The Socialization of Sass: Gender and Feminist Theory in Junie B. Junes
Location
Ponderosa Room B
Presentation Type
Presentation
Presentation Topic
Gender Socialization, Girlhood Studies, Feminist Theory, Children's Literature, Normative Femininity, Women's Studies
Start Date
6-3-2026 3:35 PM
Event Sort Order
49
Abstract
This paper analyzes Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series primarily through the lens of gender theory, with a supplementary psychoanalytic theoretical framework. It argues that Park’s work wrought a pivotal intervention in reshaping gender expectations in children's literature aimed at early elementary readers, particularly in the context of third-wave feminism during the 1990s. This radical shift was brought about in large part through Junie B.’s ornery personality, which veered sharply away from the well-behaved characters children’s literature had traditionally supplied for young female readers. Just as significant as her main character’s personality itself was Park’s refusal to punish Junie B.’s character as some kind of moral lesson– which broke from previous examples in children’s literature. Through close readings of the first book in the Junie B. Jones series, popular and critical reception analysis, and comparisons to earlier female child characters in children’s literature, this study proves the many ways Junie B.’s character defies expectations of female gendered behavior and subverts previous expectations of the children’s literature genre. Primarily, it proposes the Junie B. Jones series was among the first to begin suggesting young female readers did not need to become more ladylike, but instead could be celebrated for all their chaos and humor.
The Socialization of Sass: Gender and Feminist Theory in Junie B. Junes
Ponderosa Room B
This paper analyzes Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series primarily through the lens of gender theory, with a supplementary psychoanalytic theoretical framework. It argues that Park’s work wrought a pivotal intervention in reshaping gender expectations in children's literature aimed at early elementary readers, particularly in the context of third-wave feminism during the 1990s. This radical shift was brought about in large part through Junie B.’s ornery personality, which veered sharply away from the well-behaved characters children’s literature had traditionally supplied for young female readers. Just as significant as her main character’s personality itself was Park’s refusal to punish Junie B.’s character as some kind of moral lesson– which broke from previous examples in children’s literature. Through close readings of the first book in the Junie B. Jones series, popular and critical reception analysis, and comparisons to earlier female child characters in children’s literature, this study proves the many ways Junie B.’s character defies expectations of female gendered behavior and subverts previous expectations of the children’s literature genre. Primarily, it proposes the Junie B. Jones series was among the first to begin suggesting young female readers did not need to become more ladylike, but instead could be celebrated for all their chaos and humor.
Presenter Bio
Trinity Weers is a second year English Master's student and Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Her research interests center on children's literature, with particular attention to gender, socialization, and the intersections of literary representation and childhood development. She will graduate in May, 2026 and plans to begin working as an elementary English Language Learning teacher in Millard Public Schools. When she is not teaching, researching, or writing, Weers enjoys other creative pursuits such as cooking, crafting, and upcycling thrifted clothing.