How did Johan Borgen explore identity in the Lillelord trilogy?

In his Lillelord trilogy—comprising Lillelord (1955), De mørke kilder (1956), and Vi har ham nå (1957)—Johan Borgen explores identity through the psychological development of his protagonist, Wilfred Sagen.12

Borgen uses Sagen to draw a profound portrait of an alienated and disaffected individual living within Norway’s upper-middle class from 1917 through World War II. By focusing on the darker sides of the human psyche, Borgen examines the complex process of identity formation, ultimately depicting how such internal alienation can lead an individual to collaborate with the Nazis during the war.12

The trilogy serves as both a detailed period study and a deep psychological analysis, establishing a theme of self-reflection that Borgen continued to investigate in his later, more experimental works.12