To mænd der i enhver henseende var ens (Sørensen 1984:145) - Symbolers betydning i Villy Sørensens novelle 'De to tvillinger'

Abstract

The tragic times of the nazi regime and the Cold War showed that modern pluralism cannot be overcome. This problem is reflected in the symbolism of Villy Sørensen’s short stories, which present the sphere of the unattainable and the plural nature of the world, and as such constitute an attempt to overcome the pluralism. Sørensen assigns new meanings to symbols by placing them in modern contexts, which makes the stories universal. The leitmotif of “Strange Stories” (“Sære historier”, 1953) and “Harmless Tales” (“Ufarlige historier”, 1955) includes: loss, disintegration, solitude, absurdity as well as the protagonist’s pursuit of the desired goal. Sørensen’s protagonists pursue the unattainable and the lost, a goal which in itself is both destructive and circular, however dependent on the protagonists’ choices. Consequently, Sørensen’s protagonists gain the status of modern homines viatoris in complicated times. A close reading analysis of “The Two Twins” (“De to tvillinger”, 1952) shows how Sørensen’s approach towards the concept of a symbol is used to express the most fundamental problems of his times. A further analysis focuses on the universality of the story and examines the relevance of its symbolism within the context of current problems.