Keeper of the Protocols argues that Jens Bjørneboe was a consciously European author, of international stature, whose works cannot be properly understood if treated simply as the product of a "Scandinavian" writer. As Bjørneboe remains for the most part untranslated into English, the objectives of the study are two-fold: to introduce the works of Jens Bjørneboe, and to provide a detailed commentary on influence in his works from classic and contemporary sources.
The first chapter serves as an introduction to Bjørneboe supplying a concise overview of his literary career as playwright, novelist, poet and essayist. In chapter two, his early achievements as a poet and novelist are discussed. The point of departure for the earliest works lies in the spiritual system of Anthroposophy and the powerful influence of Rilke. The chapter culminates with commentaries on his highly controversial debate-novels. The third chapter is an extended study of his pivotal trilogy known as "The History of Bestiality": Frihetens øyeblikk (1966), Kruttårnet (1970) and Stillheten (1973). While the trilogy represents a confrontation with Western , culture, it also depicts modern man in a world devoid of values and meaning. Here, the influence of Nietzsche and Sartre are traceable. In the trilogy, Bjørneboe's thinking on violence and society intersects with that of Michel Foucault and René Girard. The fourth chapter is a discussion of Bjørneboe and the theater. As a Norwegian dramatist who rejected Ibsen's form of theater, he found recourse alternately in Brecht, Strindberg and Tennessee Williams. Bjørneboe's major plays can best be understood in light of this set of influences. The fifth and final chapter examines the "anarchism" which was Bjørneboe's final philosophical resting place. The parallels with Camus's ideas in L'Homme revolté are readily discernible. Bjørneboe's final novel, Haiene (1974), which was to commence his "History of Freedom," is a sea novel which invites comparison with Conrad, particularly Conrad's conception of history. Bjørneboe's letters and unpublished autobiography show an increasing preoccupation with the split between social and metaphysical concerns. His final months, and his assessment of his own literary accomplishment, are reviewed in light of this conflict. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/27450 |
| Date | January 1987 |
| Creators | Martin, Joseph H. |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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