The so called quality literature : A study of language games with the expression quality literature

This masters thesis is a study of how the expression quality literature is used in widespread newspapers and magazines. Wittgensteins idea of language games is used as a theoretical starting point. The analysis of 37 articles draws a picture of five language games that are called; the taking over, the polarising, the example giving, the gender critical and the ironic language game. The expression that quality literature is most often put in relation to is popular literature. The line between the two is sometimes distinctly drawn in the articles and sometimes quite vague. In the articles there are few explicit definitions of literary quality or discussions about the complexity of the expression though the use of expressions like the so called quality literature are examples of what can be seen as signs of awareness of this complexity. The most common way of showing the meaning of the expression is to associate it with other words that have an underlying value, words like serious, complex and non-commercial.Uppsatsnivå: