How does Tarjei Vesaas portray Nazi occupation in The House in the Dark?

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Norwegian literature Statue of Petter Dass in Sandnessjøen, Norway.

In his 1945 novel The House in the Dark (Huset i mørkret), Tarjei Vesaas portrays the Nazi occupation of Norway through a symbolic and allegorical lens.12

Rather than providing a literal historical account, Vesaas uses the narrative to examine the nature of evil and the psychological impact of the occupation. By framing the story as an allegory, he explores the oppressive atmosphere and the moral challenges faced by those living under the regime, effectively capturing the tension and darkness of the period through his characteristic symbolic prose.21