Anti-heroism in Children’s Literature: A Psychoanalytic Study of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Abstract

Anti-heroism in children’s literature becomes one of the scholarly interests in recent times. Anti-heroism reveals the lack of heroic traits and imperfection of protagonists and emphasizes their failure as being ideals and icons for children. This research discusses Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007) aiming to examine anti-heroism in Greg Heffley’s character, using Sigmund Fraud’s psychoanalysis theory and mind structure of Id, Ego, and Superego. The study argues the struggle of middle child in the family and his behavior in the school showing the problems faced by him as a protagonist who unexpectedly go through many shortcomings and downfalls. The study answers questions as why Greg Heffley is portrayed as an anti-hero and how does the psychoanalytic approach help to examine the structure of Greg’s personality? This study is divided into two sections and a conclusion. Section one sheds light on anti-heroism, children literature and Sigmund Fraud’s theory of psychoanalysis. Section two deals with the novel’s analysis according to Fraud’s theory of psychoanalysis showing antihero qualities in the protagonist’s behavior. The last part of the study is the conclusion that sums up the findings of the study.