Heroism as Children's Role Model to Counter Bullying: The Case of Manny in Kelly DiPucchio's Super Manny Stands UP!

Abstract

Children's literature serves as a vital platform for fostering heroism through narratives that resonate with young readers. These stories also provide an effective medium for imparting moral values through the actions of the hero and the villain within the book. This study employs constructionist representation theory and a semiotic sign approach by Roland Barthes to examine how heroism is portrayed in a specific picture book. By exploring the connection between the book's context and the author's background, this research aims to identify how heroism is associated with heroic acts thus can explain the underlying values of heroism, serving as a foundation for raising readers' awareness of humanity. By analyzing the characteristics of a hero and applying them to the lives of both the writer and the readers, this research endeavors to shed light on the transformative potential of heroism in children's literature.