The primary aim of this master’s thesis has been to examine how the dystopian, young adult novel, The Hunger Games (2008) by Suzanne Collins could entail depictions of violations against the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). The analysis has been conducted based on a theme-based close reading of the novel using the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a contextualization device. In addition, the literary analysis has been divided into three sections, namely global, group and the individual perspectives of how incidents in the novel hypothetically violate the Universal Declaration of Human rights. The division was made in order to delineate the social perspective of how literature can amplify the understanding of human rights and societal issues. Furthermore, the secondary aim of this master’s thesis has been to discuss how upper secondary students, when using a critical literacy lens in the English as a Foreign Language classroom, may establish an awareness about other people’s living conditions and fundamental rights that are present in their immediate social vicinity and in this novel.

There is very little focus in previous research on first language (L1) use by teachers in the upper secondary English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom from the students’ perspective. In this context and from a Swedish perspective, this thesis examines what attitudes students in the Swedish upper secondary school have towards their teachers’ use of L1 (Swedish) in the EFL-classroom. The method used was qualitative semi-structured interviews, where nine students in total were interviewed. The collected data was then coded, thematized and categorized. The results show that the students mainly believed Swedish should be used when teaching vocabulary, when teaching grammar and for classroom management. They did not believe the L1 should be used by them in questions and answers and in general talk in the classroom. They also endorsed an overall judicious use of Swedish by their teachers and that their use of this language should be adjusted to the specific teaching group. Finally, it can be concluded that further research is needed on how the L1 can be used judiciously in particular situations and on what attitudes students of varying proficiency and age, as well as students who do not have Swedish as their L1 have towards teachers’ L1 use in the EFL-classroom.

The increased usage of media and technology has not only opened new areas for bullies, but also made the visible form of bullying invisible. In addition, movements like ‘me too’ have blossomed showing that sexual harassment is and has been a prevalent issue in the Western world for a long time. Simultaneously, adolescents’ suicide rates have increased. Therefore, selecting a Young Adult (YA) novel like 13 Reasons Why for the English as a foreign language (EFL) classroom may work to address these topical issues and possibly help students understand the consequences of bullying and sexual harassment.

Winterson’s Written on the Body is an experimental and provocative novel that challenges the reader’s mindset as well as society’s heteronormativity by implicitly questioning societal norms and fundamental values. With an unusual protagonist as a point of departure, upper secondary school students in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom can discuss important political and social issues and giving them the chance to become more open-minded and inclusive towards all people regardless of one’s sex, gender, and, or sexuality. This essay shows that Written on the Body with its unusual, queer protagonist challenges the heteronormativity in modern Western societies and instead of solely focusing on students’ language development during their English education, they are invited to interrupt and question set attitudes, behaviours, and traditions in modern Western societies.

By discussing the ethical issues with banned and censored literature, students can learn how to approach a text written in different contexts. The essay brings to light the triggered instances, which lead to banning The Catcher in the Rye in American schools in the 1950s. Using a cultural studies approach allows an in-depth investigation of the patterns in the triggering instances and leads to findings of possible reasons for ban- and censorship. These instances, sums up to; unrealistic protagonist, vulgar language, blasphemy and a pessimistic and depressing point of view. To introduce these instances into a Swedish classroom can hopefully bring an insight into another historical time and another context, to better understand the Swedish context, e.g. democratic values as well as freedom of speech.

The aim of the present inquiry was to identify significant factors which had impact on the lives of Miriam Darvas and the protagonist Liesel Meminger, linked to the circumstances of the Holocaust in their respective narratives Farewell to Prague and The Book Thief. Through the investigation of the living conditions impacting the individuals, Maslow’s Theory of Motivation is applied in order to find the factors hindering the possibility for Miriam and Liesel to develop in their personal selves. Simultaneously, an educational aim followed the study in order to clarify the pedagogical possibilities of using the narratives in an EFL classroom.    The findings of the present inquiry indicate great similarities in the change of circumstances between Miriam and Liesel due to the war, which consequently impacted the individuals in their basis of developing their personal self. The results disclosed several instances in which the surroundings of Darvas and Meminger hindered their ability to develop and deprived them of the necessities needed, according to Maslow’s theory. However, they also disclosed indications of finding inner strength by self-improvement through education. Therefore, the findings from the present study supports an area of pedagogical possibilities using the narratives in the EFL classroom, such as enhancing the knowledge and understanding for the living conditions during the Holocaust, providing alternative reading suggestions to the commonly used Holocaust literature, as well as allowing collaborations between several subjects in high school.

This study provides quantitative and qualitative data about the effects of using children's literature with adolescents in a language classroom and the role of children's literature in students' second/foreign language development, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. The study presents qualitative data about the role of children's literature in developing more positive attitudes toward reading in the second/foreign language and toward reading in general. With literature being a model of a culture, presenting linguistic benefits for language learners, teaching communication, and being a motivator in language learning, this study presents empirical data that show that inclusion of children's literature in adolescents' second/foreign language classroom promotes appreciation and enjoyment of literature, enhances the development of language skills, stimulates more advanced learning, and promotes students' personal growth.

This essay examines J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings through the application of a theoretical framework of postcolonial ecocriticism, endeavoring to discern the author’s concerns and the environmental and colonial underpinnings interwoven in the novel through a thematic analysis focusing on the concepts of pastoral, nature, wilderness and development. The results show that Tolkien undoubtedly projected his profound sentiments for environmental disruption as a product of a rapidly changing world during his lifetime. Although Tolkien’s trilogy is a work of high fantasy written in a different context, this essay argues that it is valid for scrutiny in relation to contemporary society. Furthermore, this study investigates the implementation of the text in the Swedish EFLclassroom with the purpose of raising students’ awareness for, and investment in the environment, whilst improving their all-round communicative skills, ultimately educating for a sustainable future.

This essay argues that Bill Konigsberg depicts the traumatic experience of being raped and the inner conflict of being a male rape survivor with harsh immediacy by implementing internal focalisation in his young adult novel The Music of What Happens (2019). Additionally, the essay argues that the novel is a useful teaching resource in the Swedish EFL classroom by discussing the pedagogical implementations. This essay conducts an analysis from a trauma theory perspective, allowing a closer scrutiny of how the protagonist is affected by trauma. Lastly, it is concluded that although broaching sexualized trauma in the EFL classroom can be triggering, the novel can in fact vicariously represent students who have undergone traumatic events and therefore validate their feelings.

The thesis aims to mesh narrative theory with theory of empathy in a study of two novels by Graham Greene, A Gun for Sale (1936) and Brighton Rock (1938), where the use of narrative building blocks from the crime thriller genre and the empathy that the characters may evoke are analysed. The second aim is to discuss how to implement the rather complex works of Graham Greene in the EFL classroom. The key analytical devices for this essay are narratology and empathy, particularly difficult empathy. Narrative scaffolding helps students to discern recurring themes, character types and functions different in narratives, thus enabling them to transfer reading experiences to other texts as well. This thesis argues that Greene’s A Gun for Sale and Brighton Rock are useable in the EFL classroom, not despite, but because their great complexity, as discussions of difficult empathy in villainous characters and moral dilemmas will help develop fundamental values such as empathy and understanding of others, thus widening students’ understanding of both different kinds of literature and the world in which they live.