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creates different interpretation as the readers read it from time to time. Within the texts, the authors put some points containing the
“truth”. The readers agree about the truth because the readers and the authors are associated. The
“truth” is approved by the readers because both the readers and the author have the same
concept that has been constructed in their mind. However, when the readers and author have different concepts, the process of penetrating the
“truth” is failed Sarup, 1993:34.
2. Deconstruction
Since the researcher uses Deconstruction as the major theory to analyze the thesis, this section will provide more about the theory. To begin with, Derrida
said there is a dualism between writing and speech. Speech gains its higher position than writing, as everything goes with speech first. For example, the
God’s speech comes first, although the KoranBible later appears in written form. So does when it comes to the stage of life. People are able to talk first, and then
they learn to write. This privileging upon speech over writing is called “phonocentrism” Selden and Widdowson, 1993:145-146.
Speech is considered superior because speech is close to presence, while writing is the copy of human thought in speech. Writing lies below speech, as
writing only helps to prevent forgetfulness. For example, activity like attending class requires writing to prevent forgetfulness and to help memorizing a presence
of a subject. Derrida explains that writing is “supplement” to speech. Here, by
“supplement”, Derrida implies that speech cannot stand on its own. It needs
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something to complete and to fulfill its needs. For Derrida, writing is not considered as the disease of the language, but
rather as a technique and instrument to represent a system language. Writing is used to complement what is missing from speech. It helps people to memorize
things and to represent language. It then breaks down the notion that speech is superior compared to writing. The idea of the superiority of speech is no longer
relevant Derrida, 1997. According to the reason above, Deconstruction challenges the notion that
speech is better than writing. However, Deconstruction does not reverse the idea that writing is better than speech. Instead, Deconstruction shows that speech or
writing deserves no privilege. Both are equal and supplementary because each one completes another Culler, 1985: 259.
As Deconstruction rejects the idea of hierarchal and privileging meaning of a language, it then questions the ability of language to express one, unified,
meaning. A deconstructionist believes that language is an unstable medium to convey meaning Norris, 2000. Thus, a deconstructionist puts its concern on the
ambiguities of language to create meaning. It then leads to the new reading in which questions the authority of the author to create unified meaning to their
books. Deconstruction is philosophical literary approach to read literary works,
articulated firstly by Jacques Derrida. It defies the conventional assumption that a text has only a single, stable meaning which is created by the author. Derrida
suggest that to understand the text, the only thing to do is looking at the text itself.
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Derrida believes that all interpretation of a text has nothing to do with other elements but the text itself, which means there is no
“outside the text” at all. Readers have the full access to interpret and find new meaning of the text. That is
why Deconstruction Literary Criticism is famous for the shout out: the author is dead Culler, 1985. Therefore, it is impossible for a text to have a stable
meaning. Readers are free to explore the meaning of the text based on their experience and horizon. The practice of Deconstruction involves identifying the
binary oppositions within a text, showing that a text can be developed, and uncovering the significant difference that differ from what it is purposed to mean.
If the Formalist critics see the works have its meaning embodied on itself wrapped up in the elements of the text images, irony, rhythms, allusions, etc.,
Deconstruction sees works on the other way. Deconstruction critics see the literary works from what is absent rather than what is present on it Berman,
1988. Deconstruction also thinks that the text always has something within it that needs to be revealed. Based on Hall 2001: 164, there are four Deconstruction
keys to interpret a text: 1. There is no transcendental meaning. Transcendental or absolute meaning is
the basic system of thought. For example, every king or chief has hundreds or thousands of followers who see him as the highest leader whose words or
actions can be seen as a truth. The truth is later used as a compass where it points to rightness. As it only leads to rightness, there is almost zero chance
for it to be wrong. The belief that king is the compass of truth then blocks the common sense to see the false consciousness and to change the paradigm.
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Here, Deconstruction plays its part by subverting that system of thought and questioning the gaps. By breaking the foundation of thinking, it is possible to
destroy the stability of fixed structure which was secured by an absolute meaning before. The same method can be applied to analyze a literary work;
2. Meaning is never stable because the connections among signs are never fully knowable. When one says or writes a sign, people who hear or read it will
have different interpretation. Hence, one will never have the same interpretation as the other after heshe finished reading one text. Or in another
case, the reader’s opinion toward a text five years ago must be different with
the opinion heshe has now after they read the same text. It happens because of the differences of knowledge, experience, and point of view;
3. Texts question their own states of stability. As text has no stable meaning, it then questions its own truth. A text is seen as the flexible, dynamic object that
the reader has no limit to interpret it; and 4. There is nothing outside the text. As the interpretation of the text depends on
the reader’s knowledge, and experience, it needs no outside source to analyze a text. Deconstructionist only sees the text without bothering about the
author’s background or the era when the text is made.
3. Children’s Literature a. Definition of children’s literature
