<p><!--StartFragment--></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">My thesis deals with the novel </span><em><span>Ladies</span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB">,</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> written in 2007 by the Swedish author Mara Lee. When published, it was received as a book belonging to the chick lit genre but still got good reviews. This combination is really unusual and awoke my interest in the novel. My thesis is therefore an analysis whether </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> can be considered a chick lit novel or not, and in what way it is similar to or differs from the genre.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I start my thesis with an overview of former research of chick lit and what earlier was called trivial literature. Here Lisbeth Larsson’s <em>En annan historia</em>, </span><em><span lang="EN-GB"><span>[</span></span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB">Another Story</span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB"><span>]</span></span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB">,</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> Janice Radway’s <em>Reading the Romance</em> and Suzanne Ferriss’ and Mallory Young’s anthology <em>Chick Lit The New Woman’s Fiction</em> were necessary to understand the background of the genre.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">After the research overview I continue with a narratological analysis, using the concepts of Maria Nikolajeva’s <em>Barnbokens byggklossar </em></span><em><span lang="EN-GB"><span>[</span></span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB">The Bricks of the Children Book</span></em><em><span lang="EN-GB"><span>]</span></span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> to look at the structure of a chick lit story. After finishing my chick lit genre analysis I try to complete my own definition of the genre.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I find the themes love, sexuality and body focus in </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> especially interesting and therefore choose to look closer into how these areas are represented in the book. By using Judith Butler’s concepts the heterosexual matrix, the represented gender and Tiina Rosenberg’s hetero normativity I analyse the representation of the themes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the final discussion I compare my different analyses and my conclusion shows that </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> can’t be considered belonging to the chick lit genre. The biggest difference lies in how love and sexuality are represented in the book compared to chick lit novels. Whereas chick lit in many cases confirms gender stereotypes and conservative norms, </span><em><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span></em><span lang="EN-GB"> actually, according to my analysis, questions them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the end I am finally doing a short reflection about the novel and the author using Pierre Bourdieus concepts about symbolic resources and ”habitus”. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p><!--EndFragment--><p> </p>

<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">My thesis deals with the novel </span><span>Ladies</span><span lang="EN-GB">,</span><span lang="EN-GB"> written in 2007 by the Swedish author Mara Lee. When published, it was received as a book belonging to the chick lit genre but still got good reviews. This combination is really unusual and awoke my interest in the novel. My thesis is therefore an analysis whether </span><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span><span lang="EN-GB"> can be considered a chick lit novel or not, and in what way it is similar to or differs from the genre.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I start my thesis with an overview of former research of chick lit and what earlier was called trivial literature. Here Lisbeth Larsson’s En annan historia, </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span>[</span></span><span lang="EN-GB">Another Story</span><span lang="EN-GB"><span>]</span></span><span lang="EN-GB">,</span><span lang="EN-GB"> Janice Radway’s Reading the Romance and Suzanne Ferriss’ and Mallory Young’s anthology Chick Lit The New Woman’s Fiction were necessary to understand the background of the genre.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">After the research overview I continue with a narratological analysis, using the concepts of Maria Nikolajeva’s Barnbokens byggklossar </span><span lang="EN-GB"><span>[</span></span><span lang="EN-GB">The Bricks of the Children Book</span><span lang="EN-GB"><span>]</span></span><span lang="EN-GB"> to look at the structure of a chick lit story. After finishing my chick lit genre analysis I try to complete my own definition of the genre.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I find the themes love, sexuality and body focus in </span><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span><span lang="EN-GB"> especially interesting and therefore choose to look closer into how these areas are represented in the book. By using Judith Butler’s concepts the heterosexual matrix, the represented gender and Tiina Rosenberg’s hetero normativity I analyse the representation of the themes. </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the final discussion I compare my different analyses and my conclusion shows that </span><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span><span lang="EN-GB"> can’t be considered belonging to the chick lit genre. The biggest difference lies in how love and sexuality are represented in the book compared to chick lit novels. Whereas chick lit in many cases confirms gender stereotypes and conservative norms, </span><span lang="EN-GB">Ladies</span><span lang="EN-GB"> actually, according to my analysis, questions them.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">In the end I am finally doing a short reflection about the novel and the author using Pierre Bourdieus concepts about symbolic resources and ”habitus”. </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span> <!--EndFragment-->

The aim of the study has been to examine women's participation in the reproduction of the system of heteronormative expectations of femininity and masculinity through narrative method, analyze books within the erotic women’s literature, as well as interviews with females. The study's focus was on the presentation and representations of the femininity(s) and masculinity(s). Through the questions , How represents heteronormative femininity(s) and masculinity(s) in the erotic women´s litterateur? How portray women, their views on femininity(s) and masculinity(s)? The study were linked with the radical feminist theory regarding the male patriarchate's role as a hegemony in society, as well as one of queer theory's definitions of the gender and heteronormativity. The study also included elements of feminist research on popular culture. On the basis of my purpose and the research question I have come to the conclusion that women are involved in the reproduction of the system of heteronormative expectations of femininity and masculinity. But the study also shows a shifting duality of " ideal woman" and "ideal man". / Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka kvinnors delaktighet i reproduktion av heteronormativa förväntningar på kvinnlighet och manlighet genom narrativmetod, analysera böcker inom erotisk kvinnolitteratur samt intervjuer med kvinnor. Studiens fokus handlade om samtidens framställande samt representationer av femininitet(er) och maskulinitet(er). Genom frågeställningarna, Hur framställs heteronormativ femininitet(er) och maskulinitet(er) i erotisk kvinnolitteratur? Hur framställer kvinnor sin syn på femininitet(er) och maskulinitet(er)? Studien kopplades samman med radikal feministisk teori rörande det manliga patriarkatets roll som hegemoni i samhället samt queerteorins definitioner av genus och heteronormativitet. Studien innefattade också inslag av feministisk forskning rörande populärkulturen. Utifrån mitt syfte samt frågeställning har jag kommit fram till att kvinnor är delaktiga i reproduktionen av heteronormativa förväntningar på kvinnlighet och manlighet. Men studien visar också på en skiftande dubbelhet rörande "idealkvinnan" och "idealmannen".