Steal Five Shillings

The Five Shillings Theft is a pivotal action in Knut Hamsun's Hunger, where the starving narrator, in a moment of confusion and desperation, accepts five shillings in change from a shopkeeper who mistakenly believes he has paid for a candle. This act, his first outright theft, marks a profound moral crisis and a turning point in his descent, as he grapples with guilt, shame, and the erosion of his honor.

Circumstances and the Act Itself

The theft occurs during a period of extreme deprivation, after the narrator has been living on bread and butter for three weeks and has not eaten for twenty-four hours. He enters a provision shop intending to ask for a candle on credit, but the shopkeeper, assuming he has paid, gives him change for a crown. The narrator, stunned by the sight of the silver coins, gathers the money mechanically, without reflection. He later describes this as his "first downright dishonesty" and "first great fall," a moment that shatters his previous self-image as an honest man. The act is not premeditated; it is a reflexive, almost involuntary response to a sudden, unexpected opportunity, born from a state of physical and mental exhaustion.

Immediate Aftermath and Internal Conflict

After leaving the shop, the narrator immediately spends part of the money on a plate of beef, eating greedily, but the food causes him to vomit. The theft weighs heavily on his conscience. He becomes "deadly afraid of himself," imagining the police arresting him, the dock, and the clerk taking down evidence. He questions whether he has polluted his relationship with Ylajali by touching her with "sinful hands." The money feels "sinfully" in his pocket and gives him no peace. In a desperate attempt to restore his honor, he gives the entire sum to an old cake vendor, an act he performs without a word, feeling a "wonderful savour" in being an honest man once more. This impulsive generosity, however, does not resolve his moral crisis; it only temporarily alleviates his guilt.

Confession and Confrontation

Later, the narrator returns to the shop to confess. He confronts the shopkeeper, who has not yet realized the mistake. The narrator explains the entire incident in detail, but the shopkeeper, fearing for his job, does not report him. The narrator, frustrated by the man's passivity, becomes aggressive, insisting that he gave the money away to a poor woman. He leaves, slamming the door, but immediately regrets his behavior, weeping and punishing himself for taking advantage of the shopkeeper's fear. This confession, rather than absolving him, deepens his sense of degradation, as he realizes he has sunk to a new low.

Thematic Significance: Honor, Guilt, and the Cost of Survival

The Five Shillings Theft is a crucial episode in the narrator's struggle with honor and survival. It represents a clear violation of his own moral code, a line he had previously refused to cross, even when tempted to pawn Hans Pauli's blanket. The theft forces him to confront the gap between his self-image as an honorable man and his actions driven by hunger. His subsequent attempts to atone—giving the money away and confessing—are futile, as the damage to his sense of self is already done. The episode illustrates how extreme poverty can erode moral boundaries, and how the struggle for survival can lead to actions that leave lasting psychological scars. The narrator's inability to simply keep the money or to find peace after giving it away underscores the profound internal conflict between his physical needs and his deeply ingrained sense of honor.