Guds brente barn : Ein analyse av Tor Edvin og Håkon Dahl si bok Vi som ikke kommer til himmelen

Abstract

The book Vi som ikke kommer til himmelen by the two brothers Tor Edvin and HåkonDahl tells a story about a childhood of events that left them emotionally scarred. These wounds and the consequences of what they experienced linger to this day, though they now are men of age. They look back and reflect upon the phenomenaand events thatare linked to their family and their upbringing in the Pentacostal church, two components that are tightly interwined in their story.The book is an autobiographical representation, and I have hence worked on the story basedon different views on autobiography asa genre. I have mainly discussed the theories of Philippe Lejeune and Paul de Man,and concludedthat we need both these perspectives in the analysis of this book. Both brothers are putting into words their experience of being traumatized, and they feel haunted by events and persons from the past. I have therefore utilized mainly two theoretical approaches in my portrayal, hauntology and theoretical views on mediated memories. The haunting in particular becomes evident working with this book. By this I mean that traumatic events and phenomenaare passed on through generations where ‘phantoms’ haunt and torment the following generations, even if those individuals may be unaware of the past events that form the foundation of the trauma. The way I read this book the transgenerational trauma isthe main theme of thestory. This trauma provides the background for the settlement of the narrative of authority that the Pentecostal church presented to them in their upbringing. In my opinion this settlement with the simplification of life interpretation is the driving force for this book.