Sillies

sillies

can you tell me about the relationship between snufkin and moomintroll?

With great pleasure!

Snufkin is introduced in the second Moomin book, Comet in Moominland (1946). He is the first actual friend Moomintroll meets, as Sniff is considered more of an adoptive little brother. Moomintroll is quick to admire this freespirited vagabond and grows very attached to him in a short time. Their relationship only deepens with each book. This is not surpising, considering that Snufkin is strongly inspired by Atos Wirtanen, a Finnish left-wing intellectual who Tove Jansson had a relationship with. Moomintroll in turn is an author avatar for Jansson, meaning that these two characters are modeled after real-life lovers. 

In many ways, Snufkin is one of the most important people in Moomintroll’s life. When Snufkin decides to start his traveling lifestyle after living with the Moomin family for a while, Moomintroll is deeply saddened. He even spends his wish from the Hobgoblin to send their feast to Snufkin. And during Moominsummer Madness, Snufkin being late causes Moomintroll to be so sad that he cannot bring himself to be happy for Snorkmaiden. 

Their relationship is defined by Moomintroll’s sentimental attachment and Snufkin’s need for freedom. Moomintroll is a dependant person who feels the need to feel close to the people he loves and needs continued support from those around him. Snufkin in turn holds Moomintroll dear, but this goes against his free nature and personal need to be alone. So Moomintroll needs Snufkin, but Snufkin does not want to need him or be needed in turn. Moomintroll understands this and tries to respectfully hide his emotions so he would not bother Snufkin with them. But Snufkin is too intelligent for such methods and always sees through just how much Moomintroll misses him. There are many times when Snufkin is actually torn by this, because he feels guilty for keeping Moomintroll in such state and this guilt makes him a bit angry.

Eventually, these issues seem to even out between them. Moomintroll’s character arc leads him to growing up during the last books and he learns to enjoy solitude. Instead of needing people desperately, he learns to appreciate them but also likes his new independence. He does miss Snufkin during the last few books, but he is also happy to be able to share his experiences with him.

Interestingly, the reader gets to see a similar but opposite change in Snufkin in the last Moomin book Moominvalley in November. In this book, Snufkin has trouble writing a song and finally realizes that he has always been able to be free with the people who love him. It is because they love him that they have always understood him and let him have his space. We never get to see how their relationship has changed after these changes in their personalities, but it is likely that it will grow to be closer and healthier than before.

Many adaptations keep their relationship very intimate. One of the most famous examples is the popular Moomin (1990s TV series). This version shows how deeply Moomintroll misses Snufkin when he leaves for winter and his return is the most important sign of spring. This emotional attachment goes so far that Moomintroll cannot seem to recover from his cold until Snufkin returns to him. There are also many scenes where Moomintroll makes it clear he would rather spend time alone with Snufkin than with any of his other friends, including Snorkmaiden. The series also included Snufkin’s conflicted feelings, where he is torn by his love for Moomintroll, need for freedom and guilt caused by it all. 

It can be said that their relationships makes up for much of the emotional core of the entire series. This is emphasized by the last episode, where Snufkin gives his beloved harmonica for Moomintroll to keep until he returns. The series has established many times that the harmonica is the only material possession Snufkin is attached to and it is a big part of his character, as he has used it to bring joy, calm and safety for everyone. And he leaves it in Moomintroll’s hands.

There have been many analysis on homosexual themes in Tove Jansson’s work, especially in her Moomin books. This is understandable, given her own relationships with women and the personal nature of Moomin books. Relationship between Snufkin and Moomintroll  is at the center of this discussion for obvious reasons. Moomintroll’s strong attachment and the reality subtext has given many fans and academics alike reason to believe that their feelings are not entirely platonic. Moomintroll’s relationship with Snorkmaiden is not seen as an issue, given that they are mostly playing romance in the books and Jansson herself was capable of having relationships with both men and women.

Each reader or viewer is always able to make their own interpretation on these kinds of things. But Moomintroll and Snufkin will likely remain as one of the iconic same-sex relationships in Finnish literature and children’s media as long as Moomin books remain relevant, which is also very likely going to be a long time.

Actually I thought about it for the first time a few months ago

Lisa the hopeful wasn't very hopeful at all