Trolls, Transition and Tradition: Rewriting Norwegian Identity in Immigrant and Homesteading Literature.

This thesis analyzes Norwegian identity and cultural preservation by studying important pieces of national literature. By looking as far back as medieval Norse documents and continuing through 19th century emigration novels, this thesis tracks the development of the Norwegian "sense of place," a dual identity rooted in both history and homeland.
Prompted by the July 22, 2011 terrorism in Oslo that sought to reinstate a traditional, homogenous Norwegian nation, I hoped to lay the groundwork for future investigations of cultural preservation. I hope to resume this research in my Norwegian thesis this spring by analyzing contemporary attitudes of immigration in Norway.