The Burning of Njal | Social Sensitivity

The Burning of Njal Social Sensitivity

A few teachers and parents who are unfamiliar with the saga may be concerned about the high level of violence in the work. Yet, like any work of art, The Burning of Njal must be considered as a whole. All the good characters in the book put their faith in the law first. Even Kari does not embark on his desperate plan of private vengeance until the Althing fails to settle the dispute over the burning fairly. And ultimately it is not the law that settles the feud and provides the unraveling of the plot—it is the ideal of forgiveness. This concept, together with the book's implicit acknowledgement that all people are amalgamations of good and bad qualities, makes The Burning of Njal a work that values human life and human kindness rather than one that glamorizes violence and vengeance.