| Summary: | Stig Håkan Larsson is one of the most interesting names on the Swedish cultural scene. Since the 1980s, he has explored and narrated contemporary Sweden in his books, dramas, poems and movies. In this article, I argue that his play VD (1987) addresses the concept of identification and definition of the other in the Swedish society, in terms of class and gender. A Foucaldian metaphor for biopolitical power, the play criticizes Sweden as a model of social egalitarianism and social-democracy, and unveils Swedish society as entirely, though unrecognizably, capitalistic. The play thus displays a realistic image of Sweden, remarking that hierarchies and class/gender differences do exist even in a society that apparently lacks social conflicts and wide class gaps. The other put on stage by Larsson results from gender and class inequalities in a society that is commonly perceived and celebrated as devoid of gender and social disparities.
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