Language and Swedishness in contemporary Swedish fiction

What is it about?

In this article we analyze contemporary Swedish fiction to explore the role played by language in social boundary-making. We argue that fiction is of sociolinguistic interest since it circulates images of language, belonging and ways of being. The study builds on a qualitative analysis of 65 Swedish books, published between 2000 and 2020, which depict protagonists with multilingual and migrant backgrounds. It examines recurring images of linguistic experiences that are made relevant in the depiction of the fictional characters’ lives. The analysis shows that the narrated experiences are often told and narrated in similar ways and they tend to use the same social and linguistic images to highlight processes of social differentiation and belonging. In particular, the authors often depict “the immigrant” and “the Swede” as binary opposites, which are linked to certain typical forms of speaking and being. By way of repetition, we argue, these recurring fictional experiences contribute to the formation of a grander narrative about language, belonging and social boundary-making in contemporary Sweden, and to the construction of Sweden as a society that is increasingly segregated and stratified.

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