Arbeiders: Roman

The story opens on a blistering August in Christiania, where relentless sunshine turns the city's broad streets into ovens and the occasional breeze barely stirs the heavy, dust‑laden air. Shadows cling to the narrow alleys, and even the grand university building offers little refuge as heat radiates from stone façades and open windows. The oppressive climate becomes a constant backdrop, shaping every movement and conversation of the townspeople.

Amid this sweltering tableau we meet a handful of everyday figures—young clerks still finding their footing, seasoned officials sweating beneath their caps, and students barely out of their studies, all navigating the stifling heat together. Their terse exchanges hint at deeper frustrations: a desire for relief, the strain of endless paperwork, and the simmering discontent of those who labor under the city's relentless glare. The opening establishes a vivid, lived‑in world where the weather mirrors the mounting pressure on the working class.