When the Silent Child Speaks: Identity and Subversion in Anthony Browne’s Voices in the Park

By examining the subversive discourse of both children, Charles and Smudge, this paper will focus on child’s identity in Anthony Browne’s postmodern picture book Voices Park. Drawing theory mainly Lyotard’s perception childhood as a time intense creativity imagination, where child is free to explore world way that not bound by adult’s rationality logic, analyse how Charles’s Smudge’s discourses dare go against normative their parents. Smudge manages change her father’s discourse, while deconstructs his mother’s exposing its flaws creating possibility for resistance. analysing underlying tensions between parents which Lyotard calls ‘other all discourse’, study offers some insights into Browne presents readers. This highlights nature agency children manage construct through encounters park. It conclude although are an integral part parents’ power structure, they become disruptive force from within system itself. Keywords: Park; Browne; identity;