Den här uppsatsen analyserar och jämför skildringar av konsumtion i Karin Boyes Astarte (1931) och Denise Rudbergs storlek 37 (2002). Detta görs utifrån teoretiska utgångspunkter i Zygmunt Baumans tankar om konsumtionssamhället, samt texter av Max Weber, Walter Benjamin och Giorgio Agamben som diskuterar kapitalismens förhållande till religionen. I Astarte är religionen framträdande som tematik och metaforik i relation till konsumtionen, och det som skildras är ofta hur konsumtionen ersätter religionen, men också hur dessa liknar varandra. I storlek 37 är konsumtionen starkt kopplad till identiteten, och fungerar både som en trygghet och ett måste. Skillnaderna i romanernas skildringar återspeglar konsumtionens roller under två olika tidsperioder: i Astarte är konsumtionen ett relativt nytt fenomen i sin moderna bemärkelse, och i storlek 37 är den i högre grad central för tillvaron, och som sådan mer oreflekterad och självklar. I Astarte finns en tydlig kritik mot konsumtionen, som förs fram genom skildringar av den som ett ändlöst begär eller en illusion. I storlek 37 kan konsumtionen stundtals problematiseras, men framstår som oundviklig. / This essay analyzes and compares depictions of consumption in Karin Boye’s Astarte (1931) and Denise Rudberg’s storlek 37 (2002). The theoretical framework consists primarily of Zygmunt Bauman’s thoughts on the consumer society, as well as texts by Max Weber, Walter Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben discussing capitalism’s relationship to religion. In Astarte, religion is a prominent theme, and often used metaphorically in relation to consumption. Consumption is often depicted as replacing religion, in a way that emphasizes a resemblance between them. In storlek 37, consumption is strongly connected to identity, and functions both as a certainty and a must. The differences between the depictions in the two novels reflect the roles of consumption in two different eras: in Astarte, it is a relatively new phenomenon in its modern sense, and in storlek 37 it has become more central to human life, often occuring without reflection and perceived as a matter of course. Astarte sets out a visible critique of consumption, depicting it as an endless desire or an illusion. In storlek 37, consumption is sometimes questioned, but portrayed nevertheless as inevitable.

<p>The aim of this study is to analyse the sexual power relations in contemporary urban novels of Swedish female writers.</p><p>I have identified a discourse in these novels as a heteronormative matrix which power is ruled by norms and assumptions about normality in both the heterosexual and lesbian stories. For this purpose I have related to Ivar B. Neumanns theory that individuals always find a way to confront the discourse by three different strategies. These strategies are used in my study as tools to organise these novels, because it is possible to see that the protagonists find at least one of these strategy’s to her protest.</p><p>The first strategy I studied was the docile. Here I argument that the heroines in Alla vilda, Jag minns alla mina älskare och hur de brukade ta på mig, Inte enklare än så, Lögner and Att älska henne do not reject the discourse about sexual power relationships. The second strategy, named the oppositionist, implies the protagonists refusing to be left as victims. In one way or another, either by change the rolls of the sexes (Ta vad man vill ha) or by problematising the order of them (Ego girl) or find lesbianism as a way to reject the discourse (both the novels by Mian Lodalen: Smulklubbens skamlösa systrar and Trekant). The reluctant is the last strat-egy who is the creative one, which rejects some things and adapt to other. Here I place the heroines from Stjärnor utan svindel, Andra sidan Alex and Storlek 37.</p><p>The result of this study is that despite quite different strategies to oppose against the hetero-sexual power discourse and the normative femininity everyone relates to it and thereby con-firms it.</p>

The aim of this study is to analyse the sexual power relations in contemporary urban novels of Swedish female writers. I have identified a discourse in these novels as a heteronormative matrix which power is ruled by norms and assumptions about normality in both the heterosexual and lesbian stories. For this purpose I have related to Ivar B. Neumanns theory that individuals always find a way to confront the discourse by three different strategies. These strategies are used in my study as tools to organise these novels, because it is possible to see that the protagonists find at least one of these strategy’s to her protest. The first strategy I studied was the docile. Here I argument that the heroines in Alla vilda, Jag minns alla mina älskare och hur de brukade ta på mig, Inte enklare än så, Lögner and Att älska henne do not reject the discourse about sexual power relationships. The second strategy, named the oppositionist, implies the protagonists refusing to be left as victims. In one way or another, either by change the rolls of the sexes (Ta vad man vill ha) or by problematising the order of them (Ego girl) or find lesbianism as a way to reject the discourse (both the novels by Mian Lodalen: Smulklubbens skamlösa systrar and Trekant). The reluctant is the last strat-egy who is the creative one, which rejects some things and adapt to other. Here I place the heroines from Stjärnor utan svindel, Andra sidan Alex and Storlek 37. The result of this study is that despite quite different strategies to oppose against the hetero-sexual power discourse and the normative femininity everyone relates to it and thereby con-firms it.

<p>Syftena med denna uppsats har varit flera. Dels att genomföra en undersökande genrediskussion av svensk chick-lit i stort där det som uppfattats som den huvudsakliga kritiken av genren omformulerats till frågeställningar. Huvudfrågan har därmed varit att ta reda på om svensk chick-lit är intressant, men också om den har några litterära kvaliteter och om den är en feministisk backlash. I uppsatsen arbetas även en definition av svensk chick-lit fram, samt empiriskt grundad teori ur materialet. Avsikten är att detta arbete ska kunna verka som förebild för andra utredningar av nya och marginaliserade genrer. En undersökning av vilka principer biblioteken, här representerade av Umeåregionens bibliotek, utgår från vid inköp av skönlitteratur i stort och chick-lit i synnerhet har också genomförts.</p> / <p>The aims of this paper have been more than one. One aim is to conduct an investigative genre discussion of Swedish chick lit as a whole, where what is conceived as the main critique of the genre is reformulated into questions. The main questions here are if Swedish chick lit is of interest, if it possesses any literary qualities and if it constitutes a feminist backlash. This paper also draws up a definition of Swedish chick lit and empirically grounded theory from the material. The intent is for this paper to serve as a model for other analyses of new and marginalized genres. A study of the principles adopted by libraries, here represented by libraries in the Umeå district, in fiction purchases as a whole and purchases of chick lit in particular, has also been carried out.</p>

Syftena med denna uppsats har varit flera. Dels att genomföra en undersökande genrediskussion av svensk chick-lit i stort där det som uppfattats som den huvudsakliga kritiken av genren omformulerats till frågeställningar. Huvudfrågan har därmed varit att ta reda på om svensk chick-lit är intressant, men också om den har några litterära kvaliteter och om den är en feministisk backlash. I uppsatsen arbetas även en definition av svensk chick-lit fram, samt empiriskt grundad teori ur materialet. Avsikten är att detta arbete ska kunna verka som förebild för andra utredningar av nya och marginaliserade genrer. En undersökning av vilka principer biblioteken, här representerade av Umeåregionens bibliotek, utgår från vid inköp av skönlitteratur i stort och chick-lit i synnerhet har också genomförts. / The aims of this paper have been more than one. One aim is to conduct an investigative genre discussion of Swedish chick lit as a whole, where what is conceived as the main critique of the genre is reformulated into questions. The main questions here are if Swedish chick lit is of interest, if it possesses any literary qualities and if it constitutes a feminist backlash. This paper also draws up a definition of Swedish chick lit and empirically grounded theory from the material. The intent is for this paper to serve as a model for other analyses of new and marginalized genres. A study of the principles adopted by libraries, here represented by libraries in the Umeå district, in fiction purchases as a whole and purchases of chick lit in particular, has also been carried out.