Standing out vs. standing still? Children, adults and Janteloven in Thorbjørn Egner’s book People and Robbers of Cardamon Town (Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by)

Abstract

Janteloven is a set of ten detailed laws formulated in Aksel Sandemose’s book A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks. First intended as a satire of the Scandinavian mentality and of how individuals should integrate themselves in a group, this set of rules is nowadays a cultural phenomenon in Norway that influences not only adults, but also children. The aim of this article is to analyse Thorbjørn Egner’s book People and Robbers of Cardamon Town (Folk og røvere i Kardemomme by) -1955, focusing on what children’s behaviour could look like, according to the „Jante mentality”. We argue that the message presented in the book shows how children’s behaviour is influenced by adults’ expectations regarding modesty. The self-appreciation or self-depreciation of the children’s inner „I” is therefore related to the difference between standing out and standing still.

Keywords

• janteloven
• children
• behaviour
• modesty
• voice