Browsing by Author "Opdahl, Ellen Julie"

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    Don't Panic! A study of the Absurd as an Expression of Anxiety and Existentialism in Douglas Adam's "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
    (2013-06-26) Opdahl, Ellen Julie; University of Gothenburg/Department of Languages and Literatures; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för språk och litteraturer
    This essay studies the absurd as expressions of anxiety and existentialism in Douglas Adam's novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"; my thesis is that the absurd is the key to understanding the novel. With the help of ideas from mainly Gary Cox and Marilette van der Colff, this essay concludes that Adams emphasizes the nature of anxiety and existentialism by simplifying, exaggerating and pointing at the irrational. Adams discusses how the psyche copes with absurdity combined with free choices and sometimes covers everything in a layer of absurdity to let the reader relate to the issues without getting lost.
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    THE DECONSTRUCTED HERO A Studyof Heroism in Suzanne Collins´ NovelTrilogyThe Hunger Games
    (2015-10-20) Opdahl, Ellen Julie; University of Gothenburg/Department of Languages and Literatures; Göteborgs universitet/Institutionen för språk och litteraturer
    The thesis aims to study how contemporary literature challenges the traditional role of the hero, by exploring the character functions of Peeta, Katniss and Galein The Hunger Games trilogy. Their functionspresent a variety of perspectives on heroism, both in terms of traditional ideas of heroismand female heroes, but also suggestthat main characters can function heroically, and change between different functions, in turn affecting the reader’s mind-set regarding the protagonist. By applying the theoretical model duomyth onto the characters Gale, Katniss and Peeta from Suzanne Collins´ trilogy The Hunger Games, one can both include two vital characters into the analysis of Katniss, as well as analyse the female hero in a way which does not limit her as a result of narrow models. Using this method, several aspects of heroes and roles for characters from numerous theoretical models can be incorporated into the analysis.Feminine and masculine traits of the characters do not interfere with their interaction, and neither do the restrictions of conventional “roles” within fiction. By developing the duomyth further, to a triomyth, the ambiguity of characters´individual function disappear, as they appear as a whole unit, a collective hero.