The Ring Essays and Criticism

The Ring | Essays and Criticism

Tragedy in "The Ring"
Bertonneau is a Temporary Assistant Professor of English and the humanities at Central Michigan University and Senior Policy Analyst at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. In the following essay, he maintains that Dinesen’s story ‘‘The Ring’’ is an example of art describing tragedy.
Babette Can Cook: Life and Art in Three Stories by Isak Dinesen
Bassoff is Professor of English at the University of Colorado. In the following excerpt, he contends that Lovisa’s (here called Lise) encounter with the thief—and the ‘‘real world’’—results in a dramatic change in her character.
Two Locked Caskets: Selfhood and ‘Otherness’ in the Work of Isak Dinesen
In the following excerpt, Burstein suggests that the conflict between self-identity and social stereotype is experienced by many of the female characters in Dinesen’s works. She then explores Lovisa’s (here called Lise) struggle with her selfhood in ‘‘The Ring.’’
The Redemption of Ariel: Anecdotes of Destiny and Ehrengard
In the following excerpt, Langbaum assesses the theme of the human condition as found in Dinesen’s ‘‘The Ring,’’ particularly as it relates to the character of Lovisa. He also studies the sexual symbolism of the story.