The aim of this Master’s thesis is to examine how representations of identity construction are performed through the characters in the novel Snabba Cash by author Jens Lapidus. I examine what means the characters are using, and how the identity construction processes are related to the idea of modern society. For a theoretical background I use sociologist Anthony Giddens’ theories regarding modernity and self-identity, to study general identity construction. Due to the fact that the three main characters of the novel are all men, I also examine the construction of masculine identity using sociologist R.W. Connell’s theories about hegemonic masculinity. Lastly, I use theories about representations by mass communication professor Stuart Hall, in order to examine the representation of reality presented in the novel. The study is performed within a Sociology of Literature framework, and the method used is a form of ideology analysis.The result shows that the three characters have a lot in common regarding how they define themselves as men. They tend to use the same features in order to appear masculine, with a few divergences. I found that the criminal life style that they are all embracing is a fruitful means in their work of construction and re-construction of their masculine identity, but that criminality is not essential in this process. Modernity is also a key factor to the reflexive project that is elementary in construction of a self-identity, and its wide range of possibilities is more or less the key to identity construction and re-construction. / Uppsatsnivå: D

I detta självständiga arbete analyseras Jens Lapidus spänningsroman Snabba Cash och dessfilmadaption Snabba Cash regisserad av Daniel Espinosa. Båda verken har kommit att nå enbred publik inom litteratur och film. Studiens syfte är att öka förståelsen för hur skönlitteraturoch film genom olika gestaltningar av samma karaktärer kan bidra till att befästa olika typerav maskulinitet och stigmatiserade samhällsbilder, vilka inte nödvändigtvis står i paritet medvarandra. Arbetets teoretiska ramverk grundas dels i Connells och Mallansmaskulinitetsteorier, som fokuserar på relationerna inom genusstrukturen och skillnaderna imaskulinitetsskapandet, dels i Goffmans teori om stigmatisering som synliggör effekternamed olika typer av gestaltning. I resultatet framgår att det skett förskjutningar ifilmatiseringen av romanen vad gäller gestaltningen av karaktärerna och derasmaskulinitetsskapande. I filmatiseringen har gränsdragningen mellan män med olika etniskapåbrå blivit iögonfallande och utgör den huvudsakliga diskussionen genom hela arbetet.Nyckelord: Jens Lapidus, Daniel Espinosa, maskulinitet, genus, genusstrukturer, etnicitet,