Cora Sandel published three collections of short stories during the 1920’s and the 1930’s; En blå sofa og andre noveller (“A blue sofa”, 1927), Carmen og Maja og andre noveller (“Carmen and Maja”, 1932) and Mange takk doktor, noveller (“Many thanks, Doctor”, 1935). However, the studies of Cora Sandel’s work have mostly focused on her three novels about Alberte. This thesis is an attempt to shed light on the short stories from the interwar period, from the perspective of artistry. Cora Sandel started out as a visual artist herself, but, rather unwillingly, abandoned it for writing when painting became harder to combine with being a mother and a wife. This thesis looks at how artistry is portraited in the short stories. Many kinds of artistry are discussed; painting as well as writing, acting, crafts and musicality. What is artistry associated with and what roles does it play? Short stories have been selected from the three collections where artistry plays a significant role. The result is accounted for in four segments, each about an aspect of how artistry is portraited in the short stories; “Incompatible Parenthood”, “Passion”, “Poverty” and “Men, Women and Artistry”.

<p>This essay examines the Alberte triology, by the Norwegian writer Cora Sandel, from a gender/feminist perspective. Taking Yvonne Hirdman's theory about the gender system as a starting point I will show how the living conditions and the different roles of men and women are represented in the novel and how they are changing during the centuries before and after the First World War.</p><p>I am particularly interested in Alberte, the main character, what attitude she takes to her position in the gender system and in what way she differs from the traditional female model. Is she a New Woman, a different ”species”, who doesn't fit into the rigid gender system? Does the New Woman have a male counterpart, and is he to be found in the novel? Does the novel give a positive vision of a future where men and women can meet as equals?</p>

This essay examines the Alberte triology, by the Norwegian writer Cora Sandel, from a gender/feminist perspective. Taking Yvonne Hirdman's theory about the gender system as a starting point I will show how the living conditions and the different roles of men and women are represented in the novel and how they are changing during the centuries before and after the First World War. I am particularly interested in Alberte, the main character, what attitude she takes to her position in the gender system and in what way she differs from the traditional female model. Is she a New Woman, a different ”species”, who doesn't fit into the rigid gender system? Does the New Woman have a male counterpart, and is he to be found in the novel? Does the novel give a positive vision of a future where men and women can meet as equals?