The Representation of Misogyny in Keith Negley''s Mary Wears What She Wants and Robert Munsch & Michael Martchkeno''s The Paper Bag Princess

Abstract

This study examines subversion in Keith Negley’s Mary Wears What She Wants and Robert Munsch & Michael Martchenko’s The Paper Bag Princess. It identifies and analyzes the misogynistic features that are experienced by the female main characters using Kate Manne’s misogyny theory. This study decodes the implicit moral lessons from the author through the dual function of the picture book: to entertain and to educate. This study reveals that women are vulnerable to facing injustice because of misogyny. On the one hand, from the Mary Wears What She Wants perspective, Negley believes that clothes or being different will never be able to define someone’s value or worth to be accepted in society. On the other hand, Munsch’s depiction of Elizabeth from The Paper Bag Princess shows women’s strength in flipping the traditional gender roles by saving the prince from the dragon’s abduction. Through qualitative analysis, this research exposes female agency by analyzing the indirect anti-misogynist literacy and advancing women’s empowerment in children’s literature.