Constructing Identity as An Immigrant in Irena Kobald's My Two Blankets

Abstract

This thesis analyses how the main character, Cartwheel, constructs her identity as an immigrant in My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald. The study focuses on how both visual and verbal elements in the picture book illustrate the stages of identity construction through the lens of Barthes’ semiology. Using a qualitative descriptive approach, verbal text and visual illustrations were examined to uncover how denotative, connotative, and mythological meanings reflect the immigrant experience. The findings reveal that Cartwheel’s identity is constructed through the contrast of two dominant colours: orange (her home culture) and blue (the host culture). Visual cues such as clothing, setting, and objects like blankets signify stages of cultural dislocation and adjustment. Cartwheel's transition from her “old blanket” to “new blanket” metaphorically represents her shift in linguistic and cultural identity. Key signs like the umbrella, dove and the friend’s gestures subtly convey ideological messages about multicultural inclusion and racial hierarchy. Overall, the study concludes that My Two Blankets uses semiotic strategies to portray the immigrant identity journey while simultaneously embedding an ideology of assimilation guided by the dominant culture. The narrative suggests that integration is made possible through the host society’s acceptance, subtly reinforcing a hierarchy in multicultural dynamics. This research highlights how children’s literature can naturalize cultural inequality through visuals and storytelling, urging critical reflection on representation in picture books.