Life in the Underground: The Portrayal of Invertebrates in Children's Literature and Comics

Abstract

Invertebrates represent a large portion of the world’s animal species, yet many are at risk of extinction (e.g. Dunn 2005, Wilson 1987). While invertebrates provide many valuable ecosystem services, studies often highlight that they are negatively perceived by the public and that they are often excluded from conservation strategies. Therefore, several authors call for the importance of rethinking our relationship with invertebrates, and with our environment in general. This thesis focuses on one possible way in which attitudes towards invertebrates can be assessed and addressed: via literature or stories. I analysed 73 children’s books and comics on their portrayal of five groups of invertebrates: ants, beetles, spiders, wasps and worms. The results suggest that while stories portrayed invertebrates mostly positively (69.9%), portrayals were often ambiguous: positive stories were often not completely positive, while negative stories were often not completely negative. Invertebrates were often portrayed in a human context and were often highly anthropomorphic, embodying positive characteristics of humans, negative ones, or both. Points of ambiguities included the portrayal of invertebrates as “destructors”, for example by depicting them in graphic battle scenes (superhero comics). Other ambiguities were conflicting encounters between humans and invertebrates; portrayals that shifted from negative to positive (especially in children’s fiction); positive narratives that framed invertebrates as “creepy crawlies” in the titles (children’s non-fiction); and negative narratives that depicted invertebrates aesthetically in the images. Species preferences were notable too: beetles were most often positively portrayed, and wasps least often. Finally, comics were characterised by more overall negative portrayals than children’s fiction and non-fiction. As such, Lemelin’s (2013:153) notion that interactions between humans and insects are “fluid, complex, unsettling and rewarding” was supported by my analysis. The results highlight several points that authors could take in consideration, if and when their aim is to create positive, yet truthful invertebrate narratives. I am one of such authors. For the creative component of the thesis, I created two narratives in comic book format, in which I portrayed positive relationships between humans and invertebrates. Similar to invertebrates, comics have long remained in the “underground” with regards to their lowly perceived critical and communicative values. All in all, the goal of the thesis was threefold. It sought to 1) assess invertebrate portrayals in literature; 2) explore ways for creating better reputations for “creepy crawlies”; and 3) highlight comics as a useful science communication medium.