Hva betyr egentlig ordene om Gud? Om språk og livstolkning i Bjørn Sortlands ungdomsroman Hver morgen dyppet min søster brystene i isvann for å bli pen (2017)

Abstract

This article examines how Mariam, the main character in a Norwegian novel for youngsters, reflects on the existence and real character of God – and his relationship to her as a young refugee girl. Mariam has grown up in Syria with a Christian belief in God as caring and almighty. In particular, the article discusses what the inherited religious language means for Mariam in her desperate situation and how it influences Mariam’s interpretation of life. With support from Stanley Cavell, and the ordinary language philosophy, the article examines whether Mariam shares the criteria of the traditional religious language or if she turns to scepticism. The reading of the novel shows how Mariam maintains the established criteria for the language about God, in spite of her own experiences in a cruel world.