THE AMERICAN VALUES IN THE LATE 1970S AS REFLECTED THROUGH LEE AND AUSTIN’S CHARACTERISTICS SEEN IN SAM SHEPARD’S TRUE WEST AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By Tetty Florentina Simbolon Student Number: 054214051 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 THE AMERICAN VALUES IN THE LATE 1970S AS REFLECTED THROUGH LEE AND AUSTIN’S CHARACTERISTICS SEEN IN SAM SHEPARD’S TRUE WEST AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters By Tetty Florentina Simbolon Student Number: 054214051 ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2009 i ii iii “ O THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ! HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGEMENTS, AND HIS WAYS PAST FINDING OUT!” ( ROMANS 11: 33) iv This Undergraduate thesis is dedicated to Rewaller Simbolon and Sauria Sirait for their love, supports, and prayers. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In accomplishing this thesis, I would like to express my biggest gratitude to Jesus Christ, my Lord and the savior of my soul. How unsearchable are Thy judgements and Thy ways past finding out! My enormous gratitude also goes to my advisor, Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd, M.Hum and my former advisor Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A. for the advice so far, assistance, and guidance during accomplishing of my undergraduate thesis. I would like to thank my co-advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S. M.Hum., for the correction and suggestion in revising my thesis to be better. I also appreciate my beloved parents and all family for support, spirit, prayers and trust that is given to me in all these years to study in Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta. I always try to give the best of me for all. My deepest gratitude goes to my friends in my boardinghouse: Novi for the hot Milo and Anod for printer, my classmates in 2005 (Nani, Priska, Weny, Putri, Estu, and others) for our happiness and togetherness, Yusi for the encouraging sms and for our great adventures, my family in LBUSD (Richard, Risang, Dea, Mbak Dian, Mbak Tika, mbak Novi, and others) for the suggestion, sharing and discussion. Last but not least, I also would like to thank my sisters & brothers of Parna Jogja, my brothers in Jantis, K Evi and Diana for the cheerfulness in my tiring days, and to all my friends who cannot be mentioned one by one. Tetty Florentina Simbolon vi LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PULIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS Yang bertanda tangan dibawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Tetty Florentina Simbolon NIM : 054214051 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul THE AMERICAN VALUES IN THE LATE 1970S AS REFLECTED THROUGH LEE AND AUSTIN’S CHARACTERISTICS SEEN IN SAM SHEPARD’S TRUE WEST Beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan ini saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelola dalam bentuk pangkalan data. Mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempulikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun royalitas kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis. Demikian pernyataan ini, saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Yogyakarta, 13 Desember 2009 Yang menyatakan Tetty Florentina Simbolon vii TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGE ................................................................................................ ii ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………………………. iii MOTTO PAGE .................................................................................................... iv DEDICATION PAGE .......................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... ix ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................ x CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ...................................................................... 1 B. Problem Formulation ........................................................................... 3 C. Objectives of the Study ........................................................................ 4 D. Definition of Terms .............................................................................. 4 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies ................................................................... 6 B. Review of Related Theories Character and Characterization ............................................................ 8 C. Review on the Social Condition of Southern California in the Late 1970s ................................................................ 11 D. Review on Values 1. Theory of values ............................................................................. 13 2. American Values in the Late 1970s ............................................... 14 E. Theoretical Framework ........................................................................ 17 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study .............................................................................. 18 B. Approach of the Study ......................................................................... 19 C. Method of the Study ............................................................................. 20 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS A. Lee and Austin’s Characteristics 1. Characteristics of Lee a. Self-Reliant .............................................................................. 23 b. Violent ...................................................................................... 25 viii c. Envious ..................................................................................... 27 2. Characteristics of Austin a. Money Oriented ....................................................................... 30 b. Envious ..................................................................................... 31 c. Optimistic ................................................................................. 33 B. The American Values in the Late 1970s as Reflected through Lee and Austin’s Characteristics 1. Individual Freedom ........................................................................ 37 2. Materialism .................................................................................... 39 3. Competition .................................................................................... 42 4. Optimism ........................................................................................ 45 CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ........................................................................... 49 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................ 53 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................... 55 ix ABSTRACT TETTY FLORENTINA SIMBOLON. The American Values in the Late 1970s as Reflected through Lee and Austin’s Characteristics Seen in Sam Shepard’s True West. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009. Lee and Austin’s characteristics in True West that is written by Sam Shepard become a portrait of American society in Southern California in the late 1970s. Therefore, the writer tries to find out the American values in the late 1970s, which are reflected through the characteristics of Lee and Austin. This thesis consists of two problems to be answered. The first one is to find out what the characteristics of the main characters, Lee and Austin, in the play are. The second one is how the American values in the late 1970s are reflected through Lee and Austin’s characteristics. To answer the two problems, the library research method is conducted. It is conducted by studying some reference books for related theory of characters and characterization, theory of values, and studying the play itself. Some additional information are also gained by internet. The most appropriate approach for this thesis is sociocultural-historical approach. Since this thesis deals with the social condition and historical aspects, this approach will be helpful to find out the American values in the late 1970s in the play that are reflected in Lee and Austin’s characteristics. Based on the analysis, two conclusions have been gained. First, the characteristics of Lee and Austin are quite different in the beginning but complete each other in the end. Since Lee lives in the desert for so long and separated from his family, the characteristics that are created are self-reliant, violent, and envious meanwhile as a writer who lives in a middle-class society in suburb, Austin’s characteristics are money oriented, envious, and optimistic. The second, the characteristics of Lee and Austin reflect the American values of the materialism society at