Abstract
Sweden in the Hands of Robbers. The Narrative of the Nation in Sven Wernström’s Den underbara resan. Sven Wernström’s Den underbara resan (‘‘The Wonderful Journey’’) describes a modern Sweden by following in the trail of Selma Lagerlöf’s classic The Wonderful Adventures of Nils. This article analyzes Wernström’s depiction of Sweden and its people. By incorporating The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, the author foregrounds the notion of nation as narrative by stressing the subjectivity of the text and processes of creation. Rather than subscribing to Lageröf’s vision of unity, Wernström describes a Sweden divided by class conflict. Being a true Swede is defined through economic disinterestedness and love of nature. Den underbara resan describes the creation of a model citizen through the bildung of the protagonist. However, the ideal citizen is not depicted as a loyal subject but as an independent person willing to critize people in power and protest against injustice.Keywords: Sven Wernström; national identity; citizenship; socialism; young adult literature(Published: 28 November 2012)Citation: Barnboken - tidskrift för barnlitteraturforskning/Journal of Children’s Literature Research, Vol. 35, 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/clr.v35i0.19997
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