Abstract: A Distorted Body Image: Valuation and Categorization of the Human Body in Linnéa Myhre’s Novel Evig søndag (Eternal Sunday). The purpose of this article is to analyse the autobiographical novel Eternal Sunday by Linnéa Myhre in order to present the way in which the language reflects the valuation and categorization of the human body. The novel conveys the perspective of a person who suffers from an eating disorder. The way she is describing the human body is affected by the illness, and subconsciously associated with a particular distorted body image, beauty standards and expectations. The theoretical basis is rooted in cognitive linguistics and linguistic categories as proposed by George Lakoff. Cultural and psychological concepts are also taken into the account.

Keywords: cognitive linguistics, body image, eating disorders, categorization, Norwegian literature