Peter Pohls litterära projekt : en tematisk studie med utgångspunkt i debutromanen Janne, min vän

Sammanfattning: In his literary works, the Swedish author Peter Pohl (b. 1940) persistently deals with the issue of friendship which is described as a source of joy and consolation as well as a cause for difficulties and pain. Another common theme in his writing is vulnerability, especially that of children and adolescents, as he regards them as particularly exposed to violence and injustice. Pohl features the act of telling as an important instrument in the process of personal development on many different levels. Finally, his authorship shows that his purpose is to be a spokesman for those who cannot speak for themselves. These four topics which are visible in the main part of his production represent the most important aspects of Pohl's literary project which may be described as a desire to improve the conditions of less privileged groups of society. This thesis deals with the works by Pohl written between 1985 and 2007. In the first chapter, the author is presented. The second chapter is an analysis of his first novel Janne, min vän with a special focus on the above-mentioned themes. Chapter three deals with the novel Malins kung Gurra, a story for young readers that can be looked upon as second, but simpler version of Janne, min vän. In chapter four, the five novels Regnbågen har bara åtta färger, Medan regnbågen bleknar, Vi kallar honom Anna, Vilja växa and Klara papper är ett måste are analyzed and discussed. The last chapter is an attempt at dealing with the remaining books written by Pohl. The aim is to establish whether these works are compatible with the general picture given of Pohl's literary project.