Det går an

by C. J. L. (Carl Jonas Love) Almqvist

"Det går an" by C. J. L. Almqvist is a novella written in 1838 and published in 1839. When sergeant Albert and glassmaker's daughter Sara Videbeck fall in love during a steamboat journey, Sara proposes an unconventional arrangement: they can be together, but she refuses traditional marriage to preserve her independence and property. This radical challenge to marriage as an institution sparked fierce public debate, forced Almqvist from his teaching position, and spawned an entire genre of response literature attacking the author's moral character.