Characters
Isaiah Christensen
Though Isaiah has passed away as the novel begins, the entire narrative
revolves around him. Readers learn about Isaiah through flashbacks narrated by
Smilla and Føjl, who affectionately refers to him as “the Baron.” Isaiah is a
young Greenlandic boy residing with his mother in the White Palace apartments
in Copenhagen. He has a profound fear of heights. Wise beyond his years, he
often seeks comfort from Smilla and Føjl when his mother is too intoxicated to
care for him. Smilla sees a reflection of her younger self in Isaiah—a
Greenlander struggling to adapt to Danish culture. There is a mystery
surrounding Isaiah's life; after his death, Smilla discovers that influential
figures from the Cryolite Corporation and the Arctic Medicine Institute were
researching him due to his exposure to a lethal parasite that claimed his
father's life during a dive in Greenland. Smilla's connection to Isaiah compels
her to take great risks to uncover the truth behind his death.
Juliane Christensen
Juliane Christensen, Isaiah’s mother, is a widowed, alcoholic Greenlander
living in the White Palace in Copenhagen. After Isaiah’s passing, Smilla learns
that Juliane’s living costs are financed by the Cryolite Corporation, the
company her husband was employed with at the time of his demise.
Peter Føjl
Føjl, often referred to as “the mechanic,” is a large, bear-like man residing
in the same apartment complex as Smilla and Isaiah. He shares a special bond
with Isaiah and is the first to find Isaiah’s body. Føjl is enigmatic,
possessing a range of skills unexpected in a mere mechanic. His sophisticated
palate for food and wine hints at a life beyond Denmark. As he and Smilla
tentatively collaborate to solve the mystery of Isaiah’s death, they fall in
love, despite mutual distrust. Føjl introduces Smilla to Lander, facilitating
her boarding of the Kronos. Føjl then vanishes, reappearing in
Greenland as the secret fourth passenger on the vessel. It is revealed that
Føjl was hired by Ving from the start to monitor Isaiah, Juliane, and Smilla.
Additionally, he is an adept diver, having served in an elite Danish navy unit
akin to the Navy Seals. Tørk employs him to dive for the meteorite. Føjl’s
loyalties remain ambiguous: he genuinely cared for Isaiah and later for Smilla,
yet he is avaricious and willing to work for those responsible for Isaiah's
murder. This contradiction is unresolved by the novel’s conclusion.
Tørk Hviid
Tørk, the son of a Danish musician who mistreated him, matured into a brilliant
scientist specializing in ice and snow. He is the one who discovered a
meteorite in a lake on a Greenlandic island and has tried to extract it on at
least two earlier occasions. He orchestrated Isaiah’s death and is leading the
current expedition to Greenland. Despite his ruthless nature, Smilla finds him
very captivating, even as he schemes to end her life.
Jakkelsen
Lukas’s younger brother, Jakkelsen, is struggling with drug addiction and is
working aboard the Kronos as part of his brother’s attempt to help him
reform. He shows interest in Smilla but seals his fate when he uncovers a stash
of drugs on the ship. He is murdered when the ship docks at the Greenland
Star for offshore refueling and resupply.
Ane Jaspersen
Ane is Smilla’s mother, who passed away when Smilla was only seven. She was a native Greenlandic hunter, and during Smilla’s early years, they traveled together on hunting trips. Ane was the great love of Moritz Jaspersen’s life. Although she has been deceased for many years by the start of the novel, Smilla frequently remembers her mother while reflecting on the...
(This entire section contains 1611 words.)
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contrasts between Greenlandic and Danish cultures.
Jørgen Moritz Jaspersen
Often called “Moritz,” Smilla’s father is an extremely wealthy doctor and golf
enthusiast. He met Ane while conducting research in Greenland and fell deeply
in love with her. Their marriage ended after four years, but Moritz brought
Smilla to live with him following her mother’s death. At the time of the novel,
Moritz is married to a ballet dancer who is thirteen years younger than Smilla.
His relationship with Smilla is complex and strained.
Smilla Qaavigaaq Jaspersen
Smilla Jaspersen is the central figure in "Smilla’s Sense of Snow." She is a
thirty-year-old woman residing in Denmark, born to a Greenlandic hunter mother
and a Danish doctor. Smilla is a reclusive yet brilliant individual, living in
an apartment complex known as the White Palace. Despite her solitary nature,
she forms a bond with a young Greenlandic boy named Isaiah, often caring for
him when his mother, who struggles with alcoholism, cannot. Upon returning to
her apartment one day, Smilla discovers Isaiah's lifeless body on the pavement,
seemingly the victim of a tragic accident. Determined to uncover the truth
about Isaiah's death, which she suspects involves foul play, Smilla embarks on
an investigation that propels the novel's storyline. Smilla is a compelling
character, frequently reflecting on her childhood in Greenland before her
mother's passing. She contrasts her mother's Inuit culture with her father's
Western, Danish upbringing and shares the trauma of being moved to Denmark at
age seven and attending boarding schools. Smilla is cynical, defiant, and
exceptionally intelligent. An expert in ice and snow, she has participated in
numerous research expeditions to Greenland. However, her disdain for European
culture and her unique personality prevented her from completing an advanced
degree, although she is a prolific author on the topics of ice and snow. Smilla
is highly regarded within the scientific community as a leading authority on
glacial morphology and ice. Additionally, she possesses an impeccable sense of
direction, adept at navigating through fog, ice, and snow without losing her
bearings. As the first-person narrator of the novel, Smilla shares her passion
for mathematics, her insights into philosophy and physics, and her perspective
on the complex history between Denmark and Greenland. Smilla is a paradox, both
tough and vulnerable. Through sheer willpower and determination, she delves
deep into the heart of the mystery, risking her safety to fulfill her promise
to Isaiah: “not to leave him in the lurch, never, not even now.”
Jean Pierre Lagermann
Jean Pierre Lagermann is a forensic medicine specialist who initially examines
Isaiah's body. He informs Smilla that a muscle biopsy was extracted from the
body sometime after the child's death.
Birgo Lander
Birgo Lander is a friend of Føjl and the owner and director of a shipping
company. He assists Smilla in identifying the vessel being prepared for a
Greenland expedition and later helps her connect with Captain Lukas, who hires
her as a stewardess. Lander also ensures Smilla reaches the
Kronos.
Andres Fine Licht
Andres Fine Licht is the visually impaired curator of the Arctic Museum and a
professor specializing in Eskimo languages and cultures. Smilla brings him a
tape recording she discovers in Isaiah’s belongings, and he helps her decipher
it. As a native of Greenland, he also delivered a speech at Isaiah’s funeral.
Licht is tragically killed on the ship that houses the Arctic Museum after
summoning Smilla, who narrowly escapes death in the ensuing fire. Smilla later
uncovers that Licht was part of a previous expedition to Greenland.
Johannes Loyen
Johannes Loyen is the influential director of the Institute of Arctic Medicine.
He conducts autopsies on all Greenlandic deaths occurring in Denmark, including
Isaiah’s. His fascination with Isaiah goes beyond initial impressions. Loyen is
investigating a lethal parasite found in Greenland's ocean waters that killed
Isaiah’s father and remains dormant in Isaiah. He joins a secretive expedition
to Greenland to study the meteor and the parasite.
Elsa Lübing
Elsa Lübing is the lead accountant for the Cryolite Corporation of Denmark.
While examining Juliane’s documents, Smilla uncovers a letter from Elsa
expressing condolences over Isaiah’s father's death and informing Juliane about
a stipend from the company. When Smilla contacts Elsa, she gains crucial
insights about two prior expeditions to Greenland. Elsa, who is deeply
religious, shares this information due to her ethical concerns about the
Cryolite Corporation's current operations.
Sigmund Lukas
Sigmund Lukas is the captain of the Kronos, the vessel commissioned by
Loyen and Tørk for the current Greenland mission to retrieve the meteorite at
Gela Alta. Despite being a skilled captain, Lukas is a compulsive gambler. He
accepts the job for its financial rewards but is uneasy about its intent and
the secrecy surrounding those who hired him. He allows Smilla to board the
Kronos under the guise of a stewardess.
Ravn
Ravn presents himself as an investigator for the district attorney but actually
works in the fraud division. His involvement in the case becomes more intricate
when it’s revealed that his daughter was connected to the Cryolite Corporation
of Denmark and died under circumstances suspiciously similar to Isaiah’s.
Urs
Urs serves as the cook on the Kronos. Having a history of smuggling,
Smilla leverages this information to extract more details from him about the
Kronos.
Verlaine
Verlaine, the first mate of the Kronos, is also involved in drug
smuggling in collaboration with Tørk. He is responsible for Jakkelsen’s murder
and makes several attempts on Smilla’s life.
David Ving
David Ving serves as both a lawyer and CPA, collaborating with Loyen and Tørk
to conceal the previous expedition and the death of Isaiah's father. He
occasionally takes Isaiah to medical appointments with Loyen. Furthermore, Ving
is responsible for organizing housing and a stipend for Juliane and Isaiah. He
also employs Føjl to monitor them and, indirectly, Smilla.
