HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS.

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HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S

CAPTAIN

UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING

TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS

A RESEARCH PAPER

Submitted to the Department of English Education of the Faculty of Language

and Arts Education of Indonesia University of Education in partial fulfillment of requirements for Sarjana Sastra Degree

By:

Susan Santika

1004543

ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE STUDY PROGRAM ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION INDONESIA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

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PAGE OF APPROVAL

SUSAN SANTIKA

HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S CAPTAIN

UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING

TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS

Approved by:

Main Supervisor

Dr. R. Safrina Noorman, M.A NIP. 196207291987032003

Co-Supervisor

Nia Nafisah, S.S.,M.Pd. NIP. 195703101987031001

The Head of Department of English Education

Faculty of Language and Arts Education

Indonesia University of Education

Prof. Dr. Didi Suherdi, M.Ed NIP.19621 1011987121001

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“Humour

is a way of saying something serious.”

-T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965)

For My Beloved

Dad, Mom

and for those who want to write

children’s humorous books

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STATEMENT

I certify that this paper entitled Humor Representations in Pilkey’s Captain

Underpants “The Attack of the talking toilets”: A Verbal and Visual Analysis is

my own work. I am aware that I have quoted some ideas and statements from

other sources which are acknowledged and stated properly.

Bandung, August 2014

Susan Santika

1004543

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PREFACE

All praise to Allah SWT, the only prerogative of the heart, who has

given power to the researcher for accomplishing this paper.

This research paper entitled Humor Representations in Pilkey’s

Captain Underpants “The Attack of the talking toilets”: A Verbal and Visual

Analysis is submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for Sarjana Sastra Degree of English Education Department of FPBS at Indonesia

University of Education. The researcher realizes that there are weaknesses in

this paper. Therefore, any comments and suggestion are welcomed.

Hopefully, this paper could contribute to research on children literature,

humor and multimodality.

Bandung, August 2014

Susan Santika 1004543

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A paper on humor dissected by multimodality is challenging to write. Therefore,

the researcher would like to thank Allah SWT, the only prerogative of the heart,

for guidance given through the heart and for acceding all prayers so that this paper

can be accomplished. The researcher also would like to thank Dr. R. Safrina

Noorman, M.A, as the main supervisor, for her precious time in guiding,

encouraging and supporting the researcher during the paper writing; Nia Nafisah,

S.S, M.Pd, as the co-supervisor, who first suggested the researcher to conduct this

study and gave her precious time, guidance, and knowledge during the paper

writing; Budi Hermawan, S.Pd.,M.P.C. who gave the researcher corrections in ‘painful’ data analysis; other lecturers of English Department of UPI who have given precious knowledge; Pak Irvan, Pak Engkus and Pak Parhan who have

provided the administration services and all participants involved in data

collection.

Moreover, the researcher would like to thank my parents, my sisters, my

brother, Riska, Merry, Raka, Fatchu, Sigit, Gya, Eggy, Abe, Dede, Heni, Nadivha,

Mia, Amanda, Ira, Novi, Cucu, Erni, April, Nurul, Ucis, Wiwit and my little

brothers in Assalam Junior High school, for prayers and support during the

difficult days of my paper-writing; Tika Annisa Lestari Koeswandi my benevolent

booster who has kindly helped and supported the researcher; Rika Vennia,

Nurjanah, and Zulfikar Reza my hilarious best friends, thanks for the joy and the

madness during my college life; my warm, lovable class, English Literature A

2010, keep sturdy like a grove of bamboos!; My tumblr readers who kindly visited

my account when I did my paper-writing-escape; Au Bain-Marie’s proof readers

and readers to be, thanks for encouraging and waiting me to accomplish my paper

soon so that I can edit and publish my novel sooner. Last but not least, the

researcher would like to thank Raden Firlan Firmansyah, to me you are Captain

Underpants and Mr. Krupp as well, thanks for encouraging me to accomplish my

paper without your Wedgie Magie power.

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Susan Santika, 2014

Humor Representations In Pilkey’s Captain Underpants And The Attack Of The Talking Toilets : A Verbal And Visual Analysis

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia | repository.upi.edu | perpustakaan.upi.edu

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2.4.2 Analysis of representational meanings ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

2.5 Characterizations ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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Susan Santika, 2014

2.6 Related Studies ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

CHAPTER III ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

RESEARCH METHOD ... 24

3.1 Research Design ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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CHAPTER IV ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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CHAPTER V ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

APPENDICES ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix 1: A List of Participants and humorous events ...………...59 Appendix 2: The Table of Humorous Events in Verbal and Visual Modes ....….60

Appendix 3: Transitivity Analysis of the Verbal Modes ………..75

Appendix 4: Representational Meanings of the Visual Modes …….…………...99

REFERENCES...133

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Susan Santika, 2014

List of Figures and Examples

Example 1: material processes ...32

Example 2: Material processes that happen in mental processes ...32

Example 3: Mental processes ...33

Figure 1: A transactional action and transactional reaction process ...36

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Example 9: Unexpected response in behavioural processes ...46

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Susan Santika, 2014

List of Tables

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Table 3.1 Transitivity analysis of the verbal modes ……….…………..…..28 Table 3.2 Representational meanings of the visual modes ….………...……...…28 Appendix 1: A List of Participants and humorous events ...………...59 Appendix 2: The Table of Humorous Events in Verbal and Visual Modes ....….60

Appendix 3: Transitivity Analysis of the Verbal Modes ………..75

Appendix 4: Representational Meanings of the Visual Modes …….…………...99

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Susan Santika, 2014

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REPRESENTASI HUMOR DALAM NOVEL CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS

AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING TOILETS KARYA DAVE PILKEY:

ANALISIS VERBAL DAN VISUAL

HUMOR REPRESENTATONS IN PILKEY’S CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND

THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS

Susan Santika (Email: sankausan@gmail.com), R. Safrina Noorman1, Nia Nafisah2

Department of English Literature, Faculty of Language and Arts Education, Indonesia

University of Education

ABSTRAK

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menunjukan representasi humor dalam Captain

Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999) karya Pilkey dengan

menggabungkan teori Systemic Functional Grammmar dari Halliday (2004), teori pembacaan gambar dari Kress dan Van Leeuwen (2006), dan kategori humor dari Monro (1988). Hasil analisis verbal dan visual menunjukkan bahwa ada dua tipe humor yang ditemukan dalam cerita: superiority, incongruity. Dalam mode verbal, humor superiority ditunjukkan dalam analisis transitivity; sementara dalam mode visual, ditunjukkan melalui transactional action processes dalam

conceptual representations. Selain itu, humor incongruity sebagian besar

ditunjukkan oleh tokoh utama yang memiliki peran ganda sebagai seorang kepala sekolah dan pahlawan yang mengakibatkan adanya sikap bertentangan dan degradasi tokoh utama, dan hubungan tidak terduga. Dalam mode verbal, hal-hal tersebut ditunjukkan melalui lima proses dalam transitivity: proses material,

verbal, behavioural, relational, dan existential; sementara dalam mode visual

ditujukan melalui analytical dan symbolic processes dalam conceptual

representations. Dari temuan-temuan tersebut dapat dipelajari bahwa, pertama,

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Kata Kunci: Systemic-functional grammar, reading images, humor, superiority,

incongruity

ABSTRACT

Combining Halliday’s (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar, Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) Reading images, and Monro’s (1988) categories of humor, this study aims to reveal humor representations in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999). A verbal and visual analysis reveal two

types of humor in Monro’s categories: superiority and incongruity. In verbal modes, superiority humor is revealed through material and mental processes in transitivity analysis. Meanwhile, in visual modes, superiority humor is disclosed through transactional action processes and transactional reaction processes in narrative representations and is emphasized by asymmetrical alignment in conceptual representations. Moreover, incongruity humor is mostly represented through the main character with his double roles as a principal and Captain Underpants that lead to contradicting attitudes and degradation of the main character; and unexpected or twisted connections. The incongruity humor in verbal modes is represented through five types of processes in transitivity: material, verbal, behavioural, relational, and existential processes. Meanwhile, in visual modes, it is represented through analytical and symbolic processes in conceptual representations. Learning from the findings, this study reveals four issues. First, the verbal and visual modes in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets complement one another in representing humor.

Second, there are two types of humor identified in the novel: superiority and incongruity. Third, a humorous story requires a dynamic character. Fourth, humor for children tends to ridicule adults.

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Humor and pictures are two things needed by children readers (Xeni, 2010;

Gerrard, 2008). Humor can help children reduce fears (Xeni, 2010). In this case, the fears of children are “related to loneliness and isolation, supernatural phenomena and animals, noise and situations associated with noise, the school-life

[such as] authority punishment or restrictions, supernatural events and beings,

bodily injury, etc (ibid)” (Xeni, 2010, pp.1-2). In other words, humor in children‟s

literature cannot be simply referred to humor which is just for fun but it provides a

multi-purpose (Xeni, 2010). On the other hand, pictures in picturebooks can help

children to go deeper in discovering meanings through pictures (Gerrard, 2008). As a way to fulfill children‟s need of humor and pictures, it seems that humor is not only verbalized but is also visualized in children‟s picturebooks. In reference to Gerrard (2008), there are differences between the words picturebook

and picture book. The word picturebook is more appropriate to be used as

based on the premise that pictures play an integral, crucial and undeniable role in children‟s reading comprehension. In short, [picturebooks] … that require children to be visually literate are not simply books with pictures, as picture book would seem to suggest, but books in which the words and pictures are inextricably linked (p.9).

One of picturebooks is Pilkey‟s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999). The novel contains words and pictures which are

inextricably linked. Written by an author-illustrator, the novel was chosen because

it was justified as the most humorous novel among three novels (see Appendix 1).

The readers who justified the novel are purposely read the texts by themselves as

it is based on Sipe (cited in Gerrard, 2008) who argues that

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reaction to the text and subsequent comprehension is a direct result of that child‟s perspective on the text alone (p.43).

Besides, illustrations in the novel which do not really portray reality are intended

to encourage children to write and illustrate their own stories without concern for

perfectionism (Pilkey, cited in Casey 2011). In other words, the novel is not only

to entertain and to encourage children to love reading, but also to encourage

children to start writing and illustrating their own stories without being afraid of „imperfection‟.

Humor can be analyzed verbally and visually. As a matter of fact, verbal

and visual modes in a text cannot be separated since “visual component of a text

(image) is an independently organized and structured message, connected with verbal text but not dependent on it.” (Kress and van Leeuwen, cited in Hermawan, 2011, p.140). Regarding this, Halliday‟s (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar

(SFG) and Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006) reading images can be employed to

analyze the verbal and visual modes in the novel.

Deriving from Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), Halliday‟s (2004) SFG consists of three metafunctions which are ideational, interpersonal, and

textual. The three metafunctions are realized in three different structures. The first

structure is Transitivity structures which indicate representational meaning. It

consists of processes, participants and circumstances. The second structure is

Mood structures which indicate interactional meaning. As an exchange between

speaker or writer and audience, mood structures tell about what the clause is

doing. The third structure is Theme structures which indicate the organization of

the message. It tells about the relation between the clause, the discourse, and the

context of situation (Halliday, 2004).

Adapting the Halliday‟s (2004) three metafunctions, Kress and van

Leeuwen (2006) propose representational meanings for ideational metafunction,

interactive meanings for interpersonal metafunction, and compositional meanings

for textual metafunction. In terms of representational meanings, the visual

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[It] requires the identification of the represented participants (henceforth RPs), whether animate or inanimate, the processes or the activity described, the attributes or the qualities of the participants and, finally, the circumstances in which the action is being developed (Unsworth and Wheeler, as cited in Guijarro and Pinar Sanz, 2008, p. 1604).

To analyze interactive meanings, the visual analysis covers offer (information)

and demand (goods or service), gaze of the participants, degrees of involvement,

power relations between the viewer and the represented participants, and the

degrees of social distance and intimacy (Guijarro and Pinar Sanz, 2008). Besides,

in terms of compositional meanings, the visual analysis covers three aspects

which are first, information value related to left-right, top-bottom, and

centre-margin placement; second, visual salience related to size, colour, sharpness; and

third, visual framing (Kress and van Leeuwen, Royce, Unsworth as cited in

Guijarro and Pinar Sanz, 2008).

To support verbal and visual analysis of humorous events in the novel, Monro‟s theory of humor was employed in this study. Monro (1988) categorizes humor into three types:

1. Superiority: humor derives from the feeling of superiority over those

who suffer misfortunes.

2. Incongruity: humor derives from the finding of “the inappropriate within the appropriate” and of unexpected connections between ideas. 3. Relief: humor derives from the feeling of relief which comes from the

sudden removal of strain or restraint.

A study on picture books was conducted by Meerbergen (2009) who

analyzed verbal and visual components of Dutch Picture Books in Swedish

Translation. She relies on Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006) theory of multimodal analysis which is integrated into Toury‟s (1995) descriptive model for translation analysis. She proposed that multimodal analysis which consists of verbal and

visual analysis could be the part of translation analysis in translated picture books

(Meerbergen, 2009).

Another study was conducted by Guijarro (2010) who analyzed verbal and

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of Peter Rabbit. The study employed Halliday‟s (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar and Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006) Visual Social Semiotics. The study reveals that the verbal component of the picture book does not indicate

much interaction because there is high presence of declarative clauses throughout

the verbal narrative sequences. However, the selection of illustrations in the book

is made to create engagement with the viewer conveyed by visual mode related to

contact, distance and perspective (Guijarro, 2010).

This study focuses on how humor is verbally and visually represented in a

children novel entitled Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets

(1999). Combining Halliday‟s (2004) SFG, Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006)

reading images theory, and Monro‟s (1988) theory of humor, this study employed

descriptive qualitative approach in textual analysis to reveal verbal and visual

representations of humor in Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking

Toilets (1999).

1.2 Research questions

This study has answered a research question: how is humor verbally and visually represented in Pilkey‟s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets

(1999)?

1.3 Aims of study

The aim of this study is to discover how humor is verbally and visually represented in Pilkey‟s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets

(1999).

1.4 Significance of Study

This study is significant to reveal verbal and visual representations of humor in Pilkey‟s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999). It is

also significant to reveal types of humor in the novels. The types of humor

revealed in the novel can indicate the appropriateness of the novel for certain age

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The result of the study is also expected to make contributions and input

particularly for the development of literature subjects in English Department of

Indonesia University of Education, in the field SFG, reading images, multimodality, and children‟s literature.

To society, for people who are interested in writing or illustrating books

for children, this study is useful to represent humor in stories.

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study focuses on humor representations in Pilkey‟s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999). The scope of the study is limited to verbal

and visual analysis of humorous events in the novel.

In verbal analysis, Halliday‟s (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar was

employed to analyze transitivity structures. Transitivity structures reveal types of

processes and the participants involved in the processes. The types of processes

and participants can reveal Monro‟s (1988) categories of humor: superiority,

incongruity, and relief. The types of processes, the participants involved in the

processes, in addition to the contexts of situation can indicate power among

characters (Gallardo, 2006). In this study, the power relations indicate superiority

humor through superior characters in the novel and incongruity humor through

degradation of the superior characters.

Meanwhile, in visual analysis, Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006) reading

images was employed to analyze representational meanings that consist of

narrative and conceptual representations. The narrative representations are equal

to transitivity analysis; meanwhile, the conceptual representations can emphasize

the superiority of the participants through classificational processes, and the

incongruity humor through attributes assigned to represented participants with

their symbolic meanings.

The results of this study were interpreted to discover humor

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1.6 Research method

The present study employed a descriptive qualitative approach in textual analysis.

Study that employed a descriptive qualitative method attempted to describe

phenomena or subjects by using non-numerical data, such as interviews, case

studies, or participant observation (Richard and Schmidt, 2002). Meanwhile,

textual analysis of data

show[s] the set of cognitive models and conceptual schemata that actually generate the text and make it stand as a unified whole. These models can be attained only through a characterisation of what relations actually underlie the generation and organisation of the text. (Al-Sharafi, 2004, p. 126)

In addition, a purposive sampling method was employed to choose

participants involved in data collection. The participants were chosen by

considering age and demography factors to justify that the book analyzed in this

study is the most humorous books and to mark humorous events in the most

humorous book. The humorous events in visual modes were collected and were

juxtaposed with humorous events in verbal modes that appeared on the same page

(see Appendix 2). In analyzing the data, this study employed Halliday‟s (2004)

SFG, Kress and van Leeuwen‟s(2006) reading images and Monro‟s (1988) humor

categorizations.

1.7 Clarification of the Terms

Some key terms used in this study are as follows:

1. Children‟s literature

Children‟s literature refers to “all literature intended and produced for children” (Klingberg, cited in Wohlgemuth, 1998, p.7).

2. Picturebooks

Picturebooks “are not simply books with pictures, as picture book would seem to suggest, but books in which the words and pictures are inextricably linked” (Gerrard, 2008, p.9).

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Humor refers to “any message transmitted in action, speech, writing, images or music intended to produce a smile or a laugh” ( Bremmer and Roodenberg, cited in Mawter, 2005, p.2).

4. Types of humor

 Superiority: The pleasure of humor derives from the feeling of superiority over those who suffer misfortunes.

 Incongruity: The finding of “the inappropriate within the appropriate” and of unexpected connections between ideas.

 Relief: The feeling of relief comes from sudden removal of strain or restraint (Monro, 1988).

5. Theory of reading images

Reading images “describe[s] the way in which depicted elements –

people, places and things –combine in visual „statements‟ of greater or

lesser complexity and extension.” (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006, p.1).

1.8 Organization of the Paper

This study is organized as follows:

Chapter one consists of an introduction which provides the information on

the background of the study, research question, aims of the study, significance of

the study, scope of the study, research method, clarification of the terms and

organization of the paper.

Chapter two consists of the theoretical reviews that are relevant to the

present study. The theoretical reviews consist of Halliday‟s (2004) SFG (systemic

functional grammar), Kress and van Leeuwen‟s (2006) reading images, and Monro‟s (1988) theory of humor.

Chapter three contains the methodology of the study including research

design, research procedure, and synopsis.

Chapter four explains the findings of the study. It also discusses issues

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The last chapter, chapter five, concludes the discussions in the previous

chapter. It gathers the important points of the findings and draws suggestions for

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

3.1 Research Design

This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach in textual analysis. Studies

that employed a descriptive qualitative method attempt to describe phenomena or

subjects by using non-numerical data, such as interviews, case studies, or

participant observation (Richard and Schmidt, 2002). As such, the novel in this

study described a phenomenon of humor which is verbally and visually

represented in children novels. Textual analysis of data was employed to show the

set of information and ideas that construct the text. It was achieved through a

characterization of relations that underlie the organization of the text (Al-Sharafi,

2004). The results of the analysis were presented in the form of narration in

addition to tables provided with brief explanations.

3.2Research Procedure

The procedure of this study consists of six steps, which are as follows:

1. Selecting a topic

The topic of this study, humor representations in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and The Attack and The Talking toilets, was selected based on a concern that

humorous books for children are limited in Indonesia. Even though there are

humorous books found in Indonesia, the contents of the books are not appropriate

to the age of the children readers. By revealing humor representations in a

best-selling novel written in the form of picturebooks, this study can contribute to give

descriptions in writing appropriate humorous stories, especially, stories that are

written in the form of picturebooks.

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In this step, a research question was formulated to be a guide of this study in

revealing humor representations in verbal and visual modes in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999).

3. Finding related studies

As an attempt to answer the research question, theoretical frameworks and the

findings of related studies were collected. The related studies cover studies on

multimodality, Halliday’s (2004) Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) reading images, and humor in literary study, especially that of Monro (1988).

4. Collecting the data

Data of this study were collected by several steps. The first step is selecting

participants. The participants were selected to choose the most humorous novel

and to identify humorous events in the form of pictures (visual modes) of the

chosen novel. In selecting the participants, a purposive sampling method was

employed. According to Battaglia (2011), the purposive sampling method produces ‘representative’ participants of a population by applying knowledge of the population to select in a non random way and decide important characteristics

to be presented. In this study, the important characteristics of the participants are

those who are involved as the intended readers of the novel and involved in Xeni’s (2010) second group of children readers. The participants chosen are school children from class 1 until class 6 and are in range of six until eleven years

old. Moreover, by considering the demographic factor, the participants chosen are

those who study in SDS Dian Kencana and SDN Tegalega Bandung.

After selecting the participants, the participants were asked to choose the

most humorous novel of three novels:

 Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets

(1999)

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 Thaler’s The Author Visit from the Black Lagoon (2010)

The three humorous novels were selected based on the same genre (i.e humorous),

the same theme (i.e adventurous), the same form of writing (i.e in the form of

picturebooks and written in English), the average thickness of the novels (i.e not

more than one hundred and fifty pages), and the ages of the intended readers (i.e

children in range of six until eleven or twelve years old).

Moreover, the three novels were written by author-illustrators (i.e authors

who illustrate their own books). By choosing picturebooks created by

author-illustrators,

[it] helps to control for variation in text type and author’s purpose, since it is hard to determine whether or not an author and an illustrator working on the same text have the same goals and purposes for that particular text. [Besides, it] simply narrows down the vast list of possible picturebooks to include in such a study (Gerrard, 2008, p. 47).

There were nine participants who chose Captain Underpants as the most

humorous book. Then, the participants who chose Captain Underpants were

gathered to identify humorous events in the form of pictures (visual modes) of the

novel.

The humorous events in the form of visual modes chosen by the

participants were collected and were juxtaposed with humorous events in verbal

modes that appeared on the same page (see Appendix 2). If a picture was

accompanied by verbal modes that did not contain humorous events, the picture

was not included to be analyzed.

5. Analyzing the data

According to Kress and van Leeuwen (2006), the visual modes were not

dependent on the verbal modes so that both modes should be analyzed. In other

words, the procedure of this analysis is called multimodality (Hermawan, 2013).

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be applied in visual analysis. Therefore, transitivity structures in SFG are equal to

narrative and conceptual representations of representational structures in reading

images (Hermawan, 2013; Andrade and de Oliveira Pimenta, 2011; Guijarro A. J.,

2010; Motta-Roth and Nascimento, 2009; Guijarro and Pinar Sanz, 2008; Royce,

1999).

Both transitivity structures and representational structures reveal processes

and participants involved in the processes. However, the difference lies in naming

terms used in both structures. For example, participants in transitivity structures

are called participants; meanwhile, participants in representational structures are

called represented participants.

Transitivity analysis is usually employed in analyzing non literary text.

However, it can be employed in analyzing literary work. In terms of analyzing

humor in a novel, there are three types of humor proposed by Monro (1988) which

are superiority, incongruity, and relief. The three types of humor are related to

power relations between characters in a novel (Lin and Tan, 2010; Bardon, 2005).

The analysis of transitivity in literary work can reveal power relations (Bilal,

2012; Gallardo, 2006). It shows who has more power of doing actions, and how

this power is realized through the processes.

Moreover, Díaz (2014) adds that processes identified in transitivity

analysis help to confirm the relationship between power and violence in narrative.

The relationship between power and violence can produce humor. The violence

here refers to actions done by either inferior characters or superior characters in

the narrative that aim to make others suffer misfortunes. Both superior and

inferior characters who do actions are considered as having power.

The characters in Captain Underpants are portrayed as powerful vs.

non-powerful through their actions. Powerful characters are those who carry out

actions in the narrative. Their actions are realized through verbs. Power that is

distributed among the characters and that allows the characters to do (actions

performed by whom and to whom they affect) shows representations of humor in

the narrative. According to Ross (cited in Hassan, 2013), superior character as

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Susan Santika, 2014

characters are not always the target of humor. It is because humor also refers to an

attack on characters in superior positions of power as the fight back of the victim.

In this study, the analysis of processes and participants in transitivity and

representational meanings is essential to show the relationship between power,

violence, and characters that produce humor in Captain Underpants. An example

of verbal modes analyzed in transitivity analysis can be seen in this following

table.

Table 3.1 Transitivity analysis of the verbal modes

Meanwhile, an example of visual modes analyzed in representational meanings

can be seen in this following table.

Table 3.2 Representational meanings of the visual modes

No Verbal Modes

1. Come and See our hairy

armpits

material behavioural range

No. Visual Modes Narrative Representations Conceptual Representations

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6. Drawing conclusions

Conclusions were drawn regarding the findings of the study. Recommendations

for further studies on multimodality and humor were also provided.

3.3 Synopsis

The objects of this study were humorous events in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1999). Written in the form of picturebooks,

this novel contains verbal and visual modes of narrative sequences as the source

of data. The novel tells about Captain Underpants who fought against talking

toilets. The talking toilets came from a machine invented to compete in an annual

Invention Convention. The machine called Patsy 2000 could make any

one-dimensional image alive to be a living, breathing, three-one-dimensional copy of that

image. Accidentally, George and Harold the main characters of the novel, threw

their talking toilets comic into Patsy 2000. The talking toilets were alive and

attacked people in their school. Captain Underpants who fought the talking toilets

were eaten by Turbo Toilet 2000, the biggest talking toilet. Then, George and

Harold drew an image of The Incredible Robo-Plunger to save Captain

Underpants. In the end of the narrative, The Incredible Robo-Plunger won the

fight against Turbo Toilet 2000, and Captain Underpants together with people

who were eaten by Turbo Toilet 2000 could be saved.

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CHAPTER V

This study aims to reveal verbal and visual representation of Humor in Pilkey’s

Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets. The analysis of verbal

and visual modes in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets reveals two types of humor in Monro’s (1988) categories: superiority and incongruity.

Superiority humor is mostly represented by the existence of inferior

characters who suffer misfortunes in the narrative. The inferior characters are

identified in verbal and visual modes. In verbal modes, the inferior characters are

characterized in transitivity analysis. Meanwhile, in visual modes, they are

characterized in representational meanings. In verbal modes, the characteristics of

inferior characters are those who mostly do actions, who are mostly set as the

goals of the actions, and who mostly think of actions. The actions done by the

inferior characters are to change their misfortunes. The fact that the inferior suffer

from misfortunes is that they are set as the goal of actions carried out by other

characters. In addition, the inferior characters also think of actions to change their

misfortunes. On the other hand, in visual modes, the analysis of representational

meanings identifies the inferior characters in superiority humor through narrative

and conceptual representations. In narrative representations, the inferior characters

are characterized as those who mostly emanate vectors and who are mostly aimed

by vectors. The vectors are mostly formed by bodies and eyelines. In addition,

asymmetrical alignment in conceptual representations emphasizes the inferior

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Susan Santika, 2014

analysis shows that there are efforts made by the inferior characters to change

their misfortunes through processes carried out by them.

Moreover, incongruity humor has three characteristics identified in the

narrative: contradicting attitudes, degradation, and unexpected connections. Since

the main character has double roles as a principal and a hero, those characteristics

are mostly found in the main character, through verbal and visual analysis. In

verbal analysis, through transitivity analysis, it is found in five types of processes:

material, verbal, behavioural, relational, and existential processes. Each process

consists of minimum one of the three characteristics. Meanwhile, in visual

analysis, through analysis of representational meanings, incongruity humor is

identified in narrative and conceptual representations. In narrative representations,

two of the three characteristics, contradicting attitudes and unexpected

connections, are revealed. The contradicting attitudes are revealed through

different processes that involve the main characters as the principal and the hero.

The different processes are shown by different vectors that the principal and the

hero emanate. Meanwhile, the unexpected connections are identified through

double headed vectors between the exalted and the trivial characters. The double

headed vectors indicate that the trivial do the same actions as the exalted.

However, the trivial is expected to do different actions in responding the exalted.

Besides, in conceptual representations, analytical and symbolic processes reveal

degradation as one of the three characteristics of incongruity humor found in the

narrative.

Learning from the findings, this study reveals that there are four issues

emerging to discuss. First, the verbal and visual modes in Pilkey’s Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets complement one another in

representing humor. Second, there are two types of humor identified in the novel:

superiority and incongruity. Third, a humorous story requires a dynamic character.

Fourth, humor for children tends to ridicule adults.

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To enrich future study on multimodality and humor, this study recommends four

things. First, in terms of the participants involved in data collection, the

native-speaker participants will emerge different point of view on humorous events in the

narrative. Second, in terms of multimodality, the verbal and visual mode analysis

within interpersonal metafunction and textual metafunction will enrich the

findings and complement the humor representations in the narrative. Third, it is

beneficial if further studies reveal humor representations in picturebooks intended

for the first group of children readers in Xeni’s (2010) categorizations, which

consists of very young children up to the age of five or six since the first group

readers need suitable humor that can help them to overcome worries, anxieties,

and fears. Fourth, further studies on multimodality can disclose other

representations such as verbal and visual representations of fear in ghost stories.

The conclusions and recommendations have been provided above.

Hopefully, this study is beneficial, especially, for those who want to write children’s humorous books, for the present writer, and for future study on humor, multimodality, and children’s literature. It is hoped that further studies can be conducted to fill in the gaps of this study, so that, there will be more writers

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HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS.

HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S

CAPTAIN

UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING

TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS

PAGE OF APPROVAL

SUSAN SANTIKA

HUMOR REPRESENTATIONS IN PILKEY’S CAPTAIN

UNDERPANTS AND THE ATTACK OF THE TALKING

TOILETS: A VERBAL AND VISUAL ANALYSIS

Approved by:

“Humour

is a way of saying something serious.”

-T.S. Eliot (1888 – 1965)

For My Beloved

Dad, Mom

and for those who want to write

children’s humorous books

STATEMENT

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Table of Contents

List of Tables

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

CHAPTER V

REFERENCES