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Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises
Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku, Ahmad Bukhori Muslim English Language and Literature Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
ABSTRACT It has been a recent trend for video games to include story as part of the gameplay to further enhance the players experience in playing. However, as any other form in literature which may portray social issues within the story, games also have the same possibility to portray social issues, such as power. Because of this reason, the present study aims to investigate how power manifests among characters in a video game, Suikoden V. The study uses a qualitative method, and uses the theoretical framework from French and Raven (2008) to categorize the data acquired. Foucault’s (1982) theory of power is also used to analyze the findings. The present study finds that power is exercised frequently by the people of authority and in higher position such as nobles and leaders. Power often exercised for two major purposes. The first is for the leaders to control the people, and the second is to construct identities which allow the leaders to control the people more efficiently. The findings revealed how the leaders are able to construct the society through the use of various types of power.
Keywords: characters, power, power relation, video games, French and Raven, Foucault.
Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises
INTRODUCTION Subject and Power (1982), however, points out that the pastoral power, which was supposed to be restricted in religious Power has been a subject that quite a institution, extended to the whole social number of academicians discuss and try to body itself. The church, instead of define. Pfeffer and Salancik (1978) believe exercising sovereignty, used salvation- that power is the ability to control that ones oriented power in which the religious have upon resources. This means those who doctrine appeals to individual’s will to have resources have power, while ones who sacrifice for salvation. Foucault further are dependent on power is powerless. states before asking “what” and “where”, Similarly, Hodgkinson and Meeth, (1971) we should ask “how” is power exercised to believe that power is associated with formal critically investigate the thematic of power authority in the society, and dependent on itself first. the position the person had in an organization or society. This implied Power could also be seen in various people who works in institution and contexts, from an employer ordering his organization have power since they have employee to do something, to more subtle resources. These definitions, however, ones, leading someone to do something disregard power influence in other aspects through persuasion and guile. Power outside institutional operation, systematic relation in novels, films, and games could operation of an organization or institution, be as obvious as that in real life because in the society where the one who exercise literature, according to Culler (1997), can power might be in different institutional mimic the society. Power in literature has operation than the subject, such as power been studied by many researchers. Wiguna exercise between friends working in (2013) analyzes power relation using different institutions. The definitions Foucault’s theory of power in a novel mentioned above are expanded by Harnett entitled Nothing but the Truth by Avi saying, “Power needs no institutional (1992), and finds that relation-based power sanction” (as cited in Barraclough & and knowledge-based power are frequently Stewart, 1992, pp. 2) as there need to be a appeared in the novel. Noelaely (2016) distinction between authority and influence. analyzes power relation in Pretty Little Influence, according to Harnett (as cited in Liars by Sara Shepards (2007) using French Barraclough & Stewart, 1992), implied the and Raven’s theory of power. She finds that act of persuasion, while authority relies on legitimate power occurs the most. role, such as supervisor or employee. However, Mustaffa’s (2017) study of French and Raven (1959) categorizes power in The War of the Worlds by H. G. power into several types to further cover Wells (1898) finds that the types of power fields that include the use of power, in that occur the most are coercive power and which they categorize power based on the informational power. This indicates that the resources it used. For example, legitimate types of power which may occur depend on power, as they define, is a form of power the theme the story. where the agent relies on institutional Different from the previous studies, sanctions to subject someone into their the present study would like to see power control. However, who is the institutional relation in games. Games nowadays often and what if the agent and the subject have include story as part of the gameplay to different institution? Based on this further enhance the players experience in definition, the agent should not have power playing. Hence just like other forms in over someone outside his institutional literature may portray social issues, games sanctions. Through looking at the history of too have the same possibility to portray the Christianity, Foucault in his book social issues. Corneliussen and Rettberg
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(2008), for instance, find that constructions taking into consideration resources used to of power and hierarchy in World of exercise power. Warcraft similar to those found in the real world: colonial subjects and marginalized The previous studies also show that people, for example Troll, Orc, Goblin, and previous games studied are developed by Tauren are represented as uncivilized, western developers, game developing unorganized, and primitive. It is the companies based in US and Europe, such as stereotype used for people live in a village Electronic Arts and Blizzards. Thus, the ruled by tribal laws as opposed to people present study would like to contribute new live in a city ruled by presidential perspectives by analyzing Suikoden V, constitution. Mukherjee (2016) studies how released in 2006, which developed by players in Empire: Total War have to deal Japanese developer, Konami. As a part of with rebellion when the empire is Suikoden series, the game is well-known to struggling to build an industrial society. He have intricate political settings which allow further stated that this is how the game exercises of power throughout the story. situates the mindset of a colonizer into the Unlike other games, the political settings in mind of the players. In other words, the Suikoden series interacted with the game gives the players the ability to enact characters in the game itself, not only on power which equal to the colonizers public settings, but also the character’s themselves whether they chose to or not. internal situation. Hence, the present study This allows the player to be the colonizer chose the game as it is the most appropriate themselves and reenact the colonialization as the object of the study as it allows the even in present time. These findings prove present study to see how power manifests in that Pedercini’s (2016) statement, “game is both public settings and character’s internal not only a ‘cool and progressive’ pop situations. The game is a war-themed game culture artifact, but it also brings capitalism, which is expected to have acts that sexism, and militarism,” is actually true implement power. As most of the studies despite the numerous criticisms, such as by related to video games focus on games Murray (2018) stating we should not forget created by American and European the meaningful message inside a game. We developers, this study aims to see how should interpret the message in a power manifests in games created by meaningful way while analyzing the game. Japanese developer to fill in the gap. This Although the study of games itself still falls study specifically analyzes how power under game study, studies of video games, manifests in the world of Suikoden V Simon (2007) states that game study does through the characterization. not deal with game as cultural artefact, and METHODOLOGY rather, subjects that fall under that category still belongs to the field of cultural studies. Furthermore, O’Neill (1996) states that This research uses a qualitative method games cannot be separated from its since the methodology used is appropriate narrative, hence the present study would for analyzing interpretation and description. like to use elements of literature as means Qualitative method focuses on data, to collect data from the game studied in this description, and interpretation which research which the data would later be cannot be expressed using numerical categorized using French and Raven’s research method (Hancock, et al. 2007). (1959) theory of power and analyzed using The present research is a textual analysis Foucault’s theory of power. French and approach as it examined the manifestation Raven’s theory of power is appropriate for of power in the game through the words, this study as it provides a variety of phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas in classifications in different situations by text. Textual analysis, according to McKee Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises
(2003), is a way for researchers to gather Furthermore, as games have no page information about how other human beings number to be used as marks for page, the interpret the world. It is relevant in this present study uses the setting of the event study as Schwartz (2004) states virtual instead as the mark for where and when the environments also reflect the real-life data is a collected in the game. environment. As one of the participants of Schwartz research pointed out, the way After the data are collected, the data some players of Suikoden did not see the are categorized and divided into their kobold race, sentient human-dog, as a respective categories in accordance to human reflects the colonizers perspective of French and Raven’s (2008) theories. The the African and Native American when data is then assigned to the table that is they invaded their lands. Although presented in the next subcategory. The data Suikoden V situated in a fantasy world, it is then are selected to avoid redundancy, and highly influenced by the patterns and presented one example of each variation of thoughts that make the physical reality. classifications of power proposed by This allowed the researcher to analyze the French and Raven. The data gathered are data while also reflected the findings from then interpreted and analyzed to answer the the game to reality. research question using Foucault’s theory of power. The findings found are presented As Suikoden V is a game with and discussed in the next chapter. Lastly, multiple endings, this research uses the 108 the research draws conclusion from the Stars ending as the preferable ending, findings and provides suggestion for future which means the prince managed to recruit research. all of 108 notable characters. This means is the only plot where the Prince interacts with FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION all of the characters. This allows the present study to analyze all the possible data in the Based on the analysis, the present study game. The data are collected in form of the found that power manifest in the game dialogues between the characters. dominantly through legitimate power and However, the present research disregards referent power. However, legitimate power the visual representation of the game as the in here did not always imply one-way game proposed no representation of power interaction from people of the higher relation through the visual representation. institution, in here the royal families, to the As the data collected through playing the commoners. The queen itself who is game require numerous save files to replay supposedly the highest in the institution, for the game to confirm the data obtained, the example, is bound by the cultural traditions research also uses online source through a and nobles. It is reflected in the game when playlist of walkthrough videos made by Queen Arshtat was trying to abolish Youtube channel named Master of gladiator system in the queendom, the Conquest (n.d.) to assist in collecting the nobles prevented her from doing so. It is data for efficiency. As the name of the because the nobles believe that it is the Prince, the protagonist of the game, is tradition in the queendom and need to be custom to the player, which means it is maintained as such. The present study also decided by the player themselves, the found that the exercises of power present research refers to the prince as “the throughout the game are for two major Prince”. The present study believes by purposes. The first is for the leaders to giving name to the prince would instead control the people, and the second is to create a confusion when referencing the construct identities which allow the leaders game because the prince name, again, is to control the people more efficiently. The decided by the player who plays it. findings revealed how the leaders are able
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Passage2020, 8(3), 122-134 to construct the society through the use of of how government and people in higher various types of power. status in a government use power to control the masses. POWER TO CONTROL THE MASSES The use of legitimate power is to be Politics is one of the most important expected as Suikoden V’s characters are aspect in Suikoden V as the plot and the mostly nobles and leaders. Power is also characterization applied political elements easily accessed by the nobles as it does not to the progression of the plot and the require extra resources as payment like progression of the characters. Throughout reward power or the ability to conjure a the plot, the game showed how the Prince well-delivered speech like informational traveled throughout the land to gain support power. This was shown by Queen’s Arshtat for his resistance army and at the same time after she was questioned by the Prince’s showed how his opposing party trying to party about her decision in regards to undermine him politically while continuing Lordlake. their political agendas. The actions of each party involved, including the Prince, often Arshtat: “My path is the path of involving the citizen of Falena themselves righteousness! My will is the will as in war, they are both the manpower and of heaven! To defy me is to defy the casualties. The citizens response to each the sun!” (Lordlake Visitation) and every decision the political individuals made since they are often the target and the casualties of the decisions made. One of the occasions showed can be seen from the This power, however, is often met passage below which showed the trauma with resistance from the subjects, as shown ingrained into the people of Lordlake after in the findings, as legitimacy is not Queen Arshtat decided to burn Lordlake for compelling enough for some people. This is betraying her. why a lot of leaders in the game used this type of power in conjunction with other Talgeyl: “I’m afraid our residents type of power that can lessen or fight the might be rather impolite at times, I resistance. As shown in Noerlaely’s (2016) do hope you can forgive them… if study, legitimate power also bound the anyone deserves punishment for characters in a series of moral conduct and this, it’s me…” (Lordlake obligation. This is shown in the game visitation) through Queen Arshtat’s inability to abolish Thus, the nobles exert their power to the gladiator system because of her serve this one purpose, to control the obligation to appease the nobles who masses reaction. The Godwin tried to have supports the royal family. the masses back his decisions, opposing the Sialeeds: “…Arshtat and Ferid resistance, while at the same time ruling the would’ve gotten rid of the whole Queendom fulfill their agenda, which is gladiator system if they could.” increasing their military power. Meanwhile Gizel: “But our nobles so enjoy the Prince, similarly, tried to gain support their sport. And they’ve a right to! of the nobles for the resistance so he could Such long-standing tradition can’t free his sister from being the Godwin’s be changed so easily.” (Visiting political puppet. Queen Arshtat, prior to her Gladiators’ prison) death, tried to lead the Queendom into order after the previous civil war and war with Suikoden V seemed to favor to Armes. From these different situations, combine the used of legitimate power with Suikoden V provided a well-representation referent power. It is because of referent Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises power capability to remove the resistance to This also shows one problem in almost none-existence, and the people leading a country. What if the leader needs usually are not aware that power was to control the masses who feel the leader is exercised on them. However, referent not on their side? The other types of power power required the subject to believe that come to play, and in the case of Suikoden V, they belong to the same group as the agent, the nobles seem to favor coercive power. in this case, the masses need to believe that The nobles fight the resisting masses with the Queendom, the Queen, the Godwin, the the coercive power. Although it is aligned Prince, and other leaders belong to the same with what Heller (1996) states that power side as them and have their interest. This is when exercised will always meet can be reflected in real life situation too. resistance, it seems that the resistance When the masses refuse to follow towards this type of power is more government order, it is more often than not prominent than the rest. However, as stated because they believe the government is by Foucault’s (as cited in Sawicki, 1991), their enemy. Therefore, the government the resistance has possibility to appear as does not have the same interest as them. We soon as power is exercised. This implied the can conclude from this situation that resistance itself often less powerful than although referent power gives no resistance power exercised itself; thus, allowing the to the agent that has successfully made masses to be controlled by the agents them feel like they belong together, it made regardless. This is what happened to the the subjects highly resistance towards citizen of Lordlake when the Queen’s influence from outside group they did not decided she must punish them for belong to, especially the opposing groups. disobeying her order. This is resulted in It could be the government and the people, long lasting trauma and fear for opposing the noble and the commoners, one of the the Queen, therefore, creating their own noble family’s supporters and the other self-surveillance without requiring the noble family’s supporters, etc. In the case Queen as the agent to manage the of Suikoden V, it is between Queen surveillance. It is aligned with Foucault, as Arshtat’s supporters, Haswar’s supporters, cited in Nye (2003), who argues that the Godwin’s supporters, and later, the Prince’s state will do surveillance easier when the supporters. The sense of belonging played one that controls society was not legal an important role in the game since the codes but self-surveillance, in this case the Prince required to gain support from the fear towards the Queen’s wrath. people and their leaders. A feat that Raja, one of the leaders in the game, pointed out Although power had shown its own to be complicated as shown in the passage used without other power, the other three below. types of power were often used as a support to the other previously stated power in Raja: “Now that the Sun palace is Suikoden V. Expert power, for example, can under their control, they seem to be used by someone who the subjects want to re-make Falena in their attribute him to a certain expertise. In the own image. We don’t like it, game, although the Prince himself never either, Your Highness. And We’d exert this type of power, he still gained love to help you. But we don’t benefit from this power by employing a want to join forces with Lord famous strategist in warfare, Lucretia. As Barrows. The last thing we want is shown from the findings, Lucretia often to be the pawn of Aristocracy.” exercised expert power to make someone (Recruiting Rafleet) believe her or to do something she ordered, as shown below, when she ordered the
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Prince’s army to fight against Godwin’s further use of this power, or the information navy. itself. The information given can affect someone valence towards someone, hence Lun: “Are you sayin’ we can beat why the characters in Suikoden V often use ‘em!? We’d get blown away by this power to empower the use of other ONE warship, let alone THAT power. For example, to make the reward, many.” free from the threat of Armes, Gizel retold Lucretia: “Oh, please, calm down. the history of war between Falena and Didn’t you ask me to come along Armes so the Queen would be more for just exactly this type of compelled to use the Sun Rune. situation?” Lun: “…I guess we did.” (Attack Gizel: “They had dagger with on Rafleet) them that were carved with the seal of Armes Southern Mountain The use of this power by the nobles Corps… Zegai may only be often was not by the nobles themselves, but representative, but if he had won by the people already supporting them. the game, Her Majesty would have When the Prince wished to fight the greeted him personally…One of Godwin’s navy, Lucretia was there to help the others has just confessed. convince Lun that they can fight the navy Zegai here is from Armes.” even though they are outnumbered. (Capturing the spies) Similarly, when the Prince wanted to have the people of Lordlake convince the Beaver As the information given can affect to build them a dam for another plan, the valence, this also mean the exercise of Lucretia was the one who convince the this power can turn someone valence from people of Lordlake to believe in the Prince positive to negative. It is shown during the and the Beaver was their only hope. This Siege of Doraat. Taylor slandered the power also shows that this type of power Godwin’s name and turned the people of produces less resistance than other power, Doraat against the Godwin, which helped regardless of the difference in their status. the Prince to conquer the city. This is what allows Raja to believe in whatever Lucretia has to say despite her Taylor: “Extra! Extra! Read all being a noble and Lucretia just a about it! The truth behind Lelcar commoner. This is also what the fire uncovered! This is a hot seller, government often resulted to do to don’t be the only one on your convinced the masses to follow their block who doesn’t know ‘the regulation related to, for example, truth’!” healthcare. Townsman: “The Queen’s Knight Informational power is where the and Lord Godwin ain’t got nothing subjects do not require to attribute the to do with that fire in Lelcar!” agents to a certain expertise in a given area. Taylor: “I understand your Although Hovland (1951) argues that skepticism good man! Were I not informational power needs to be distinguished from expert power, the an intrepid reporter myself, I present research found that the two types of would doubt the story as well!” power can work together. The problem (Doraat Siege) when using expert power is that the subjects are required to believe the agents as an expert. This is can be done using informational power. This also shows the Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises
The information itself can be a legitimate power failed to control the resource for power on its own as knowledge masses, other types of power needs to be is related to power. This often shows in real used in conjunction with each other to life by the media as the agents. As stated by ensure an efficient resource management in McCullagh (2002), mass media can be seen controlling the masses. This is what the as means and intentions being produced and game tried to reflect, and have done well in transmitted by organizations, in this case reflecting those. It is also shown in political parties and leaders, as contents and Ranaputri’s (2019) study in one of the most received by and influence the audiences’ powerful character, Kaz Brekker. Through opinions and actions. The use of media only exerting different types of power, he was showed once in the game, which was able to assert his dominance over other Taylor’s newspaper, as the newspaper itself characters, just like the Godwin trying to was newly invented in Suikoden V’s world. assert his dominance over the people. Ironically, the real life that they reflect to Reward power is often used as seems to failed to employ this way of using complementary to other power too in the powers to control the masses. game. However, the use of this type of power is more personal rather than for POWER TO CONSTRUCT IDENTITY collective purpose. When it was used to serve a collective purpose, however, it was One of the ways Suikoden V used by the leader of a certain town. The characterizes its characters is by making reward values, which originally relies on each character racially distinct from each the subject’s interest, now rely on the other. It can be ranged from skin colors, leader’s interest as the representative of the height, to the shape of body. There are five collective group. It was shown from the different races in Suikoden V, which are interaction between Solis, the leader of Falenan, Armes, Beavers, Elves, and Sable, and the Prince. Dwarves, and these races, regardless of all of them being Falenan, are given different Solis: “Personally, I’ve wanted identity and legitimacy. This categorization Sable to ally with your cause, Your disregards the different skin color of the Highness. I believe it’s in Sable’s gladiators since they are still considered as best interest. And more Falenan. However, as the game continued, importantly, I’m confident that it was more apparent that these group justice is on Your Highness’s identities grow in number as more noble side.” (Recruiting Sable) used their power to exclude a certain group from their current group. For example, the Solis believed that the Prince has Beavers were excluded from being one of the interest of the town and that he is in the the Falenan by Lord Godwin. This is same side as justice; this led him to support possible because of the use of referent the Prince’s resistance army. This power is power in conjunction with other powers, used more as an incentive to reduce the and this allows the nobles, in this case, Lord subjects’ resistance and to make the offer Godwin to attribute a certain legitimacy more compelling for the subjects. towards the Beavers as a group. In the end, all of power used in As stated before, referent power Suikoden V were to serve as a way to relies on the sense of belonging to one’s control the masses by the nobles. This leads group the subject possesses. Power relies on to the conclusion of the legitimate power is the subject’s desire to be associated into the the main social power used to control the group, for example, the citizens of Falenan masses, and the other types of power was want to belong to the Falenan, so they used counter the resistance emerged. When conform to the Queen’s order. The present
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Passage2020, 8(3), 122-134 research found that the referent power not after the Prince tried to capture the spies. only can be used to compel the subject in its Gizel exert his informational power to group into doing the agent’s order, but also attributes Zegai as an Armes regardless of can be used to create a new group. Why who Zegai truly is. Then used his referent would someone do this? The main reason is power as a noble of the Falenan royal for, again, for the way of controlling the family to aligned his interest with the Royal masses. By creating a new group, the agent Family, whom the spies tried to attack. This allow himself to assign a legitimacy is when Gizel exert his legitimate power to towards the group provided the agent has have Zegai executed as one of the Armes the capability to do so. What this mean is spies, as Armes legitimately has lower that the agent can make the new created rights in Falenan. This allowed Gizel to group or identity to have, for example, a executed Zegai who was not an Armes. He limited right to live. It is represented well in was born in Armes, but he was never one of the events where Lord Godwin attribute himself as one. However, the fact decided that he wanted to exterminate the that he was born in Armes becomes the final Beavers. In his arguments, Lord Godwin verdict for him as spy. believed that the Falena should belong to the Falena, and that meant the human. This Zegai: “It doesn’t matter. I was distinction in features made the Beavers born in Armes. To most of these excluded from their former group or people, that makes me a spy.” identity, the Falenan, despite them born and (Sacred Games) raised in Falena. It does not matter what he said, he Dolph: “His Excellency and Gizel would be the Armes spies. It is all because simply feel that Falena no he was born in Armes. In other words, Gizel longer… needs the beavers. When identified Zegai as an Armes spies, and this different peoples and different allowed Gizel to eliminate Zegai entering cultures collide, a nation suffers. the Sacred Games. This allowed the plot to And yours is the most vile of move forward with Gizel as the winner of cultures… His Excellency wants the Sacred Games. Falena for Falenans.” (The By assigning a group identification Burning of Beaver’s Lodge) for someone using referent power, the The Beavers, as a new identity agents are allowed to constitute a certain created by Lord Godwin who at that time regulation or even values to that group as has the highest position in the Queendom, whole. In French and Raven’s theory of was given a new legitimacy which was power, this allowed an agent belongs to extermination. This allowed Lord Godwin another group that supposedly has higher to keep the Falenan purely human. legitimacy to exercise legitimate power Implementing Schwartz’s (2009) idea of over each individual in that group or the internal consistency and logic, the group as a whole, as seen in how Lord discourse of human purity and Godwin’s order to exterminate the Beavers. exterminating other races who has different It allowed the agent to force someone who physical attributes becomes dangerous as it was not supposedly controlled by the agent reflected the act of Other and otherness. to be within the agent’s control. Schwartz’s research also shows this The framework of power used in perspective is reflected in one of the this way not only create an identity, but also commentators in the thread. construct and situating the identity itself Other example was when Gizel inside an existing power relation. Foucault decided to punish Zegai with execution in The History of Sexuality (1990) explains Muhammad Fazar Izzamuddin Tengku Power in video game Suikoden V: Its relation and exercises sex as subject of power construction are more powerful control the people. Only through three major explicit codes when the Prince, who are legitimately governing sexual practices, which are powerful, created resistance army the canonical law, the Christian pastoral, and people were able to put forward their civic law. They were all centered on interest against the royal family. matrimonial law: the marital obligation, the ability to fulfil it, the manner in which one Again, the purpose of this act is to complied with it, the requirements and control the masses. By constituting violence that accompanied it, the someone to a certain group and attributing frequency, the appropriate time for the group to a certain right, the nobles in demanding sex, and so on. This leads Suikoden V were able to fully control the Foucault to believe that the marriage masses by exerting their power over them relation was the most intense focus of legitimately. Not only that, it also allowed constraints. Suikoden V shows that power the nobles to gain support of the people who can also construct the idea of someone’s feel sense of belonging to the noble, and in identity. This can be seen from the time of war, raising the morale of the army Gladiators whose life, despite being when they fight the opposing group. This Falenans and human, were assigned to be also means negating the negative impact lower than the commoners. Just like sex is from an act of coercion to the group, Queen constructed and controlled by the society, Arshtat’s supporters who believe their gladiator’s life purpose is constructed Lordlake’s punishment was justified. This to be only for entertaining the nobles in the entails, however, when the group controlled arena by sacrificing their blood and even by the noble become the dominant group in life. the masses, it allows a certain act to be “normalize” regardless whether it is This tendency of power to construct morally correct or not, such as also shown in other works. As extermination of a certain race. Sejahterawati (2019) points out in the study of Kanae Minato’s Confession (2008), CONCLUSION power exercised by media and society The purpose of this study is to allow them to construct the notions of analyze and present how power manifests normality. What constitute as “normal” and among the characters in Suikoden V. The “abnormal” influenced highly by the media, present study applies theoretical framework and allow the act of murder as impressive. Bases of Power proposed by French and Media not only romanticizing the idea of Raven (1959) and an updated version of the murder, but also continuously broadcasting theory by Raven (2008), and supported by the murder as the highlight of the news. The Foucault’s theory of Power Relation. study also shows that the media has the Suikoden V as a game that implement capability of reassigning and attributing politics to its storyline provides an someone as a murder as it removes abundant of data of how power manifest in “Lunacy” as the murderer and shift it to an the game and how the characters in the innocent teacher. Similarly, Wiguna (2013) game utilized it to their own advantage. also shows how media exerts their power over students who are powerless, and The present research found that attribute a student to be a hero. Because of powers in this game manifested in varying media’s ability to exert more resources than ways. Although power manifested in the students, it allowed them to construct different ways, the purpose of this power dynamic between the students and manifestation is often the same. The the society. This tendency shown characters in Suikoden V, who mostly are numerously in the game as the nobles who leaders and nobles, utilized power as a
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