Creativity and destruction in Bjarte Breiteig's «They don't mourn down there»

Authors

  • John Brumo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7557/13.7874

Keywords:

Bjarte Breiteig, suicide, short story, creativity, destruction

Abstract

How can we interpret Bjarte Breiteig's short story «Der nede sørger de ikke» (They Don't Mourn Down There)? The short story depicts two teenage boys who, seemingly without reason, vandalize the arts and crafts rooms at their school. However, on a symbolic level, their destructive actions are connected to themes of suicide, creativity, and individuality.

References

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Bennett, Andrew. 2017. Suicide Century: Literature and Suicide from James Joyce to David Foster Wallace. University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108284134 https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108284134

Breiteig, Bjarte. 2000. Surrogater. Aschehoug.

Breiteig, Bjarte. 2000. «Gøy og gravalvor». Intervju i Aftenposten, 1. september.

Breiteig, Bjarte og Tonje Tornes, red. 2004. Levende om døden. Gyldendal.

Hemon, Alexandar (red.). 2012. Best European Fiction 2012. Dalkey Archive Press.

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Jamison, Kay Redfield. 1993. Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament. Free Press.

Jomisko, Anne Lise. 2000. «En novellemester». Dagbladet, 28. august.

Larsen, Per Sveinung, regi. 2006. Der nede sørger de ikke [kortfilm]. Norgesfilm AS.

Teigen, Rune. 2000. «Som om ingenting har hendt». Klassekampen, 22. september.

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Published

2024-12-12

How to Cite

Brumo, John. 2024. “Creativity and destruction in Bjarte Breiteig’s «They don’t mourn down there»”. Nordlit 52 (2):62-71. https://doi.org/10.7557/13.7874.