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Deconstructing the Portrayal of Adults’ Superiority towards Children in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s "A Little Princess"

Rainbow: Journal of Literature, Linguistics and Culture Studies · Vol. 8 No. 2 (2019) · pp. 24–31

DOI
10.15294/rainbow.v8i2.34570
ISSN
2721-4540, 2252-6323
Published
2019-11-30
Publisher
English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang
Language
eng

Abstract

This study discusses how the portrayal of adults’ superiority towards children in the novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is deconstructed by the work itself. The adults’ superiority is portrayed in the novel, in which the adults are depicted as more superior figure than children. However, the perfect descriptions of the children as portrayed by Sara in the novel show that the hierarchy in child-adult relationship is able to be reversed. This study uses descriptive qualitative method supported by Structuralism’s binary opposition and Derrida’s Deconstruction reading strategy. The aim of this study is to destabilize the novel, A Little Princess, by applying Deconstruction reading strategy. This study shows that the novel deconstructs its portrayal of adults’ superiority towards children. So, by destabilizing the binary opposition in the novel, that is an adult opposes a child, the child-adult hierarchy is reversed. Keywords: adults, children, deconstruction, superiority

Collaboration network of the authors

40 authors · 82 co-authorship links

Hover or tap a name to highlight its co-authors. Double-click to open the author's page.

  • Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Different organisations
  • Same organisation
  • Affiliation unknown
  • Thicker line = more joint articles · bigger circle = more articles
Show as table
Co-authorOrganisationJoint articles
Rudi HartonoAffiliation unknown2
Hadi Sabari YunusAffiliation unknown2
Hafid SetiadiAffiliation unknown2
FarukAffiliation unknown1
Achmad MunjidAffiliation unknown1
Maria Johana Ari WidayantiAffiliation unknown1
Aswin Rizal AssegafAffiliation unknown1
Fatma HetamiAffiliation unknown1
Rohaeni RohaeniAffiliation unknown1
Yosia Puri SaputroAffiliation unknown1
Maria Johana Ari WidayantiAffiliation unknown1
mohamad ikhwan rosyidiAffiliation unknown1
Hanna Eka RositaAffiliation unknown1
Wayan AnggunturAffiliation unknown1
Arif Suryo PriatmojoAffiliation unknown1
Saptawati BardosonoAffiliation unknown1
Maruhum Bonar H MarbunAffiliation unknown1
Endang SusalitAffiliation unknown1
Jacub PandelakiAffiliation unknown1
Diana AuliaAffiliation unknown1
Merryana AdrianiAffiliation unknown1
Rosita AndrianiAffiliation unknown1
SajidanAffiliation unknown1
Dono IndartoAffiliation unknown1
Hafi NurinasariAffiliation unknown1
Didik T SubektiAffiliation unknown1
Muhammad ManaqibSyarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta1
Nina FitriyatiSyarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta1
Madona Yunita WijayaSyarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta1
Andrew FiadeAffiliation unknown1
Flori Ratna SariAffiliation unknown1
Atika AtikaAffiliation unknown1
Zidni Hasbuna ShabranAffiliation unknown1
Ahmad AbdullahAffiliation unknown1
Herdianty KusumaAffiliation unknown1
Suhartatik SuhartatikAffiliation unknown1
Ni Nyoman Trioka RtamagustiniAffiliation unknown1
Hanifa Erlin DharmayantiAffiliation unknown1

Affiliations come from OpenAlex; journal OAI-PMH metadata carries none. Authors without an OpenAlex ID are matched by name, which can merge or split people.

Metadata source: OAI-PMH (metadata jurnal) https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/rainbow/oai, first harvested 6 Nov 2026, last seen 6 Nov 2026.
Original metadata (oai_dc) 
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	<dc:title xml:lang="en-US">Deconstructing the Portrayal of Adults’ Superiority towards Children in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s "A Little Princess"</dc:title>
	<dc:creator>INAYAH, NUR</dc:creator>
	<dc:creator>Purwanto, Bambang</dc:creator>
	<dc:description xml:lang="en-US">This study discusses how the portrayal of adults’ superiority towards children in the novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is deconstructed by the work itself. The adults’ superiority is portrayed in the novel, in which the adults are depicted as more superior figure than children. However, the perfect descriptions of the children as portrayed by Sara in the novel show that the hierarchy in child-adult relationship is able to be reversed. This study uses descriptive qualitative method supported by Structuralism’s binary opposition and Derrida’s Deconstruction reading strategy. The aim of this study is to destabilize the novel, A Little Princess, by applying Deconstruction reading strategy. This study shows that the novel deconstructs its portrayal of adults’ superiority towards children. So, by destabilizing the binary opposition in the novel, that is an adult opposes a child, the child-adult hierarchy is reversed.
Keywords: adults, children, deconstruction, superiority</dc:description>
	<dc:publisher xml:lang="en-US">English Department, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang</dc:publisher>
	<dc:date>2019-11-30</dc:date>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/article</dc:type>
	<dc:type>info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion</dc:type>
	<dc:type xml:lang="en-US">Peer-reviewed Article</dc:type>
	<dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
	<dc:identifier>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/rainbow/article/view/34570</dc:identifier>
	<dc:identifier>10.15294/rainbow.v8i2.34570</dc:identifier>
	<dc:source xml:lang="en-US">Rainbow : Journal of Literature, Linguistics and Culture Studies; Vol 8 No 2 (2019): Rainbow: Journal of Literature, Linguistics and Culture Studies; 24-31</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2721-4540</dc:source>
	<dc:source>2252-6323</dc:source>
	<dc:source>10.15294/rainbow.v8i2</dc:source>
	<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
	<dc:relation>https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/rainbow/article/view/34570/14787</dc:relation>
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