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4. Deconstruction in Children’s Literature
Binary opposition and logocentrism appear in all form of literature. However, literary
works like children’s literature can be an effective medium to spread the binary opposition and logocentrism, as it is easy to create such
contrastive characters in children’s literature. Deconstruction, as the tool to break down binary opposition and logocentrism, can be used in wider area like
children’s literature to seek the absence instead of showing what is stated in the story. The Deconstruction critics have to reveal the things that are deconstructed,
how the author deconstructs them, and possibly the purpose of the author to deconstruct the story.
With regard to the deconstructive techniques, it is believed that the demand for children’s books with reversed theme will be increased and the
readers’ perspectives will be varied. To mention a few examples: the open ending and the use of peculiar images of a character. Characters are sometimes no longer
good or bad but good and bad. Henc e children’s books with peculiar images of
some characters often raise more questions than answers; they reflect the plurality of society itself.
In Terry Prattchett’s The Wee Free Men, there are some indicators that expose the binary opposition. The term of hero and witches speak for itself. Hero
is always be the superior while witches are always be inferior in children’s
literature. The indicators of the hero are strong, powerful, mature, well-prepared, well-trained, and smart
noble knight; while witch’s indicators are wicked old lady with hideous appearance and twisted mind who preys on innocent children. And
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in the children literature, there is a domination of the superior over the inferior as the story ends up with the good wins over the bad.
B. Review of Previous Studies
In analyzing the topic, it will be beneficial if the researcher finds other researches related to the issue. The novel was published in 2003, and considered
as contemporary chil dren’s literature. Thus, there is no previous study using the
same book. However, the researcher found other researches that match with the theme and theory. The studies of various works using Deconstruction literary
criticism have been conducted previously. Khairiyah Eka Januaristi 08211144017, the student of Yogyakarta State
University YSU, has made the research of children’s literature using
Deconstruction literary criticism entitled A Deconstructive Interpretation on Gender Discrimination toward Wi
tches Characters in Roald Dahl’s “The Witches
”. Her works focus on the gender discrimination toward witches which always played by female characters. With Deconstruction and Feminist spectacle,
Januaristi believes that the stereotype of witch character toward female shapes particular ideology in children’s mind to the result that female is no longer an
inferior party. Another research of Deconstruction literary criticism comes from another
student of YSU, Anandayu Suri Andini 06211141003. The research is entitled The Revelation of Deconstruction on Conventional Images: A Study of Rowling’s
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