La serpiente

Written during World War II, The Snake is set in a nervously neutral, militarily alert Sweden. Dagerman, an army recruit and anarcho-syndicalist, uses the daily life of military service as a backdrop to explore social justice and the psychology of fear. The first part of the book focuses on a young woman working at a military camp who is drawn to a sadistic soldier. The second part details the harrowing experiences of Dagerman's alter ego, Scriver, and his fellow recruits. In the final chapter, Scriver presents his vision of overcoming fear, culminating in an absurd and disastrous ending.