Linguistic diversity in The Thief, by Göran Tunström
Linguistic diversity in The Thief, by Göran Tunström

Summary/Abstract: The linguistic diversity in The Thief, a novel written by the Swedish author, Göran Tunström, has as a central element the negative influence of the father figure. The evolution of the characters is profoundly connected to childhood and to the difference between the way they speak at home and the way they express themselves in society or among friends and teachers. The insertion of dialects as well as the use of comparisons and metaphors regarding the sacred / profane world, seem to point that cultural identity and unity is, paradoxically, acquired through diversity. We intend to tackle the relationship between the individual and the group / the family by using linguistic analysis of various fragments. Our aim is to show that the transition from childhood to adolescence is not only revealing for the child itself, but also for the entire community, as it insists on how we all have multiple social roles, while we never cease to be our true selves.

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