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Abstract

Theme: Motherhood and Mothering. Ill. ©Stina Wirsén That Which Is Not Shown: Buster’s Mother in the Book and on Screen This article is a study of mother characters in the stories about Buster Oregon Mortensen, as they are portrayed in books and on screen. The children’s book Busters verden (Buster’s World) by Bjarne Reuter was published in 1979 and it has later been adapted into two movies with different directors. I investigate the portrayal of Buster’s mother in the three versions of the story and how she changes as a character in the adaptations. Through adaptation analysis I explore the various expectations of her as a mother, and how her social circumstances affect her ability to protect and raise her children. By studying how Buster’s mother is portrayed in different media expressions produced over forty-two years, I demonstrate how each narrative addresses children regarding the topic of motherhood. In the book the mother is presented as a victim of abuse and violence who is exhausted and annoyed, while in the first film she is portrayed as a quiet figure who mostly remains a neutral character in the background, and in the second she is absent due to her own studies.