Childhood’s Burden: New Books Explore Youthful Anxieties

Two new books delve into the complexities of childhood, examining how young people navigate emotional challenges. The authors, both young Norwegian women, explore themes of responsibility and the pressures faced by children today, offering a fresh perspective on growing up.

Examining Shared Themes

The two releases, sharing a publisher and a similar release year, explore the interior lives of young girls. Debut author **Ingrid Lensol** presents a novel, while **Nora Aschim** offers a collection of poems. Both works investigate the burdens placed on children.

The Weight of Responsibility

**Aschim’s** poetry collection opens with a self-deprecating tone, examining childhood trauma. The poems alternate between the voices of a child and an adult. The young girl, coping with her parents’ behavior, takes on responsibilities far beyond her years. She cleans, cares for her brothers, and makes dinner.

The author also touches on a feminist motif. **Lensol’s** novel depicts a young girl named Erle, who carries a deep empathy that becomes painful. She internalizes the emotions of those around her.

While previous authors, such as **Vigdis Hjorth**, have challenged expected behavior, **Aschim’s** protagonist demonstrates an opposite tendency. The impact of this is evident in the girl who feels overwhelmed by her responsibilities.

Empathy and Internal Struggles

**Lensol’s** novel highlights Erle’s sensitivity. The story opens with Erle spending the night at a friend’s house. She experiences profound empathy, which results in distress. The novel emphasizes Erle’s constant awareness of time passing and the looming presence of death. This awareness then leads to a constant sense of danger.

In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a rise in mental health challenges among children and adolescents, highlighting the importance of discussing the emotional burdens they bear (CDC, 2023).

Therapeutic Approaches

The article’s author notes the books’ therapeutic focus. **Aschim’s** work defines and corrects painful experiences. The poems narrate these events, which is a tendency that literature professor **Eirik Vassenden** recently discussed in an essay.

“Clarity is perhaps an advantage in therapy. In poetry, porous boundaries can be more fruitful.”

—Author Name, Title

In **Lensol’s** novel, this closure appears as Erle’s anxiety becomes the primary focus of each scene. Such a technique can be a limitation.

A Desire for Creativity

Both books conclude in a manner the author finds wanting. **Aschim’s** work suddenly turns uplifting, while **Lensol’s** becomes drawn out. The critic suggests that both works could benefit from a more creative approach. The critic believes many young women need to feel that they can take less social responsibility.