Child resilience strategies in transnational children’s literature: a comparative study of Tere Liye’s Amelia and Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan
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Processes of transformation and globalization have contributed to the development of transnational children’s literature, revealing similarities and differences in representations of children’s psychological experiences. This study aims to describe the resilience strategies portrayed by child characters in Tere Liye’s Amelia and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window and to identify the factors that shape these strategies within their social and cultural contexts. The study employs a qualitative descriptive method and a comparative literary approach. The data consist of narratives, dialogue, and characters’ actions that represent resilience strategies and the factors influencing them. Data were collected through close reading and note-taking, supported by semiotic reading. Comparative analysis was conducted using Edith Grotberg’s resilience framework of I Have, I Am, and I Can. The findings indicate that both novels represent child resilience as a dynamic process constructed through the interaction of personal capacities and environmental support. Amelia develops resilience through perseverance, problem-solving, optimism, and social concern, reinforced by family support and collectivist values in rural Indonesian society. Totto-chan, by contrast, develops resilience through self-acceptance, curiosity, a willingness to explore, and emotional regulation within a school environment that values individuality, creativity, and supportive teacher–student relationships. These differences suggest that resilience strategies are shaped by educational systems, parenting practices, social relationships, and the cultural values surrounding children’s lives.
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