post-colonial analysis in angela's ashes novel by frank mccourt

72 Pages·2006·3.77 MB·English

POST-COLONIAL ANALYSIS IN ANGELA’S ASHES NOVEL
BY FRANK MCCOURT

A THESIS
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
the Strata One Degree (S1)

FATMAHWATI RANAJAYA
109026000151

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
2015
ABSTRACT

Fatmahwati Ranajaya, Post-Colonial Analysis in Angela’s Ashes Novel
by Frank McCourt. A Thesis : English Letters Department, Adab and Humanities
Faculty. State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, 2015.
The study of this research focuses on the perceptions, actions and
phenomena of the main character in Angela’s Ashes novel by Frank McCourt
which defines the position of Ireland as the Orient toward England and America
as the Occident. The main character namely Frank McCourt who dreams to leave
Ireland to get a better and successful life. This research analyzes the main
character’s perceptions, action and phenomena that occur to him that arise the
differences between the orient, Ireland, and the occident, England and America.
The data are collected from some books and they are analyzed by reading,
understanding, classifying, and identifying. The method of this research is
qualitatif descriptive because this analysis also explains certain events which
relates to other events. This research uses the theory of Orientalism from Edward
W. Said that explains the relation between East or Orient and West or Occident.
The Orient in the novel Angela’s Ashes is occupied by Ireland and the Occident is
by England and America
The study analyzes some characteristics of the main character, Frank
McCourt and the relation of Ireland, England and America through his point of
view, action, and phenomena that occur to him. The result of this study reveals
that Ireland in the novel depicts the East’s characterization that is always negative
and inferior, while England and America depicts the West’s characterization
which is always positive and superior.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The writer would like to thank to Allah SWT, the Most Gracious and Most
Merciful for all the favor to complete this thesis. Many salutation and benediction
to the Greatest Prophet Muhammad SAW for his covenying the words of God, the
light of humanism and peace.
The writer would like to deliver her deepest thankful to her beloved
parents, (Alm) H. Ahmad Ranajaya and Hj. Rusmiyati for the support, prayer,
motivation and strength they have been giving to the writer. The writer also would
like to thank to her beloved husband Puji Agus Riyanto who always give the
writer the privilege of pursuing the interest in University and financially
supporting the writer to complete her bachelor degree.
Many words of thanks are also addressed to her advisor Ahmad Zakky,
M.Hum, for his time, guidance, kindness, and motivation to finish this paper. The
special thanks is also dedicated to :

1. Prof. Dr. Sukron Kamil, M. Ag., the Dean of Faculty of Adab and Humanities,
State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
2. Drs. Saefudin, M.Pd., the Head of English Department.
3. Elve Oktafiyani, M.Hum., the Secretary of English Letters Department.
4. The Lectures and the Staffs of Faculty of Adab and Humanities.
5. All staffs of Library Center of UIN.
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6. The writer’s big family : Ratimah, Mulyono, Mulyadi, Sugiarti, Anto, thanks
for your support and generiousity.
7. The writer’s best friends : Molalita, Halimatus Sadiyah, Virgy, Nurul. Thank
you so much for the time that have been spent together and for filling my day
with your cheerfullness.
8. The big Family of Literature Class 2009, the writer will always miss them.
9. For those the writer cannot mention the name either directly and indurectly
helping the writer in finishing the thesis. Hopefully, this writer’s work will be
useful for those who are interested in it. May Allah blesses us. Amen.

Jakarta, June 2015

The Writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ i
APPROVEMENT ............................................................................................... ii
LEGALIZATION .............................................................................................. iii
DECLARATION ................................................................................................ iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................. v
TABLE OF CONTENT .................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of Study .......................................................... 1
B. Focus of The Study ............................................................. 8
C. Research Question ............................................................... 8
D. Significance of The Study ................................................... 8
E. Research Methodology
1. The Method of Research ................................................. 9
2. The Objective of Research .............................................. 9
3. The Techniques of Data Analysis ................................... 9
4. The Instrument of Research ........................................... 10
5. Unit of Analysis ............................................................. 10
6. Place and Time of Research ........................................... 10
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Previous Research .............................................................. 11
B. Character and Characterization .......................................... 14
C. Theory of Orientalism by Edward W. Said ....................... 17
CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. The Characteristics of Frank McCourt .............................. 24
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B. Post-Colonial Anaysis ........................................................ 31
1. Ireland as The Orient ................................................... 32
2. England as The Occident ............................................. 44
3. America as The Occident ........................................... 47
CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion .......................................................................... 58
B. Suggestion .......................................................................... 59
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 61
APPENDIX ........................................................................................................ 64
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of The Study
Etymologically, the post colonial derived from the word 'post' and
‘colonial’, while the word colonial itself is derived from the root word
colonia, Roman language, which means farm or settlement.1 Therefore,
etymologically, colonial does not mean occupation, possession, colonization,
and other exploitation connotation. Colonial negative connotations was
arising after the inbalanced interaction between the natives and the settlers.
Postcolonial theory is a theory that is used to analyze various cultural
phenomenon, such as: history, politics, economics, literature, and so on,
which occurred in the countries of the former colonies of modern Europe. The
post colonialism, as a term, is still problematic. As a marker, it marked a few
things including: the era of post-colonialism, critical attitude towards
Colonialism, region once or still occupied by Colonialism and how the
expression of the colonizing and colonized.2 In its most basic forms it has

tended to focus on what one group of writers call 'the imperial process from
the moment of colonization to the present day. It has emphasized the loss of
identity, language, culture, sense of place and integrity which post-colonial

1 Prof. Dr. Nyoman Kutha Ratna, Teori, Metode, dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra (Yogyakarta:
Pustaka Pelajar, 2007), p. 205
2 Zainul Maarif, Pos-Oksidentalisme Identitas dan Alteritas Pos-Kolonial (Jakarta Timur: Dapur
Buku, 2013), p. 4
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peoples have suffered. Maarif also added that at least five typical postcolonial
issues, namely Colonialism and Imperialism, the discourse of the colony, the
binary opposition, feminism and gender, and ideology and identity.3 These

losses it sees as continually and persistently registered in the post-colonial
societies and cultures which arose out of the dissolution of the European
Empires in the first half of the twentieth century.4

According to Shelley Walia, post-colonial project was first proposed
by Frantz Fanon in his book Black Skin, White Masks and the Wretched of the
Earth (1967). Fanon was a psychiatrist who developed a very careful analysis
of the psychological and sociological effects caused by colonization. Fanon
concluded that through colonial dichotomy, colonizer-colonized, oriental
discourse has spawned psychological alienation and marginalization very
powerful.5 In the Anglo-American world was pioneered by Edward W. Said
with his book Orientalism (1978) analyzes the imbalance relationship
between East and West. Other figures are Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi
K. Bhabha, and Sara Suleri.6
The elements of post colonialism can be found in a variety of literary
works such as short stories, poetry, novels and plays. The hallmark of
postcolonialism is the fact that the object is the texts relating to the territory
of the former European colonies in general, the symptoms of post-colonial

3 Ibid., p. 3
4
Colin Graham, Post-Colonial Theories and Irish Culture, Cork University Press, Accessed on
03.29 pm March 23th 2015, http://www.jstor.org/stable/29735754, p. 29-30
5 Ratna, Op. Cit., p. 206
6 Nyoman Kutha Ratna, Sastra dan Cultural Studies Representasi Fiksi dan Fakta. (Yogyakarta:
Pustaka Pelajar, 2010), p. 240