/norway/culture/

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"At this time, Norway was governed by a pro-German, non-democratically elected government led by Vidkun Quisling. Although only few battles were fought directly on Norwegian soil, numerous resistance groups carried out sabotage, printed illegal newspapers, and organised civil disobedience and passive resistance against the ruling regime. Many of those active in the resistance movement had to flee the country. Around 50,000 Norwegians fled to Sweden during the Second World War. The Germans gradually began losing battles on more and more fronts and surrendered in May of 1945. Around 9,500 Norwegians died as a result of the war."

“A Breif History of Norway.” Samfunnskunnskap, Kompetanse Norge, www.samfunnskunnskap.no/?page_id=815&lang=en.

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Trond leaves his old life to live alone in a small town in Norway. He claims he does it to "think" however we don't see him reflect on his problems very much in the text. He retels the past but doesn't really analyze it. It's more just stating the facts. I think Trond isolated himself to hide from the past tragedies in his life, as well as not be a burden on others while he is sad.

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In Out Stealing Horses, nature is a symbol for freedom and peace, while it can be also be seen as a symbol of recklessness in the eyes of an older person.

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I think that nature is where Trond has gone to live out the rest of his days in peace. The Dickens quote towards the end of the book talks about being in charge of your own life. I think that nature is represented ass a place where you can be in charge of your own life. It certainly appears to be that way for Trond.

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The Norwegian government has ordered that all future mental health treatments are not dependent on medication. This displays certain characteristics of culture that show a willingness to feel these negative emotions.
https://www.madinamerica.com/2017/03/the-door-to-a-revolution-in-psychiatry-cracks-open/

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The Journal of Society for Comparative Legislation, published by the Cambridge Press in the early 1900s, outlines the legality behind divorce. This article shows how difficult it was to get a divorce, and how the man is only responsible for restitution to his wife if he is the one responsible. In addition, the entire process of divorce between 1915-1951 shows an extreme disadvantage to women. When Trond's parents were divorced, and his father left the family, this was at a time period when it would have been easy for him to simply walk away, without giving his family a code for a bank account. This action shows that moral duty to familial ties are strong enough that often, cultural norms are able to be dismissed.
Warner, P. “Norway.” Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation, vol. 11, no. 2, 1911, pp. 329–331. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/752532.

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Norway is currently not a member of the European Union.  While there have been many attempts to join, the general consensus of the population is that they would lose some autonomy to the leaders of the EU. Norwegians clearly value the ability that they have to control the fate of their own country, and continue to have confidence in Norway's ability to thrive on its own.   They believe that Norway has a strong economy and enough resources to avoid reliance on other organizations.  This isolationism as a country manifests itself in its citizens.  Trond is a prime example of this lifestyle.  He is confident in his own abilities to provide for himself without the influence of others.  Even when it is clear he needs assistance, he is always reluctant to accept it, and would rather work on his own.

"Norway: History." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018.

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"The poet Aksel Sandemose put Jante Law into words and they convey an important element of Norwegian culture: humility. Jante's Law teaches people to be modest and not 'think big'. It is demonstrated in most people's refusal to criticize others. Norwegians try to see all people as being on equal footing. They do not flaunt their wealth or financial achievements and look askance at those who do."
We see this throughout the novel that nobody, including Trond, tries to show off what they have and make himself seem wealthier than they are. They follow these rules very closely.

“Home.” Norway - Norwegian Culture and Etiquette, Commisceo-Global, www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/norway-guide.

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"In Norway a person’s characteristics often is related to his/ her dialect. For example, a person who speaks a Northern Norwegian dialect is associated with an outgoing person who loves to talk, tell stories and have a rough sense of humor. Profanities are common in the Northern Norwegian dialect. If a Northern Norwegian calls a policeman ‘horse’s a**’, he/ she will not get any form of penance because profanity is an integral part of their vocabulary" (Thornews 1).                                  Furthermore, this Norwegian citizen brings into recognition the observation that depending on which part of Norway in which one lives, they speak a different dialect, which impacts their personality, including being introverted or extroverted.
“What Is a Norwegian? (Told by a Norwegian).” ThorNews, 21 June 2012, thornews.com/2012/07/21/what-is-a-norwegian-told-by-a-norwegian/.

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" Historically, Norway has been very sparsely populated with very few cities. In the early 1800s, fewer than one million people lived in this vast and impassable country: Only about 0.14 people per square miles (3 people per square kilometer)! Most people lived in small rural communities under poor conditions with long, cold winters. With a lot of wind and rough weather it was necessary to communicate in a short, loud and effective way. No time for small talk! People rather spent time on hard physical labor" (Thornews 1).                                                            This article is written by an East Norwegian. He addresses that many in his country are introverted and live in solitude as a result of geography, and regional history.
“What Is a Norwegian? (Told by a Norwegian).” ThorNews, 21 June 2012, thornews.com/2012/07/21/what-is-a-norwegian-told-by-a-norwegian/.

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In Out stealing Horses, nature seems to be a sort of outlet for the characters. It expresses a sort of freedom and self- reliance that ultimately helps shape Trond and who he is in 1999.

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Trond's father seems to have a certain belief in how life must be for him. And he expresses his masculinity often physically. Masculinity is most definitely portrayed in a physical sense for a significant amount of the book.

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"Hiking and going for walks are a way of getting out of the house, as Norwegians put it; you leave civilization and all its comforts and depravity behind to get in touch with your inner self and feel like an authentic person...The fewer people, the more successful the walk was."
It makes since why Trond takes walks in Out Stealing Horses. This quote also shows that it is normal for people, like Trond, to reflect upon themselves and their life during these walks away from civilization.
http://hyllanderiksen.net/Nature.html

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How Culturally Valued Characteristics and Behaviors Contribute to Self-doubt, Jealousy, and Naivete (Morgan)

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How Culturally Valued Characteristics and Behaviors Contribute to Self-doubt, Jealousy, and Naivete (Morgan)

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"Sincerity in friendship is important, but most people show reserve in the expression of personal feelings. Norwegians make a point to not disturb others around them...A person's behavior is considered to be just as important to their social status as their occupation. Intelligence, loyalty, self-restraint, and friendliness are seen as valuable traits" (online.culturegrams.com). As is evident in this description of Norwegian attitudes, Norwegians highly value the qualities of reserve and self-restraint. Additionally, they believe it is important to not be bothersome or to inconvenience others. The fact that these traits are valued could cause individuals to suppress their feelings, because they have been taught it is inappropriate to express them, as both Trond and his father do in Out Stealing Horses. In Trond's case, suppressing his feelings from his youth only causes him to experience more self-doubt , jealousy, and naivete later in his life. Because he is faced with the Norwegian standard of being reserved and in control, Trond experiences delayed instances of these emotions in his old age. For example, he experiences self-doubt as he and his daughter are contemplating the first lines of David Copperfield, because he realizes he does not know her well.

Works Cited:
"Norway: General Attitudes." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=119&cn=Norway&sname=General_Attitudes&snid=6. Accessed 06 March 2018.

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41.2 to 52.4% lifetime and 9.6 to 32.8% 12-month. This presents how mood disorders affect the general population of Norway, showing that the prevalence at times can be more than half. This justifies the actions of the various characters, such as despite taking place shortly after WWII, it was written at the time of this data. This reveals that mood disorders were highly likely at this time and not only is it likely that Petterson suffered from depression or anxiety, his characters were even more likely to reflect society.
“Psychological Problems and Disorders in Norway - Fact Sheet.” Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 22 June 2012, www.fhi.no/en/mp/mental-health/mental-health/psychological-problems-and-disorders/.

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Isolation is represented in Out Stealing Horses by Trond's secluded home in the Norwegian forest.

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Tronds relationship with the outside in the text show's how self-doubt and naivete is both an inherent trait and an acquired characteristic. Anne Born describes Per Peterson's novel,  Out Stealing Horses, as "...a portrait of human loneliness, loss, and betrayal..." (Born 65-66). In the review, Born also states how the work, specifically Trond's interaction with society, is an analysis of the "lingering emotional effects of the German occupation of Norway during World War II" (Born 66).  Essentially, the novel is a discussion on how Trond may have been born with some naivete, however, he gained more self-doubt than anything due to the effect the German occupation had specifically on his family. Due to the war, his father would help refugees, running from the Nazis, which eventually caused him to leave Trond and his wife in order to protect them from his enemies. The reader is able to see how Trond eventually understands his father's life better, shown by the multiple temporal perspectives. This allows us to view a change in Trond's attributes, where he loses the majority of his naivete, and gains an enormous amount of self-doubt.

Sjåvik, Jan. “World Literature Today.” World Literature Today, vol. 82, no. 1, 2008, pp. 65–66. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40159625.

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When discussing the issue of self-doubt, I think the most important piece of evidence provided by the text is the relationship between Trond and his daughter. When reading about their interaction, it is clear to see that Trond is uncomfortable at first. It is as if he feels he is being tested as not only a man, but as her father. He tries his best to provide for her on that day, and show her how capable he is, but it is not until Ellen has successfully reassured Trond of his worth that he is able to calm down. I believe his entire relationship with his daughter is being shown in this moment; it is the cataclysm, the defining moment, of their relationship.

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" Although Norwegians are not particularly religious, the overwhelming majority of parents have their children christened as infants. Most teenagers go through confirmation, the primary rite of passage for young men and women in Norway, at approximately age 15. One of the most important events in the school life of Norwegians is high school graduation, which is celebrated in a unique way. Graduates spend their final weeks of school wearing Russ gowns (gowns made of a coarse reddish brown cloth) and engaging in all sorts of public pranks, including parading down city streets and disrupting traffic and spray-painting mildly insulting rhymes about their teachers on sidewalks outside their schools. Military service is required for males starting at the age of 19."

"Norwegians." Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, edited by Timothy L. Gall and Susan Bevan Gall, 2nd ed., vol. 7, UXL, 2012, pp. 1-11. Student Resources in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX1931400363/SUIC?u=colo48732&xid=f537c2dc. Accessed 6 Mar. 2018.

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Norway is considered an individualistic culture, meaning they put their own needs above those of their peers. Understanding into this "reveals the principles of consciousness, memory, intentionality, perception, attention, awareness, and categorization--and the basic, natural logic of the human culture--generating mind-set within social environment" (Danna 1002). Meaning that a person's identity can be based on whether they identify as I or we within their society. This could then explain why Trond's dad decided to choose something that brought him glory even though he knew it may hurt his family. It also can show why he cheated on his wife and left his family, since in these cultures they are not as shamed as a collectivist would've been. Within this society it is expected to keep to one's own life and not intervene i others, this could have been a factor that made Norway an ideal place for the movement of Jewish people out of Nazi occupied lands.
Danna, Karen. “The Study of Culture and Cognition.” JSTOR, 4 Dec. 2014, www.jstor.org/stable/43654159?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=Individualistic&searchText=vs&searchText=collectivistic&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3Facc%3Don%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone%26amp%3BQuery%3DIndividualistic%2Bvs%2Bcollectivistic%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff&refreqid=search%3A36871e0ea7bdc652476b8c5957435a72&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents.

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"Before they uncovered the massive amounts of oil in the North Sea in the 60's, the country itself was actually quite poor relying on farming and fishing as their main sources of survival.  Of course all of that has since changed with the mounds of money that came with their oil discovery. "
In this quote from a blog, the writer talks about how work is so much different because the culture holds a lot of importance in family, so work days are shorter, but that before the oil finding people had to work harder and longer to survive.
Jay. "From There to Here: Working Culture in Norway". 8 May, 2013. http://www.fromtheretoheretheblog.com/2013/05/working-culture-in-norway.html

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Nationalism and Pride are prominent in Norwegian Culture. They believe that "[Norway] has developed a superior social system with high standards. Indeed, social equality and a good standard of living are important values that have shaped post–World War II politics" (CultureGrams). This gives Norwegians a firm sense of pride for their people and their government. Most Norwegians share in this nationalism which has grown stronger since the days of WWII.

"Norway: General Attitudes." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=119&cn=Norway&sname=General_Attitudes&snid=6. Accessed 06 March 2018.

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5% of Norway's population works in forestry. The country has relied on similar industries for many years. Most people work in the service industry though with most of their economy relying on these exports; "In a labor force of more than two million workers, approximately 72 percent are in services, 23 percent work in industry, and 5 percent engage in agriculture, forestry, and fishing."

“Culture of Norway.” Countries and Their Cultures, Everyculture, www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Norway.html.

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Masculinity ties into Isolation within the book. Men are socially expected to show strength, not weakness. Frequently, illness, emotion, and struggle are all forms of weakness. Trond's desire to display masculinity can very easily be a motivator behind isolating himself from his family and from the general public, as he strives to hide his emotional pain and struggle.

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" What Norway lacked in cultural riches, it made up for in its diverse, rugged and majestic landscape. National poets took to writing poems celebrating the mountains and wide-open spaces, and painters portrayed wild and untamed Norwegian scenery. Norway's national identity gradually took the form of a lifestyle characterized by closeness to, respect for and love of nature, particularly the subarctic mountain landscape requiring great courage, strength and endurance from those who have to survive in it."
Nature can relate how the narrator views himself and how nature plays a role in his life.
Eriksen, Thomas. “Engaging with the World.” Norwegians and Nature, hyllanderiksen.net/Nature.html

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"Tolerance, honesty, human kindness, and independence are important Norwegian ideals. Reliability in business and private matters is also valued. Cheating is frowned upon. Once trust is lost, it is difficult to regain. Norway's interest in peace and progress is reflected in its longtime sponsorship of the Nobel Peace Prize. Norway is also one of the world's leaders in the percentage of gross national product (GNP) provided in aid to the world's poorest countries. Norwegians generally work fewer hours than people in other high-income countries. There is a strong sense of a national community and a high level of civic participation. A large majority of Norwegians report being satisfied with their life. "

"Norway: General Attitudes." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=119&cn=Norway&sname=General_Attitudes&snid=6. Accessed 06 March 2018.

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"Norwegian adoration of nature is a vital ingredient in the country's national identity. Over half of the population have ready access to a cabin, the schools arrange annual obligatory ski days, and most postcards produced by the tourist industry depict nature scenes rather than cultural attractions." (Eriksen)
" "House and cabin, but no castle", reads a well-known national poem. With these words the poet suggests that Norway is a country without snobbery and major class divisions, a land of simple, hardworking people intimately tied to their ecological surroundings."
Eriksen, Thomas. "Norwegians and Nature". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Article Series, 1996. http://hyllanderiksen.net/Nature.html

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Norwegians, for the most part, value the ways of Jante Law, which is a collection of statements that emphasize humility. Some statements include not believing you are better than others, smarter than others, or believe that others care about you.

“Home.” Norway - Norwegian Culture and Etiquette, www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/norway-guide.

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Most Norwegians value kindness and honesty as the primary ideals of their society. They try to be honest and trustworthy whenever possible. Matters of cheating, in particular, are frowned upon. In terms of friendships, "Sincerity... is important, but most people show reserve in the expression of personal feelings" (CultureGrams). Overall, the people of Norway hold faith in the positive ideals of life, like Honesty, Kindness, Sincerity, and trustworthiness.

"Norway: General Attitudes." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=119&cn=Norway&sname=General_Attitudes&snid=6. Accessed 06 March 2018

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"Norwegians tend to take great pride in their individual and national independence. Many feel Norway has developed a superior social system with high standards" (online.culturegrams.com). According to this, Norwegians take great pride in their country's national independence. In fact, so much so that they aim to translate that national value of independence into a personal value of independence. This fluidity between national and personal values as well as a sense of cultural superiority indicates a strong sense of moral duty of Norwegians to their country. This is represented in the text by way of Trond's father's role in the war. Trond's father feels a sense of responsibility to side with the Allies in an attempt to eliminate the German presence in Norway, because of his strong moral duty to his country and its independence.

Works Cited
"Norway: Family." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=119&cn=Norway&sname=Family&snid=11. Accessed 06 March 2018.

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Men believed that they needed to take care of their family and the different needs that persisted. At the age of 21, the men had majority rights so it was not only for the needs of his family, but also for the reassurance for himself.  It was interesting because this article specifically looked at the suicide rates and that in this study taken from 1948-2004 and  it showed that if a male was not working all the time, the rate of suicide actually increased. This shows that the emotions and stability of a male relied mainly on his work. Males also felt superior to women because of the lack of education that the women were getting.

Barstad, Anders. “Explaining  Changing Suicide Rates in Norway 1948-2004: The Role of Social Integration.” Social Indicators Research, vol. 87, no. 1, 2008, pp. 47–64. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27734645.

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Emelie                                       "Extended families rarely live together in the same house but often live in the same city or region."

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Emelie                                       "Extended families rarely live together in the same house but often live in the same city or region."

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According to this quote, we can infer that it is okay that Trond and his daughter don't live super close to each other because they still live in the same region.

"Norway: Family." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018

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In a study done by  Ove Skarpenes and Ann Christin E. Nilsen published in 2014, the focus is on the Southern Regions of Norway and the relative inequality that is possesses compared to the rest of the country.  As a whole, European women have a primary responsibility for housing and care-giving.  Like in most Western countries, the preferred profession for women is a combination of motherhood and a part-time career.

In Norway specifically, women do approximately three times the housework as men, and in the Southern region,  this statistic is even more lopsided.  Traditional gender roles are widely observed in this region, even to this day. Out Stealing Horses is set in this Southern region of Norway, so it is evident that these social expectations would exist, both in the 1940s and the modern times.

Skarpenes, Ove and Ann Nilsen. "Regional Gender Inequality in the Norwegian Culture of Equality." Gender Issues, vol. 32, no. 1, Mar. 2015, p. 39.

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"Christen T. Jonassen (1983) for instance portrays the Norwegians as having a detached personality:

Detachment is composed of many characteristic tendencies: the need for privacy, the need for isolation, withdrawal, emotional detachment, rationality, conformity, rigidity, uniqueness, independence, self-sufficiency, avoidance of competition, avoidance of obvious prestige and success, and yet the great need for a certain kind of uniqueness and superiority." (Gullestad)

Gullestad, Marianne. “EQUALITY AND MARITAL LOVE: The Norwegian Case as an Illustration of a General Western Dilemma.” Social Analysis: The International Journal of Social and Cultural Practice, no. 19, 1986, pp. 40–53. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23170186.

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"Before the last ice age ended about 10,000 years ago, Norway was covered by a thick ice sheet. When that ice finally retreated (or melted) its movement across the land formed islands, lakes, rivers and mountains. It also etched-out deep valleys that then filled with sea water forming Norway's fjords."

Valleys tend to be associated with isolation since they are in a sense alone in the mountains. Valleys feel constricted for those who live in them as they are surrounded by mountains on either side. The lack of sunshine in the valleys also can contribute to the emotions the characters and people of Norway feel. They have feelings of being alone and wanting isolation. The valleys are a perfect place for someone to go to be isolated from the crowded streets of a city. People can be alone and in touch with nature in these valleys.

“Europe/.” World Atlas - Maps, Geography, Travel, 7 Apr. 2017, www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/norway/noland.htm.

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Norwegian culture could very easily be considered collectivist due to the nature of the population: "Norwegians make a point to not disturb others around them; city-dwellers are rarely close friends with their neighbors and do not often greet passersby on the street," (Culturegrams). This idea that one should not disturb others with their personal feelings may have lead Trond to leave for isolation in the first place- as had he stayed, he may have broken this cultural norm through sharing his emotions.
Citations:
"Norway." CultureGrams Online Edition, ProQuest, 2018, online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country.php?contid=5&wmn=Europe&cid=119&cn=Norway. Accessed 06 March 2018.

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I think throughout the text masculinity is viewed as "deciding to feel pain" or more accurately deciding not to feel pain. That is what Trond's father expects from his son and eventually what Trond expects of himself. However, this fear of showing pain (I would argue) causes Trond to isolate himself and become detached. I think the author was arguing that there are issues that come with pretending not to feel pain in an attempt to seem masculine.