This essay is a study of three fiction novels by the Swedish author Amanda Svensson: Hey Dolly (2008), Välkommen till den här världen (2011) and Allt det där jag sa till dig var sant (2014). A unified theme for the novels is identity making where the three young female protagonists try different identities and explore who they are. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate in which ways the protagonists explore their identities and how this is expressed. Gender theory and genre theory are used when analyzing the characters in the novels.

In the analysis it becomes clear that the protagonists explore their identities in different ways. The three young women are aware of that they live in a society in which male and female gender stereotypes exist. In some cases they adjust to the gender roles but in many cases they also observe the gender stereotypes and problematize them. Therefore the protagonists sometimes differ from how a stereotype woman is portrayed.