MULTIMODAL CONSTRUING OF ETHNIC AND CULTURAL MEANINGS IN AUSTRALIAN LITERARY NARRATIVES FOR CHILDREN

Abstract

This article explores the multimodal mechanisms used to construct ethnocultural meanings in Australian literary narratives for children. Australian literature for children, having evolved from a history of neglecting Indigenous culture to actively affirming it, now serves as a powerful medium for renewing interest in Australian ethnocultural identity and facilitating its understanding among young readers. The study adopts a multimodal narratological and linguocultural approach, defining narrative as a multimodal linguistic and cognitive construct shaped by the interplay of verbal and non-verbal modes – including text, illustrations, colour palette, typography, and page layout. These elements together create a complex semiotic space in which cultural meanings are formed and conveyed. The analysis focuses on Australian illustrated literary narratives for children from the 19th to the 21st century, written by authors born in Australia or raised there from early childhood.The aim is to identify and describe the key multimodal strategies used to represent ethnocultural meanings. The findings reveal a close integration of verbal and visual modes in communicating the worldview, values, and identity of Australia’s Indigenous peoples. Key implicit meanings are derived from the mythologeme of the Rainbow Serpent and the ethnorealities of the Boomerang and the Bush. These are realised through the plot structure, spatial-semantic organisation of narrative episodes, spiral unfolding of time, cyclical representations of the bush, and the creation of ethnospecific character images.Ultimately, multimodal storytelling in Australian literature for children enhances the accessibility and comprehension of deep-rooted ethnocultural meanings for young readers.