Kvinnorna vid korset och graven - en analys av gestaltning och förändring av kvinnors karaktärer i bild och text i fem barnbiblar

Abstract

The purpose of this survey is to examine how the representation and configuration of women has changed in the episodes of the cross and the tomb, in five children’s Bibles, compared with the same episodes in the Bible. The comparison in image analysis and the episode narrative showed that the women had been reduced and anonymized in several episodes. Simultaneously, the remaining women in the episodes got a more prominent role in the narrative, as the author heightened the women parts by letting their inner dialogue and thoughts be heard and by explaining their actions. The illustrations reflect this duality with both reductions and amplifications of the women characters. The women are often depicted in profile, or with their back towards the viewer. In the cross illustrations, they are part of the foreground, while in the tomb illustrations they are in the center of the image. Regardless of episode, the women are looking towards the center of the image and is therefore used as an aid for the viewer to identify the real focus of the story. In the transformation from Bible text to children’s Bible text the women characters are reduced, anonymized and amplified, both in text and illustrations. The women’s inner dialogue and actions are used by the author to present his or her own interpretation, and the illustrations are used to highlight the story’s true center. Even when not reduced and down-played in text or image, the women in the story is pointing to something outside of themselves.