MORAL VALUE VIOLATIONS in an AMERICAN TRAGEDY NOVEL by THEODORE DREISER (A Study of Psychoanalisis)
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BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 18 Nomor 1 Januari 2019 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 MORAL VALUE VIOLATIONS IN AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY NOVEL BY THEODORE DREISER (A Study of Psychoanalisis) Muhammad Briyan Agunginardi Language Education Study Program, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Negeri Jakarta [email protected] Aceng Rahmat Language Education Study Program, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Negeri Jakarta [email protected] Fahrur Rozi Language Education Study Program, Postgraduate Program, Universitas Negeri Jakarta [email protected] ABSTRACT This research is a qualitative research. The technique is content analysis using the data in the form of words, phrases, and sentences. Writer uses a psychoanalysis study. In revealing moral values infringement, writer focuses on three questions; how are the type, cause, and effect of moral values violations in the story. Based on psychoanalysis, there is a moral value infringement. The type of moral values infringement is a murdering case. The cause of moral values violations is a self ambition to reach wealth and prosperity. The effect of moral values violations is a charge of death sentence. Based on the research, there are practical implications in education; to improve the quality and quantity of literature learning in high schools in accordance with the objectives contained in the curriculum. Teachers invites the students to enjoy literature study to differ on good and bad moral teachings and to enhance their ability in using English. Keywords: Moral, psychoanalisis, novel INTRODUCTION understanding a foreign language. The title of this thesis is Moral Besides, novel also gives a Value Violations in An American psychological impact to the reader Tragedy Novel by Theodore Dreiser because it consists of problematic stories which is based on a true story. Novel has of each character. As a complex literary big impact to the developement of copyright, fiction contains various language because it helps a person to elements, including beauty, increase his or her ability in contemplation that relates to values or 101 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Januari 2019 BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 18 Nomor 1 Januari 2019 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 reflection, exposure media, and intrinsic by a character named Clyde Griffiths on elements that are related to the a girl named Roberta Alden because characteristics of fiction as a literary text Clyde considered Roberta as a big such as characters, themes and so on obstacle for him to reach his desire to be (Ismawati, 2013, p. 70). a rich and respected person. In teaching literature, analysis One element that builds a story of a novel is considered important in a novel is characterization. because it can benefit the readers, Characterization is the appearance of the especially in order to enhance the morale parties involved in a series of stories. value of the senior high school students. Each figure involved must have certain This will make students engage in behaviors that will be an attraction for positive activities that will improve their the story presented. The behavior of the ability to speak and understand the leaders is of course very much related to cultural diversity that exists in the world the realm of psychological studies so that they will not fall into negative because psychology is a field of science activities such as anarchic actions that that discusses human behavior. are often carried out by students such as Various kinds of conflicts that student brawls, bullying actions against occur in a life event can be displayed in younger students, theft, and so on. a novel. One form of conflict that can be However, the analysis of literature is displayed in a novel is a conflict about only a small part of our efforts to shape violating moral values. This can be the character of moral students because analyzed using psychoanalytic studies teaching about religious values remains which are part of the realm of literature the most important one. psychology. If someone always tries to The first person who put improve himself, then he will be a person forward the psychoanalytic theory is with high standard moral where he can Sigmund Freud. Freud discussed the carefully consider the good or bad things division of human psychism into three he wants to do, so he has a noble things: Id which is a reservoir of character towards God and humans. reservoirs and a source of psychic One of the most important energy. Ego which is a mediator which things that we have to realize is that our reconciled the demands of corruption life in the world is temporary. We will and the prohibition of the superego. The leave everything in this world when we superego is in charge of supervising and die. Therefore, it is very obstructing the complete satisfaction of disadvantageous for people who try to these pulses which are the results of make the pleasures of life in the world as education and identification with the purpose of their lives, even more they parents. The relationship between have the heart to sacrifice the rights of literature and psychoanalysis is the others to achieve the goal. If this happens existence of elements of psychiatric or to someone, it means that he has psychological manifestations of the committed an act of violation of moral author, fictional figures in stories and values. This act of violating moral values readers in literature, novels, drama or is reflected in the story of a novel entitled poetry. This shows that literary works An American Tragedy by Theodore can be used as a mean to express the Dreiser. The main problem in this novel psychological problems examined is about the violation of moral values in through psychoanalytic theory so that we the form of an act of murder committed know about the thoughts and feelings of 102 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Januari 2019 BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 18 Nomor 1 Januari 2019 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 the author about the stories displayed in be in the form of a description a novel (Albertine, 2013, p. 21). accompanied by quotations of data In addition to several derived from a written text in the form of advantages mentioned above, a novel that is interpreted according to specifically, the novel entitled The literary study techniques. In this case, the American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser theory used for research methods is the also has advantages compared to one of theory of psychoanalysis. Dreiser's other works which was the first The research is carried out Dreiser work published in 1900, a novel objectively to emphasize the intrinsic entitled Sister Carrie. Although basically aspects of literature. The beauty of the two novels tell about the ambitions of literary texts depends on the use of the characters to achieve success in life distinctive language and relations in the world, but the novel titled An between established elements American Tragedy is more interesting (Endraswara, 2008, p. 51). In this because the story was inspired by the research, there are five steps of the data famous criminal act in 1906 which collection procedure, namely: (1) Dreiser himself observed was the murder Reading phase, the researcher reads of a landlord lodging made by drowning literary texts that are used as objects of the victim in a lake. The culprit was research carefully while marking Chester Gillette who was eventually discourses that are in accordance with subject to the death penalty by being the subject matter, namely the forms, electrocuted on an electric chair. Chester causes and consequences of violations of Gillette (CS) initials were finally moral values that occur in the novel An adopted by Dreiser as the name of the American Tragedy, (2) Recording stage, character in the story of An American a researcher records facts, phrases, Tragedy, Clyde Griffiths. Meanwhile, sentences or discourses on a special note the novel titled Sister Carrie has sheet along with the origin of the page, limitations because it is considered (3) Grouping stage, the researcher inappropriate to be read by the most groups the results of the second phase prominent because the story contains the according to the research sub-chapter. support for a naughty woman named For example, a discourse containing Carrie Meeber. moral elements is included in the sub- In addition, compared to chapter of the cause of violation of moral Dreiser's latest novel published in 1947, values and so on, (4) Sorting stage, The Stoic, An American Tragedy's novel researchers apply carefully to the data in is clearly superior because the novel The the form of words, phrases, sentences or Stoic is not included in the list of best discourses that do not comply with the works and the story only emphasizes sub-chapter then removed, (5) The poverty. Therefore, the author considers meaning stage, after arriving at the stage that the novel An American Tragedy is of grouping and sorting data, the worthy to analyse. researcher gives meaning to every word, phrase, sentence or discourse that is in METHOD accordance with the theory, supported by This study uses a qualitative relevant references. approach method, namely fact finding is The research data is in the form done by interpreting written data in the of quotations in the form of words, form of a literary work accurately. phrases, sentences or discourses that Therefore, the results of this study will describe and interpret the forms, causes 103 BAHTERA : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume Januari 2019 BAHTERA: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, Volume 18 Nomor 1 Januari 2019 http://journal.unj.ac.id/unj/index.php/bahtera/ P-ISSN : 0853-2710 E-ISSN : 2540-8968 and consequences of violations of moral "Oh, my God, I'm drowning, I'm values in the novel An American drowning.