OVERCOMING FAT SHAMING THROUGH SELF-ESTEEM IN VASHTI HARRISON’S BIG

Picture books can have a formative impact on children under thirteen's mental and emotional growth. However, while acknowledging its potential importance, few studies have dived into children’s picture books that focus on fat shaming or body discrimination and self-esteem in children. This research, therefore, examined the children’s picture book written and illustrated by Vashti Harrison titled Big. This current study aims to reveal 1) How Big by Vashti Harrison represents fat shaming and self-esteem, 2) How the main character in Big overcomes fat shaming, and 3) How the critical position of the author related to the topic of fat shaming and self-esteem in this picture book is. This study employs qualitative types of study with Stuart Hall’s theory of representation as the framework, supported by Roland Barthes’ semiotic approach and Foucault’s discursive approach. The findings uncovered the act of fat shaming in this study serves as social pressure toward the girl’s body image and negatively influences the girl’s view of her own body. Nevertheless, Harrison’s narrative also shows her insight on the topic of fat shaming, which rejects the idea of biases for plus-sized people in society.