Minna Canth was born 170 years ago, and went on to lead a full life of literary publication and journalistic campaigning for gender equality. A new book published on Minna Canth Day, 19 March, aims to take a look behind the public image to reveal Canth’s inner personality.
“While writing my doctoral thesis I got the feeling that there is a Minna that people don’t know well enough,” says author Minna Maijala.
The book Maijala decided to write is out on Wednesday. Its title translates as 'Sensitive, gentle, fiery'. The volume probes Canth’s personality, family and private life. Maijala says she wants to create a more multidimensional picture of someone best known for her as a warrior for women’s rights.
“In her private life, Minna was much more sensitive than her public image as a fighter,” says Maijala. “I put forward Minna’s sensitive, gentle and very enthusiastic side. Her image as an amazon of women’s struggle has sidelined that.”
Legacy respected?
In addition to her work writing plays and novels, Canth was alsoFinland’s first female journalist, and she used that platform to focus on the social issues of the day.
“She grabbed current issues,” says Maijala. “That makes her eternally relevant. That kind of civic courage and desire to put yourself forward is always needed.”
Although Canth became the first woman to be granted an annual flag day in 2007, her modern-day advocates are keen to see her brought to greater prominence.
Her advocacy for women’s education continued in Tampere, Jyväskylä and Kuopio, but Maijala claims her legacy is not treated with sufficient respect. Her home in Kuopio, ‘Kanttila’, has been empty for decades—something that Maijala says would not be allowed to happen to the legacy of a male author of similar stature.
“If Minna Canth was alive today, the situation would cripple her,” says Maijala. “When you compare to the efforts to preserve male authors’ houses, then sure ‘Kanttila’s’ situation would cause Minna sadness.”