An Analysis Of Masculinity In Picture Book “A Cool Kid Like Me”.

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Jania Visca Pratiwi, 2015

An Analysis Of Masculinity In Picture Book “A Cool Kid Like Me”

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

AN ANALYSIS OF MASCULINITY IN PICTURE

BOOK “A COOL KID LIKE ME”

A Research Paper

Submitted to the English Education Department of FPBS UPI in Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for SarjanaSastraDegree

By:

JANIA VISCA PRATIWI

090230

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

THE FACULTY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE EDUCATION

INDONESIA UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

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AN ANALYSIS OF MASCULINITY IN PICTURE

BOOK “A COOL KID LIKE ME”

Oleh

Jania Visca Pratiwi

Sebuah skripsi yang diajukan untuk memenuhi salah satu syarat memperoleh gelar Sarjana pada Fakultas Pendidikan BahasadanSeni

\

Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia

Juni 2015

Hak Cipta dilindungi undang-undang.

Skripsi ini tidak boleh diperbanyak seluruhya atau sebagian,

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JANIA VISCA PRATIWI

AN ANALYSIS OF MASCULINITY IN PICTURE BOOK “A COOL KID LIKE ME”

APPROVED BY:

Main Supervisor

Dr. Rd. Safrina Noorman, M.A.

NIP. 196207291987032003

Head of English Education Department

Faculty of Language and Literature Education

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

STATEMENT OF AUTHORIZATION ... i

PREFACE ... ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... iii

ABSTRACT ... iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ... vi

LIST OF TABLES ... ix

LIST OF PICTURES ... x

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ... 1

1.1 Background ... 1

1.2 Research questions ... 5

1.3 Subject of the Study ... 5

1.4 Purpose of the Study ... 5

1.5 Scope of the Study ... 5

1.6 Significance of the Study ... 6

1.7 Methodology ... 6

1.8 Clarification of Terms ... 7

1.9 Organization of The Paper ……… 7

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ... 8

2.1 Picture Book ... 8

2.2 Masculinity ... 9

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2.4 Masculinity Based on Spence and Beynon ... 11

2.5 Reading Masculinity by Using Words About Picture ………. 13

2.5.1 Picture Book Elements ... 16

2.6 Previous Study ... 18

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 20

3.1 Research Question ... 20

3.2 Research Design ... 20

3.3 Data Subject and Context ... 20

3.4 Data Collection... 20

3.5 Data Analysis ... 21

3.6 Data Presentation ... 21

3.7 Synopsis ………. 23

CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ... 25

4.1 Findings ... 25

4.1.1 Verbal Construction of Masculinity ... 25

A. Providing of Contradictory Aspects ……… 26

B. Boy’s Pretending Acts ………. 29

4.1.2 Visual Construction of Masculinity ... 30

A Activities Characterized as Masculine ………. 30

B. Color Constructed Masculinity ……… 33

C. Masculine Traits of Supporting Characters ………. 35

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CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS ... 41

5.1 Conclusion... 41

5.2 Suggestions ... 41

REFERENCES ... 43

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iv

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1 ... 11

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v

LIST OF PICTURES

Picture 4.1 Boy portrayed with the ball ... 31

Picture 4.2 Boy playing football with his friends ... 32

Picture 4.3 Boy and other characters wearing blue ………. 33

Picture 4.4 Boy already sleeps ... 34

Picture 4.5 Boy rafting with his friend ... 35

Picture 4.6 Boy feeling intimidation ... 36

Picture 4.7 Boy becomes the last option in the game ... 37

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

A picture book is an artifact of culture that contained visual images and words

(Sipe 2008). This definition implies that a picture book may contain things with

cultural values or cultural background. For example in a book with Islamic culture we

will find female characters wearing a hijab and male characters wearing a peci.

Bader (1976) stated that a picture book is a social, cultural, and historical

document. A picture book as a historical document because it records a changing of

times. For example in earlier times there would not be a cell phone or other electronic

equipments in a picture book, but in present time it would be very easy to find a cell

phone in a picture book. This example shows that a picture book is an artifact of

history.

In her historical study of American children‟s picture books that focused

mainly on the twentieth century, Bader (1976) provided an expansive definition:

A picture book is a text, illustrations, total design; an item of manufacture and a commercial product; social, cultural, historical document; and foremost an experience for a child. As an art form it hinges on the interdependence of pictures and words, on the simultaneous display of two facing pages, and on the drama of the turning page. (1)

From Bader explanation it can be concluded that a picture book can contain

many things. Bader‟s definition had been extended by Nodelman. Nodelman (1998) stated picture books, as a literary form, provided a comprehensive scheme for how

pictures provide information about stories. This statement shows that a picture book

has an important role in telling about the stories. It means pictures can help people of

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Nodelman also suggests that the relationship between pictures and text is

always an ironic one; that is, “the words tell us what the pictures do not show, and the pictures show us what the words do not tell us” (222). Even words and pictures in

picture book cannot be separated but both of them have their own role. The picture is

not only as an illustration but also have function to build the imagination of young

reader to construct meaning of the stories (Huck, 1993 in Narahara, 1998). Pictures

can clarify texts because they can indeed communicate effortlessly (Nodelman). All

pictures require some interpretation, simply because no pictures contain as much as

visual information as the objects it depicts might actually convey. Usually the author

and the illustrator in a picture book are different, so there could be a situation where a

picture in a picture book does not describe the texts and texts do not describe the

picture.

Sipe (2008) describes the relationship between texts and pictures as

“synergistic.” He analyzes the interplay that occurs between pictures and texts in picture books and shows how that transaction becomes more complex as we read

through the book: “each new page opening presents us with a new set of words and new illustrations to factor into our construction of meaning” (106). Sipe also argues

that “visual texts are on an equal footing with verbal texts” in this process (107).

Many of these scholarly analyses seem to imply that, in picture books, words and

pictures are always present in the service of a story.

Picture books are created for the enjoyment of children as young readers with

the object of the stories that involve them into a pleasant experience. Picture books

generally consist of thirty-two pages of story, poem or concept but they included

endpapers, information about the book, author, artist, and publisher as well (Sipe,

2008).

To Anstey and Bull (2006), contemporary postmodern picture books exhibit

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grammar of the author and illustrator, indeterminacy, contesting discourses,

intertextuality, and multiple meanings and audiences” (336–338).

Bader‟s definition can acknowledge people about many other categories of

books that are generally found on shelves along with picture storybooks. These

include alphabet and counting books, toy books, concept books, information books,

and, wordless books. However, images and words work in tandem and the emphasis

that the picture books is an art form rather than a teaching tool.

Picture books appeal to different range of readers, and offer innovative

possibilities for exploring questions of representation, identity, culture, race, class and

power (Johnston, Bainbridge, and Shariff, 2007). One of the issues that often arise in

picture book is about gender. Gender-based picture books become interesting because

in literature, discussing about gender will be related to the concepts of masculinity

and femininity.

Masculinity concepts have developed and changed over time. According to

Beynon (2002) masculinity is no longer seen only from biological or natural given

but it is socially constructed. Beynon (2002) believes that “masculinity is socially and

historically, not biologically constructed (p.7)”. This statement is also supported by

Connel (2000). He states that:

“Masculinity is not a natural state; it is a socially

constructed, fluid, collective gender identity. It has become

commonplace to speak of „masculinities‟, the plural

referring to the notion that there is no one universal

masculinity, but rather dynamic “configurations of gender practice” negotiated intime, ideology and culture (p,3)”.

In addition, Morgan (1992, cited in Beynon, 2002) asserts “masculinity (and

femininity) is the best approached from the stand point of what men and women do

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Children picture books have the potential to influence children‟s perception of

socially accepted roles and values of how males and female suppossed to behave

(Demarest & Kontenhaus, 1993). As one medium of learning, picture books are

taking a part to teach children about gender. From the picture books children are able

to understand the basic of gender and it is expected that the concept of gender can be

remembered by children because it has been introduced since the early age.

Gender-based picture books are interesting to be discussed because the theory

of gender itself developes over the time. The concept of masculinity in society is also

expanding in which people always have a discussion about this issue.

The reason behind the choice of using a picture book “A Cool Kid Like Me!”

as the object of the study because this picture book reveal different perspective of

masculinity. The Boy in “A Cool Kid Like Me!” is a whiny child, sensitive and

fearful boy, while boy usually portrayed with brave, adventurous, not timid and

outgoing (Spence as cited in Archer and Llyod, 2002). This makes the Boy character

in the picture book different with ussual boy.

There are many previous studies investigating gender. For example was

conducted by Paynter (2011) entittled “Gender Stereotypes and Representation of

Female Characters in Children’s PictureBooks” examines whether stereotyping and female underrpresentation changed over the past decade. This study focuses on

sexism issue. Harper‟s (2007) entitled “Studying Masculinity(ies) in Books About

Girls explores the nature and performance of masculinity portrayed in popular young

adult novels featuring female protagonist. The study focuses on the connection

between sex and gender in ways that allow for engagement with alternative notions of

masculinity on both male and female adolescent characters in the novel.

The previous research have focused on male and female characters while the

present research only focuses on male characters. The present research investigates

how the book visually and verbally constructed the masculinities of the male

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male characters in the picture book and how the book contains things that are related

to masculinity.

1.2 Research Question

1. How is masculinity verbally constructed in the book?

2. How is masculinity visually constructed in the book?

3. What meanings can be derived from this construction?

1.3Subject of The Study

This research investigates “A Cool Kids Like Me!” and it will focus on the

main character around 7 or 8 years old and all male characters in the story who will

also be examined in relation to masculinity. The book is chosen because it provides a

different perspective on masculinity in a way that rather challenges or questions the

existing paradigm of masculinity.

1.4Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to find out how masculinity is verbally and

visually constructed in the book and also to know what meanings can be derived from

the construction.

1.5 Scope of The Study

The research provides an analysis of the way masculinity is constructed in the

text both verbally and visually. The study will be limited to analyzing the male

character to see how masculinity is portrayed the main character and others male

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1.6Significance of The Study

It is expected that the research will offer a different perspective in

understanding the issue of masculinity. Therefore, the findings and conclusion are

expected to enrich the knowledge about picture book and masculinity.

1.7 Methodology

Descriptive qualitative research is employed as an approach to this study

because this study attempts to describe the construction of masculinity verbally and

visually as well as to interpret the meaning.

The research focuses on aspects of masculinity depicted in a picture book. The

picture book will be analyzed by using the theory of masculinity and words about

picture because it consists of texts and pictures,.

The data were collected from the picture book entittled “A Cool Kids Like

Me!” which was written by Hans Wilhelm. The picture book was selected as the

source of the data because it seems to have different perspective about masculinity.

There are two kinds of data: verbal and visual text. From the verbal text

masculinity traits are identified in words choice and then they are classified based on

masculinity theory. From the visual text masculinity traits are identified in illustration

which shown masculinity aspects and then they are classified. Then the classifications

are interpreted using masculinity theory.

The way male characters show their masculinity was the main issue that

analyzed in this research. By identifying using the framework of words about picture

and masculinity perspective in the picture book, the identification is expected to

contribute the finding of the masculinity to the main male characters and supporting

characters and interpret the meaning behind the verbal and visual text in picture book

in the masculinity perspective and analyzing color, position and gesture using words

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behind the color, position and gesture and masculinity perspective is drawing

conclusion and providing suggestions for further research related to the issue.

1.8Clarification of Terms

1. Picture Books

For Nodelman (1988) picture books are books which are intended for young

children which communicate information or tell stories through a series of many

pictures combined with relatively slight texts or no texts at all.

2. Masculinity

Masculine means having the qualities or appearance consider being typical of

men; connected with or like men, whereas masculinity refers to the quality of being

masculine (Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary, 2000). Male is not born likewise

with masculine character naturally, masculinity is established by culture (Barker, as

cited in Nasir 2007).

1.9Organization of the Paper

This study is organized in five chapters. Chapter I, Introduction, covers

background of the study, research questions, aim of the study, significance of the

study, research methodology, and clarification of terms as well as organization of the

paper. Chapter II, Theoretical Foundation, discusses theoretical framework used in

answering the research questions. Chapter III, Research Methodology, discusses the

research design, data collection and data analysis. Chapter IV, Finding and

Discussions, presents the data presentations, explanation to the analysis of the data

and the result of the analysis. Chapter V, Conclusion and Suggestion, comprises

summary of the answers to the research questions, and suggestions for further

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CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology to investigate the issue in research

question. It comprise of research questions, research method, the stage of the

research, data collection, data analysis, research subject, synopsis of the picture book

and data presentation.

3.1. Research Questions

1. How is masculinity verbally constructed in the book?

2. How is masculinity visually constructed in the book?

3. What meanings can be derived from this construction?

3.2 Research Design

This research is designed to reveal the construction of masculinity by

employing a descriptive qualitative design because the used data in a form of images

and words. Images and words are the important elements in the picture book were

needed to find out how the boy as the main character was constructed in the picture

book.

3.3 Research Subject and Context

The main subject of this study is the picture book written by the Hans

Wilhelm entitled “A Cool Kid Like Me!”. Hans Wilhem is a German-America children’s book author and illustrator. Hans Wilhelm has written and illustrated over 200 books. A Cool Kid Like Me! available in the internet and free to download. A

Cool Kid Like Me! has been selected because the picture book indicates a different

perspective of masculinity.

1. Data Collection

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collection was in verbal text and visual text that show masculinity traits of main

character and other male characters in a picture book.

3.4 Data Analysis

Two theoretical frameworks were used to analyze the collected data. Verbal

text in this picture book has been analyzed by classifying the word by indicating contradictory aspects and by Boy’s pretention acts and then how that two classification constructed masculinities. Visual analysis theory proposed by

Nodelman (1998) to analyze the images in the picture book and Masculinity theory

proposed by Spence (as cited in Archer and Llyod 2002) and Beynon (2002) to

analyze the data from Masculinity perspective.

Visual analysis was needed to analyze the data to see the relationship between

the images and text in the picture book. In picture book the relation between images

and text becomes complicated and visual analysis can be used to analyze that

complicated relation. Images in picture book had a function to describe the text and a

text also had function to describe the images. Visual analysis did not only describe

the images but also the elements in the images such as color, shape and design.

The focus of the study is to analyze male character in the story from

Masculinity theory. Therefore after the data have been analyzed using visual theory,

they were interpreted from masculinity perspective.

3.5 Data Presentation

The following tables are the sample of the data that were analyzed using

visual analysis theory and from masculinity perspective. Each table contains images

analysis and explanations about it. The table contains element analysis (which is the

analysis of picture books elements such as line, color, shape, design and texture), the

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Table 3.1 Example of Verbal and Visual Analysis

Illustration 1; Page 1

Illustration

Description

In illustration 1, Boy is portrayed in the center of the illustration

and holding the ball in his right hand while his left hand was in his pocket. Boy’s face is portrayed with a smile, curve shaped eyebrows and flat shaped ears. Boy’s knee and elbow was dirty. He is wearing yellow shirt and blue pants. The background

color of the illustration is white.

Written Text

Description

The written text above the illustration is the introduction for

main character. The text said that the boy is a cool and terrific

kid.

Analysis If someone or something is portrayed in the center of

illustration, it means that someone or something is the main

focus or the important focus of the illustration (Bang, 2002).

The way Boy is portrayed with smile, curve shaped eyebrows

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comfortable and in a calm and relaxed condition. The white colored background strengthen Boy’s feeling of being comfortable, relaxed and calm because white colored

background give safe or comfortable sensation (Bang, 2002).

The written texts above the illustration which describe Boy as

cool and terrific child is the introduction to the main character.

Boy is portrayed with the smile in his face and curve shaped

eyebrow which indicates that he is enjoying playing football.

The ball in this illustration is associated to the masculine since a

ball refers to a sport which is often considered as masculine.

Kimmel (2010) stated that young boys who participate in sport

are encouraged by families, friends and coaches to embody a

particular type of masculinity. Spence (as cited in Archer and

Llyod, 2002) also stated that sport is included to the

male-valued items. Besides the ball, the masculine side of Boy is also

indicated by the clothes, elbow and feet of the boy which looks dirty. Dirty, in this illustration, is can be related to the boy’s activeness. The ball itself also implies that the boy as such an

active kid. Based on Spence (as cited in Archer and Llyyod,

2002), active belongs to the male-valued items.

3.6 Synopsis

The identity of the book is written by following the steps that Joyce and

Gaudin (2011) propose in analyzing a picture book as follows:

Book Title : A Cool Kid Like Me!

Author : Hans Wilhelm

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Publisher : Crown Publisher Inc

Story : A Cool Kid-Like Me! is the story about a boy who looks happy on the

outside but in fact he is full of fear and has many worries. At the first

page the Boy is portrayed as a cool and terrific child but then the next

page reveals a different side of the Boy. The main character in this

story is full of fears. He does not like to be alone, he is afraid of not

having a good friend. He does not want tobe thrown away by his

friend, even he is worried that his mother will leave home and never

comeback. The interesting thing is he really loves his teddy bear, the

gift from his grandmother. Boy usually like playing football or playing

computer but his hobby is talking to his teddy bear.

Narrator : A Cool Kid-Like Me! is told from a third person point of view and the

narrator is someone who knows everything (comniscient narrator)

Characters : There is one main character in the picture book which called Boy in

this research since the character does not have a name. There are also

some supporting characters such as mother, father, grandmother and Boy’s friend. Boy is the main protagonist of the story, he has unique characteristics that there is not many people understand. Boy’s parents in often leaving him because they thought Boy is fine with that. Boy

only can say anything to his grandmother. The story is mostly about

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