This thesis explores two literary texts written from a female working class perspective: Vad ska vi göra med varandra, a poetry collection by Jenny Wrangborg and Som hundarna i Lafayette Park, a novel by Anneli Jordahl. My aim for this thesis was to find out what kind of function war, seeking refuge, fighting for freedom, as well as experiences of these phenomena, have in the studied works. The categories class, gender, ethnicity and race have been interpreted through intersectional theories. The literary works have also been discussed by using concepts such as respectability, identification, alienation, solidarity, identity, wrath and cynicism. In conclusion, the study shows that the narrators identify themselves on basis of class to a greater extent than gender, and they use the experiences of other ethnicities and non-whites for comparisons with working class experiences as well as to create a common ground of solidarity. In addition, wrath appears as an important motive power in these works. Furthermore, the works got report book characteristics and lend voice to non-privileged groups of people, depict nuanced images of the alienation concept and show that dignity and solidarity can be used as rebellion against a cynical contemporary.

The power of the pen used to spark images of the depicted dynamics between the powerful and the powerless is demonstrated in Swedish poet and activist Jenny Wrangborg’s collection of working-class poems. Wrangborg’s poems, which describe the daunting situations faced by marginalized members of the working-class sector causes the reader to question whether or not enough change is taking place, and at what paste is change truly happening in modern society. The use of Wrangborg’s work in this study is to demonstrate the role creative arts, specifically poetry plays in C4D. The findings of this study is to particularly show the way individual voices can be used to promote social justice whilst bringing attention to issues of class discrimination and gender inequality. In this study, I argue that poetry can be a vital mode of protest. The purpose of this study is to determine the strength a single individual has in helping to create change and transformation. The main aim and purpose of this research is to bring a clearer understanding of how poetry in the hands of an advocate can become a strategic communicative tool used to initiate societal change.