August Strindberg's The Stronger

Introduction

August Strindberg’s The Stronger is a one-act play that masterfully explores themes of
power, love, jealousy, and identity through a psychological confrontation between two
actresses—one married and the other single. Written in 1889, the play is a striking example
of Strindberg’s intense character studies, in which seemingly simple interactions reveal
deep psychological and social conflicts. The drama unfolds as a monologue by one
character, MME. X, while MLLE. Y remains silent, allowing the audience to infer her
thoughts and emotions through her gestures and expressions.

Plot Summary

The play is set in a ladies' café on Christmas Eve, where MME. X, a married actress,
encounters MLLE. Y, an unmarried actress. MME. X greets MLLE. Y and immediately begins
to comment on her solitude, insinuating that it is sad and unseemly for her to be alone on
Christmas Eve. Throughout the play, MME. X engages in a long monologue, gradually
revealing her own insecurities, suspicions, and subconscious grievances toward MLLE. Y.

Through her speech, MME. X indirectly accuses MLLE. Y of attempting to steal her
husband’s affection. She recalls past events, questioning why MLLE. Y visited her home so
frequently, why she seemed to influence her choices, and whether she had a secret
emotional connection with her husband. As MME. X speaks, she realizes that much of her
own personality, preferences, and even domestic life has been shaped by MLLE. Y, whom
she now sees as a silent but potent rival.

In the climax, MME. X experiences a revelation: she has unknowingly absorbed MLLE. Y’s
preferences, adopted her habits, and shaped her marriage around the imagined
competition between them. However, despite this revelation, she proclaims herself ‘the
stronger’—asserting that she has a husband, children, and a home, while MLLE. Y is left
alone. MLLE. Y never speaks, making her response ambiguous; she remains an enigma,
leaving the audience to wonder whether she truly was involved with MME. X’s husband or
whether she simply represents an unspoken power that MME. X cannot ignore.

Explanation and Thematic Analysis

Power and Strength

One of the central themes of the play is the paradoxical nature of strength. MME. X
repeatedly asserts that she is “the stronger” because she has a husband and family.
However, her monologue exposes her deep insecurities and resentment, suggesting that
her strength is, in part, an illusion. Her accusations and self-doubt undermine her claim to
superiority.

MLLE. Y, despite remaining silent, exerts a psychological dominance over MME. X. By

refusing to respond, MLLE. Y retains control of the conversation, allowing MME. X to unravel
her own thoughts and expose her weaknesses. The silence becomes a form of passive
resistance, making her the true ‘stronger’ character in an unspoken way.

Jealousy and Insecurity

Jealousy is a key driving force in The Stronger. MME. X’s suspicions about MLLE. Y’s
relationship with her husband are never confirmed, but her paranoia leads her to view
MLLE. Y as a powerful adversary. The psychological depth of the play lies in how jealousy
shapes identity—MME. X realizes that she has been unknowingly emulating MLLE. Y for
years, adopting her favorite colors, foods, and even domestic traditions. This revelation
suggests that her rivalry with MLLE. Y has defined her more than she ever acknowledged.

MLLE. Y’s silence further intensifies MME. X’s insecurities. By refusing to engage, MLLE. Y
denies MME. X the validation she seeks, making her outbursts appear increasingly
desperate. This lack of confrontation leaves MME. X battling an invisible enemy—a
reflection of her own self-doubt and fears rather than an actual external threat.

The Power of Silence

Silence in The Stronger is as significant as speech. MLLE. Y’s muteness is not a sign of
weakness but rather an assertion of control. By choosing not to speak, she denies MME. X
the closure she seeks, leaving her to battle her own thoughts. This silent resistance echoes
the power of the unsaid, suggesting that strength often lies not in words but in the refusal to
be drawn into conflict.

In contrast, MME. X’s verbosity reveals her vulnerability. The more she speaks, the more
she exposes her fears and uncertainties. Strindberg uses this dynamic to highlight the
ironic nature of perceived strength—those who claim it the loudest are often the most
insecure.

Marriage and Feminine Rivalry

The play also comments on the institution of marriage and the societal roles of women.
MME. X sees her status as a wife and mother as proof of her superiority. However, her
obsessive comparison with MLLE. Y suggests that marriage has not given her the
confidence or security she outwardly projects.
Strindberg critiques how women are often pitted against each other, measuring their worth
through their relationships with men. MME. X’s competitive mindset suggests that she
views MLLE. Y not as an individual but as a rival whose presence threatens her sense of
self. This reflects broader societal pressures on women to define themselves in relation to
men rather than as independent individuals.

Character Analysis

MME. X

MME. X is an actress who initially presents herself as confident and happy in her marriage.
However, her long monologue reveals deep-seated anxieties. She claims to be victorious
over MLLE. Y, but her desperation and relentless questioning suggest otherwise. Her need
to prove her superiority points to an internal conflict—she is unsure whether she truly is the
stronger one.

Her character embodies the contradictions of strength and vulnerability. She is outspoken
and assertive, yet her words betray her fears. Her journey through the play is one of self-
discovery, though not necessarily enlightenment—she realizes MLLE. Y’s influence over her
life but ultimately chooses denial over genuine self-awareness.

MLLE. Y

MLLE. Y is a silent but profoundly significant character. Her refusal to speak makes her a
mirror onto which MME. X projects her insecurities. Her silence can be interpreted in
several ways:

• As indifference: She may genuinely not care about MME. X’s accusations,
considering them beneath her notice.

• As passive resistance: By not engaging, she exerts control over the conversation
and refuses to be drawn into a battle.

• As guilt: Her silence could suggest that MME. X’s suspicions are true, but she
chooses not to admit them.

Whatever the interpretation, MLLE. Y represents an undefined force in MME. X’s life,
whether real or imagined. Her silence makes her an enigma, reinforcing the play’s
psychological tension.

In Conclusion, Strindberg’s The Stronger is a powerful exploration of psychological

conflict, feminine rivalry, and the paradoxes of power. Through MME. X’s monologue and
MLLE. Y’s silence, the play delves into the complexities of jealousy, identity, and social
expectations. It challenges traditional notions of strength, suggesting that true power does
not always lie in words but in the ability to remain unmoved. The play remains a fascinating
study of human emotions and relationships, demonstrating Strindberg’s mastery in
portraying internal psychological battles within a minimalist setting.

Character analysis of the two central figures in August Strindberg’s The

Stronger: Mme. X and Mlle. Y.

The play’s psychological depth and minimalist structure allow for a rich exploration of
these characters, their motivations, and their relationship dynamics. While Mme. X is the
only one who speaks, Mlle. Y’s silence is equally significant, offering a counterpoint that
reveals much about both women.

Mme. X: The Speaking Protagonist

Mme. X is a married actress who enters the café dressed in winter clothes, carrying a
Japanese basket filled with Christmas presents. Her monologue dominates the play, and
through her words, we gain insight into her personality, insecurities, and relationship with
Mlle. Y.

1. Personality and Behavior

• Outward Confidence: Mme. X initially presents herself as confident and self-

assured. She chides Mlle. Y for sitting alone on Christmas Eve, suggesting that she
pities her for being unmarried and alone. Her tone is often playful and mocking, as
when she pretends to shoot Mlle. Y with a toy pop gun.

• Insecurity and Vulnerability: Beneath her confident exterior, Mme. X is deeply

insecure. Her monologue reveals her fear of losing her husband’s affection and her
jealousy of Mlle. Y. She repeatedly brings up the past, suggesting that she is haunted
by the possibility that Mlle. Y once had a relationship with her husband, Bob.

• Obsession with Mlle. Y: Mme. X’s fixation on Mlle. Y is evident throughout the play.
She accuses Mlle. Y of trying to steal her husband’s love and of influencing her life in
subtle but profound ways. This obsession suggests that Mme. X sees Mlle. Y as a
rival and a threat to her happiness.

2. Relationship with Mlle. Y

• Complex History: Mme. X and Mlle. Y have a shared history that is never fully
explained but is hinted at through Mme. X’s monologue. They were once friends, but
their relationship became strained, possibly due to their rivalry over Bob. Mme. X
 recalls how she tried to make her husband like Mlle. Y, but her efforts only seemed
to deepen the tension between them.

• Power Struggle: Mme. X’s monologue is an attempt to assert dominance over Mlle.
Y. She wants to prove that she is the “stronger” of the two, both in terms of her
marriage and her ability to move on from their rivalry. However, her need to vocalize
this suggests that she is not as confident as she appears.

3. Relationship with Bob

• Love and Possessiveness: Mme. X’s relationship with her husband, Bob, is central
to her identity. She describes him with affection and humor, but her possessiveness
is evident. She is proud of her ability to keep his love, but her constant references to
other women who have pursued him reveal her underlying insecurity.

• Influence of Mlle. Y: Mme. X acknowledges that Mlle. Y has influenced her

relationship with Bob in subtle ways. She mentions that she has adopted Mlle. Y’s
preferences, such as her love of tulips, and that she has even named her son after
Mlle. Y’s father. This suggests that Mme. X’s identity is deeply intertwined with her
rivalry with Mlle. Y.

4. Psychological Complexity

• Projection of Insecurities: Mme. X’s monologue can be seen as a projection of her

own insecurities onto Mlle. Y. She accuses Mlle. Y of being unhappy and spiteful, but
these accusations may reflect her own feelings. Her need to assert her dominance
suggests that she is struggling to maintain her sense of self-worth.

• Ambiguity of Strength: By the end of the play, Mme. X declares herself the
“stronger” of the two, but this declaration is tinged with ambiguity. Her triumph is
undercut by her acknowledgment of Mlle. Y’s influence and her own vulnerability.
This raises questions about what it truly means to be “strong.”

Mlle. Y: The Silent Antagonist

Mlle. Y is a single actress who sits silently in the café, drinking beer and reading a
newspaper. Her silence is a powerful dramatic device that allows the audience to interpret
her character through Mme. X’s words and reactions.

1. Personality and Behavior

 • Silence as Strength: Mlle. Y’s silence can be interpreted as a form of strength. By
refusing to engage with Mme. X, she maintains her composure and avoids being
drawn into a confrontation. Her silence also forces Mme. X to confront her own
insecurities, as she is left to fill the void with her own assumptions and accusations.

• Ambiguity and Mystery: Mlle. Y’s silence makes her a mysterious and enigmatic
figure. The audience is left to wonder about her thoughts and feelings, as well as the
true nature of her relationship with Bob. This ambiguity adds depth to her character
and allows for multiple interpretations.

2. Relationship with Mme. X

• Rivalry and Resentment: While Mlle. Y does not speak, her body language and
reactions suggest that she harbors resentment toward Mme. X. She laughs at Mme.
X’s jokes but also looks at her with scorn and irony. This suggests that she sees
through Mme. X’s attempts to assert dominance and may even pity her.

• Unspoken Influence: Mlle. Y’s influence on Mme. X is a central theme of the play.
Mme. X acknowledges that she has adopted many of Mlle. Y’s preferences and
habits, suggesting that Mlle. Y has had a profound impact on her life. This influence
is all the more powerful because it is unspoken and indirect.

3. Relationship with Bob

• Unresolved Tension: The nature of Mlle. Y’s relationship with Bob is never fully
explained, but it is clear that there is unresolved tension between them. Mme. X
accuses Mlle. Y of trying to steal Bob’s affection, but Mlle. Y’s silence leaves the
truth of these accusations unclear. This ambiguity adds to the play’s psychological
complexity.

• Symbol of Lost Love: Mlle. Y can be seen as a symbol of lost love and missed
opportunities. Her solitary presence in the café contrasts with Mme. X’s bustling
energy, suggesting that she has been left behind in some way. However, her silence
also suggests that she has accepted her fate and moved on.

4. Psychological Complexity

• Silence as a Mirror: Mlle. Y’s silence serves as a mirror for Mme. X’s insecurities
and fears. By refusing to engage, she forces Mme. X to confront her own thoughts
and assumptions. This makes her a powerful and enigmatic figure, even though she
does not speak.
 • Ambiguity of Strength: Like Mme. X, Mlle. Y’s strength is ambiguous. Her silence
can be seen as a form of resilience, but it can also be interpreted as a sign of defeat
or indifference. This ambiguity adds depth to her character and raises questions
about the nature of strength and power.

Comparative Analysis

1. Power Dynamics:

o Mme. X’s need to assert dominance over Mlle. Y reveals her insecurity and
fear of losing control. Her monologue is an attempt to reclaim her sense of
self-worth by proving that she is the “stronger” of the two.

o Mlle. Y’s silence, on the other hand, can be seen as a form of resistance. By
refusing to engage, she maintains her composure and avoids being drawn
into a confrontation. This makes her a powerful and enigmatic figure, even
though she does not speak.

2. Identity and Influence:

o Mme. X’s identity is deeply intertwined with her relationship with Bob and her
rivalry with Mlle. Y. She acknowledges that Mlle. Y has influenced her life in
subtle but profound ways, suggesting that her sense of self is fragile and
easily shaken.

o Mlle. Y, by contrast, remains an enigmatic figure. Her silence suggests that

she is secure in her own identity and does not need to prove herself to Mme.
X. This makes her a foil to Mme. X’s insecurity and vulnerability.

3. Themes of Strength and Weakness:

o The play’s title, The Stronger, is ironic and open to interpretation. Mme. X
declares herself the stronger of the two, but her need to assert this suggests
that she is not as confident as she appears. Mlle. Y’s silence, on the other
hand, can be seen as a form of strength, but it can also be interpreted as a
sign of defeat or indifference. This ambiguity raises questions about the
nature of strength and power.

Conclusion
Mme. X and Mlle. Y are complex and psychologically nuanced characters whose
relationship is marked by rivalry, resentment, and unspoken tension. Mme. X’s monologue
reveals her insecurities and fears, while Mlle. Y’s silence serves as a powerful counterpoint
that forces the audience to engage actively with the text. Together, they embody the play’s
exploration of power dynamics, identity, and the complexities of human relationships.
Strindberg’s masterful use of monologue and silence creates a tension that allows for
multiple interpretations, making The Stronger a timeless and thought-provoking work.