THE REJECTION OF ORIENTALISM IN THE MAIN CHARACTERS OF JUDY BLUME’S SELECTED NOVELS: TALES OF FOURTH GRADE NOTHING, FUDGE- A-MANIA, AND DOUBLE FUDGE

Abstract

This research is an Orientalism study of children‟s literature that aims at revealing the aspects of

Orientalism in children‟s literature represented by adults‟ attitude and its rejection trough the depiction of children‟s character in the selected novels. This research applied descriptive qualitative method to analyse the phenomenon under study in a textual form. The primary instrument of this research was the researcher and the secondary instrument as the textbooks. The data were collected by selecting the direct or indirect speech of the characters containing Orientalism aspects and its rejection  while reading the books.  For the data analysis,  the  research  findings  were  classified  based on  the theories  used in  the research and  analysed according to each aspect. The result of this research obtained from the qualitative investigation is stated as follows. Four aspects of Orientalism are found in the utterances of the characte r as inferiority, femaleness, adult-centered and silencing. While the depiction of the character representing the rejection of those aspects.Furthermore, all four aspects are identified in the storybooks as adults‟ attitude in seeing and treating children based on adults‟ perspective and describe children as incapable and inexperienced in everything that require adults‟ help and guidance.

Keywords:  Rejection  of  Orientalism,  children,  character,  Tales  of  Fourth   Grade  Nothing,   Fudge -a- Mania, Double Fudge