or archetypical narrative dominated his vision—the scenography itself, the
symbolic episodes. His was a literary memory, as subjective as it was selec-
tive, a memory that decided exactly what it would recall and how it would
doso.Itisthusprettymuchimpossibletodeterminewherethefactualstory
ends and the fictive narrative takes over. The manner in which Kierke-
gaard’s father is portrayed provides a very telling example of this: At some
points he looms up with a power that Old Testament patriarchs would
be hard put to compete with; sometimes, he is seen to possess an almost
supernaturalimagination comparedtowhich alltheworld’sfairy talesseem
flat and prosaic, and the most beautiful woodlands wither and fade. But the
actual Michael Pedersen Kierkegaard? Even though Kierkegaard’s journals
and published writings seem to tell us almost too much, we have no idea
what he was really like.
Ifwelimit ourselvestotherelativelymodestcollection ofsourcemateri-
als, we get a picture of a strict and very particular man who demanded of
those around hi ma degree of obedience, thrift, and attentiveness to detail
that bordered on the insufferable. One of his servants tells us that “the old
man was very exacting with respect to the polishing of shoes and boots:
There were not to be any dull spots, not a single grain of sand.” As the
servantcontinueshisnarrativewecanalmostsensehimquivering:“Hewas
not to be trifled with when he became angry. Not that he shouted or used
abusive language, but the seriousness with which his reproaches were ut-
teredmadethemsink inmoredeeplythanifhehadmade ascene.Atmost,
evenwhenhiswordswereharshest,thequeueatthebackofhisneckmight
shake in a curious fashion.” The grown-up Søren Aabye once remarked,
“My father was born on the due date,” noting that his father wished to be
so punctual and prepared in every respect that he would buy the bread for
adinnerpartyfourteendaysbeforetheguestsarrived!Despitehisnotorious
wealth, he clung to the Jutland ideal of simplicity. The children were
clothedmodestly,indeedfrugally—especiallythegirls,whoearlyonhadto
accustomthemselvestowaitingupontheiryounger,more-educatedbroth-
ers. Michael Kierkegaard himself owned a fine frock coat (a “porcelain”
coat); he would have the collar turned when it became worn, but not a
momentbefore.His conservatismledhimto showextraordinaryreverence
for everything connected with rank and distinction, and it was said that he
had double respect for his friend Boesen, “both for the man and for the
Councillor of Justice.” For long periods he was engaged in the study of the
German philosopher Christian Wolff, particularly hisReasonable Thoughts
concerning the Powers and the Proper Employment of the Human Understanding in
Order to Know Truth, Imparted to Lovers of the Truth. And despite his lack of
formal education he could be razor-sharp when he intervened incisively in
{1813–1834} 13