In The Flight of Gemma Hardy, when Gemma and Archie are discussing possible places to visit in Iceland, Gemma thinks “I began to allow Archie to utter sentences like, ‘When we go to Reykjavik we must visit the cathedral.’ I began to make remarks about visiting Thingvellir, going to see the hot spring” (Livesey 359). Thingvellir, or in Icelandic Þingvellir, is the traditional meeting place of the Icelandic parliament, the Alþing. The Alþing met at Þingvellir, meaning “Assembly Plains,” starting around 930 and met there until 1798 and since 1928 Þingvellir has been a protected area under the supervision of the Alþing, despite the fact that the Alþing no longer meets there (“History”). In 1798, the last Alþing was held before the Alþing was suspended, but half a century later during the surge of nationalist movements in Europe the Alþing was granted permission by King Kristian VIII of Denmark to meet again. It met again for the first time in 1845 and returned to Þingvellir in 1848, where it met irregularly until 1907 (“Independence campaign”). Today, Þingvellir is part of the Þingvellir National Park and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (“Þingvellir National Park”).

Having been the site of the Alþing during the period of the Icelandic Commonwealth, before falling under the control of the King of Norway and later the King of Denmark, Þingvellir holds an important place as a symbol of Icelandic independence. It became a focal point of Icelandic identity during Iceland’s move to independence from the Kingdom of Denmark in the 19^th and 20^th centuries (“Independence campaign”). Throughout The Flight of Gemma Hardy, and particularly throughout the final third of the novel, Iceland serves as a focal point for Gemma’s search for her own identity and, in a sense, her freedom in finding her identity. Gemma’s quest to visit the country where she was born and to discover her Icelandic father’s name, and rediscover her own Icelandic name, mirrors the Icelanders’ push for independence. To Gemma, Iceland represents her past and her future as a source of personal freedom. Iceland, for Gemma, is independence from her Scottish aunt, independence from her ties to Mr. Sinclair, and independence from her troubles in Scotland. To the Icelanders, Þingvellir represents their past freedom and their current freedom. Þingvellir is a symbol of Iceland’s early democracy and of their independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. Iceland is to Gemma what Þingvellir is to Icelanders.

Works Cited

“History.” Þingvellir Þjóðgarður, https://www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2022.

“Independence campaign.” Þingvellir Þjóðgarður, https://www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/independence-campaign/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2022.

Livesey, Margot. The Flight of Gemma Hardy. HarperCollins, 2012.

“Þingvellir National Park.” UNESCO, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1152/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2022.

Image credit:

“Assembly site.” Þingvellir Þjóðgarður, https://www.thingvellir.is/en/history-nature/history/assembly-site/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2022.