The Representation of Liberal Feminism in the Picture Book Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley

Article Sidebar

PDF
Published: 2024-03-25
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24036/humanus.v23i1.123800

Main Article Content

Theophanie Clarissa Malau
Jember University
http://orcid.org/0009-0002-5315-9843 (unauthenticated)
Dina Dyah Kusumayanti
Jember University
Supiastutik Supiastutik
Jember University

Abstract

This research aims to show that women can dominate the story as seen in Negley’s picture book (2019) Mary Wears What She Wants. The theory used in this research is the theory of representation by Stuart Hall (1997). Besides, Barthes’ semiotic  theory (1957, 1968) is utilized to reveal the meaning of verbal and visual data in Negley’s picture book. This research is qualitative in its nature in which the data are the verbal as well as the visual texts of the picture book under study.  The finding of this research shows that the picture book under scrutiny represents inequality of gender rather than equality which highlight the inequality of women and men in the Victorian society. Another finding reveals that liberal feminism is represented through the main character, Mary. Mary dares to take risks to choose and decide the best for women, as she thinks that women have the rights to do anything they want without hesitation and with no limitation. This research also reveals that Mary uses her power to voice and to make changes impacting to women in her time. Because of her strive and determination, to date women have the bravery and power to do anything they want.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Articles

Open Access

Humanus: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu-ilmu Humaniora is a peer reviewed and open access journal that publishes significant and important research from all area of humanities studies.

This journal provides immediate open access to its content that making research publish in this journal freely available to the public that supports a greater exchange of knowledge.

Copyright

Submission of a manuscript implies that the submitted work has not been published before (except as part of a thesis or report, or abstract); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors. If and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the author(s) still hold the copyright and retain publishing rights without restrictions. Authors or others are allowed to multiply article as long as not for commercial purposes. For the new invention, authors are suggested to manage its patent before published.

Disclaimer

No responsibility is assumed by publisher and co-publishers, nor by the editors for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a result of any actual or alleged libelous statements, infringement of intellectual property or privacy rights, or products liability, whether resulting from negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any ideas, instructions, procedures, products or methods contained in the material therein.

Author Biographies

Theophanie Clarissa Malau, Jember University

Theophanie Clarissa Malau (first author) is a student at the English Department of Faculty of Humanities, University of Jember, Indonesia. Her research interets are on feminist and literary works.

Dina Dyah Kusumayanti, Jember University

Dina D. Kusumayanti (corresponding author) is now working as a lecturer at the English Department, Faculty of Humanities, University of Jember, Indonesia. Her research interests are on gender, feminist postcolonial children’s literature, environment and ocean literacies in children’s literature. Currently, she is the Coordinator of Young Adult, Teen, and Children’s Literature Research Group at University of Jember Research and Community Engagement. Email: dinadyah.sastra@unej.ac.id

Supiastutik Supiastutik, Jember University

Supiastutik is a lecturer at the English Department of Faculty of Humanities, University of Jember, Indonesia. Her research interests lie in literary works, language and culture, especially focusing on gender studies.

How to Cite

The Representation of Liberal Feminism in the Picture Book Mary Wears What She Wants by Keith Negley. (2024). Humanus, 23(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.24036/humanus.v23i1.123800

References

Barthes, R. (1957). Mythologies. https://soundenvironments.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/roland-barthes-mythologies.pd

Barthes, Roland. (1968). Elements of semiology. New York: Hill and Wang.

Dorré, G. M. (2002). Horses and Corsets: Black Beauty, Dress Reform, and The Fashioning af The Victorian Woman. Victorian Literature and Culture, 157–178.

Everett, S. (2021). Fashion as Freedom - The Bustle and Women of the Late Victorian Era. The Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research, 8(1): 1 – 12.

Gökçek, A. (2020). Social Position of Victorian Women: Villette and Emma. Comparative Literature: East and West, 4(2), 143 - 155.

Hall, Stuart. (1997). Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications.

Kotef, H. (2009). On Abstractness: First Wave Liberal Feminism and the Construction of the Abstract Woman. Feminist Studies, 35(3), 495–522.

Law, S. A. (2019). In defense of liberal feminism. Research Handbook on Feminist Jurisprudence, 24–43. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786439697.00009.

McDonnell, C.A. (2018). Marriage in Victorian England. Theses. Bridgewater State University.

Mitchell, S. (2009). Daily life of Victorian England. Second Edition. Great Britain.

Negley, Keith. (2019). Mary Wears What She Wants. New York: Balzer + Bray.

Panambunan, W.I. S., S. Badaruddin, P. Kuswarini. (2022). The Image of The Tough Woman in The Novel About You by Tere Liye: Analysis of Liberal Feminism Naomi Wolf. International Journal of Social Science, 2(2): 1293–1304.

Priyadharshini, P., S. Mohan, A. Hariharasudan, J. Sangeetha. (2021). Authenticity of Liberal Feminism in Namita Gokhale’s Texts. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S1): 46 – 59.

Tong. R. (2009). Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction. (Third Ed). Press Westview.

Weitzman, L. J., D. Eifler, E. Hokada, and C. Ross. (1972). Sex-Role Socialization in Picture Books for Preschool Children. American Journal of Sociology, 77(6): 1125-1150.

Wollstonecraft, M. (1796). Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Third Edit). Johnson, St Paul’s Church Yard.

Woolf. V. (1929). A Room of One's Own. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company.

Wulandari, M. D., Supiastutik, H. Pujiati. (2019). The Representation of Liberal Feminism in A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum. LENTERA: Jurnal Ilmiah Kependidikan, 12(2), 237 – 248.

Yen, Ya-Lei. 2014. Clothing Middle-Class Women: Dress, Gender and Identity in Mid-Victorian England c. 1851-1875. Thesis. Royal Holloway: University of London.