EXPLORING THE REPRESENTATION OF ART AND CULTURE IN ENGLISH CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: A STUDY OF THEMES, NARRATIVES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.4603Keywords:
Critical Content Analysis, Identity, Historicism, Picture Book, ArtAbstract [English]
Cultural studies often utilize the arts to explore a group's history, ideology, and customs. However, an important question arises: when and how can we engage young readers in reflecting on the role of art in shaping cultural identities? This paper examines how children's books serve not only as artistic expressions but also as powerful narratives that illustrate the profound impact of the arts on people's lives, traditions, heritage, and sense of self. The study focuses on twelve children's picture books featuring characters who engage deeply with the arts—either as a means of overcoming life's challenges or as a form of creative self-expression. By applying New Historicism and social semiotics theory to the analysis of these books, this research aims to uncover the ways in which they offer authentic and meaningful insights into the role of the arts in shaping both individual and collective identities.
Cultura studies often utilize the arts to explore a group’s history ideology, and customs However, an important question arises: When and how can we get young readers to think about the role that art plays in people's cultural identities? In this paper, we'll take a look at how children's books are more than just a kind of art; they tell tales about how the arts impact people's lives in profound ways, molding their traditions, family trees, and sense of self. Twelve children's picture books are the subject of the research, all of which include characters that have significant interactions with the arts, either as a means of overcoming obstacles in life or as a means of expressing themselves creatively. By incorporating New Historicism and social semiotics theory into the books' content, we may see how they could provide genuine and deep insights into how the arts contribute to individual and collective identities.
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