Abstract
This article intends to investigate in what ways Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen’s pseudonym and living character) employs certain features to invoke the memory of the European pagan traditions. Among them is animism, in which nature, specially the sea, has agency and intention, interfering with and manipulating the plot – reminding us of the animist ontological system that characterizes the pagan worldview. There is also storytelling, which is used to pass on knowledge among different generations in these populations, and the constant presence of the witch figure. By employing these elements in her writing, Dinesen creates a peculiar type of modernism that subverts the laws of classical literary composition through the revival of another kind of tradition that has been questioning and resisting the status quo for centuries.
Key-words
Isak Dinesen; Karen Blixen; Animism; Witch; Storytelling