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Negotiation of the Abject Through the Representation of the Monstrous-Feminine in Ari Aster’S Midsommar

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Negotiation of the Abject Through the Representation of the Monstrous-Feminine in Ari Aster’S Midsommar PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI NEGOTIATION OF THE ABJECT THROUGH THE REPRESENTATION OF THE MONSTROUS-FEMININE IN ARI ASTER’S MIDSOMMAR AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By KATARINA ANGGITA RACHMAPUTRI Student Number: 174214154 DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA YOGYAKARTA 2021 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI NEGOTIATION OF THE ABJECT THROUGH THE REPRESENTATION OF THE MONSTROUS-FEMININE IN ARI ASTER’S MIDSOMMAR AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Submitted as a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By KATARINA ANGGITA RACHMAPUTRI Student Number: 174214154 DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA YOGYAKARTA 2021 ii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude toward my thesis advisor, Paulus Sarwoto, S.S., M.A., Ph.D., for his patient guidance and understanding during the completion of this thesis, and my thesis co-advisor and examiner, Dr. Gabriel Fajar Sasmita Aji, S.S., M.Hum. and Sri Mulyani, Ph.D. respectively, for their thorough and insightful feedback. I am also indebted to the other lecturers of the English Letters Department, in particular Elisabeth Oseanita Pukan, S.S., M.A., for their constant care and support during my time in the university. Finally, this thesis would not have been possible without constant help and support from my family; my friends, in particular Anggi, Aul, Bella, Dea, Deva, Dimi, Fali, Fira, Galuh, Hestu, Hugo, Ilham, Kak Jo, Lauren, Lieie, Mikha, Nandha, Nathan, Nia, Ninja, Ocha, Ryan, Sasha, Mbak Shuluh, Mbak Uti, Vanesa, Vinsen, Vinska; and all the people who have made me feel held and at home. I am incredibly blessed to have them in my life. Katarina Anggita Rachmaputri vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ........................................................................................................ ii APPROVAL PAGE ............................................................................................. iii ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................ iv STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .................................................................... v LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH .. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................. x ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... xi ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 1 A. Background of the Study ............................................................................. 1 B. Problem Formulation ................................................................................... 3 C. Objectives of the Study ............................................................................... 4 D. Definition of Terms ..................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..................................................... 6 A. Review of Related Studies .......................................................................... 6 B. Review of Related Theories ...................................................................... 12 1. Theory of Character and Characterization ......................................... 12 2. Film-making Techniques ................................................................... 13 a. Shooting Angle ........................................................................... 13 b. Lighting ....................................................................................... 14 c. Color ............................................................................................ 16 3. Theory of the Monstrous-Feminine ................................................... 16 a. Bodily Wastes ............................................................................. 18 b. Boundary Transgressions ............................................................ 18 c. The Maternal ............................................................................... 19 4. Theory of Abjection ........................................................................... 19 a. The Semiotic ............................................................................... 20 b. The Symbolic .............................................................................. 20 c. The Abject ................................................................................... 21 C. Theoretical Framework ............................................................................. 23 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ................................................................... 25 A. Object of the Study .................................................................................... 25 B. Approach of the Study ............................................................................... 26 C. Method of the Study .................................................................................. 29 viii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS ................................................................................ 31 A. Characteristics of Dani and the Hårga in Midsommar .............................. 31 1. Characteristics of Dani ...................................................................... 31 a. Anxious ....................................................................................... 31 b. Dependent ................................................................................... 34 c. Vulnerable ................................................................................... 36 2. Characteristics of the Hårga .............................................................. 38 a. Collectivist .................................................................................. 38 b. Extremely Conformist ................................................................. 40 c. United with Nature ...................................................................... 42 d. Respectful toward Feminine Qualities ........................................ 45 B. Representation of the Monstrous-Feminine in Midsommar through the Characteristics of Dani Ardor and the Hårga ............................................ 47 1. Bodily Wastes .................................................................................... 48 2. Transgression of Boundaries ............................................................. 50 3. The Maternal ...................................................................................... 55 C. Negotiation of the Abject in Midsommar .................................................. 58 1. Dani’s Negotiation of the Abject as a Symbolic Subject .................. 58 2. Tension between the Symbolic and the Semiotic .............................. 63 3. Breakdown of the Symbolic .............................................................. 67 4. Patriarchal Construction of the Abject .............................................. 70 CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ........................................................................... 77 REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 81 ix PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI LIST OF FIGURES No Figure Page 1. Figure 1. The bottle of Ativan prescribed for Dani Ardor 32 2. Figure 2. Dani seeing the image of her sister’s face in the mirror 33 3. Figure 3. Dani’s dead family members in her nightmare 33 4. Figure 4. Dani’s distress in her nightmare 34 5. Figure 5. Dani cries with the Hårga women 36 6. Figure 6. Dani's smile at the end of Midsommar 37 7. Figure 7. The people of Hårga dressed in similar attire 39 8. Figure 8. Dani being crowned as May Queen 42 9. Figure 9. Ylva’s destroyed face upon impact 43 10. Figure 10. Dan’s destroyed face 43 11. Figure 11. Cremation of Ylva’s and Dan’s corpses 43 12. Figure 12. Tapestry portraying the Hårga love spell 45 13. Figure 13. Hårga men and women tending to the vegetable garden 46 14. Figure 14. Hårga men and women preparing a meal 46 15. Figure 15. Christian running away from the ritual 53 16. Figure 16. Dani crying in Christian’s lap 62 17. Figure 17. Aerial shot of the circuitous pathway to Hårga 63 18. Figure 18. The entrance to Hårga 63 19. Figure 19. Ylva and Dani staring into each other’s eyes 64 20. Figure 20. Ylva and Dani staring into each other’s eyes 64 21. Figure 21. Josh’s difficulty understanding the Affects language 66 22. Figure 22. Inga (center), with the red phallic symbol on her dress 68 23. Figure 23. The entrance of the temple into the fertility ritual 69 24. Figure 24. Change in shooting angle (Midsommar, 2019, 27:32) 72 25. Figure 25. Change in shooting angle (Midsommar, 2019, 27:52) 72 26. Figure 26. Banner signaling Dani’s group’s arrival in Hälsingland 73 27. Figure 27. Dani’s floral dress in front of the burning
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