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Transgender Personality Reflected in Buffalo Bill's Character As Seen in Harris' the Silence of the Lambs

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Transgender Personality Reflected in Buffalo Bill's Character As Seen in Harris' the Silence of the Lambs 2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549 TRANSGENDER PERSONALITY REFLECTED IN BUFFALO BILL’S CHARACTER AS SEEN IN HARRIS’ THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS Putri Ganef Pratama1), Samanik2) Faculty of Arts and Education Universitas Teknokrat Indonesia, Bandar Lampung Indonesia [email protected], [email protected] Abstract This research discusses transgender phenomenon as seen in Thomas Harris‟ novel entitle The Silence of the Lambs. The main purpose of this research is to reveal the Transgender symptoms in the novel through the main character Buffalo Bill. Transgender is a term of which one who fantasies being a woman or man by wearing woman or man dress and make gestures like woman or man. Transgender occurs because his or her background phenomenon of life. The writer arranges the literary review by discussing theory and approach. The theory that the writer applies is queer theory developed by Michael Foucault. Besides, the writer uses the theory of Judith Buttler that explains and describes about sex, orientation and gender. This queer theory is more correlated and understandable for the analysis. In addition, Psychology Literature approach by Ramajaru is also applied. The Result of this analysis shows some symptoms that exist in the character of Buffalo Bill. It was started with cross-dressing, assertion that transgender vital body parts are disgusting, have a desire to change gen types, existence of behavior and physical appearance of inside or abnormal genetic makeup. The writer hopes that by conducting this research it could give the reader more understanding about how is the implementation of queer theory in the literary field or work and become the new guidance to the future reader that are interested in discussing with same theory. Keywords: The Silence of the Lambs, queer theory, transgender Introduction harassment, and the threat of violence due to According to Foucault, “if sex is repressed, their sexual orientation, than hose that that is, condemned to prohibition, identify themselves as heterosexual.” nonexistence, and silence, then the mere fact (Subhrajit, 2014) that one is speaking about it has the So the social harassment is coming appearance of a deliberate transgression. A because of the society stigma that LGBT is person who holds forth in such language nearby HIV/AIDS disease. This term is places himself to a certain extent outside the actually mistakenly understood by the reach of power; he upsets established law; he society since the fact the cause of HIV/AIDS somehow anticipates the coming freedom.” spreading is not only coming from LGBT Nowadays, LGBT is not a rare thing people. The discrimination towards LGBT is again to be known by public. But still, there so extreme, started from bullying, is a wall that keeps the LGBT people feel so discrimination or even murderer that done by shame or hesitate to express them if they are heterosexual people. part of LGBT. The things that could make Transgender especially, is one of the LGBT people feel so afraid to show their social parts that mostly get the real identities because the social surrounding discriminations and harassment. The cause is is still anti-LGBT. Besides, they will get because they are explicitly shows their social harassment or even discrimination passion and sense in dressing not according from heterosexual people. by the gender culture. They are easily “Lesbian, gay, bisexual and recognized and normal or heterosexual transgender people are more likely to people will bully them directly. experience intolerance, discrimination, TRANSGENDER PERSONALITY REFLECTED IN BUFFALO BILL’S CHARACTER AS SEEN …… [ 417 ] Putri Ganef Pratama, Samanik 2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549 Moreover, there is still a chance of Thus, the writer here wants to LGBT or homosexual to live normally and conduct an analysis by using psychological happily with heterosexual. The support also approach. To support this research, the came from some of the great people and also writer uses queer theory from Judith Butler. some artists that could influenced the society The urgency of the writer to conduct through their works such as film, novel, this research is to discover about how drama, poetry or even music, such as the ex- transgender is reflected in Buffalo Bill‟s president of America, Barrack Obama and character. Hopefully, this research can be a some artist and singer such as Lady Gaga, new guidance of other researcher in doing Demi Lovato and others. the analysis especially dealing with queer In literary field for example, there is theory. As the result, the writer hopes that a novel that represents how is the life of the reader could get new information dealing being a LGBT especially transgender and the the issue. novel is entitled The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. a. Research Question The Silence of the Lambs is a novel According to the background of the by Thomas Harris, he is an American author. study which has been elaborated previously, He wrote the bestselling Thriller the writer formulates the problem into: How Psychological Horror in Hannibal Lectur is Transgender reflected in Buffalo Bill‟s Series, Red Dragon. The Silence of the character? Lambs novel was originally published on July 15 1988. This novel narrates about how b. Research Objective is the life of a man nicknamed Buffalo Bill, From the research question above, he wants to be a Transgender , he wants to the objective of this research is: To reveal get surgery to change his identity as a how is transgender reflected in Buffalo Bill‟s woman , because He hates his identity, he is character. not comfortable with his gender as a man. The issue that started Buffalo Bill has lack of c. Research Uses attention from his family, never making There are two uses of study, friends, since he was kid he thought that no theoretical use and practical use. one love him or care about him, since he was kid He suffered violence by his father, and d. Theoretical Use his mom cannot give attention to him Theoretically, this research is because actually His mom was a model, but expected to support and to contribute the she failed in one of competition, it made her field of literary study especially in a novel. become depression and consumed drugs and So it will be advantageous for the readers alcohol. After she got a baby, she expected who are interested in novel and the topic of that she has a baby girl so her baby can be a discussion. Hopefully, this research is able to model like her, but in fact she had to face the enrich the reader knowledge and to give reality that she got baby boy, so because of brief information and understanding about that she never accept buffalo bill as her LGBT especially transgender issue through child. Thomas Harris‟ The Silence of the Lambs. After one day buffalo bills saw a pupa , it‟s so ugly and disgusting but after it e. Practical Use transformed becoming a butterfly, its look so Practically, this research is to give beautiful, so after that he saw it, he thought information of LGBT especially transgender he have to change become a woman ,he hope in the novel. This research is expected to be that after he change, everybody will love and reference for reader or researcher who needs accept him. information about how the content of the TRANSGENDER PERSONALITY REFLECTED IN BUFFALO BILL’S CHARACTER AS SEEN …… [ 418 ] Putri Ganef Pratama, Samanik 2nd English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263 Proceedings – (ELLiC Proceedings Vol. 2, 2018) CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549 novel according to the queer theory is and and self-perceive of gender identity. how to apply the theory to their relevant The third previous study from thesis, it research. gives brief information about Transgender that very useful for the f. Research Scope writer to conduct the research. By Based on the research question, the reading this thesis, it is giving clear writer focuses on analyzing how transgender information to the writer about is reflected in Buffalo Bill‟s character. Thus, Transgender can happen by various the approach and the theory used in this factors. research are psychology literature approach (3) Research into Sexual Orientation and and queer theory. Gender Identity Equality in Adult Learning by Donna James (2010) g. Theoretical Framework This third previous study gives i. Previous Studies brief data it explains that how is the To conduct this research, previous gender identity of someone. It is study is needed when the writer wants to do unpredictable that if we are talking a research that dealing with the topic, the about gender identity. From this writer hopes that it will help and give journal construction of gender itself is guidance to the writer when the writer based on the society or the conducts the research. And I found 5 environment. previous studies: (4) Transgender in Julie Anne Peters‟ (1) Sexuality and Gender Findings from Luna by Annastasya Tyandias the Biological, Psychological and Kusuma (2014) Social Sciences by Lawrence S. This journal was written in Mayer (2016). 2014, it explains about Sex and gender This previous study gives brief are complex issues. Sex refers to the information to the writer in biological and physiological understanding of how are the sexuality characteristics that define men and and gender findings from the women; while gender refers to the biological, psychological, and social socially constructed roles, behaviors, construction of a person. It shows that activities, and attributes that a given mental health could not only be society considers appropriate for men genetic but can induced by the and women.
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