olaf knows that kjartan, who was involved in a love triangle with bolli and bolli's wife gudrun osvifrsdottir, caused his own downfall by acting aggressively. in icelandic terms, kjartan had surpassed the acceptable limits of immoderation. whereas olaf wants to maintain the solidarity of the larger family, keeping workable relations with his siblings and their children, thorgerd's concerns are different. she focuses more narrowly on the honour of her nuclear family.