Etniskt utanförskap i skönlitterär läsning – normbrytande eller reproduktion av fördomar?

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify and analyze alienation, as a social phenomenon described in two teenage books. The study will also examine the creation of sympathy towards main characters and what impact the novel as a whole could have on it. The intention is also to uncover the role of the Other, as well as to visualize the creation of distance between different ethnic groups. Method: The study is based on a qualitative text-analysis. It includes four different dimensions, including the author’s background and the researcher´s interpretation. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that it´s possible to find values in both of the novels, and therefore makes it possible to create opinions and statements that may contribute to alienation. It also demonstrates that alienation can appear in different forms based on the characters different background. Question formulation: What attitudes and values towards immigration, ethnicity and alienation can be found in the two novels? How are they conveyed in the two novels? What differences and similarities could be found in the characters' ethnic alienation?