Realities and Representations of a "Country Boy" in Shonen-en

Abstract

One of the central themes in media studies is the interaction between realities and representations. Is representation a mere reflection of a certain reality, or is what seems to be real a product and effect of representation? In this essay, I will address the latter question while reading the images of boys which appeared in a children's magazine Shonen-en. The magazine had the readership of boys living in local areas. By representing a "country boy," it created and controlled the self-images of the readers. I will make clear how "realities" were invented through mass media like the magazine and how representations came to be recognized as "real."