Wild Strawberries

Wild Strawberries

What is the matter with Isak Borg and what can he do to change himself?

Wild Strawberries tells the tale of an elderly doctor, Isak Borg. He thinks he has lived out a full and prosperous life but in fact he has lived his life somewhat devoid of emotional attachment by choice. He admits that some of his choices has brought him loneliness. The person who is closest to him is the maid who helps take care of him. He finally realizes that his life is not as complete as it should. Different dreams tell him that death is around the corner and that something is wrong in his life that he needs to change.

The thing that is wrong with the doctor is that he is so dis-attached from his own family that he does not see what is wrong with his son and his family. He learns that his daughter-in-law, Marianne, is pregnant and his son does not want to keep the baby. If the baby comes to terms the son said he would take his own life for the baby's life. The reason behind this could be that Isak was such a terrible father to his son, and his own son doesn't want to do that to a child of his own. Now after hearing this from his daughter-in-law, Isak has to save his own son from ruining his life because of how horrible he was towards him. Isak also realizes that he must do this quickly because the dreams he is having are telling him that death is in the near future

The way he tries to connect to Marianne is by traveling to different stops along his way to get an award for his work. During these stops Isak has flashbacks to his earlier years to times he was happy and connected with different people. Borg walks through his own memories, unable to take part in them, but seeing them unfold in front of them as though they were happening all over again. During this journey he meets people and sees himself in them. The only satisfaction the people arguing get is from the fact of trying to prove the other one wrong. This makes Isak think over his life and how he spoke to people who knew him. He finds out his problem is not physical even though he is dying but it is more mental. Isak's trip to his ultimate professional honor goes through some of the more painful, emotional times of his youth, and call to mind his fears, his doubts, and his ability to confront the one great inevitable, death. Yet the majesty of it all is that this is not a heavy