DECONSTRUCTION ON THE CONVENTIONAL IMAGES OF CHILDREN IN JACQUELINE WILSON’S THE ILLUSTRATED MUM

Abstract

This research aimed to (1) reveal the unconventional images of children deconstructed by Wilson’s The Illustrated Mum, (2) show how deconstruction was presented in Wilson’s The Illustrated Mum. The data of the research were significant expressions related to deconstruction taken from the novel. The result of this research showed: first, there were two unconventional images of children shown by the unconventional traits and unconventional roles of children. The unconventional traits included caring, sensitive, unselfish, responsible, and independent. The unconventional roles were parenting, protecting one another, and doing household responsibility; second, there were five ways that Wilson used to deconstruct conventional images of children and children’s stories. Those seven ways were creating complicated plot, using different point of view, employing sensitive issues, subverting adult/child image, subverting good/bad image, subverting male/female child image, and denying logocentrism.

Keywords: Deconstruction, children’s literature, logocentrism, conventional images of children.