Connect:
The information presented in the fictional account has a connection with the historical documentation presented at the beginning of the chapter. By Blondal referring Agnes as a “criminal”, it emphasises the idea of Agnes identity being lost in the eyes of the community due to the act she committed. Furthermore, the community see her for what she did rather than who she is. This is advocated further in the fictional account when a woman claims to Toti that Agnes “had a reputation for a sharp tongue and loose skirts.” The woman admits she only “knew of her”, promoting that the community judged Agnes solely on what they heard about her.
Extend:
The fictional account looks deeper into who Agnes really is compared to the historical account which sees Agnes for what she did and nothing more. It gives us insight into Agnes past when she was only “six winters old” when her mother left her. By discovering this it evokes sympathy for Agnes as we realise the number of difficulties she faced early in her life. This is greatly contrasted in the historical document as there is no evidence of sympathy from Blondal towards Agnes. In fact, the way he talks about the axe being used for the execution lacks uneasiness and concern. He seems to see it as a just a normal object with little meaning behind it and is mainly concerned with the price of it. In the first person voice of Agnes, her story is much more sympathetic compared to the narrator’s voices. This is largely due to the