'Jag vill bli alldeles vansinnigt älskad' : en närläsning av Line Knutzons dramatik

Sammanfattning: This essay investigates the function of fictional space and thematics in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works. My main theoretical concept is thematic unity, factors that unite several plays by one author. I have found three major themes: the encounter, identity and childhood, which I study in five of Knutzon’s plays: The Splint In The Heart, The Latest Thing, First You’re Born, The Air Others Breathe and The Time Will Soon Come. I study three aspects of space: fictive space, where the play is set, the characters’ inner space and exterior space, that which is outside fictive space: society. Fictive space is shown mainly via dialogue and context. It is evident that the themes, most clearly visible in the five chosen plays, are very important in Line Knutzon’s dramatic works. Most typical is the way she portrays childhood memories, in monologues showing that her characters exist in a “hole”, in the void between childhood and adulthood. My investigation leads to the conclusion that Knutzon deals with existential matters: there is a kind of constant chaos, within her characters, expressed in actions and thoughts. This chaos also influences the fictive space, where the play is set. I can discern a pattern, showing that my three chosen themes and the three functions of space intersect and interact: in their mixture can the characters’ dilemmas and existential questions be found. This is, in my view, the core of Line Knutzon’s work.