Våldsskildringar i litteraturen. En diskursanalys om hur våld gestaltas i Anna Burns roman "Milkman" (2018)

Abstract

This thesis examines depictions of violence in the novel "Milkman" (2018) by Anna Burns. This connects to the conflict ”The Troubles” in Northern Ireland from 1960 to 1998. The purpose of this essay is to examine how violence is shaped and contributes to social problems. Furthermore, how structures and ascendancy are maintained during the conflict, ”The Troubles”. Under these conditions, changes occurred in the survival strategies of the authority and the population. This relates to the social norms the society created for the population to follow. Therefore, this study shows that the environment affects the authorities control and monitoring strategies. This essay is comparative, which is displayed in an analysis. The analysis is based on Laclau and Mouffe's discourse theory and discourse analysis. However, I concluded in the analysis that the violence depicted in "Milkman" does not live up to the definitions used by known authorities. The portrayal of violence is therefore in need of improvement. The analysis also showed that the portrayal of violence has a direct impact on ascendancy and social structures, in conjunction with influencing the conflict ”The Troubles”.