Images of Catastrophe in Contemporary Norwegian Narratives

Abstract

The paper concentrates on visual aspects in narratives that depict catastrophes. Departing from a cultural analytic standpoint and drawing on philosophy of photography and the image, the essay reflects upon the metaphorical function of images that stem from photographs of specific catastrophic events and are used in new catastrophic contexts. At the center of the essay are analyses of three Scandinavian narratives: a graphic novel, a documentary movie and a novel.