You have only to lift your hand,' Thorkel Fostri said. And after a moment, 'What else were you born for?''Why not happiness, like other men? Thorfinn said.'You have that,' said his foster-father. 'But if you try to trap it, it will change. Why do you resist? It is your right.''I resist because it is no use resisting,' Thorfinn said. 'Do you not think that is unfair? I shall be King because I was King; and I shall die because I did die; and did I remember them, I could even tell what are the three ways it might befall me.
Thorkel Fostri encourages Thorfinn to take action and suggests that his purpose in life is simply to lift his hand, implying that he has the ability to shape his destiny. Thorfinn questions if happiness is life's true goal, to which Thorkel responds that he already has happiness but warns that trying to control or trap it can cause it to vanish. Thorkel emphasizes that resisting one's natural course is unnecessary because it is within one's rights to accept life as it unfolds.
Thorfinn, however, feels resigned to his fate, believing that resistance is futile. He reflects on the inevitability of death and fate, comparing it to being born a king and dying a king, and feeling certain about the ways his life could end. The dialogue reveals a deep contemplation of destiny, free will, and the acceptance of life's unchangeable truths.
