Benefits of the Study

CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Review of Related Studies

As one of prominent authors, Judy Blume has her works been studied and analysed in many ways. There are plenty of admirations come to appraise her works despite the complaints. Yet, an interesting constructive critic by Nodelman shows the cultural arrogance in Blume’s Superfudge in a journal article entitled Cultural Arrogance and Realism in Judy Blume’s Superfudge 29 . Young readers and students respond to this book that they are reading a realistic novel. Surprised by this fact, Nodelman explains the objection to label Blume’s novel as a realistic one when he found several oddities which lead the book to be more fantasy instead of realistic. At first, he argues that the North American soul depicted in Superfudge displays some cultural arrogance and blindness because the novel makes the behaviour and the environment typically North American and thus less realistic due to the inevitable stereotyping: the large houses surrounded by lawns with the typical middle class family and circumstances. Also, in Nodelman’s observation the protagonist Peter is a typical child who does typical things without random experiences. He Peter does exactly what eleven-years-olds are supposed to do: claiming to dislike yet love his younger brother, finding modern art to be an example of the ridiculous adults’ pretension, believing his own parents are insufferably stupid, 29 Perry Nodelman, “Cultural Arrogance and Realism in Judy’s Blume’s Superfudge.” Children’s Literature in Education 19.4 1988: 230 –241. and is embarrassed by but beginning to be interested in girls. Nodelman also sees the oddity addressing to the analysis that Peter is supposed to be telling his own story, but he often sounds less like a child than like a middle-aged woman with a keen eye for the cute silliness of kids. Saying that Blume’s novel is realistic, Nodelman argues, means forgetting millions of children who have diversity life to face problems like what Peter does. In addition, the author is likely to use typicality to replace reality. It means, in order to be identified with, the character must be devoid of any distinguishing characteristics alien to the readers. As a matter of fact, Nodelman sums up books like Superfudge helps to foster personal and cultural blindness - an unconscious but dangerous form of arrogance. In accordance to Nodelman’s critic discussed above, the writer of this research finds it true to know that Peter the main character is not as real as the other of Blume’s characters. This supports her concern that Peter is not included as the data source though for different reason from what Nodelman suggests. Related to this research, it is because beside taken from the popular books of Blume, the data is also taken from the adorable characters to meet one of the purposes of this study i.e. to see the implication of the voicing the silenced to the pleasures of the books which requires the honest, close, and successfully identified to be loved by the readers. Even though Superfudge remains to be one of popular book, yet the hilarious ‘little brat’ Fudge seems to be the attractive point of this work instead of Peter as the protagonist. More than that, Superfudge does not share significant controversy for voicing silenced and important issues to defence in this research. In a different study, Manning et al. in “Questioning the Self, Questioning Others, Questioning Relationships: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Pedagogical Value of Judy Blume ” observe the responses from on-line message forums focusing on both positive and negative reactions to Blume’s novels 30 . Differing from this research and with their feminist perspectives, the major themes found to be most discussed are Blume’s novels play as learning tools and as connection, the issues of religion and sexuality, and the problems with punishment and disdain for reading her books. The analysis shows that as the learning tool, Blume’s novels do not only share sexual self-awareness. They also share the awareness of the life lesson, especially self-empowerment including self-concept and self-esteem establishing that one can feel good about themselves regardless of how they look and their intellectual level. The sexuality themes in the novels can be comforting parents, too, as they can be the learning tool to allow them exploring what their children may be facing despite to be the ice breaker of discussing sensitive topics. Playing role as connection, Blume’s novels become a channel of commonality where people can discuss or share things obtained from her books. Her books enable discussions like sexuality to enter the public realm even though it is not always to be a serious nature. Sexuality is also the other major theme for discussion among the respondents. Blume’s novels create depictions of sexuality which falls to be a part of life filled with joy. Even though some called her books as pornography, Manning et al. see that 30 Jimmie Manning, et al., “Questioning the Self, Questioning Others, Questioning Relationships: A Qualitative Inquiry int o the Pedagogical Value of Judy Blume”. MP: A Feminist Journal Online 2007: 7 –15.