As the protagonist of Kristin Lavransdatter, Kristin grows over the course of the several decades depicted in the novel. Tumultuous historical and cultural forces require her to grow up fast, and her complicated betrothal to Simon Darre is an early indication that her life will not be simple: Once the betrothal is announced, she must contend with Arne declaring his love for her, Bentein’s attempting to assault her, Arne’s death, and then the delay of her actual wedding for a year so that she can be sent to mature in a convent, away from the social turmoil of the community in which she was raised. Kristin is still a young girl, but she has three men seeking her love in very different ways. Arne represents the affection of her childhood, Simon the pragmatic maturity of her father’s wishes, and Bentein the viciousness of male desire that seeks to impose itself on her. She navigates this situation without transgressing the sexual morality of her community, even if rumors swirl that she has acted sinfully in some manner. Before Kristin becomes a wife, she must deal with the rigors of duty, romance, and love as imposed on her by a male-dominated society.