HEDONISM AS PORTRAYED IN ‘S CONFESSIONS OF A

SHOPAHOLIC AND ALBERTHIENE ENDAH‘S CEWEK MATRE: A

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

A THESIS

BY

FAJAR MAHENDRA

REG. NO. 120705001

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

MEDAN 2016

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA HEDONISM AS PORTRAYED IN SOPHIE KINSELLA’S CONFESSIONS OF

A AND ALBERTHIENE ENDAH’S CEWEK MATRE: A

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

A THESIS

BY FAJAR MAHENDRA REG. NO. 120705001

SUPERVISOR CO-SUPERVISOR

Dra. Martha Pardede, M.S. Dra. Diah Rahayu Pratama, M.Pd NIP. 19521229 197903 2 001 NIP. 19561214 198601 2 001

Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra From Department English.

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA MEDAN 2016

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Approved by the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara (USU) Medan as thesis for The Sarjana Sastra Examination.

Head, Secretary,

Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S. Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D

NIP. 19541117 198003 1 002 NIP. 19750209 200812 1 002

UNIVERSITAS SUMATERA UTARA Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.

The examination is held in Department of English Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara on 23 June 2016

Dean of Faculty of Cultural Studies

University of Sumatera Utara

Dr. Budi Agustono, M.S.

NIP.19600805 198703 1 001

Board of Examiners

Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S. ______

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A. Ph.D. ______

Dra. Martha Pardede, M.S. ______

Dra. Siti Norma Nasution, M.Hum. ______

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AUTHOR’S DECLARATION

I AM FAJAR MAHENDRA, DECLARE THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR

OF THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT

OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL PUBLISHED

ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A

THESIS BY WHICH I HAVE QUALIFIED FOR OR A WARDED ANOTHER

DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED WITHOUT

DUE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS

THESIS HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF ANOTHER

DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.

Signed :

Date : June 23rd, 2016

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COPYRIGHT DECLARATION

NAME : FAJAR MAHENDRA

TITLE OF THESIS : HEDONISM AS PORTRAYED IN SOPHIE

KINSELLA’S CONFESSIONS OF A

SHOPAHOLIC AND ALBERTHIENE

ENDAH’S CEWEK MATRE: A

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

QUALIFICATION : S-1/SARJANA SASTRA

DEPARTMENT : ENGLISH

I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR

REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE LIBRARIAN OF

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES,

UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT

USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW

OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.

Signed :

Date : June 23rd, 2016

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ABSTRACT

This thesis is entitled “Hedonism as Portrayed in Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre : A Comparative Literature”. This thesis contains a study of comparative literature which involves two novels of different nations with similar motifs, which are hedonism. The purpose of this study is to find out how hedonism in the two novels and find the similarities and differences regarding the issue in forms of hedonism done by the main character that are, shopping branded stuffs, competition and being materialistic. The respective main characters, and Lola is a woman who loves shopping branded stuffs. The study also involves looking at the intrinsic elements to look at the similarities and differences found in the two novels. In completing the analysis, the writer uses descriptive qualitative method which represents all the data in forms of words and sentences. The writer collects data from various sources including the novels Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, Cewek Matre by Alberthiene Endah, relevant books, articles and journals to support the analysis. Based on the analysis it can be found that the novels show similarities and differences regarding forms of hedonism done by the main character. Becky Bloomwood and Lola love shopping branded stuffs even though their salaries are insufficient to fulfill their shopping needs, but they do whatever they want to be able to buy branded stuffs they want, such as being materialistic.

Keywords: Hedonism, Comparative Literature, Shopaholic, The Material Girl

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ABSTRAK

Skripsi ini berjudul “Hedonism as Portrayed in Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre : A Comparative Literature”. Skripsi ini berisi tentang studi sastra bandingan menggunakan dua novel dari negara yang berbeda dengan motif yang sama, yaitu hedonisme. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana hedonisme dalam dua novel tersebut dan menemukan persamaan dan perbedaan terkait masalah ini melalui bentuk-bentuk hedonisme yang dilakukan oleh karakter utama yaitu, berbelanja barang-barang bermerek, kompetisi dan menjadi matre. Karakter utama dari masing- masing novel, Becky Bloomwood dan Lola adalah seorang wanita yang suka berbelanja barang-barang bermerek. Studi ini juga melihat unsur intrinsik untuk melihat persamaan dan perbedaan yang ditemukan dalam dua novel. Dalam menyelesaikan analisis ini, penulis menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif karena semua data disampaikan dalam bentuk kata-kata dan kalimat. Penulis mengumpulkan data dari berbagai sumber termasuk novel Confessions of a Shopaholic oleh Sophie Kinsella, Cewek Matre oleh Alberthiene Endah, buku, artikel dan jurnal yang berkaitan untuk mendukung analisis. Berdasarkan hasil analisis dapat disimpulkan bahwa kedua novel menunjukkan persamaan dan perbedaan mengenai bentuk-bentuk hedonisme yang dilakukan oleh karakter utama. Becky Bloomwood dan Lola suka berbelanja barang-barang bermerek meskipun gaji mereka tidak mencukupi untuk memenuhi kebutuhan mereka, tetapi mereka melakukan apapun yang mereka inginkan untuk dapat membeli barang-barang bermerek yang mereka inginkan, seperti menjadi cewek matre.

Kata Kunci: Hedonisme, Sastra Bandingan, Gila Belanja, Cewek Matre

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

First of all, I would like to thank Allah SWT., the Almighty God for the blessing and the Most Merciful, who has given the writer guidance and bless in finishing this thesis entitled ―Hedonism as Portrayed in Sophie Kinsella‘s

Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah‘s Cewek Matre: A Comparative

Literature". Shalawat and Salam are also delivered to the prophet Muhammad SAW. who has brought Islam as Rohmatan lil Alamin.

The biggest thanks, for my beloved family, especially my parents, my father and my late mother, you are the most powerful and inspiring parents in the world, I love you last, now, and then. Thank you very much for my dearest sisters, Fitri

Erfiani and Zulhida Frianti (Dedek), to my brothers, Chandra Bisma Effendi, Surya

Wahyundi, and Riski Anugraha who always support me everytime, I always love you. Thank you for my brother in law, Supriono (Kinoy) and Ferry, and my sister in law Irma Ramadhani. Next, for all my big families, thanks for praying and give great motivation to me and support me in overall time and place. Thanks for inspiring me in every path of my life. It is so proud to be a part of those families.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dra. Martha Pardede, M.S. as my supervisor for his kindness, knowledge, patience and motivation for me to write and finish this thesis. Also, I would like to thank Dra. Diah Rahayu Pratama, M.Pd as my co-supervisor for his kindness and knowledge to help me in writing this thesis.

My gratitude also goes to the Head and the Secretary of English Department,

Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, M.S. and Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A., Ph.D., and all of the lecturers and the staffs of English Department for the facilities and opportunities given to me during my study in this faculty.

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I also want to thank you for my crazy friends, Dicky Andriansyah, Citra

Annisa, Ariska Rati Sapitri, Andika Reza, Tri Ayu Andriani who always support, pray, give spirit, jokes, and happiness. Thank you for coloring my life. I will remember and miss you. Thank you for my damn crazy friend, Kaltha Septian Marito who always there for me, thank you for your kindness and helping me, thank you for your support, jokes, and happiness, thanks to Monica Megasari for your kindness and helping me, Tondi Namora and Zulfiqar for helping me to write some parts of this thesis. Thank you for Isti, Debora TaylorSwift, Suci, Hazmei, Nurul, Dame, Alifa,

Wella, Jaysita, Farah for coming in my seminar and thesis examination and also thank you for Rapika and Esra for supporting me. Also for all my friends in English

Literature University of Sumatera Utara, especially Class A 2012 that cannot I mention one by one who share the priceless experiences to me.

I am really grateful to have everyone supporting me in the process of writing this thesis. Thank you so much for being my power.

Finally, may this thesis be advantegous for the readers, may the grace and love of the Almighty Allah SWT be with us all forever. Amin.

Medan, June 2016

Fajar Mahendra Reg. No. 120705001

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ...... v

COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ...... vi

ABSTRACT ...... vii

ABSTRAK ...... viii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ...... ix

TABLE OF CONTENT ...... xi

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study...... 1

1.2 Problem of the Study...... 6

1.3 Objective of the Study...... 6

1.4 Scope of the Study...... 7

1.5 Significance of the Study...... 7

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Theory of Literature...... 8

2.2 Sociology of Literature...... 11

2.3 Brief Description of Comparative Literature...... 13

2.4 Hedonism...... 15

2.5 Postmodernism...... 17

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CHAPTER III METHOD OF THE ANALYSIS

3.1 Research Design ...... 19

3.2 Data and Data Source ...... 21

3.3 Data Collecting Procedure...... 21

3.4 Data Analysing Procedure...... 21

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

4.1 Hedonism in Sophie Kinsella‘s Confessions of a Shopaholic...... 23

4.2 Hedonism in Alberthiene Endah‘s Cewek Matre...... 35

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion...... 50

5.2 Suggestion...... 55

REFERENCES...... 56

APPENDICES

 Biography of Sophie Kinsella

 Summary of the Novel: Confessions of a Shopaholic

 Biography of Alberthiene Endah

 Summary of the Novel: Cewek Matre

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

A pleasure is one of the destinies of all of the people. A pleasure is a right for every human being, but sometimes this pleasure becomes something which beyond the common sense. For instance, to get a pleasure, there are some people spend their money to things that are not important at all to their activities and the others do the activities which are useless. The several of ways are used to achieve a pleasure, in a legal or illegal one. Most of people tend to look for and prioritize their pleasure. This is what we call the hedonist society. We can find this lifestyle easily in our life. Like the artists who live glamorous and teenagers who became the main target of the manufacturer of the world famous products. It is not surprising things if consumptive culture that already exists in this nation strengthened with the culture of hedonism. It makes life seemed to be a new lifestyle. They were already infatuated with consumptive culture will be willing to do anything to satisfy their desires. Such as hunting newest fashion, famous brand watches, shoes, the newest models of mobile phones, and other things that do not escape a silent witness to this culture. The bodies are treated as one of the commodities in a consumer culture that can be ―bought and sold‖ with specific values attached to them by the cultures that share the values. In a consumer culture, the body is ―proclaimed as a vehicle of pleasure and self expression. Images of the body beautiful, openly sexual and associated with hedonism, leisure and display, emphasizes the importance of appearance and the

‗look‘. . . . [for] more marketable self‖ (Featherstone, 1982: 170-171). As example, there is a news in Tribunnews.com on Thursday 31st March 2016 18:32 WIB,

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Bandung which is written by Aladhi. The news says that a man (Fendy Setiawan

(27)) asked his wife (Dewi Purnamasari a.k.a Helen Feliazura (26)) to date other man, then treated him and stole his treasure. Then things he stole would be used extravagantly, clubbing, for a watch, gold ring, and for three units iPhone 6s.

According to the news, we can conclude that Fendy is a hedonist. He does anything to get what he wants for his pleasure. That is one of the reason why I focus on hedonism in my thesis.

Phenomena of Hedonism does not only happen in postmodernism, but this phenomena has appeared at the beginning of the history of philosophy around the year 433 BC. Hedonism wants to answer the philosophical question "what is the best thing for humans?" It begins with Socrates who asked about what really be the ultimate goal of man. Then Aristippus of Cyrene, a student of Socrates (433-355 BC) said that the best thing for a human becomes a pleasure. Aristippus explained that humans since childhood always looking for fun and if they do not achieve it, people will look for something else. Views on the 'pleasure' (hedonism) was then followed another Greek philosopher named Epicurean (341-270 BC). According to him, the human actions that seek pleasure is the true nature. Nonetheless, Epicurean hedonism wider because not only include physical pleasure alone -like The Aristippus-, but also spiritual pleasure, such as release of the soul from the unrest (April 2016.

Hedonism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism (April 2016)).

Veenhoven (2003:1) says that ‖Hedonism is a way of life, characterised by openness to pleasurable experience.” In other words, hedonism is the philosophy that states pleasure determines is good. Consequently, anything that increases the sum of pleasure is considered good, and conversely, anything that increases pain is wrong. There are many qualms about hedonism.

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There are two novels that have similar in motif reflecting above. One is from

United Kingdom entitled, Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and another one from Indonesia, Cewek Matre by Alberthiene Endah. Cewek Matre, published in 2004 is very much similar to Confessions of a Shopaholic (2000), which narrates on a single young woman‘s obsession for shopping. Both female characters,

Becky in Confessions of a Shopaholic and Lola in Cewek Matre are obsessed with shopping and lifestyles that they cannot afford. Most of the things they buy are intended for body adornment, which is very much related to their self-esteem in the social and professional circles they want to belong to. They believe that all the things they buy are essential weapons to raise their market value.

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a series of novels written by the UK author Sophie Kinsella, who also writes under her real name Madeleine Wickham.

Rebecca Bloomwood is a single twenty-five year old young woman who has what every other person her age would only dream of. She lives in a very trendy flat in

London, has many socialite friends, and a closet of beautiful clothes. Rebecca

Bloomwood loves to shop. Her job as a financial journalist doesn't support her excess, so she is thrown into the red without a way to pay her overdraft. By using her creativeness, she finds a way to pay it off, get a new job, and fall in love with an unexpected suitor. But Rebecca is not as well-off as she seems to others; just very well into debt. Rebecca has a serious problem with shopping far too much, and her credit cards are completely maxed-out, as well as her account being overdrawn at the bank. Her job as a journalist does not even begin to pay even half of her debts, and besides, it bores her to tears every day. Rebecca doesn't know what to do with her life, as things go from bad to worse. She's feeling desparate, until one day, a grand opportunity comes along to go on television with a story. When Rebecca receives

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this opportunity, it will transform and change her life for the better. It is only then that she will be able to catch up with her debt, and pay her bills, and get her life back in order. And in the process, she finds a man in her life that will make her truly a happier person.

Madeleine Sophie Wickham is a British author of chick lit. Apart from numerous short stories, she has written several successful stand-alone novels as

Madeleine Wickham but is perhaps best known for her work under the pen name Sophie Kinsella. The first two novels in her best-selling Shopaholic series, The

Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic and were adapted into the film Confessions of a Shopaholic starring Isla Fisher. Her books have been translated into over 30 languages. Wickham was born Madeleine Sophie Townley on 12

December 1969, the eldest daughter of David R. and Patricia B. (née Kinsella)

Townley.

While working as a financial journalist, at the age of 24, Wickham wrote her first novel. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten best-seller. She went on to publish six more novels as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The

Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.

Kinsella is best known for writing the Shopaholic novels series of chick lit novels, which focus on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. She is also known for her ongoing on/off relationship with Jkav. The series focuses on her obsession with shopping and its resulting complications for her life. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into a film and released in February 2009. The most recent addition to the Shopaholic series, "Shopaholic to the Stars" was released on 21 October 2014.

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Her most recent standalone novels have been Twenties Girl (2009), I've Got Your

Number (2012) and Wedding Night (2013). In 2015, she branched into Young Adult writing with her first YA book, Finding Audrey, published in June 2015.

Cewek Matre is a novel by Alberthiene Endah was published in Indonesia in

2004. Lola, the main character in the novel, is a girl who worked as a public relations in a famous radio in Jakarta, that made Lola is the center of the metropolitan world and got caught up in the life of hedonism. Social demands made Lola should be able to adapt to her surroundings , a perfect appearance was a necessity in a Lola‘s work environment. Lola started enjoying hedonistic behaviour which was in herself, behaviour that leads to wasting money for goods is less needed has become one of

Lola‘s reason if she was facing stress in the office. Lola‘s hedonistic behavior made her appearance to be number one. Lola considered that a perfect appearance would bring her to a better life. Lola felt if she had a glamorous appearance, she would get a rich boyfriend. Lola, with all the strenghts and beauty that she had, utilizing her body to got rich men who wanted to fund her glamorous life. The presence of rich men around her make hedonistic behavior in herself was growing.

Rr. Alberthiene Endah Kusumawardhani Sutoyo (16 September), better known as Alberthiene Endah, is an Indonesian biographer, novelist, and journalist.

Endah was born in Bandung, West Java, but grew up in Depok. She was interested in writing from a young age, and decided to become a journalist while in junior high school. Endah received her first job working for the magazine Hidup in 1993. In

1996, she started at the women‘s magazine Femina. In 2004, Endah resigned from her position at Femina to focus on her career as a freelance writer and lead the editorial board at Prodo magazine. Her works include: Jangan Beri Aku Narkoba,

Cewek Matre, Jodoh Monika, Dicintai Jo, Selebriti, Ojek Cantik, and Nyonya Jetset.

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The reason why the researcher chose this two novels as the object of the study is because the researcher is interested in revealing hedonism. In Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre, the author does mention any hedonism acts more explicitly. So, by reading these both of novels we can learn about hedonism.

Therefore, analyzing both the novels, the similarity and the difference will be found, which become the prerequisite for Comparative Literature.

1.2 Problem of the Study

During the process of analysis, it is important to make the specification of problems that are going to be analyzed in order to avoid the ambiguity of the analysis and to support the writer to get clear description about the object of analysis itself.

So in this analysis, writer finds and decides some problems that needed to answer further. They are:

1. How is hedonism portrayed in Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek

Matre ?

2. What are the similarities and differences of hedonism portrayed in both of

novels?

1.3 Objective of the Study

Related with the problems above, this research tries to analysis the answers of those questions, they are:

1. To find out how hedonism portrayed in Confessions of a Shopaholic and

Cewek Matre.

2. To find the similarities and differences of hedonism portrayed in

Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre.

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1.4 Scope of the Study

Related to the problems and objectives of the study, the writer has to limit the scope of the study. Therefore, the scope of study on this research is analyzing hedonism. Scope of study is necessary in order to make a research to be specific and well managed. Thus, this research is only focused on both novels.

1.5 Significance of the Study

This thesis is intended to be helpful to understand more about both of literary works, Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and Cewek Matre by

Alberthiene Endah. Having read this thesis, the readers are expected to find out how hedonism in the two novels, namely Western and Eastern, because the both of novels were taken from two countries. The writer hopes this analysis would be useful to readers to enlarge their knowledge especially for literature student who have interest in this analysis namely about hedonism and know how the differences of the both literary works.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Theory of Literature

Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing written by Roberts and

Jacobs (1993) gives an explanation about literature. According Roberts and Jacobs

(1993: 1), Literature refers to compositions that tells stories, dramatize situations, express emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas. In some societies, the oral tradition of literature still exists, with many poems and stories designed exclusively for spoken delivery. Literature helps us grow, both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding. It links us with the broader cultural, philosophic, and religious world of which we are a part. One of which is included in a literary work is a novel.

Martha Pardede in her book Literature: An Introductory Material (2016: 8) says that ―Novel now is the most widely read of literature, although it is comparatively a new arrival. Until the seventeenth century, it was almost unknown.

It may be defined as fictitious prose narrative of considerably length, which potrays characters and actions or the representative of real life in continuous plot. Still, of all literary form novel is the loosest. Unlike the drama, it is free from all limitations.

This free form not only makes it possible for a novelist to give a complete, presentation of human life, but also make it the easiest to write.‖

McQuade, et al in Martha Pardede (2016: 14) say briefly that the elements of narrative fiction or prose are:

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1. Plot

According to Klarel in Martha Pardede (2016: 15), plot is the sequence of action and incidents which make up a story.

According to Klarel in Martha Pardede (2016: 15), plot is the logical interaction of the various thematic elements of a text which a change of the original situation is presented at the out set of the narrative.

2. Characters

According to Klarel in Martha Pardede (2016: 17), characters in a text can be rendered either as type or as individual. Two kinds of character:

- Flat Character : is a typified characters in literature

dominated by one specific trait.

- Round Character : usually denotes a person with more

complex and differentiated features.

The most conspicious thing that all stories have in common is that they deal with character as human being. Stories are about people and that is what attract us to them. We are as interested in well drawn fictional characters as we are in real people. In fact we know completely then we do most of the people with whom we live and associate. Through fictional characters we come to see ourselves and understand ourselves and others (Klarel in Martha,

2016: 17).

The author uses many divices to present and develop his characters, include point of view, plot, setting and tone.

Characterization is a very important element in novel. The greatnes of a novel depends upon the nature of the characterization, upon the success the novelist has achieved in making his characters seem real men and women. If

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the characters are not live like, the novel is sure to flop, no matter how good its plot might be (Klarel in Martha, 2016: 17).

3. Narrative Perspective (Point of View)

Taylor in Martha Pardede (2016: 19) says, ―point of view describes the narrative method that an author uses to tell his story. Unlike the infinite variety of plots, setting and characters that are at his disposal, the number of available techniques are few.‖ The term point of view or narrative perspective characterizes the way in which a text present person, events and setting.

Roberts and Jacobs (1993: 180) states, ―point of view refers to the position and stance of the voice, or speaker, that authors adopt for their works. It supposes a living narrator or persona who tells stories, presents arguments, or expresses attitudes such as love, anger, or excitement.‖

Practically, point of view involves the actual physical location of this speaker and his or her position to see and record the main actions and ideas.

(Roberts and Jacobs, 1993: 183, 184) say that there are kinds of point of view:

a. First-person point of view : if the voice of the work is an ―I,‖ the

author is using the First-person Point of View — the

impersonation of a fictional narrator or speaker.

b. Second-person point of view : the least common of the point of

view, offers the writer two major possibilities. In the first, a

narrator tells a present and involved listener what he or she has

done and said at past time. The second possibility is more

complex. Some narrators seem to be addressing a ―you‖ but are

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instead reffering mainly to themselves, and to listeners only

tangentially, in preference to an ―I.‖

c. Third-person point of view : if events in the work are described in

the third person (he, she, it, they), the author is using the third-

person point of view.

Based on the explanation above, can be concluded that first person

(“I” and “me”), second person (“you”), and third person (“she,” “he,” “it,”

“they”).

4. Setting

Taylor in Martha Pardede (2016: 20) says:

―whatever conception of character and action may exist in a literary work, those characters and actions must be located with reference to time and place. Setting is a main factor in the formulation of subject matter and a direct influence on the expression of theme. It also become a more active factor in narrative, as in ghost story where setting characterizes action.‖

Setting can be defined as the place or setting of place and period or

setting time of a story, the canvas on which dramatic events are drawn in

details.

2.2 Sociology of Literature

Sapardi Djoko Damono in his book entitled Sosiologi Sastra: Sebuah

Pengantar Ringkas (1979) gives a brief explanation about literature and society. This book explained about the social and environmental aspects, so it is called the sociology of literature. The important factors that should be considered in analyzing the sociology of literature are the writers, the literary works itself, and the readers.

Literary sociology comes from sociology and literature. Literature is a reflection of society. Through literature, the author reveal of the problems of life.

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Literary works receive influence from society and also is able to make an impact on society. Sociology can be defined as the science or systemic knowledge about the life of human groups in relation to other human beings is generally called society.

Damono (1979: 1) mentions that literature is a social institution that using language as a medium; language itself is a social creation. Literature presents an illustration of life; and the life itself is a social reality.

In this sense, life includes society relations, between society and individuals, between people, and between the events that occur in a someone‘s mind. However, the events that occur in someone‘s mind, which is often the subject of literature, is a reflection of someone‘s relationship with the others or with the society.

Damono (1979: 7) says that Sociology is the study of human social institutions and processes are objective and scientific society. Sociology is trying to figure out how society is possible, how it progresses, and how they stay there. By studying the social institutions and the problems of economic, religion, political and others – all of which form the social structure – we get an overview of the way people adapt to their environment, socialization mechanisms, civilizing process that puts members of the public in their respective places.

Indeed, sociology and literature share the same problem. As well as sociology, literature also deals with people in the community as a business man and his efforts to adapt to changing society. It can be concluded that sociology can provide a useful explanation of the literature, and it can even be said that without sociology, our understanding of the literature is not yet complete.

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2.3 Brief Description of Comparative Literature

Razali Kasim in his book entitled Sastra Bandingan: Ruang Lingkup dan

Metode (1996: 26) says:

―Comparative literature is an analysis that includes a comparison of literary works form different national literature, the relationship between literary works and science, religion (beliefs), and arts as well as about theories, history, and critics.‖

In the comparative literature, the analyze can be done by taking only two literary works, for example, two poems, from different national literature, or include only two national literature. The purpose of Comparative Literature is to identify the literary works based on the literary elements wither in intrinsic elements and extrinsic elements. It does not only concentrate on the literary elements, but as well as other aspects like history, religion, knowledge, society, etc.

Razali Kasim (1996: 26) says that Comparative Literature can be seen through several fields, they are: theme and motif, genre and form, movement and generation, relationship of literary work with science, religion, artworks, theory of literature, history of literature, and literary criticism theory .

In this analysis, the writer compares two literary and focusing on theme and motif as the object of the study. The writer looks at intrinsic elements of the novel to look at how the novels are similar and different to each other. This involves looking at the plot, setting, motif, point of view, and characters. Theme basically includes the meaning of motif. In further explanation, theme is the spiritual phenomenon of human which has repeated and will always repeat its self (Goethe in Weisstein, 1973:

138). Goethe‘s opinion about motif has the similarity with the other meaning of motif that is the main of the story which is universal, traditional, and appears repeatedly in the two literary works.

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Razali Kasim (1996: 16, 17) says that American movement shows a wider scope study on comparative literature. Comparative study is not only about

‗comparing‘ literary works or the authors, but also talks about various other fields.

Broadly, comparative literature includes:

1. A study of comparing literary works as well as the authors.

2. A study about the relationship between literary works and other sciences

(such as, philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc.), with religion and

beliefs as well as arts (such as paintings, music, architecture, and

sculpture).

3. A study of theory, history, and literary criticism (more precisely ‗literary

criticism theory‘) which covers more than one national literature.

The scope study of American movement classified above shows the extensive study field because it is not only about literary texts. Needless to say, various studies are not included in one national literary, ‗taken over‘ by comparative literature. For instance, Rene Wellek and Austin Warren‘s book Theory of Literature, does not belong to the US national literature, even both authors are American; similarly,

Northrop Frye‘s Anatomy of Criticism, Tzvetan Todorov‘s The Fantastic, or Robert

Schole‘s Structuralism are not part of any one national literature.

Based on the view above, a study that compares Indonesia‘s and Malaysia‘s literary works, for example, are not included in the comparative literature scope study. Indonesia and Malaysia, likewise England with America and Australia, have similar cultural background; in this case, if there are similarities found in their literary works, this is a reasonable case. In this thesis, the writer uses two different novels from different nations which are from England and Indonesia which has similarity to each other in case of a motif which is hedonism.

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2.4 Hedonism

According to Aristippus, this stopping place is reached in each feeling of pleasure. This, whatever else may happen, is good. There is no need of refinements or vague speculations about the matter. What makes the happy life worth living is the pleasure in it. It is not as if such a life had any peculiar higher value in itself for which it should be pursued. Its value is that of its particular pleasant moments— offset, to be sure, by whatever painful moments it contains. For pain, too, is a stopping place in the chain of consequences. Every feeling of pain is bad in itself. If any proof is wanted for these assertions, we have only to observe that all men, nay, all animate beings, from the very moment of birth, pursue pleasure and avoid pain— except, perhaps, where some abnormality interferes with the ordinary course of nature (Laguna, Theodore De, 1914: 124).

The Cyrenaics held that pleasure is the only natural good there is. That is to say, pleasure, and pleasure only, is universally recognized by all human beings to be desirable. Conversely, pain is a natural evil, something acknowledged the world over as undesirable. Consequently, to commend as the best life one which has as much pleasure and as little pain as possible in it, is to speak in terms that human beings of all cultures and periods can appreciate. This is the force of saying that pleasure is a natural rather than a conventional good and pain a natural (Gordon, 2004: 40).

Based on the explanation above, can be concluded that people would be happy for seeking a pleasant feeling as much as possible and trying to avoid a pain.

Briefly, seek the pleasure and avoid the pain.

Another character that is Epicurus (341-270 SM) during Hellenism character has a more detailed arguments about the hedonism. Remains a source of pleasure for her norm, but not only because it covers only bodily pleasures such as these will

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cause pain as well. Pleasure for Epicurus there is no significant pain in the body and the absence of psychological difficulties: so that the peak of pleasure for Epicurus is the peace of the soul (April 2016. Hedonism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism (April 2016)).

Veenhoven (2003:1) says that ‖Hedonism is a way of life, characterised by openness to pleasurable experience.” In other words, hedonism is the philosophy that states pleasure determines that which is good. Consequently, anything that increases the sum of pleasure is considered good, and conversely, anything that increases pain is wrong. There are many qualms about hedonism. It is rejected on moral grounds and said to be detrimental to long term happiness. Several mechanisms for this paradox of hedonism have been suggested and telling examples of pleasure seekers ending up in despair have been given. But is that the rule If so, how much pleasure is too much. At the individual level it is similarly linked with hedonistic attitudes and also correlated with hedonistic behaviours such as frequent sex and use of stimulants. In most cases the pattern is linearly positive.

The characteristics of hedonism by Cicerno in Russell (2004: 335):

a. Having instant view, see something effort to obtain of assets of the end result

rather than the process to make the final result. This leads to the next

attitude, rationalization or justification to meet the pleasure.

b. Become the physical modernity chaser. The person holds that have high-tech

goods is pride.

c. Have the pleasure of relativity above average. Relativity means something

for the general public has been entered into the level of enjoyment or can be

called unpleasant, but for hedonist it was not bad.

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d. Fulfilling many desires that arise spontaneously. In the describing of the

pleasure for very little retaining so when people want something must get it.

e. When get trouble that he feeling unwanted or being hated by people when

they did something wrong/making trouble.

f. No matter how much money they earned, the hedonist will always find any

ways to spend them over again for many species including clothing, home,

luxury goods.

2.5 Postmodernism

Postmodernism describes both an era and a broad movement that developed in the late 20th century across philosophy, the arts, architecture, and criticism which marked a departure from modernism. Postmodernism includes skeptical critical interpretations of culture, literature, art, philosophy, history, linguistics, economics, architecture, fiction, and literary criticism. Postmodernist ideas in philosophy and the analysis of culture and society expanded the importance of critical theory and has been the point of departure for works of literature, architecture, and design, as well as being visible in marketing/business and the interpretation of history, law and culture, starting in the late 20th century. These developments re-evaluation of the entire

Western value system (love, marriage, popular culture, shift from industrial to service economy) that took place since the 1950s and 1960s, with a peak in the Social Revolution of 1968 are described with the term Postmodernity, as opposed to Postmodernism, a term referring to an opinion or movement (May 2016.

Postmodernism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#Influential_postmodernist_philosopher s (May 2016))

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CHAPTER III

METHOD OF THE ANALYSIS

To analyze this study, the writer uses qualitative method because the writer considers explanation and description are the most important things in analyzes this study. The reason to use qualitative method is because in literary study the data is described. Data will be taken in sentences, statements and ideas form. Hancock et.al.

(2009:6) said that qualitative descriptive is a kind of research method focuses on descriptions and interpretations, concerned with developing explanations of social phenomena.

To find the data as reference of writing this thesis, the writer used library research and internet research. The writer collecting the data from some books, internet and many other resources that can be related to the subject matter being analyzed. The writer will do these following steps; collecting, selecting, analyzing the data, interpreting them and finally drawing the conclusion to write the thesis for achieving the most effective study results.

3.1 Research Design Below is the flowchart of research design:

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Researcher

Primary Data: Novel Secondary Data: Books and

Confessions of a Shopaholic articles which concerned by Sophie Kinsella and with comparative literature Cewek Matre by Alberthiene and hedonism Endah

Reading the two novels Classifying the data based on

comparative literature and

hedonism

Re-read the two novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and Cewek Matre by Alberthiene Endah

Interpreting the data based on motif: hedonism, by taking the

quotations

Analyzing the data and compare the data between novel Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and Cewek Matre by Alberthiene

Endah

Concluding and summarizing

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3.2 Data and Data Source

The data of this research are quotations found in the two novels as following:

1. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

2. Cewek Matre by Alberthiene Endah

3.3 Data Collecting Procedure

In the process of collecting the data, the first step is reading the primary data.

The primary data is the two novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre.

The second step, is searching and reading the secondary data. The writer also searches and reads the books and articles of journal related to comparative literature and hedonism.

3.4 Data Analysing Procedure

After collecting all the data and information which relates with the study, the data will be combined and analyzed to get what the writer want and has been planned in the object of this thesis. In analyze the data uses library research and applied the qualitative descriptive method. The writer has some steps to analyzing this research.

For the first step, is re-reading the data. In this step, the writer re-reads these two novels: in Sophie Kinsella‘s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene

Endah‘s Cewek Matre.

The second step, is interpreting the data. In this step, the writer interprets in both novels Sophie Kinsella‘s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah‘s

Cewek Matre based on their motif. Both of novels have the similar motif, that is hedonism. The writer takes the quotation from these two novels. The quotations can be stated from the text—from words, sentences, or clauses.

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The third steps, is analyzing and comparing the data. In this step, the writer analyzes about hedonism in both novels Sophie Kinsella‘s Confessions of a

Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah‘s Cewek Matre. After analyzing, the writer compares how hedonism as portrayed in the two novels, through either the similar meaning or the different meaning of text, of each words, sentences, and clauses. And

The last steps, is concluding and summarizing the data. The writer concludes and summarizes the similarities and the differences of hedonism in novels Sophie

Kinsella‘s Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alberthiene Endah‘s Cewek Matre.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

In this chapter, the researcher is going to analyze hedonism in both of the novel. This chapter provides the analysis of the problems of this thesis.

In these two novels, the qualities that have high value are beauty, youth, taste, the knowledge for and the means to afford designer fashion and branded stuffs. In both novels, the main female characters are described as young women with limited means because of their not very promising positions in their career, but they have the expert taste and knowledge for fashion and branded stuffs. Around them are women who share their taste and knowledge and have the means to afford the lifestyle. The ideology of a consumer culture is that it marginalizes those without means or enough funds to join in the celebration of consumption and encourages credit under the pretext of empowering them to be at the center of the culture of consumption.

4.1 Hedonism in Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic

I have finished reading the novels completely and I found 4 of 7 characteristics of hedonism in the first novel and the characteristics have similarity with the characteristic of postmodernism. Hedonism in this novel can be seen in three activities done by the main character to qualify hedonism tendency, they are: shopping branded stuffs, competing, and being materialistic.

4.1.1 Shopping Branded Stuffs

Rebecca Bloomwood, the main character in the first novel, is young woman in London. She is a journalist in Successful Saving magazine, it is a financial magazine. She lives with her bestfriend in apartment, her friend loves her, they love

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each other like a sister. Rebecca Bloomwood have a nickname Becky or Bex. Her parents always call her Becky but her bestfriend call her with name ―Bex‖.

Rebecca very likes shopping everything in all of popular brand and than she always wants and obsession to became a popular woman in London. This idea is supported by the following:

―It makes my eyes look bigger, it makes my haircut look more expensive, it makes me look like a different person. I‘ll be able to wear it with everything.people will refer to me as the Girl in the Denny and George Scarf‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 11).

She is a beautifull woman and humoris woman, she does not like so seriously.

Rebecca Bloomwood looks confident if she wears the clothes from popular brand like Gucci, Celvin Clein, Armani, D&K, Christian Dior, Denny and George and so on. She wants to be a class women in London. She is very like shopping and all about sale in brands shop. So she never control her shopping everyday, everymont, every year. This idea is supported by the following:

―In the window of Denny and George is a discreet sign. It‘s a dark green with cream lettering, and it says: SALE‖. (Kinsella, 2000: 10).

"The girl looks at the label.‖Reduced from £340 to £120.‖ There is no question. I have to have this scarf. I have to have it‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 11).

It shows us that the quotation is one example of hedonism characteristic, that is fulfilling many desires that arise spontaneously. In the describing of the pleasure for very little retaining so when people want something must get it. It also appropriate with this statement ―having instan view, see something effort to obtain of assets of the end result rather than the process to make the final result. This leads to the next attitude, rationalization or justification to meet the pleasure‖. It because the

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main character wants to have the scarf, although she doesn‘t have enough money, she will do anything to get the scarf because she must have it.

She is always image a brand and she hope to becaming a trendy woman. This idea is supported by the following:

―I‘m really thingking about a gorgeous black top I saw in Joseph and wether I can afford the trousers as well‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 13).

She always panic if she can buy something that she wants, than make her like a crazy woman. This idea is supported by the following:

―What? I stare at the phone in horror. No, I can‘t pick up a boody report. I need to pick up my VISA card! I need to secure my scarf.‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 16).

―Oh God. I close my eyes and think quickly. An hour here. Rush back to the office, pick up my VISA card, back to Deny and George, get my scarf, rush to Westminster, pick up the report.‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 16).

―I‘m too concerned about my scarft. What if I don‘t make it back in time? What if someone puts in a higher offer? The very thought makes me panic.‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 16).

―Of course! I‘ll paycash for the scarf. No one can argue with cash. I can get £100 out on my cash card, so all I need is another £20, and the scarf is mine.‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 16).

Rebecca Bloomwood looks confident if she wears the clothes from popular brand like Gucci, Celvin Clein, Armani, D&K, Christian Dior, Denny and George and so on. She wants to be a class women in London.

She is becoming depression, worried, and panic it cause her shoping can‘t be control. She spent a lot of money and spent her limit in her credit card. And than the bank sent a bill to her, the bank wants she paid. This idea is supported by the following:

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―OK. DON‘T PANIC. Don‘t panic. It‘s only a VISA bill. It‘s a piece of paper; a few numbers. I mean, just how scary can a few numbers be?‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 5).

―Oh shit. ― My heart starts to thump.‖What did you say? Did you say I‘ve got glandular fever?‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 26).

―You were supposed to say I was in bed with glandular fever and a broken leg‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 26).

―I lie in bed staring up at the ceiling and, for the first time in months, calculate how much I owe to everybody. Te bank, VISA, my Harvey Nicholas card, my Debenhams card, my fenwicks card …… and now Suze, too. It‘s about ….. lets think….. it‘s about £6,000‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 26).

These quotations are example of the hedonism characteristic. This quotations appropriate with this statement ―having instan view, see something effort to obtain of assets of the end result rather than the process to make the final result. This leads to the next attitude, rationalization or justification to meet the pleasure‖ and ―become the physical modernity chaser. The person holds that have high-tech goods is pride‖.

It because the main character wants to get something and she doesn‘t careabout how the way to get that thing, she just wants to have it, no matter what she will do.

And than she becomes a lier woman, she always lie to people that she loves, like; her mother, her friend, and the man who watch her.

4.1.2 Competing

In Confessions of a Shopaholic, Becky shops with her credit cards and sometimes cannot even pay the minimum charges, thus she has a mounting debts.

Her job as a financial journalist for Successful Saving magazine becomes an irony; as a person who is taken as an expert in money saving and investment is in serious debt.

Mostly she cannot afford the designer fashions that mark a person‘s stature in her circles and she feels marginalizes by the power of the other women who have the

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ability to afford these stuffs. It causes her to be in low self-esteem and to envy and admire these other women. This idea is supported by the following:

They‘re all the same, the girls at Brandon C, as they call it. They are well dressed, well spoken, are married to bankers, and have zero sense of humor. Alicia falls into the identikit pattern exactly, with her baby-blue suit, silk Hermes scarf, and matching baby-blue shoes, which I‘ve seen in Russell and Bromley, and they cost an absolute fortune. (I bet she‘s got the bag as well.) She‘s also got a suntan, which must mean she‘s just come back from Mauritius or somewhere, and suddenly I feel a bit pale and weedy in comparison (Kinsella, 2000: 13).

The feeling that is evoked is very upsetting when facing another woman whose body is adorned with exactly the things Becky cannot afford. Reminded of her lack, Becky has mixed feelings toward Alicia. There is admiration for Alicia‘s success in her career and marriage, and is envious that she cannot be like Alicia. To sooth this feeling of inadequacy, Becky sought to take a belittling attitude toward

Alicia and all the other women who are like her. Becky‘s judgment of Alicia is based on the high value commodities on her body and she is the one who bestows Alicia the power over herself. This means that the play of power as seen in this incident is done by consent by both who has the means and the one who does not, based on a certain shared criteria.

Without the presence of one who is considered to be more powerful, the feeling of inadequacy is absent. Just before she meets Alicia, Becky is perfectly satisfied with herself and is confident about her appearance. This idea is supported by the following:

I don‘t look bad, I think. I‘m wearing my black skirt from French Connection, and a plain white T-shirt from Knickerbox, and a little angora Cardigan which I got from M&S but looks like it might be Agnes b. And my new square-toed shoes from Hobbs. Even better, although no one can see them, I know that underneath I‘m wearing my gorgeous new matching knickers and bra with embroidered yellow rosebuds. They‘re the best bit

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of my entire outfit. In fact, I almost wish I could be run over so that the world would see them (Kinsella, 2000: 10).

The brand names of Becky‘s outfit are quite expensive, but not as exclusive as Alicia‘s Hermes scarf or Russell and Bromley‘s shoes. In a consumer culture, these commodities are also placed in a social hierarchy that put high price and exclusivity in the highest position. The prestige of these commodities will be transferred to whoever can afford them and with this prestige comes the power.

When she has no competitors around, Becky is quite satisfied with what she wears and even wants the world to see her, including her underwear, if she can. But when there is a competitor and she is compared to another woman who has more exclusive stuffs, Becky is suddenly robbed of her self-worth and power. In these expensive and exclusive stuffs sit power for self-confidence and respect.

The competition with the other woman is not just in the respect of clothing, but also in the ability to earn more money. Becky‘s journalist friend, Elly, used to be in the same shoes like Becky, using her credit cards to the limit and can afford to pay only the minimum charge, always out of cash and is as obsessed as Becky in shopping. But after she has a new career as a fund manager, her life is drastically changed because she is paid much more. This idea is supported by the following:

The truth is, I earn ₤21,000. And I thought that was a lot! I remember really well, when I moved jobs, I jumped from ₤18,000 to ₤21,000, and I thought I‘d made the big time. . . . But now it sounds like nothing. I should be earning forty grand, like Elly, and buying all my clothes at Karen Millen. Oh, it‘s not fair. My life is a complete disaster. . . . I feel pretty morose (Kinsella, 2000: 82).

The other example is her meeting with Lucy, Tom‘s fiancée. Tom is the son of her parents‘ neighbor, Janice and Martin, who always insinuate that she is secretly in love with their son. This idea is supported by the following:

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―This is Lucy,‖ he says proudly, and pulls forward a slim girl with big blue eyes, holding about sixty-five carrier bags. And I don‘t believe it. It‘s the girl who was buying all the stuff in Ally Smith. The girl whose boyfriend was paying. . . ―You work for Wetherby‘s?‖ I say aghast. Why am I surrounded by City high-flyers? ―Yes,‖ she says. ―I‘m one of their political advisers.‖ What? What does this mean? Is she really brainy, or something? Oh god, this gets worse and worse (Kinsella, 2000: 93-94).

These two quotations reveal that Becky feels herself to be a failure due to her lost in the competition with other women in term of their success in getting prestigious jobs that pay well and in having a boyfriend who would pay for her shopping. It also shows that in a consumer culture, insatiable consumption is the main principle and however much money you have; it will not be enough to satisfy one‘s desire for more and more new commodities. Even though Becky earns more in her present job, it is still not enough, because the more income she has, the more commodities she wants, and thus, her earning cannot keep up with her spending. This phenomena as the symptoms of the new consumerism as ―an upscaling of lifestyle norms; the pervasiveness of conspicuous, status goods and of competition for acquiring them; and the growing disconnect between consumer desires and incomes.‖ In this new consumerism, there is a wide gap between consumption and income, as one‘s pattern of consumption is not determined by one‘s income but how to get more money to afford the lifestyle.

4.1.3 Being Materialistic

Becky is aware that they have to possess more money to pay for the lifestyles that would put her in the high social position like the other women she admires and envy. Becky crave for the respect and admiration that come with the possession of luxurious stuffs and lifestyles, they need to possess the exact means to promote their worth by selling themselves to the market. Becky‘s strategy is to get a respectable

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job. Elly‘s and Lucy‘s prestigious jobs, inspire her to apply for the similar high-paid job using the service of a job agent. This idea is supported by the following:

And it is easy. So easy that ten o‘clock the next morning sees me walking nervously up to the front door of William Green, top City head-hunters. As I push the door open I glimpse my own reflection and feel a little thrill go through my stomach. Am I really doing this? You bet I am. I‘m wearing my smartest black suit, and tights and high heels, with an FT [Financial Times] under my arm, obviously. And I‘m carrying the briefcase with the combination lock . . . it looks the part. And that‘s what counts (Kinsella, 2000: 101-102).

Becky understands that appearance sells and image is important to impress, because usually future employers are easily impressed by image. The FT and serious looking briefcase are part of the accessories for a convincing role-play as a smart and respectable financial expert. Her knowledge of the part leads her to consciously monitor her appearance. Becky‘s knowledge of the necessity of role-playing is based on her job interview with Successful Saving. She went to the interview ―holding copies of the Financial Times and the Investor’s Chronicle–and I didn‘t get asked about finance once‖ (Kinsella, 2000: 10). She was instantly hired for the job in

Successful Saving because of her success in role-playing the part of a smart candidate. That she is not what her appearance implies is not a matter for consideration, because she plays to convince.

In this second interview, she is also instantly hired without testing her about her knowledge in finance. She is instantly hired because of her impressive curriculum vitae, which she makes up. This idea is supported by the following:

―And your financial knowledge,‖ she says, pulling my CV towards her. ―You seemed to have covered a lot of different areas during your years in financial journalism.‖ . . . ―And we‘ll be able to negotiate you a very attractive package.‖ ―Really?‖ Suddenly, I can‘t quite breathe. She‘s going to negotiate an attractive package. For me! . . . God, this is

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fantastic. This is a bloody dream come true. I‘m going to be a banker! And not just any old baker—a triple-A-rated banker! (Kinsella, 2000: 104-105).

The interviewer is taken by the impression that Becky radiates and to believe whatever is written in the CV to be Becky‘s real credentials. The truth is that Becky has lied about her CV and she loses this prestigious job when she is asked to prove her ability to speak Finnish, a language she professes she is fluent in. This idea is supported by the following:

I start backing away. . . I turn. And I run. . . . I don‘t look right and I don‘t look left. I don‘t think about the fact that I‘ve just completely shredded any chances I had of becoming a top city banker. All I can think about is getting to that glass door and getting outside before anyone can . . . (Kinsella, 2000: 106).

This quotation illustrates the failure of appearances, which are likened to a

―lie‖ versus the inner self, which is likened to the ―truth‖. The failure to compensate the inner quality by appearance suggests that the ideology of consumerism that idolizes appearance is simply a mask, a cover up for one‘s lack. Like in Cewek

Matre, what Becky has done is something unethical based on the ideology of morality, yet there is no shameful feeling over what she has done like in Lola. Becky is just afraid that somebody would come to publicly embarrass her, so, in Becky‘s case, she has no inner conflict over her lies, believing that it is just a part of the game she has to play in order to succeed in her career. Her lying is taken as an act of survival and strategy to sell herself.

Like in Cewek Matre, the how to get to one‘s success is as important. In the case of Becky, she cannot be successful if she is lying and she will be successful if she is not. She gets her later success when she decides to help Tom‘s parents from being cheated by an insurance company, but what makes it work is her determination

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to gain others‘ respect, especially from people who have not taken her seriously like

Luke Brandon and Alicia. This idea is supported by the following:

Then gradually it comes to me that this is the way I always get treated when I ring up press offices. No one‘s ever in any hurry to answer my questions, are they? People are always putting me on hold, saying they‘ll ring me back and not bothering. . . But today I do care. Today what I‘m doing does seem important, and I do want to be taken seriously. . . . I‘ll show Alicia, I think fiercely. I‘ll show them all, Luke Brandon included. Show them that I, Rebecca Bloomwood, am not a joke (Kinsella, 2000: 167).

Her decisiveness to take herself seriously comes from her realization that she has not taken herself seriously before. By taking herself seriously, Becky gets a new job in a television show called Morning Coffee as a financial adviser that allows her to pay her debts. The flows of events in Becky‘s life seem to imply that a more dominant ideology is replacing the ideology of consumerism that negates the importance of appearance and reinforces the importance of the true self. There is a suggestion here that role-playing is a failure because there is an authentic self in

Becky that is admirable. Yet, Becky is successful in her other role-play as a serious journalist for a tabloid, a gossip paper that is never taken seriously like Becky‘s FT.

These incidents indicate that Becky can successfully role-play in the world of popular media rather than in a serious job like banking. The world of popular media is the world she knows well; therefore she can manipulates the working of the popular media for her gain. Therefore, the ideology of consumerism is still as dominant, because her success in her new job, depends as much on her role-play as an expert financial adviser.

Aside from treating themselves as commodities to be marketed, Becky and

Lola treat the men as commodities to be chosen from. Like the woman‘s body, the man‘s body is also treated as an object, a commodity. The view that traditionally

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treats only the woman‘s body as the object to be looked at is no longer valid in a consumer culture, because women and men can be both subject and object. The similar principle applied to a woman‘s body is also applicable to a man‘s. Becky and

Lola choose the men they fall in love with, like choosing the commodities in their shopping spree. Their taste for exclusive and branded stuffs is also reflected in their taste for men. Both the commodities and the men should have certain desirable qualities that bespeak of their high value and social status.

Like shopping, Becky peruses the appearance of the men that are eligible.

Their physical stature as well as taste in fashion and lifestyles should fulfill certain criteria that meet her taste. Below are two quotations that describe Becky‘s opinion on Luke Brandon and Tarquin. This idea is supported by the following:

I look up, and almost choke on my champagne. It‘s Luke Brandon, head honcho of Brandon Communications, staring straight at me as if he knows exactly what I‘m thinking. Staring straight down at me, I should say. He must be well over six feet tall with dark hair and dark eyes and . . . wow. Isn‘t that suit nice? . . . As I run my eyes over it I find myself wondering if it‘s by Oswald Boateng . . . He started Brandon Communications from nothing, and now it‘s the biggest financial PR company in London. A few months ago he was listed in The Mail as one of the cleverest entrepreneurs of his generation. It said his IQ was phenomenally high and he had a photographic memory (Kinsella, 2000: 13).

I‘m not that keen on Fenella and Tarquin. . . they‘re a bit weird. They‘re both very skinny, but in a pale, bony way and have the same slightly protruding teeth. . . . Tarquin, frankly, looks just like a stoat. Or a weasel. Some bony little creature, anyway. They do strange things, too. They ride around on a tandem and wear matching jumpers knitted by their old nanny . . . (Kinsella, 2000: 55).

Becky describes Luke positively unlike her negative description of Tarquin.

Becky becomes the one who looks at the body and is in power to decide which one is desirable and which one is not. Becky admires Luke‘s athletic figure, good-looking

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face, expensive outfit, intelligence and the aura of power surrounding Luke. Luke‘s overall image is the image of a successful person with power, good taste and luxurious lifestyle. The qualities that Luke possesses are the qualities that have a high social status in a consumer culture, because his body is the bearer of the expensive commodities and more importantly, he has the money to consume.

Despite their gap in wealth, career and intelligence, Becky and Luke are similar in all other aspects related to taste and lifestyles. In a consumer culture, this seems to be the only things that count.

The second quotation describes Tarquin and his sister Fenella. Compared to

Luke, Tarquin does not have the figure or the taste that Becky admires. If Luke takes her to shop at Harrods and lunch at Harvey Nichols, then Tarquin takes her for a pizza on their first dates. Obviously, the similar taste connects Becky to Luke for they share the same value as seen in their same appreciation for exclusive fashion and lifestyles. Whereas Tarquin does not share the same taste or value as Becky, thus his appreciation for riding horses, keeping dogs, listening to Wagner and giving her a brooch in the shape of a horse are not the things that a city girl like Becky can appreciate. She is more into EastEnders and Coronation Street person. Tarquin is the representation of the people who still believe in old British tradition of aristocratic values, focusing on the inner qualities of a person. He leads a simple life, close to nature, appreciates classical art and literature and never once displays his wealth.

While Becky is the representation of the contemporary society who feels at home in the popular cultures, admire appearance and conspicuous consumption. Basically, they come from two different cultural values. The clash in taste and values make it impossible for them to be well matched.

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Despite this incompatibility, Becky dates Tarquin enthusiastically when she knows that Tarquin is number 15 in the list of Hundred Richest Bachelors compared to Luke who is in number 31. She sees Tarquin as a suitable husband material because of his wealth, so that she deceives herself into believing that she can falls in love with him. This idea is supported by the following:

Tarquin . . . has . . . twenty-five . . . million . . . pounds? . . . I‘m going to be a millionaires. A multimillionaires. . . . Tarquin‘s going to fall in love with me and ask me to marry him . . . I‘ll love him, too. By then. I know I haven‘t exactly been attracted to him in the past . . . but it‘s all a matter of willpower, isn‘t it? . . . I actually fancy him more already. Well, not exactly fancy . . . but just the thought of him makes me feel all excited, which must mean something, mustn‘t it? (Kinsella, 2000: 132-133).

Her frequent questions show that she is not exactly convinced that she can love Tarquin, but Tarquin‘s money makes his have a high value. Tarquin becomes her object of desire because of his ―price‖ rather than his appearance. This incident is comparable to the time Becky bought a bowl with she described as ―shapeless and the wood‘s a nasty shade of brown,‖ but as the seller told her that the bowl was once featured in Elle Decoration, she changed her opinion and persuaded herself that it was a good buy and a classic. This idea is supported by the following:

I can‘t believe it. I‘m holding a piece of Elle Decoration. How cool is that? Now I feel incredibly stylish and trendy . . . It just shows I‘ve good taste. . . Didn‘t I spot its quality? Already I can see our sitting room redesigned entirely around it . . . Eighty quid. That‘s nothing for a timeless piece of style like this. . . And this bowl is quite clearly a classic (Kinsella, 2000: 32).

Becky dislikes the appearance of the bowl like she dislikes Tarquin‘s appearance, but when she knows that the value of the bowl and Tarquin, she convinces herself that they are valuable and she has to possess both the bowl and

Tarquin. Despite the unsightly appearance of Tarquin, he has high value and she

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would be very foolish if she does not take the opportunity to marry Tarquin. Becky similar attitude to the bowl and Tarquin shows that she just see Tarquin as a piece of investment for her gain in wealth and prestige, so in a sense, he is just another valuable commodity.

4.2 Hedonism in Alberthiene Endah’s Cewek Matre

I have finished reading the novels completely and I found 4 of 7 characteristics of hedonism in the second novel and the characteristics have similarity with the characteristic of postmodernism. Hedonism in this novel can be seen in three activities done by the main character to qualify hedonism tendency, they are: shopping branded stuffs, competiing, and being materialistic.

4.2.1 Shopping Branded Stuffs

Lola, the main character in the second novel, is one of the example of a metropolitan woman who was trapped in the transition between the simple life like college, or follow the development of this era of almost hedonistic as it is today. The demands of the association makes Lola should be able to adapt to the environment arround, a perfect appearance is a necessity in a Lola‘s work environment. Work environment that demand appearance be number one makes Lola finally received hedonistic life, and gradually apply the hedonistic behavior in life. Now Lola starts enjoying hedonistic behavior that goes into her behavior leads to more wasting money for goods that are less needed has been one reason for Lola when facing stress at work. It is explained by the following quatation:

Kami bukan hanya belanja tanktop. Tapi juga turtleneck berkualitas bagus. Saya juga beli sepatu dengan detail tali di pergelangan kaki. Sudahlah. Ini kan hari depresi sedunia. Apa sih dosanya pake kartu kredit disaat kepepet? Tekanan bayar tagihan, itu problem bulan depan (Endah, 2004: 52).

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(We are not just shopping tanktop. But also good quality turtleneck. I also buy shoes with strap detail at the ankle. It‘s ok. This is world depression day. What is wrong for using a credit card when cornered? The pressure to pay the bills, that is the problem for next month (My own translation)).

It shows us that this quotation appropriate with what Cicerno says about the characteristics of hedonism that having instan view, see something effort to obtain of assets of the end result rather than the process to make the final result. This leads to the next attitude, rationalization or justification to meet the pleasure, fulfilling many desires that arise spontaneously. In the describing of the pleasure for very little retaining so when people want something must get it. The main character must have the things she wants, she never think how the way to get it because whatever she wants she must get it although she has to go into debt and using credit cards. And the main character is happy to use credit card because she can buy anything she wants using credit cards. It appropriates with this statement ―become the physical modernity chaser. The person holds that have high-tech goods is pride‖.

Lola‘s hedonistic behavior makes her appearance be number one. Lola considers that a perfect appearance will bring her to a better life. Lola feels if she has a glamorous appearance, she would get a rich boyfriend. Although financially insufficient to shop for luxury goods in the shopping center, but the passion hedonistic already unavoidable. Finally, many of the women in big cities, is no exception Lola, were in an ironic situation. It is explained by the following quatation:

Dilihat dari penampilan luar, style belanja kami tak ubahnya ibu-ibu kaya yang doyan menghamburkan duit lebih di mal ini. Sebelah tangan menjinjing tas kerja. Sebelah tangan yang kerepotan menenteng tas plastik belanja. Sudah begitu, jemari kami masih aktif bahkan hiperaktif, bergerak memilah-milah baju, dengan tatapan mata begitu memburu. Seolah-olah kami masih punya lagi sekarung duit yang wajib kami belanjakan malam ini. Siapa sangka duit kami tinggal sejutaan saja di

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ATM. Oh, my God. Inilah yang namanya miskin tapi sombong. Betapa banyaknya manusia macam saya di belantara Jakarta ini (Endah, 2004: 52). (Seen from the outside appearance, our shopping style is not unlike wealthy mothers who love spending money at the mall. A hand carrying a briefcase. Hand the hassles of carrying a plastic shopping bag. It is so, our fingers are still active even hyperactive, moving sorting the clothes, with a stare so hard. As if we still had another sack of money that we are obliged to spend in this night. Who would have thought we just have one million rupiah in ATM. Oh, my God. This is the name of the poor woman but arrogant. How many person like me in the wilderness in this Jakarta (My own translation)).

This quotation supports what Cicerno says about the characteristic of hedonism, one of them is no matter how much money they earned, the hedonist will always find any ways to spend them over again for many species including clothing, home, luxury goods. The main character will spend her money over again to buy anything she wants including branded things, for example branded bags and clothes.

They will feel that they still have much money in their ATM, so they will spend them over again.

From some of the data that has been described previously, it can be concluded that the existing hedonistic behavior on Lola is the formation of the surrounding environment. Having a hedonistic behavior is not the initial desire of

Lola, but the environment continues to evolve towards the consumer to make Lola must follow changing times in order not eliminated the social environment.

Wasting money is one of hedonistic behavior Lola has. Wasting money here can be categorized in buying of goods that are not too important, treat her friends to buy branded clothes, and always spending her time in the night entertainment place.

When Lola has a lot of money, Lola did not hesitate to buy a dress that is very expensive just to get the recognition of her fellow public relations throughout

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Jakarta. Recognition and self-image that makes Lola willing to spend lots of money to buy the goods that would support her appearance.

Lola's behavior is not the behavior that is contained in the work environment of Lola. Although Lola‘s work environment is a work environment that is always competing to be the best in terms of appearance, but the action of Lola in spending a lot of money for less important things are very much different from the behavior of

Lola‘s friends in office. Lola interpret that an attractive appearance and a broad insight requires a lot of costs, so that in the minds of Lola had thought to look stylish costly.

Beside the environment, Lola can wasting money Lola can wasting money as she likes because Lola has a source of funds comes from the men who became her boyfriend. Lola, with all the strenghts and beauty that she has, utilizing her body to get rich men who want to fund her glamorous life. The presence of rich men around her make hedonistic behavior in herself is growing, Lola willing to exchange her body with money even though it violates the norms that exist in the family and

Lola‘s work environment.

Hedonistic behavior that Lola has is not innate behavior, but the behavior comes up from the environment arround her. At first, Lola feels uncomfortable with hedonistic behaviors that she has, do not have more money often makes Lola hesitate when she wants to shop. But Lola still choose to spending money to buy branded goods, because like most people who behave hedonic that shopping and luxurious lifestyles is a pleasure of life that they deserve in any way.

In the big cities, go to the shopping center has become part of a lifestyle that can not be separated from the society. Everyday, the people always go to the shopping center. Shopping center becomes an alternative places to look for an

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entertainment for the urban community that hedonistic behavior becomes thrives especially in big cities.

Besides to satisfying the spending appetite is great, Lola also buy some clothes that would elevate her image in public relations meetings throughout Jakarta.

Lola always feel depressed and unhappy when attending public relations meetings, because in the event, the public relations office of the entire Jakarta vying to appear as glamorous as possible. It is explained by the following quatation:

Kemudian saya juga masuk ke Ojero. Ada terusan-terusan warna hitam yang bisa dipakai di banyak kesempatan. Kerja dan pesta. Undangan pertemuan humas se-DKI itu tak akan membuat saya minder lagi. Terusan hitam yang anggun ini akan menampilkan diri saya dalam siluet terbaik. Dengan tas Dior pinjaman dari Barbi, saya akan membelalakkan mata humas- humas arogan itu. Saya memilih satu terusan dengan cutting yang menurut saya terseksi. Harganya 1,2 juta. Silvia memandang saya dengan tatapan geli (Endah, 2004: 196). (Then I also go into Ojero. There black dress that can be weared on many occasions. Work and party. Public Relations meeting invitations in whole DKI would not make me feel inferior anymore. This elegant black dress will show myself in the best silhouette. With Barbi‘s Dior bag, I'll widened arrogant public relations eyes. I choose one dress with cutting that I think is the sexiest. The price is 1.2 million. Silvia looks at me with a look of amusement (My own translation)).

Although big city like Jakarta has a lot of people who behave hedonistic, but

Lola social environment dominated by middle class who do not behave hedonistic.

Lola‘s Family and friends are individuals who are less interested in the consumptive lifestyle, they are indeed following the current fashion trends, but not to impose the will to always follow the existing trend. Unlike Lola who received hedonistic culture that upper class socialites have without adapted to Lola‘s conditions and environment.

Lola finally become a different person in her environment, Lola is no longer a simple person. If seen from the outside, Lola does not look like a radio public

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relations, Lola looked more like upper class socialite community who was in a radio station. Lola appearance is of course become a spotlight Lola's friends in the office,

Lola become the subject of conversation her friends. They consider what Lola wears during in the office is excessive, Lola is no longer a public relations in radio where she works, but more like a walking statue displaying branded goods all over her body.

4.2.2 Competing

Lola is envious of her colleagues who can afford the designer clothes, shoes, handbags and trinkets. She mentions Verena, a script writer in her office whose lifestyle is supported by her fiancée, the son of a private airline owner; Linda, who has a rich husband; Bianca, who is the daughter of a private bank director; Miranda whose husband is the son of a high ranking government officer; and Saskia and Lita who choose to have several wealthy boyfriends to pay for their expensive lifestyles.

Because of her inability to compete with the other girls in her office, she is pitied and it makes her hate herself for her limited means as seen in this quotation:

Suatu kali saya pernah melihat mata Evieta menancap ketat pada tas tangan saya [Lola] yang murni saya beli di bursa tas murah di Tajur , Bogor. Tak berapa lama kemudian dia mecolek Sisil, saling berbisik, sedikit tertawa, dan meneruskan mencuri lirik pada tas tangan saya yang malang itu. Sejak itu, saya membenci mereka. Dan membenci diri sendiri kenapa nggak bisa sekeren mereka (Endah, 2004: 20). (Once, I saw Evieta looked at my cheap handbag that I bought at Tajur, Bogor. Then, she signaled to Sisil, they whispered, laughed a little and continued to steal glances at my poor handbag. Since that time, I hated them. And I hated myself for my inability to be as stylish as they are (My own translation)).

There are two important points that are worth mentioning here. The first one is that the other women can afford their luxurious lifestyles because a wealthy man financially supports each of them. This suggests that a woman like Lola, who does

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not have any man to support her, has no chance in the competition. Basically, then, the men without whom they are powerless give the high social position and power to these women to be able to compete with their group. The second point is that it causes self-hatred for the sense of powerlessness. The concept that ―we become what we consume‖ is not as simple as it seems because what Lola consumes is what she can afford not what she can choose. Her self-hatred comes from her powerlessness to choose and construct the identity she desires. It might go to say that she is not what she consumes. Yet, like Becky, she agrees to the idea that she deserves to be humiliated and willingly gives power to women like Evieta, Sisil and also Linda.

Aside from envy and self-hatred, the power of that with money is also acknowledged and admired. Lola is envious of Linda, but at the same time she also admires her and acknowledges Linda‘s power over her. This idea is supported by the following:

Dia [Linda] bawa birkin bag Hermes ke ruang rapat. Digeletakkan dengan kesan tak sengaja tapi mereknya dibuat tampak jelas ke mata khalayak. Bukan main. Saya lihat Linda begitu menguasai ruangan dengan siraman benda mahal yang ada di sekujur tubuhnya. Jamnya Bvlgari. Kalung rantainya Louis Vuitton. Bajunya kentara sekali keluaran Prada. Pernah saya lihat di majalah Cosmopolitan. Itu belum termasuk kilau berlian yang dijamin asli. Saya menelan ludah. Betapa sulitnya menjadi tabah. Selamat datang di dunia khayal ..... (Endah, 2004: 37). (She [Linda] brought her Hermes bag to the meeting room. She seemed to carelessly put it down but she made sure the brand was obvious to all. How wonderful. I saw how Linda dominated the room with the shower of expensive stuffs on her body. Her watch was Bvlgari. Her necklace was Louis Vuitton. It was obvious that her clothes were Prada. I had seen it in Cosmopolitan. On top of that was the sparkle of her genuine diamond. I swallowed my saliva. How difficult it was to be brave. Welcome to the fantasy world (My own translation)).

Linda is aware of the power that is given to her when under the pretense of a careless action; she shows the brand name of her bag. The expensive stuffs displayed

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on Linda‘s body automatically reflects Linda‘s higher social position compared to those, especially Lola, who do not or cannot afford to possess the similar things. The position is for her taking as she has the qualities, which by consensus are deemed desirable and have high exchange value. Therefore she has the other‘s admiration and together with that admiration she is given power over the other who are in the lower position of the social hierarchy. It is important that the other women who willingly take the lower position have the knowledge of the values of the clothes, bag and trinkets that Linda has for her to be able to occupy a higher position. Other‘s failure to share or acknowledge the value of those commodities will deny her the power. The competition is played like a game in which every player has to go by the rules of the game for everybody to be able to play in the same game.

In Cewek Matre, it can be said that the power of a woman like Linda, is given by the men and by the other women who are in the lower social ladder. It means that anytime the power can be seized from her by any of the men and the other women who can afford more. This might mean that she is also powerless, depending on others to give her the power. Principally, the possession of power is just an illusion that is disguised as a reality by the dominant group, like the group with money. In its relation to the body, a woman possesses her body, but she does not own it because it is the other who asserts meaning over her by what she displays on her body. Yet, she is not totally in an objectified position as she also manipulates the means she has, money, men, other women and knowledge for commodities for the position of power.

4.2.3 Being materialistic

Lola uses the strategy of selling her body for economic gain. Both her male and female friends describe her as a beautiful girl by the Indonesian standard of

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beauty. She has a fascinating figure and the pretty face of Nadya Hutagalung (well- known Indonesian model) and Ratna Sari Dewi. Lola is aware of her own attractiveness which she describes as the qualities she inherited from her Solo-Dutch father for her high nose, cleft chin and high cheek bones and from her mother, who is of Bandung born, a clear skin complexion and sweet looking lips. These qualities of beauty, a mixture of eastern-western characteristics, are considered to be desirable by the Indonesian. Her friends, Silvia and Palupi, encourage Lola to take advantage of her beauty for her own gain. This idea is supported by the following:

“Lu cantik, La. . . . Kemungkinan lu dapat cowok kaya jauh lebih gede dibanding gue [Silvia] . . . kenapa sih lu ga pake kelebihan lu itu untuk meringankan beban lu? . . .Lu nggak harus pacaran. Cukup lu buka pergaulan sama manusia berjenis kelamin laki-laki. Dengan perincian sebagi berikut: lumayan cakep, berduit tebal, royal, dan hobi nraktir. Hidup lu bisa lebih ringan. Baju dibeliin, pulsa dibeliin, makan-minum dibayaran, nonton ditraktir. Dan sssst .....banyak cowok sekarang yang juga rela ngasih cash buat cewek-cewek yang mereka suka!” (Endah, 2004: 55-56).

“. . . Ada apa sih dalam hidup lu, sampe muka cakep lu dianggurin begitu!” (Endah, 2004: 105). (You‘re beautiful, La. . . . the possibility for you to have a rich man is greater than mine [Silvia]. . . why don‘t you use your extra qualities to lighten your burden? . . .You don‘t have to go for serious dating. Just widen your social horizon with men who have these characteristics: quite good looking, have money, generous, and like to treat. Your life would be easier. Somebody pays for your clothes, telephone bills, foods, going to the cinemas. And sssst.....now many men also give cash willingly to the girls they like. What is wrong with you, that you do not take advantage of your beauty! (My own translation)).

What Silvia suggests, using Bourdieu‘s concept, is to convert Lola‘s physical capital to economic capital. Lola‘s physical traits are considered to have high exchange value compared to Silvia‘s who is described as having a round face and very thick lips or Palupi who is very thin with a pitiful face. Lola‘s body is a commodity with high value and it would depend on her ability to sell her beauty to

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gain good social standing, which is equal to luxurious lifestyles. Lola decides to take this suggestion and dates men for their money. In the game of consuming, it seems that every effort is justified to win the competition for power that come with high social standing. On the contrary, in the Indonesian society, a woman who exchanges her beauty for status is considered to be a woman of low morality and her status would usually be degraded.

Lola invites Anggara to meet in a cafe and have a dinner and then she asks for a new communicator worth 9 million rupiah to Anggara. This idea is supported by the following:

“Besok jadi nge-date, kan? Don’t tell me NO”. “Jadi dong. Tetep Cafe Wien ya. Jemput saya jam 18.00”. “Ok. Pasti. On time”. (Endah, 2004: 137). (―We will date tomorrow, right? Don‘t tell me NO‖. ―Of course. Fixed in Cafe Wien, ok. Pic me up at 18.00‖ ―Ok. Sure. On time‖ (My own translation)).

“Saya pengin Communicator terbaru. Lebih cocok untuk kesibukan saya”. “Really? Communicator seharga hampir sembilan juta rupiah?”. (Endah, 2004: 155). (―I want a newest Communicator. It‘s more suitable for my activity‖ ―Really? Communicator worth 9 million rupiah?‖ (My own translation)).

This quotation support what Cicerno says about characteristics of hedonism, that is become the physical modernity chaser. The person holds that have high-tech goods is pride. As we know that communicator is a high-tech and it will be a pride for someone who has a new communicator, so they will do anything to have it, like

Lola, the main character in this novel. She will feel pleasure if she has a new communicator and she asks to Anggara to buy it for her. Lola lies to Anggara and she says that her old phone is broken and she needs a new handphone. Whereas, Lola just turn her handphone off so her friend doesn‘t bother her and Anggara anymore, but

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Anggara thinks that Lola‘s handphone is turn off and damage. This idea is supported by the following:

“Lalu diam-diam, saya pencet tombol off , sehingga handphone tak berkutik lagi.” (I press off button quietly, so handphone can be used anymore.) “Mati?” Tiba-tiba Anggara nyeletuk. Saya agak terkejut. (Turn off? Anggara says suddenly. I am surprised.) “Handphone-mu mati?” tanyanya lagi. (Your handphone turns off? He asks again.) “Handphone saya ngadat terus nih. Dikit-dikit mati, dikit-dikit mati (Endah, 2004: 148).

Lola is aware that morally, what she is doing is considered humiliating, yet her suppressed desire to possess the stuffs she cannot afford and the desired not to be looked down by her peers, win over her sense of right or wrong as is seen in this quotation:

Saya tahu ini sungguh memalukan. Sangat memalukan. Tapi saya sudah kadung berada pada nafsu itu. Nafsu dibayarin. Kelak Anda akan tahu betapa sulitnya berada di perbatasan itu. Antara mempertahankan harga diri dan hasrat mendapatkan keuntungan gratis (Endah, 2004: 153). (I know this was really shameful. Very shameful. But I was already craving. Craving for something free. Later you would know how difficult it was to be in that border. Between your self-respect and the craving for free benefits (My own translation)).

The social sanction is also something predictable when Lola‘s colleagues find out how she gets the means to pay for her lifestyles and they sneer over her like what

Arintha does. This idea is supported by the following:

“Iya! Lain dong rasanya, beli barang pake duit sendiri. Lagian , apa enaknya beli barang hasil morotin cowok. Hidup nggak tenang. Musti ngorbanin harga diri pula!” suara Arintha makin nyaring... Saya meneguk air putih cepat-cepat. Berusaha meredakan emosi yang terbakar dalam tempo yang sangat cepat . . . tiba-tiba saya merasa sakit perut (Endah, 2004: 315). (―Of course! It feels different to buy with your own money. Moreover, what is so nice about buying things from stripping off a man‘s money. Your life is not at peace. You have to sacrifice your self-respect, too!‖ Arintha‘s voice was getting louder. I

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drank the water quickly. Trying to control my emotion . . . suddenly I felt pain in my stomach (My own translation)).

Basically, Lola‘s position remains fix that she is looked down when she does not have the branded stuffs and she is also looked down when she has them. Here we can find two contradictory ideologies, the ideology of consumerism and of morality, in which one encourages a woman to have limitless fund to consume the offered commodities and the latter one discourages a woman to have the fund by selling her body to be able to enjoy these commodities. The ideology of consumerism is concerned with the end (the possession of commodities) rather than the means as seen in the high social status it bestows to women like Linda and Arintha; whereas the ideology of morality is concerned more on the means rather than the end as seen in Lola‘s shame and humiliation. Lola‘s shame over what she does with her body suggests that she is subjected by the ideology of morality.

It is in the name of morality that Lola later on chooses to become a model for the advertisements of several beauty products and she appears on billboards and women magazines. Even though basically she is still selling her body, but what she does is in the corridor of morality that she earns respect instead of humiliation. Her self-respect radiates when she says that she walks past Linda and Arintha, the two women who previously sneered at her, with pride and confidence because she has earned money by hard work. The same principle of body selling can produce different results mean that the body is regulated by two different ideologies. This means that in the case of Lola, her body becomes the site of struggle between two dominant ideologies, which pops up the question over the ownership of a woman‘s body. Lola has no ownership over her body. Her body is publicly owned therefore it is always under public scrutiny and is given meanings over which she has no control.

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Lola chooses men whom she can take advantage of, from her list of names based on their positions in their jobs such as being a manager, a director, or an owner assuming that these positions generate much money. They should also have the look and the personalities suitable to Lola‘s tastes, unlike some of the men in Lola‘s office, Tohir and Poltak, whom she described as local men who are unsightly and have no money. She sought to men like Steven, Philip and Cliff who have the mixture of eastern and western look, graduated from the universities in the U.S. or

U.K. or frequent those countries, share her taste, lead a metropolitan and luxurious lifestyles, have successful careers and more importantly they are from rich family or are generous with their money. One man that Lola falls in love with is Clift, a very gifted photographer whom she describes in great details. This idea is supported by the following:

Ia... sangat tampan! Ia mengenakan T-shirt warna hitam dan jins, juga hitam. . . Atletis, sangat jangkung, berambut cepak ala tentara, dengan wajah yang sempurna cetakannya. . . . alisnya, kepak elang. . . . Suaranya berat, seksi, dan …ia sangat ramah. . . . Clift sangat menggoda (Endah, 2004: 289-291). (He was very good-looking! He wore black T-shirt and jeans. Athlethic, very tall, short hair like the army cut, with a face that was perfectly moulded . . . eyebrows of the eagle‘s wings . . . . his voice is low, sexy and he is very nice. Clift is very tempting (My own translation)).

Clift shows, using Featherstone‘s term, ―the images of body beautiful, of youth, health and fitness‖ that he becomes something desirable, not only for Lola, but also for Silvia, Palupi and her other female colleagues. The description of Clift as something desirable is seen from the female gaze and he is positioned as an object to be desired like how Lola‘s physical qualities are also the object of the male gaze. So, here, we see that Lola is both an object of desire and a subject who desires.

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She likens her searches for men to her shopping spree that the two activities are somewhat similar as both evoke intense emotions. When Lola sees expensive items on sale, she is so excited that she becomes very emotional. This idea is supported by the following:

Sebab di Sogo berderet keranjang berisi baju-baju sale yang modelnya membuat gemes. Begitu menggoda hingga rasanya sekujur tubuh mengeluarkan getar dan detak jantung sudah tak bisa diajak damai. . . . Fendi memang perlu untuk mematok gengsi. . . (Memikirkan ini, napas si perempuan memburu dan sedikit tersengal. Barang bagus amat mudah memancing emosi) (Endah, 2004: 14-15). (Because Sogo had baskets of sale items that were cute. They were so tempting that my whole body seemed to release vibrations and my heart beats could not be controlled . . . Fendi was needed for prestige. . . Thinking of this, the woman‘s breaths become heavy. Excellent stuff easily triggered emotions (My own translation)).

There is a significant likeliness to this emotion when she decides to shop for men, which she likens to hunting. This idea is supported by the following:

Saya merasakan sesuatu berdesir di peredaran darah saya. Ada gelombang. Ya, ya. Hunting. (Endah, 2004: 116). (I felt something surged in my blood stream. There were waves. Yes, yes. Hunting (My own translation)).

Saya menarik napas. Menghembuskannya pelan-pelan. Baru saja saya membuka gerbang kencan dengan pria muda kaya raya. Saya memejamkan mata. Ini transisi penting. Otak saya seperti memerintahkan sesuatu pada perasaan saya. Pada sekujur tubuh saya (Endah, 2004: 167). (I drawed in my breath. Exhaled slowly. I had just openned the gate to dating a rich young man. I closed my eyes. This was an important transition. My brain ordered something to my feelings. To my whole body (My own translation)).

Lola reacts to the two activities with the same fervor, which means that both activities are equally important. Shopping for clothes and for men are activities that require the skills to be able to decide which ones will give most benefits in term of how they can render the most desired images and status. The act of shopping is not

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simply shopping for commodities for their use value, but also for their cultural value.

The boundary between the two is not something fixed; the use value and cultural value of commodities are merged. In a consumer culture, it is almost impossible to detach the cultural value from the use value of commodities.

Lola‘s shopping for men and for products reveal that she is always more attracted to commodities, which own some foreign elements. They are considered to be more desirable and have higher status. Men with foreign names like Steven, Philip and Cliff are judged to be more prestigious compared to the local men with local names of Tohir and Poltak. The first group is desirable, successful and loaded with money and the latter one is not. This idea can also be detected in Lola‘s shopping for branded names. The local products like Tajur bag and Mangga Dua clothes are suggested be cheap and have low status, whereas the foreign products such as Louis

Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci bags or Prada clothes suggest exclusivity and high status.

From this recurring pattern of consumption it can be observed that the local and the foreign are put into a rigid binary. This segregation into two extremes implies that the local is undesirable and the foreign or imported is desirable. The body as a commodity is not free from the aspects of foreign-local values.

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

5.1 Conclusion

Based on the analysis this thesis from the previous chapter, the writer would like to make the following conclusion in order to help students of English Literature in understanding the novel entitled Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and Cewek Matre by Alberthiene Endah. From the both of literary works have been explained the differences and the similarities of hedonism in the novels. a. The similarities and the differences based the element of the novel

Throughout the analysis the elements of the two novels that the writer comes across are listed below. These elements found in the two novels show how they differ and similar to each other:

1. Both of novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre have the same

plot namely, linear.

2. Both of novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre have

difference in setting of place and setting of time. Confessions of a Shopaholic

happens in United Kingdom, and it happens 2000s. While Cewek Matre

happens in Indonesia, and it happens 2004s.

3. Both of novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre have

similarity in point of view. Point on view in Confessions of a Shopaholic and

Cewek Matre is first person.

4. Both novels have similar motifs which are hedonism.

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5. Both of novels, Confessions of a Shopaholic and Cewek Matre have

similarity in character, that is a woman. The main character in Confessions of

a Shopaholic is a a financial journalist and in Cewek Matre is a publicist.

The writer represents the listed elements into a table to look at the similarities and differences in easier and clearer way.

Table 1

Elements of the Novels Confession of a Shopaholic Cewek Matre

Plot Linear Linear

Setting of Place British or United Kingdom Indonesia

Setting of Time 2000s 2004s

Point of View First Person First Person

Motive Hedonism Hedonism

Character Woman, a financial journalist Woman, a publicist

b. The similarities and the differences form of hedonism in both of novel

The writer drawn into a conclusion that below are the hedonism portrayed in both novels according to the form. The list below show how they differ and similar to each other:

1. The character of the two novels, Becky and Lola have a same hobby, that is

shopping. They love to shopping and buying branded stuffs. They will spend

their money just to buy branded stuff and get their pleasure.

2. In Confessions of a Shopaholic, the main character, Becky is envious of her

female friends in her work environment who wear branded stuff. And she

doesn‘t want to lose from her friends, so she also buys and wears branded

stuff are quite expensive. But nonetheless, becky clothes is not more

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expensive than her friend clothes, Alicia. And she also feels envy to her

friends who gets good job with high selery dan have a rich boyfriend who can

pay ther life, like shopping. And in Cewek Matre, the main character, Lola is

envious of her friends who can buy branded stuff. She is envious of Linda,

who has a rich husband; Bianca, who is the daughter of a private bank

director; Miranda, whose husband is the son of a high ranking government

officer; and Saskia and Lita who choose to have several wealthy boyfriends to

pay for their expensive lifestyles. Because of her inability to compete with the

other girls in her office, she is pitied and it makes her hate herself.

3. In both of novel, the main character is being a materialistic girl. But, in

Confession of a Shopaholic, the main character just chooses Tarquin to be her

target, eventhough she doesn‘t love Tarquin. It just because Tarquin is a rich

man, so Becky lies to him that she loves him just for getting money from

Tarquin and he punds Becky‘s glamour lifestyle. And in Cewek Matre, Lola

chooses many rich men from the list name in her office where she works. She

chooses Philip, Asikin, and Anggara to be her target to fund her glamour

lifestyle and shopping. And also, Lola invites Anggara to meet in a cafe and

have a dinner and then she asks for a new communicator worth 9 million

rupiah to Anggara.

The Impact of hedonism on the character:

The impact that happends in the first novel is the main character, Becky, who is wanted by a debt collector because of her much debt. It happended because

Becky very likes to shop the luxury and expensive stuffs. In the second novel, there are some men who are functioned by also the main character, Lola, finally aware that what Lola did to them. In short, the men hated Lola so much for that.

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It becomes the difference between the culture of west and the culture of east, that

the culture of east still really has a close relationship with the society.

The writer represents the listed elements into a table to look at the similarities and differences in easier and clearer way.

Table 2

Confessions of a Forms of Hedonism Cewek Matre Shopaholic

Shopping branded stuffs Becky loves shopping. Lola likes shopping and

She buys luxury and she often buys branded

branded stuffs, such as stuffs, such as Bvlgari,

Gucci, Calvin Clein, Gucci, Dior, Fendi, and

Armani, D&K, Christian Prada.

Dior, Denny and George

Competing Becky is envious of her Lola is envious of her

female friends in her work friends who can buy

environment who wear branded stuffs. Linda, who

branded stuffs. And she has a rich husband;

doesn‘t want to lose from Bianca, who is the

her friends, so she also daughter of a private bank

buys and wears branded director; Miranda, whose

stuffs are quite expensive. husband is the son of a

But nonetheless, becky high ranking government

clothes is not more officer; and Saskia and

expensive than her friend Lita who choose to have

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clothes, Alicia. And she several wealthy boyfriends

also feels envy to her to pay for their expensive

friends who gets good job lifestyles. Because of her

with high selery dan have inability to compete with

a rich boyfriend who can the other girls in her

pay ther life, like office, she is pitied and it

shopping. makes her hate herself.

Being materialistic Becky chooses Tarquin to - Lola chooses to be a

be her target. Even materialistic girl to get a

though, she doesn‘t love rich man so that they can

Tarquin, but it is because fund her glamour lifestyle.

Tarquin is a rich man. And She chooses Philip,

at the time, Becky tells Asikin, and Anggara to be

Tarquin that she loves her target to fund her

him. She did it just glamour lifestyle and

because Tarquin fund her shopping.

glamour lifestyle. - Lola invites Anggara to

meet in a cafe and have a

dinner and then she asks

for a new communicator

worth 9 million rupiah to

Anggara.

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The Impact of hedonism on the character:

Confessions of a Shopaholic Cewek Matre

The main character, Becky, who is There are some men who are functioned wanted by a debt collector because of her by also the main character, Lola, finally much debt. It happended because Becky aware that what Lola did to them. In very likes to shop the luxury and short, the men hated Lola so much for expensive stuffs. that.

5.2 Suggestion

There are many things people can learn from reading literature. Literature tells the readers about human beings: their nature, environment, and problems.

Thorough literature, people have an understanding about life because literature describes human being real life.

The writer hopes that everyone who has the same idea with the writer can develop this thesis to get more understanding about the hedonism itself. The writer also hopes the English Literature students may study more about this problem because this thesis also reflects the real condition from the people today.

Finally, the researcher hopes that this study will be useful for the researcher himself and for the other researcher who is interested in analyzing this study, he will do better than the researcher because this thesis is still far from being perfect. The writer also hopes that this study can be a reference for English Literature department student who wants to analyze the Hedonism lifestyle and also for the readers in enriching their knowledge who are interested in this kind of topic. Besides, it will increase their knowledge.

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REFERENCES

Damono, Sapardi Djoko. 1979. Sosiologi Sastra: Sebuah Pengantar Ringkas. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa.

Endah, Alberthiene. 2004. Cewek Matre. Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Featherstone, Mike. 1991. ‗The body in consumer culture‘ in M. Featherstone, M. Hepworth, and B.S. Turner (eds.), The Body: Social Process and Cultural Theory. London: Sage.

Graham, Gordon. 2004. Eight Theories of Ethics. London: Routledge.

Kasim, Razali. 1996. Sastra Bandingan: Ruang Lingkup dan Metode. Medan: USU Press.

Kinsella, Sophie. 2000. Confessions of a Shopaholic. United Kingdom: Transworld.

Laguna, Theodore De. 1914. Introduction to the Science of Ethics. New York: The Macmillan Company.

Magnis-Suseno, Franz. 1987. Etika Dasar: Masalah-Masalah Pokok Filsafat Moral. Yogyakarta: Kanisius.

Muchtar, Muhizar et.al. 2012. Pedoman Penulisan Skripsi. Medan : FIB USU.

Pardede, Martha. 2016. Literature: An Introductory Material. Medan: USU Press

Poedjawiyatna. 1996. Etika: Filsafat Tingkah Laku. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

Roberts, Edgar V. and Henry E. Jacobs. 1993. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (Fourth Edition). USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Russell, Bertrand. 1930. The conquest of happiness. London: Unwin UniversityBooks.

Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven. 1998. Comparative Literature: Theory, Method, Application. Amsterdam: Rodopi.

Veenhoven, Ruut. 2003. Hedonism and Happiness. Spinger Netherlands.

Wellek, Rere and Austin Warren. 1985. Theory of Literature. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

April 2016. Hedonism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonism (April 2016)

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May 2016. Postmodernism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism#Influential_postmodernist_phil osophers (May 2016)

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Biography of Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella was born on December 12, 1969 in London, England as

Madeleine Sophie Townley. She lives in London with her husband, Henry Wickham

(whom she met in Oxford), who was previously headmaster of Lockers Park boys preparatory school and now manages her business affairs. They were married in 1991 and have four sons and a daughter, Freddy (was born on 1996), Hugo (was born on

1998), Oscar (was born on 2005), Rex William (was born on April 15, 2010) and

Sybella (was born on December 22, 2011).

Madeleine Sophie Wickham is a British author of chick lit. Apart from numerous short stories, she has written several successful stand-alone novels as

Madeleine Wickham but is perhaps best known for her work under the pen name Sophie Kinsella. The first two novels in her best-selling Shopaholic series, The

Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic and Shopaholic Abroad were adapted into the film Confessions of a Shopaholic starring Isla Fisher. Her books have been translated into over 30 languages.

Sophie Kinsella was educated at Putney High School, Sherborne School for

Girls, and New College, Oxford, where she initially studied Music, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). Wickham worked as a financial journalist (including for Pensions World) before turning to fiction.

While working as a financial journalist, at the age of 24, Wickham wrote her first novel. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten best-seller. She went on to publish six more novels

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as Madeleine Wickham: A Desirable Residence, Swimming Pool Sunday, The

Gatecrasher, The Wedding Girl, Cocktails for Three and Sleeping Arrangements.

Kinsella is best known for writing the Shopaholic novels series of chick lit novels, which focus on the misadventures of Becky Bloomwood, a financial journalist who cannot manage her own finances. The series focuses on her obsession with shopping and its resulting complications for her life. The first two Shopaholic books were adapted into a film and released in February 2009. The most recent addition to the Shopaholic series, "Shopaholic to the Stars" was released on 21 October 2014. Her most recent standalone novels have been Twenties

Girl (2009), I've Got Your Number (2012) and Wedding Night (2013). In 2015, she branched into Young Adult writing with her first YA book, Finding Audrey, published in June 2015. A musical adaptation of Kinsella's novel 'Sleeping

Arrangements' by Chris Burgess was premiered on 17 April 2013 in London at the

Landor Theatre.

List of her works:

As Sophie Kinsella

The Shopaholic series

 The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also titled Confessions

of a Shopaholic) (2000)

 Shopaholic Abroad (also titled Shopaholic Takes Manhattan)

(2001)

 Shopaholic Ties The Knot (2001)

 Shopaholic on Honeymoon (Free ebook short story) (2014)

 Shopaholic & Sister (2004)

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 Shopaholic & Baby (2007)

 Mini Shopaholic (2010)

 Shopaholic to the Stars (2014)

 Shopaholic to the Rescue (2015)

Standalone novels

 Can You Keep a Secret? (2003)

 The Undomestic Goddess (2006)

 Remember Me? (2008)

 Twenties Girl (2009)

 I've Got Your Number (2012)

 Wedding Night (2013)

 Finding Audrey (2015)

As Madeleine Wickham

 The Tennis Party (1995) (re-released as 40 Love in 2011)

 A Desirable Residence (1996)

 Swimming Pool Sunday (1997)

 The Gatecrasher (1998)

 The Wedding Girl (1999)

 Cocktails for Three (2000)

 Sleeping Arrangements (2001)

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Appendix 2: Summary of the Novel: Confessions of a Shopaholic

Rebecca Bloomwood lives in a flat in fashionable Fulham, London, that is owned by her best friend Suze's wealthy, aristocratic parents. Becky works as a financial journalist for the magazine Successful Savings, that is a job that Becky dislikes. She says that no one who works there is very excited about and that they all say they have just "fell into", while in fact being unable to get better jobs. The job bores her. Becky admits to actually knowing very little about personal finance as she is thousands of pounds in debt as is evidenced by a run through of her Visa card bill.

She becomes deeper in debt by uncontrollably spending on designer homeware, clothes and beauty products. The book emphasises that her cycle of debt is not easily broken, as, even as she is thousands of pounds in debt, Becky still receives letters offering her credit and department store cards. She often rationalises her overspending, for instance by referring to items as an 'investment' or necessary.

Unfortunately for Becky, she considers things such as birthday presents for her friends as necessary.

On her way to a press conference held by Brandon Communications, Becky notices a sale sign in the window of the Denny and George shop. She sees that the scarf she has long craved for is on sale at a discount of 50%. Becky sees this as a unique opportunity but realises that she has left her Visa card at the office and asks the shop assistant to reserve the scarf until she can retrieve her credit card. The assistant reluctantly agrees to hold it until the end of the day only.

Upon arriving at the press conference, she is greeted by a staff member of

Brandon Communications, who mentions that there's been some surprising news in the banking field and asks Becky her opinion on the news. Becky has no idea what the woman is referring to and has to feign knowledge. After the staffer leaves, Luke

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Brandon, head of Brandon Communications, realising that she was feigning knowledge of what was happening, tells her that one financial group recently bought another, and it was recently rumoured that Flagstaff Life was going the same way.

Halfway through the conference Becky is given another errand by her employer and realises that she will not have time to return to the office for her credit card, but only needs twenty pounds more to buy her Denny & George scarf. She asks her friend

Elly Granger if she can borrow some money, but Elly has none. Luke hears Becky ask for twenty pounds, and stops the whole Press Conference just so he can hand a twenty-pound note to her, once she has made up a story of needing the money to buy a present for her aunt who is in hospital. Right after she has bought the Denny &

George scarf she bumps into Luke Brandon and has to make excuses to leave, before he finds out that she's lied.

Later on during the week, Becky's flatmate Suze asks her to go to a restaurant with her and her cousins, including Tarquin. There, Becky sees Luke and his parents having dinner. The mother comments on Becky's scarf, and she blabs about getting it as a bargain. Then she realises her mistake, and abruptly tells a suspicious Luke that her aunt died. Becky is mortified. Luke runs into Becky after that and asks her to come shopping with him at Harrods. Initially she really enjoys shopping with him for luggage and goes up and down the shop wheeling around the luggage playfully, helping Luke choose the best purchase. After he reveals that the luggage is actually for his girlfriend, Sacha, Becky is very upset, telling Luke that she feels he's used her and not treated her with respect.

Throughout the story, a man named Derek Smeath, who is the manager of

Becky's bank, is constantly trying to get hold of her so he can set up a re-payment schedule for her overdraft. Becky always has some excuse as to why she cannot send

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a cheque or meet with Mr. Smeath and his assistant, Erica. The excuses range from a broken leg, a dead aunt, etc., until it becomes obvious to Mr. Smeath that Becky is quite unable to repay the overdraft. He becomes quite insistent upon setting up a meeting with her.

Suze and Becky happen to be flicking through a magazine and see a list of eligible millionaires. Tarquin is the fifteenth richest there, but also on the list happens to be Luke Brandon. Tarquin asks Becky out, while there Tarquin compliments

Becky on her scarf and she continues the pretense that it's from her deceased aunt.

She further embroiders that her aunt had set up a charity for children abroad to be given violin teachers. Tarquin writes out a cheque for £5000, which would solve

Becky's financial problems, but she feels she can't possibly accept it, and painfully refuses. While Tarquin goes to the bathroom, Becky sneaks a look at his chequebook, wondering if a millionaire gets to buy a lot of lavish items. The content isn't extraordinary. Tarquin returns and Becky is sure he saw her looking at the chequebook.

Becky gives up trying to date Tarquin, as he is just not her type, even if he is very rich. At this point her bank manager is trying to arrange a meeting. Unable to come up with any more excuses, Becky goes back home to hide at her parents' house, lying to them when he calls and saying he is a stalker, Becky learns that her next door neighbours made a financial decision based on advice that Becky had absentmindedly given them and stand to miss out on thousands of pounds in a windfall resulting from a bank takeover. The bank had sent an offer of a carriage clock to people who would get the windfall, if they change their account to a different plan. The bank knew of the planned takeover and upcoming windfall, while the customers do not, but if they accepted the plan for which they are offered a gift,

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the customers will not receive the windfall. Becky is horrified by being partly culpable for her kindly neighbours losing out, and sets out to make things right by writing an article that exposes the bank's duplicity. The article is a success, and leads to Becky appearing on a daytime television show, The Morning Coffee.

Unfortunately, Becky did not know that the bank was a client of Luke Brandon's PR firm. Luke became very angry with her, and thought she wrote the article just to get back at him for treating her poorly. Becky and Luke square off during her appearance on The Morning Coffee. After arguing with Becky, Luke conceded that she was right, the bank had defrauded their customers. So Luke Brandon announces that

Brandon Communications will no longer be representing that bank. Becky gets a regular slot on the show. Luke Brandon invites Becky out for a seeming business dinner at the Ritz Hotel. When Becky arrives at their meeting, business is not on the agenda and instead they eat their fill of the food, including a selection of all the puddings they liked the sound of, and then end up spending the night at the Ritz together. Becky has to miss yet another meeting arranged with her bank manager, but he writes and tells her this can be postponed, as due to her regular slot on television, her finances are now rosy. But the bank manager, Derek Smeath, will continue to keep an eye on her account.

Appendix 3 : Biography of Alberthiene Endah

Rr. Alberthiene Endah Kusumawardhani Sutoyo (16 September), better known as Alberthiene Endah, is an Indonesian biographer, novelist, and journalist.

She is known for her in-depth biographies of Indonesian celebrities, such as Chrisye and Krisdayanti. She has been called "the most sought after biographer in

[Indonesia]."

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Endah was born in Bandung, West Java, but grew up in Depok. She was interested in writing from a young age, and decided to become a journalist while in junior high school. Upon graduating senior high school she majored in Dutch literature at Universitas Indonesia.

Endah received her first job working for the magazine Hidup in 1993. In

1996, she started at the women's magazine Femina. While working at Femina, Endah interviewed many people, among them Jennifer Lopez, Xanana Gusmão and Krisdayanti, who asked her to write her biography. That biography was released in 2003 under the title Seribu Satu KD.

In 2004, Endah resigned from her position at Femina to focus on her career as a freelance writer and lead the editorial board at Prodo magazine. During this time, she was approached by several public figures and asked to write their biography. She also released her first novel, Don't Give Me Drugs (Indonesian: Jangan Beri Aku

Narkoba), in 2004. Don't Give Me Drugs received an award from the Indonesian

National Narcotics Agency for her "effort in combating drugs" and first place at the

2005 Adikarya Awards. In 2005, Don't Give Me Drugs was adapted into the film The

Last Second (Indonesian: Detik Terakhir).

Between May and November 2006, Endah worked on writing musician Chrisye's biography while he was battling lung cancer. She has called it her

"most special" work and Chrisye's willingness to be interviewed "like a miracle." In

2010 she announced that she was working on a biography of actress Luna Maya.

Endah has stated that she plans on writing a full biography, not just about the star's recentsex tape scandal.

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Her works include:

Biographies

 Seribu Satu KD (2003) (First Biography)

 Panggung Hidup Raam Punjabi (2004)

 Dwi Ria Latifa: Berpolitik dengan Nurani (2004)

 Venna Melinda Guide to Good Living: Bugar dan Cantik ala

Venna Melinda (2006)

 Anne Avantie: Aku, Anugerah dan Kebaya (2007)

 Chrisye: Sebuah Memoar Musikal (2007)

 Titiek Puspa: A Legendary Diva (2008) (on Titiek Puspa)

 Catatan Hati Krisdayanti — My Life, My Secret (2009)

 Merry Riana — Mimpi Sejuta Dolar (2011)

 Joko Widodo - Menyentuh Jakarta (2012)

Novels

 Jangan Beri Aku Narkoba (2004) (First Novel)

 Cewek Matre (2004)

 Jodoh Monika (2004)

 Dicintai Jo (2005)

 Selebriti (2008)

 Ojek Cantik (2009)

 Nyonya Jetset (2009)

Appendix 4: Summary of the Novel: Cewek Matre

Cewek Matre is a novel by Alberthiene Endah was published in Indonesia in

2004. Lola, the main character in the novel, is a girl who worked as a public relations

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in a famous radio in Jakarta, that made Lola is the center of the metropolitan world and got caught up in the life of hedonism. Social demands made Lola should be able to adapt to her surroundings , a perfect appearance was a necessity in a Lola‘s work environment. Lola started enjoying hedonistic behaviour which was in herself, behaviour that leads to wasting money for goods is less needed has become one of

Lola‘s reason if she was facing stress in the office. Lola‘s hedonistic behavior made her appearance to be number one. Lola considered that a perfect appearance would bring her to a better life. Lola felt if she had a glamorous appearance, she would get a rich boyfriend. Lola, with all the strenghts and beauty that she had, utilizing her body to got rich men who wanted to fund her glamorous life. The presence of rich men around her make hedonistic behavior in herself was growing.

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