Echa sudah mempercepat langkahnya, tapi nyatanya cowok itu yang berhasil duluan membuka pagar.
”Lho, kau jadi kesini juga ya?” cowok itu menelengkan kepalanya, mengamati wajahnya. Icha menunduk dalam-dalam. ”Kukira kau tidak mau,” tambahnya lalu membuka pintu pagar itu.
Echa tak menjawabnya, ia langsung ikut masuk, duduk di teras, seperti hari kemarin. Ia tak tahu kenapa Tante Rahayu menginginkannya kemari lagi. Apa ada sesuatu yang ingin dibicarakan wanita itu padanya. Tak lama kemduian ia melihat cowok itu keluar lagi dengan baju yang berbeda, seragamnya tadi sudah dicopotnya.
”Tante sedang tak ada, tidak tahu kemana. Tapi mungkin sebentar lagi kembali, dia kan sudah janji akan menemuimu.”
Echa mengangguk, menyibukkan diri untuk memoerhatikan pot bunga yang berjajar rapi, daripada harus memandang cowok yang bukan muhrimnya itu. Ia berharap cowok itu segera pergi entah kemana, dan tidak menghiraukannya lagi. Ia masih merasa takut meskipun tadi pagi cowok itu sudah minta maaf.
Tapi ternyata cowok itu malah duduk di kursi yang satunya, tepat di seberangnya, menatapnya lurus. Ia jadi merasa kikuk dibuatnya.
”Namamu Raesha kan?”
Tidak diduganya sama sekali cowok itu tahu namanya, ia berpikir pasti namanya hanya dianggap angin lalu saja dulu, tapi ternyata tidak. Ia hanya mengangguk pelan.
”Cantik seperti orangnya,” kata cowok itu yang langsung membuatnya beristighfar dalam hati. Pipinya pasti langsung memerah kali ini. Malu sekali terlihat seperti itu di depan cowok yang jelas-jelas bukan muhrimnya.
”Ta...tante Rahayu pulangnya masih lama ya?” tanyanya masih merasa gugup, apalagi dilihatnya cowok itu mengulum senyum, pasti sedang menertawakannya.
”Kau itu ternyata lucu ya,” cowok itu dengan sengaja memperhatikannya dengan tatapan serupa garis lurus. Ia tersenyum lembut.
’Astaghfirullah,’ Echa beristghfar dalam hati, kali ini ia benar-benar memalingkan wajahnya jauh-jauh, ke arah jalan. Ia benar-benar tak menyangka kalau cowok itu bakal tersenyum seperti itu kepadanya. Sungguh, baru kali ini ia melihat cowok itu tersenyum dengan cara yang lembut seperti itu. Tidak pernah menduganya sama sekali. Ia bahkan sudah menganggap cowok itu tidak tahu bagaimana tersenyum. Lalu tiba-tiba cowok itu tersenyum padanya dari jarak dekat seperti ini. Masya Allah!
”Maaf, lebih baik saya pulang saja,” Icha hendak beranjak dari kursinya dengan wajah gelisah, ia merasa tidak bisa lama-lama berada disana hanya berdua bersama cowok itu.
Tapi cowok itu keburu menghadang langkahnya. ”Mau kemana?”
”Saya mau pulang!” sahut Icha tampak bingung.
“Kenapa? Tante Ayu kan belum pulang!” cowok itu tetap menghalangi jalannya, meski ia sudah berusaha menghindarinya.
”Besok saja saya kesini lagi, tolonglah...!” Icha mendongakkan kepalanya sedikit, memohon cowok itu untuk memberinya jalan.
”Tapi nanti Tante pasti mencarimu. Tunggulah sebentar lagi!” cowok itu memaksanya.
Echa jadi merasa ragu-ragu.
“Ya? Ditunggu saja ya?” cowok itu terus mendesaknya. “Tunggu saja sebentar lagi!”
Echa merasa tidak enak hati, ”Baiklah, saya mau menunggu, tapi...tapi...”
”Tapi apa?” cowok itu mengernyitkan dahi heran.
”Ehm...jangan mengatakan hal-hal yang aneh lagi pada saya!” saat Ia berkata seperti itu, ia memberanikan diri untuk memandang cowok itu sebentar, untuk menegaskan bahwa ia sedang berkata serius.
Cowok itu tertawa kecil. ”Oh, jadi itu alasannya kau mau pergi begitu saja?” Ia mengangkat bahu, ”Oke, oke, baiklah. Aku akan diam saja nanti kalau kau memang menganggapnya aneh!”
”Bukan begitu!” Icha jadi merasa tidak enak, takut kalau cowok itu jadi salah paham padanya lagi.
”Iya, aku mengerti. Tenang sajalah! Aku akan pergi saja kalau begitu!” kata cowok itu kembali ke nada bicaranya semula, dengan nada yang agak tinggi.
”Bukan begitu!” kata Echa tidak mengerti apa yanga harus dia katakan.
”Lalu apa sih masalahmu sebenarnya?”
Echa menundukkan wajahnya dalam-dalam, lalu berkata pelan, ”Saya tidak biasa mendengar hal-hal yang seperti itu. Saya juga tidak pernah berduaan berbicaraan dengan laki-laki sebelumnya.”
Cowok itu langsung tertawa terbahak mendengar penuturan Echa barusan. Ia benar-benar tertawa, sambil menunjuk ke arah Icha, ”Yang benar saja kau ini! Memangnya kau ini hidup di planet mana sih?”
Echa merasa agak dongkol juga. Orang yang ada di depannya ini memang tidak gampang ditebak, kalau sedang dingin serasa mengerikan, tertawanya juga bikin orang ingin pergi dari hadapannya saja. Dasar laki-laki yang menyebalkan! Katanya dalam hati.
Echa beranjak berdiri, begitu saja melewati tempat duduk Edo, tapi cowok itu segera menangkap pergelangangan tangannya dengan tepat.
Echa kaget bukan kepalang. Ia menyentakkan tangannya. Cowok itu lama-lama memang menyebalkan. ”Saya mau pulang saja!” serunya, tanpa menunggu jawaban dari Edo, atau sekedar tahu apa yang bakal dikatakakan cowok itu. Ia bergegas menuju pintu pagar, tanpa menoleh lagi. Tapi saat ia baru keluar dari pintu pagar itu, seseorang langsung menyebutkan namanya dengan ekspresi riang.
^_^If you wanna know d story, read my novel...
Selasa, 16 Maret 2010
The Analysis Theme of Novel: “The Sun Also Rises” By Ernest Hemingway
Theme
Definition
Theme is the meaning of the story. Theme is something that has traditionally concerned writers and that therefore is a legitimate concern of readers. Theme is not the moral of the story, it is not the subject, it is not what most people have in mind when they speak of “what the story really means”. Theme is meaning, but it is not hidden, and it is not illustrated. Theme is the meaning the story releases; it may be the meaning the story discovers. By theme, the readers mean the necessary implications of the whole story, not a separable part of a story.
Characters and Theme
Jake Barnes: The narrator of the story, Barnes is an American World War I veteran who was emasculated on the Italian Front, making him unable to pursue a sexual relationship with Brett, or anyone for that matter. Having lost direction in his life as a result of his war experiences, Barnes attempts to satisfy himself through hard work, drinking, bull fights, friends, and nature.
Lady Ashley, or Brett: Brett is the object of lust for most of the male characters of the book. Portrayed as elusive and promiscuous, Brett, like Barnes, also lacks direction in life and finds emptiness in activities that she would have normally enjoyed during pre-war times. She is engaged to Michael.
Robert Cohn: His status as an outsider as a result of being Jewish has caused Cohn to develop an inferiority complex. Despite attempts to be civil and courteous, Cohn is the object of scorn from other characters. The novel's plot turns on his attempt to recover a brief affair he had with Brett, leading him to tag along with the group of expatriates, much to their collective vexation.
Michael Campbell, or Mike: A Scottish veteran of the war, Michael is close friends with Jake and Bill, and engaged to Brett. Though he attempts to hide his contempt for Cohn, his fiery temper usually manifests itself during periods of heavy drinking. Also, he is bankrupt as a result of his excessive borrowing.
Bill Gorton: Bill is an old friend of Barnes and is considerably less cruel than Michael in his attitudes towards Cohn. Despite also being a heavy drinker, Bill is often more light-hearted than the rest of his peers.
Pedro Romero: The star bullfighter of the fiesta, Romero is introduced to Jake and his friends, falls in love with Brett, and then they split up when they recognize her inability to commit to a sustained relationship. His autonomy, steadfastness, and commitment make him a model for Jake, who possesses none of these qualities even though he aspires to them. Furthermore, the younger Pedro Romero having been born in 1905 represents the younger generation. This served to further demonstrate the Lost Generation's feelings of insecurity and disillusionment compared to their next-younger Generation.
From seeing the characterization of all the main characters in this novel, we can conclude that the theme concerning the character is about the sense of the life. The writer want to say about the direction of life in war experience, such as hard work, drinking, bull fights, friends, and nature, how the characters here show their respond to their environment.
Plot and Theme
The novel explores the lives and values of the so-called Lost Generation chronicling the experiences of Jake Barnes and several acquaintances on their pilgrimage to Pamplona for the annual San Fermin festival and bull fights, known more commonly as the Running of the Bulls. Jake, a World War I veteran, is unable to consummate a sexual relationship with Brett Ashley because of a severe wound he suffered on the Italian Front, leaving him emasculated. However, he is still attracted to and in love with her. The story follows Jake and his various companions across France and Spain. Initially, Jake seeks peace away from Brett by taking a fishing trip to Burguete, deep within the Spanish hills, with companion Bill Gorton. The fiesta in Pamplona is the setting for the eventual meeting of all the characters, who play out their various desires and anxieties, alongside a great deal of drinking.
Some of the plot is based on real-life people and events. In 1925, Hemingway and some of his friends -- including Lady Duff Twysden (who even wore her hair like Brett Ashley), her Scottish fiancé, and also her one-time lover, Harold Loeb, who had been the first Jewish student to box while at Princeton -- went fishing near Burguete and then went to the San Fermin fiesta at Pamplona, where they drank and quarreled.
Setting and Theme
The Sun Also Rises is set in Europe after World War I. Except for the bullfighter Pedro Romero, all the major characters are expatriates from America and Great Britain. In search of adventure, and of something to fill the void in their lives, they have come to live in Paris.
Paris in the 1920s was famous for its thriving Bohemian cafe culture. Painters such as Picasso, Miro, and Matisse were there, as was an indomitable American woman named Gertrude Stein, who had established a famous salon where painters and writers such as James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway met and exchanged ideas.
Hemingway's characters find life in Paris exciting, but also empty. To escape the sophistication and corruption of the city, they travel to the more traditional world of Spain.
The book's main characters--Jake, Brett, Robert Cohn, Mike, and Bill--are not tied to any one set of values and can skim from place to place like water skiers over a lake. In contrast, the natives of Paris and Pamplona seem to lead deeply rooted and stable lives. The expatriates move from one European setting to another, permanent tourists forever looking in at a world to which they do not belong.
The Sun Also Rises is set among these expatriates who purposefully left their native land. Hemingway didn't have to look far to find models for the characters in his novel, for he himself was an expatriate, and The Sun Also Rises is closely based on an actual trip Hemingway and his friends took from Paris to Spain a month before he began the book. What makes the book a work of art is that it is not simply a record of something that happened, it's a fully imagined rendering of his own experience. The Sun Also Rises was a sensation when it was published; numerous young people recognized themselves in the book, even if they had never been to Paris or seen a bullfight.
Point of view and Theme
The events in The Sun Also Rises are described through the eyes of Jake Barnes, so you have to look carefully at Jake's strengths and weaknesses in order to judge how reliable he is as a narrator.
Jake is a fully realized character created by the author; he does not necessarily say everything that the writer believes. There may have been some superficial similarities between Hemingway and Jake: they were the same age, both were journalists in Paris, both were Americans, and both were wounded during World War I, although in different ways. But they should never be taken for the same person.
Jake is what is called an "unreliable narrator." He tells the story, but he tells you only what he wants you to know, sometimes putting himself in a good light, other times not. He also makes judgments about characters with which you might not agree. His hatred of Robert Cohn, for example, is colored by his jealousy and anger over Cohn's affair with Brett. He also has endless tolerance for Mike Campbell who, at least when you see him in the novel, is nothing but a drunken, obnoxious anti-Semite.
Because the point of view of this novel use first-person narrator who doesn’t know everything, except something which happens to him, so as a reader we can follow all the events through his journey and experience. The theme concerning this is about experience of life.
Style and Theme
Hemingway said of his life in Paris in the 1920s. He was trying to put down what he sees and what he feels in the best and simplest way he can tell it." To accomplish this, Hemingway banished all literary frills from his writing. The Sun Also Rises, for instance, contains almost no metaphors or similes, very few adjectives, and even fewer adverbs. Hemingway wanted to focus on "things" in themselves, and so he used only simple nouns, and simple verbs. His style, compared to the style of many other writers that the readers have read, is extremely lean.
Hemingway also believed that if a writer knew his subject well enough, he did not need to write everything he knew. Writing, to him, was like the tip of an iceberg; the reader would see only one-eighth but would feel and understand the rest.
Hemingway further believed that he could reach his readers through the physical and emotional reactions of his characters. By lucidly describing sensations--smells, sights, sounds--he hoped to produce the same feelings in his readers.
The Sun Also Rises is not simply a dramatic story of love and betrayal, nor is it only a travelog or an allegory of damnation and salvation--though it's all of these things in part. It is also Hemingway's effort to put his theory of writing into practice. Robert Cohn, who blubbers self-consciously, doesn't have good style in life or in writing (his novel was bad). The bullfighter Pedro Romero, on the other hand, has terrific style: if he wrote as he fights bulls, his style would be like Hemingway's--clean, enduringly pure, and professional. He would get the job done economically. He would avoid tricks or mystification; he would never show off. Thus when Hemingway celebrates Romero's bullfighting technique, he is indirectly celebrating his own writing style.
Tone and Theme
Its characters engage in witty, often hilarious dialogue, but underneath their wisecracking shells lie vulnerable and discontented real people, disillusioned by the world around them. The tone of the book plays upon both of these aspects of our characters; as the novel approaches its end, the disillusioned side emerges more clearly. An increasing sense of cynicism and plain old exhaustion builds up during the days of the fiesta, as everyone drifts apart and some relationships disintegrate, perhaps beyond repair.
For this story, it concerns about the own experience of the main character to run their life through love, religion, way of life, family, friend, etc.
Theme in “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway
The novel has heavy undercurrents of suppressed emotions and buried values. Its weary and aimless expatriates serve as metaphors for society's lost optimism and innocence after the war. The topic of war is rarely discussed explicitly by any of the characters, but its effects are alluded to through the sexual incapability of Jake and his war wound, and the behavior of the other characters. By the way, the themes of this novel, after analyzing it from several aspects of prose, is about “the lost generation (physically and emotionally) as the effect of the World War I”.
For his novel, Hemingway hope that future generations may rediscover themselves as the Ecclesiasiates’s quotes in Epigraph: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever . . . The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose. . .The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits . . . All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”
Or another quotes in the epigraph of the novel: “You are all a lost generation” from Gertrudge Stein in conversation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. 1966. Monarch Press: New York
Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. 1926. Charles Scribners’s Sons: New York.
Definition
Theme is the meaning of the story. Theme is something that has traditionally concerned writers and that therefore is a legitimate concern of readers. Theme is not the moral of the story, it is not the subject, it is not what most people have in mind when they speak of “what the story really means”. Theme is meaning, but it is not hidden, and it is not illustrated. Theme is the meaning the story releases; it may be the meaning the story discovers. By theme, the readers mean the necessary implications of the whole story, not a separable part of a story.
Characters and Theme
Jake Barnes: The narrator of the story, Barnes is an American World War I veteran who was emasculated on the Italian Front, making him unable to pursue a sexual relationship with Brett, or anyone for that matter. Having lost direction in his life as a result of his war experiences, Barnes attempts to satisfy himself through hard work, drinking, bull fights, friends, and nature.
Lady Ashley, or Brett: Brett is the object of lust for most of the male characters of the book. Portrayed as elusive and promiscuous, Brett, like Barnes, also lacks direction in life and finds emptiness in activities that she would have normally enjoyed during pre-war times. She is engaged to Michael.
Robert Cohn: His status as an outsider as a result of being Jewish has caused Cohn to develop an inferiority complex. Despite attempts to be civil and courteous, Cohn is the object of scorn from other characters. The novel's plot turns on his attempt to recover a brief affair he had with Brett, leading him to tag along with the group of expatriates, much to their collective vexation.
Michael Campbell, or Mike: A Scottish veteran of the war, Michael is close friends with Jake and Bill, and engaged to Brett. Though he attempts to hide his contempt for Cohn, his fiery temper usually manifests itself during periods of heavy drinking. Also, he is bankrupt as a result of his excessive borrowing.
Bill Gorton: Bill is an old friend of Barnes and is considerably less cruel than Michael in his attitudes towards Cohn. Despite also being a heavy drinker, Bill is often more light-hearted than the rest of his peers.
Pedro Romero: The star bullfighter of the fiesta, Romero is introduced to Jake and his friends, falls in love with Brett, and then they split up when they recognize her inability to commit to a sustained relationship. His autonomy, steadfastness, and commitment make him a model for Jake, who possesses none of these qualities even though he aspires to them. Furthermore, the younger Pedro Romero having been born in 1905 represents the younger generation. This served to further demonstrate the Lost Generation's feelings of insecurity and disillusionment compared to their next-younger Generation.
From seeing the characterization of all the main characters in this novel, we can conclude that the theme concerning the character is about the sense of the life. The writer want to say about the direction of life in war experience, such as hard work, drinking, bull fights, friends, and nature, how the characters here show their respond to their environment.
Plot and Theme
The novel explores the lives and values of the so-called Lost Generation chronicling the experiences of Jake Barnes and several acquaintances on their pilgrimage to Pamplona for the annual San Fermin festival and bull fights, known more commonly as the Running of the Bulls. Jake, a World War I veteran, is unable to consummate a sexual relationship with Brett Ashley because of a severe wound he suffered on the Italian Front, leaving him emasculated. However, he is still attracted to and in love with her. The story follows Jake and his various companions across France and Spain. Initially, Jake seeks peace away from Brett by taking a fishing trip to Burguete, deep within the Spanish hills, with companion Bill Gorton. The fiesta in Pamplona is the setting for the eventual meeting of all the characters, who play out their various desires and anxieties, alongside a great deal of drinking.
Some of the plot is based on real-life people and events. In 1925, Hemingway and some of his friends -- including Lady Duff Twysden (who even wore her hair like Brett Ashley), her Scottish fiancé, and also her one-time lover, Harold Loeb, who had been the first Jewish student to box while at Princeton -- went fishing near Burguete and then went to the San Fermin fiesta at Pamplona, where they drank and quarreled.
Setting and Theme
The Sun Also Rises is set in Europe after World War I. Except for the bullfighter Pedro Romero, all the major characters are expatriates from America and Great Britain. In search of adventure, and of something to fill the void in their lives, they have come to live in Paris.
Paris in the 1920s was famous for its thriving Bohemian cafe culture. Painters such as Picasso, Miro, and Matisse were there, as was an indomitable American woman named Gertrude Stein, who had established a famous salon where painters and writers such as James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ernest Hemingway met and exchanged ideas.
Hemingway's characters find life in Paris exciting, but also empty. To escape the sophistication and corruption of the city, they travel to the more traditional world of Spain.
The book's main characters--Jake, Brett, Robert Cohn, Mike, and Bill--are not tied to any one set of values and can skim from place to place like water skiers over a lake. In contrast, the natives of Paris and Pamplona seem to lead deeply rooted and stable lives. The expatriates move from one European setting to another, permanent tourists forever looking in at a world to which they do not belong.
The Sun Also Rises is set among these expatriates who purposefully left their native land. Hemingway didn't have to look far to find models for the characters in his novel, for he himself was an expatriate, and The Sun Also Rises is closely based on an actual trip Hemingway and his friends took from Paris to Spain a month before he began the book. What makes the book a work of art is that it is not simply a record of something that happened, it's a fully imagined rendering of his own experience. The Sun Also Rises was a sensation when it was published; numerous young people recognized themselves in the book, even if they had never been to Paris or seen a bullfight.
Point of view and Theme
The events in The Sun Also Rises are described through the eyes of Jake Barnes, so you have to look carefully at Jake's strengths and weaknesses in order to judge how reliable he is as a narrator.
Jake is a fully realized character created by the author; he does not necessarily say everything that the writer believes. There may have been some superficial similarities between Hemingway and Jake: they were the same age, both were journalists in Paris, both were Americans, and both were wounded during World War I, although in different ways. But they should never be taken for the same person.
Jake is what is called an "unreliable narrator." He tells the story, but he tells you only what he wants you to know, sometimes putting himself in a good light, other times not. He also makes judgments about characters with which you might not agree. His hatred of Robert Cohn, for example, is colored by his jealousy and anger over Cohn's affair with Brett. He also has endless tolerance for Mike Campbell who, at least when you see him in the novel, is nothing but a drunken, obnoxious anti-Semite.
Because the point of view of this novel use first-person narrator who doesn’t know everything, except something which happens to him, so as a reader we can follow all the events through his journey and experience. The theme concerning this is about experience of life.
Style and Theme
Hemingway said of his life in Paris in the 1920s. He was trying to put down what he sees and what he feels in the best and simplest way he can tell it." To accomplish this, Hemingway banished all literary frills from his writing. The Sun Also Rises, for instance, contains almost no metaphors or similes, very few adjectives, and even fewer adverbs. Hemingway wanted to focus on "things" in themselves, and so he used only simple nouns, and simple verbs. His style, compared to the style of many other writers that the readers have read, is extremely lean.
Hemingway also believed that if a writer knew his subject well enough, he did not need to write everything he knew. Writing, to him, was like the tip of an iceberg; the reader would see only one-eighth but would feel and understand the rest.
Hemingway further believed that he could reach his readers through the physical and emotional reactions of his characters. By lucidly describing sensations--smells, sights, sounds--he hoped to produce the same feelings in his readers.
The Sun Also Rises is not simply a dramatic story of love and betrayal, nor is it only a travelog or an allegory of damnation and salvation--though it's all of these things in part. It is also Hemingway's effort to put his theory of writing into practice. Robert Cohn, who blubbers self-consciously, doesn't have good style in life or in writing (his novel was bad). The bullfighter Pedro Romero, on the other hand, has terrific style: if he wrote as he fights bulls, his style would be like Hemingway's--clean, enduringly pure, and professional. He would get the job done economically. He would avoid tricks or mystification; he would never show off. Thus when Hemingway celebrates Romero's bullfighting technique, he is indirectly celebrating his own writing style.
Tone and Theme
Its characters engage in witty, often hilarious dialogue, but underneath their wisecracking shells lie vulnerable and discontented real people, disillusioned by the world around them. The tone of the book plays upon both of these aspects of our characters; as the novel approaches its end, the disillusioned side emerges more clearly. An increasing sense of cynicism and plain old exhaustion builds up during the days of the fiesta, as everyone drifts apart and some relationships disintegrate, perhaps beyond repair.
For this story, it concerns about the own experience of the main character to run their life through love, religion, way of life, family, friend, etc.
Theme in “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway
The novel has heavy undercurrents of suppressed emotions and buried values. Its weary and aimless expatriates serve as metaphors for society's lost optimism and innocence after the war. The topic of war is rarely discussed explicitly by any of the characters, but its effects are alluded to through the sexual incapability of Jake and his war wound, and the behavior of the other characters. By the way, the themes of this novel, after analyzing it from several aspects of prose, is about “the lost generation (physically and emotionally) as the effect of the World War I”.
For his novel, Hemingway hope that future generations may rediscover themselves as the Ecclesiasiates’s quotes in Epigraph: “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever . . . The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to the place where he arose. . .The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits . . . All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.”
Or another quotes in the epigraph of the novel: “You are all a lost generation” from Gertrudge Stein in conversation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. 1966. Monarch Press: New York
Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises. 1926. Charles Scribners’s Sons: New York.
The Analysis Style and Tone of Novel: “Wuthering Heights” By Emily Bronte
STYLE
Style may simply mean a writer’s characteristic way of using language. In short, we mean everything the author does with words, including his way for arranging words into such larger units as sentence. For purposes of simplification, we shall consider this topic under three heading elements: diction, imagery, and syntax.
1.Diction
It simply means the author’s choice of words. In this novel entitled Wuthering Heights, the writer uses a combination: denotation and connotation. There are several paragraphs that represent it.
“This is nothing,” cried she, “I was only going to say that heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the Angels were so angry that they flung me out, into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy. That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I’ve no business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in Heaven; and if the wicked man in there, had not brought Heathcliff so low I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning or frost from fire.” (chapter IX, page 91)
On a mellow evening in September, I was coming from the garden with a heavy basket of apples which I had been gathering. It had got dusk, and the moon looked over the high wall of the court, causing undefined shadows to lurk in the corners of the numerous projecting portions of the building. I set my burden on the house steps by the kitchen door, and lingered to rest, and draw in a few more breaths of the soft, sweet air; my eyes were on the moon, and my back to entrance, when I heard a voice behind me say---. (chapter X, page 105)
Gimmerton chapel bells were still ringing; and the full, mellow flow of the beck in the valley, came soothingly on the ear. It was a sweet substitute for the yet absent murmur of the summer foliage which drowned that music about the Grange, when the trees were in leaf. At Wuthering Heights it always sounded on quiet days, following a great thaw, or a season of steady rain--- and, of Wuthering Heights, Catherine was thinking as she listened; that is, if she thought, or listened, at all; but she had the vague, distant look I mentioned before, which expressed no recognition of material thongs either by ear or eye. (chapter XV, page 180)
2.Imagery
An image is the evocation through words of sensory experience; imagery is simply the collection of images in the entire work or in any significant part of the work. In this novel entitled Wuthering Heights, the writer uses literal images and figurative images.
a.Literal images.
A basic function of literal imagery is simply to satisfy the reader’s demand for specific, concrete details, his desire to know how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. Look out of these paragraphs:
I have just returned from a visit to my landlord---the solitary neighbor that I shall be trouble with. This is certainly, a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist’s Heaven---and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waist-coat, as I announced my name. (chapter I, page 1)
This time, I remembered I was lying in the oak closet, and I heard distinctly the gusty wind, and the driving of the snow; I heard also, the fir-bough repeat its teasing sound, and ascribed it to the right cause; but it annoyed me so much, that I resolved to silence it, if possible; and, I thought, was soldered into the staple, a circumstance observed by me, when awake, but forgotten. (chapter III, page 27)
We entered together; Catherine was there, making herself useful in preparing some vegetables for the approaching meal; she looked more sulky, and less spirited than when I had seen her first. She hardly raised her eyes to notice me, and continued her employment with the same disregard to common forms of politeness, as before; never returning my bow and good morning, by the slightest acknowledgement. (chapter XXXI, page 341)
b.Figurative images.
It is more commonly called figures of speech. An image is figurative when it must be understood in some sense other than the literal. There are several figures of speech that the writer uses inside the story.
à Simile, an explicit comparison of dissimilar objects, involving the use of such comparative words as ‘like or as’. It represents in these paragraphs.
“And so do I. I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one---I’m going to tell it---but take care not to smile at any part of it.” (chapter IX, page 90)
…He flung himself into nearest seat, and on my approaching hurriedly to ascertain if she had fainted, he gnashed at me, and foamed like a mad dog, and gathered her into him with greedy jealousy. (chapter XV, page 184)
“The day she was buried there came a fall a snow. In the evening I went to the churchyard. It blew bleak as winter---all round was solitary: I didn’t fear that her fool of a husband would wander up the den so late---and no one else had business to bring them there.” (chapter XXIX, page 330)
Metaphor, the comparison remains implicit, the statement seems to assert an identification. It represents in these paragraphs.
…Catherine had season of gloom and silence, now and then: they were respected with sympathizing silence by her husband, who ascribed them to an alteration in her constitution, produced by her perilous illness, as she was never subject to depression of spirit before. (chapter X, page 105)
On a mellow evening in September, I was coming from the garden with a heavy basket of apples which I had been gathering. It had got dusk,s and the moon looked over the high wall of the court, causing undefined shadows to lurk in the corners of the numerous projecting portions of the building. I set my burden on the house steps by the kitchen door, and lingered to rest, and draw in a few more breaths of the soft, sweet air; my eyes were on the moon, and my back to entrance, when I heard a voice behind me say---. (chapter X, page 105)
So, I chattered on; and Heathcliff gradually lost his frown, and began to look quite pleasant; when, all at once, out conversation was interrupted by a rumbling sound moving up the road and entering the court. (chapter VII, page 65)
Personification, is the giving of human characteristics to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals. It represents in these paragraphs.
A ray fell on his feature; the cheeks were sallow, and half covered with black whiskers; the brows lowering, the eyes deep set and singular. I remembered the eyes. (chapter X, page 106)
…the return of sunshine was welcomed by answering sunshine from him. I believe I may assert that they were really in possession of deep and growing happiness. (chapter X, page 105)
Something stirred in the porch; and moving nearer, I distinguished a tall man dressed in dark clothes, with dark face and hair. He leant against the side, and held his fingers on the latch, as if intending to open himself. (chapter X, page 105)
I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondering how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth. (chapter XXXIV, page 385)
3.Syntax.
It is the way in which the writer constructs his sentence. We will discuss the characteristic length of his sentences, the proportion of simple to complex sentences. In this novel, the writer uses a complex sentence to describe everything she wants to inform for the readers. Look out of the paragraphs below that written in complex sentence entirely.
I gazed long at the weather-worn block; and, stooping down, perceived a hole near the bottom still full of snail-shells and pebbles which we were fond of storing there with more perishable things---and, as fresh as reality, it appeared that I beheld my early playmate seated on the withered turf; his dark, square head bent forward, and his little hand scooping out the earth with a piece of slate. (chapter XI, chapter 123)
She was conscious of his aim, and in her better moods, endured his efforts placidly; only showing their uselessness by now and then suppressing a wearied sigh, and restraining him at last with the saddest of smiles and kisses. At other times, she would turn petulantly away, and hide her face in her hands, or even push him off angrily; and then he took care to let her alone, for he was certain of doing no good. (chapter XV, page 179)
How they managed together, I can’t tell. I fancy he fretted a great deal, and moaned hisseln, night and day; and she had precious little rest, one could guess by her white face, and heavy eyes---she sometimes came into the kitchen all wildered like, and looked as if she would fain beg assistance: but I was not going to disobey the master---I never dare disobey him, Mrs. Dean, and thought I thought it wrong that Kenneth should not be sent for, it was no concern of mine, either to advise or complain; and I always refused to meddle. (chapter XXX, page 334)
The writer of this novel shows her character style through how she tells her story by using first-person narration, in this case, the narrator is not main character, but minor character named Mr. Lockwood, man who becomes tenant in main character’s house (Heathcliff). There will be a consistency between the style of the author and the style of the narrator she is likely to employ.
TONE
One of the most important functions of style is its contribution to the establishment of tone in the work of fiction. Tone is the sense in which we speak of tone of voice. In written language, including the language of fiction, tone is that quality, primarily a quality of style, that reveals the attitudes of the author toward his subject and toward his audience.
In this novel, the writer uses understatement as a tone. The use of understatement here may be a way to calling on the reader to react with the full power of the moral imagination. She tries to describe how the main character (Heatcliff, Catherine, Hindley, and Edgar) behave in their environment that causes several cases and how they get the consequence concerning what they have done. Then, through the narrator, the reader can catch and see what the moral value inside the story by themselves. Let’s we see this several last paragraph:
“For the use of such ghosts as choose to inhabit it,” I observed.
“No, Mr. Lockwood,” said Nelly, shaking her head. “I believe the dead are at peace, but it is not right to speak of them with levity.”
At the moment the garden gate swung to; the ramblers were returning.
“They are afraid of nothing,” I grumbled, watching their approach through the window. “Together they would brave satan and all his legions.” (chapter XXXIV, page 384)
I sought, and soon discovered, the three head-stones on the slope next the moor—the middle one, grey, and half buried in heath—Edgar Linton’s only harmonized by the turf and moss, creeping up its foot—Heathcliff’s still bare.
I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondering how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth. (chapter XXXIV, page 385)
Style may simply mean a writer’s characteristic way of using language. In short, we mean everything the author does with words, including his way for arranging words into such larger units as sentence. For purposes of simplification, we shall consider this topic under three heading elements: diction, imagery, and syntax.
1.Diction
It simply means the author’s choice of words. In this novel entitled Wuthering Heights, the writer uses a combination: denotation and connotation. There are several paragraphs that represent it.
“This is nothing,” cried she, “I was only going to say that heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the Angels were so angry that they flung me out, into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy. That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I’ve no business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in Heaven; and if the wicked man in there, had not brought Heathcliff so low I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning or frost from fire.” (chapter IX, page 91)
On a mellow evening in September, I was coming from the garden with a heavy basket of apples which I had been gathering. It had got dusk, and the moon looked over the high wall of the court, causing undefined shadows to lurk in the corners of the numerous projecting portions of the building. I set my burden on the house steps by the kitchen door, and lingered to rest, and draw in a few more breaths of the soft, sweet air; my eyes were on the moon, and my back to entrance, when I heard a voice behind me say---. (chapter X, page 105)
Gimmerton chapel bells were still ringing; and the full, mellow flow of the beck in the valley, came soothingly on the ear. It was a sweet substitute for the yet absent murmur of the summer foliage which drowned that music about the Grange, when the trees were in leaf. At Wuthering Heights it always sounded on quiet days, following a great thaw, or a season of steady rain--- and, of Wuthering Heights, Catherine was thinking as she listened; that is, if she thought, or listened, at all; but she had the vague, distant look I mentioned before, which expressed no recognition of material thongs either by ear or eye. (chapter XV, page 180)
2.Imagery
An image is the evocation through words of sensory experience; imagery is simply the collection of images in the entire work or in any significant part of the work. In this novel entitled Wuthering Heights, the writer uses literal images and figurative images.
a.Literal images.
A basic function of literal imagery is simply to satisfy the reader’s demand for specific, concrete details, his desire to know how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. Look out of these paragraphs:
I have just returned from a visit to my landlord---the solitary neighbor that I shall be trouble with. This is certainly, a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist’s Heaven---and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waist-coat, as I announced my name. (chapter I, page 1)
This time, I remembered I was lying in the oak closet, and I heard distinctly the gusty wind, and the driving of the snow; I heard also, the fir-bough repeat its teasing sound, and ascribed it to the right cause; but it annoyed me so much, that I resolved to silence it, if possible; and, I thought, was soldered into the staple, a circumstance observed by me, when awake, but forgotten. (chapter III, page 27)
We entered together; Catherine was there, making herself useful in preparing some vegetables for the approaching meal; she looked more sulky, and less spirited than when I had seen her first. She hardly raised her eyes to notice me, and continued her employment with the same disregard to common forms of politeness, as before; never returning my bow and good morning, by the slightest acknowledgement. (chapter XXXI, page 341)
b.Figurative images.
It is more commonly called figures of speech. An image is figurative when it must be understood in some sense other than the literal. There are several figures of speech that the writer uses inside the story.
à Simile, an explicit comparison of dissimilar objects, involving the use of such comparative words as ‘like or as’. It represents in these paragraphs.
“And so do I. I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. And this is one---I’m going to tell it---but take care not to smile at any part of it.” (chapter IX, page 90)
…He flung himself into nearest seat, and on my approaching hurriedly to ascertain if she had fainted, he gnashed at me, and foamed like a mad dog, and gathered her into him with greedy jealousy. (chapter XV, page 184)
“The day she was buried there came a fall a snow. In the evening I went to the churchyard. It blew bleak as winter---all round was solitary: I didn’t fear that her fool of a husband would wander up the den so late---and no one else had business to bring them there.” (chapter XXIX, page 330)
Metaphor, the comparison remains implicit, the statement seems to assert an identification. It represents in these paragraphs.
…Catherine had season of gloom and silence, now and then: they were respected with sympathizing silence by her husband, who ascribed them to an alteration in her constitution, produced by her perilous illness, as she was never subject to depression of spirit before. (chapter X, page 105)
On a mellow evening in September, I was coming from the garden with a heavy basket of apples which I had been gathering. It had got dusk,s and the moon looked over the high wall of the court, causing undefined shadows to lurk in the corners of the numerous projecting portions of the building. I set my burden on the house steps by the kitchen door, and lingered to rest, and draw in a few more breaths of the soft, sweet air; my eyes were on the moon, and my back to entrance, when I heard a voice behind me say---. (chapter X, page 105)
So, I chattered on; and Heathcliff gradually lost his frown, and began to look quite pleasant; when, all at once, out conversation was interrupted by a rumbling sound moving up the road and entering the court. (chapter VII, page 65)
Personification, is the giving of human characteristics to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals. It represents in these paragraphs.
A ray fell on his feature; the cheeks were sallow, and half covered with black whiskers; the brows lowering, the eyes deep set and singular. I remembered the eyes. (chapter X, page 106)
…the return of sunshine was welcomed by answering sunshine from him. I believe I may assert that they were really in possession of deep and growing happiness. (chapter X, page 105)
Something stirred in the porch; and moving nearer, I distinguished a tall man dressed in dark clothes, with dark face and hair. He leant against the side, and held his fingers on the latch, as if intending to open himself. (chapter X, page 105)
I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondering how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth. (chapter XXXIV, page 385)
3.Syntax.
It is the way in which the writer constructs his sentence. We will discuss the characteristic length of his sentences, the proportion of simple to complex sentences. In this novel, the writer uses a complex sentence to describe everything she wants to inform for the readers. Look out of the paragraphs below that written in complex sentence entirely.
I gazed long at the weather-worn block; and, stooping down, perceived a hole near the bottom still full of snail-shells and pebbles which we were fond of storing there with more perishable things---and, as fresh as reality, it appeared that I beheld my early playmate seated on the withered turf; his dark, square head bent forward, and his little hand scooping out the earth with a piece of slate. (chapter XI, chapter 123)
She was conscious of his aim, and in her better moods, endured his efforts placidly; only showing their uselessness by now and then suppressing a wearied sigh, and restraining him at last with the saddest of smiles and kisses. At other times, she would turn petulantly away, and hide her face in her hands, or even push him off angrily; and then he took care to let her alone, for he was certain of doing no good. (chapter XV, page 179)
How they managed together, I can’t tell. I fancy he fretted a great deal, and moaned hisseln, night and day; and she had precious little rest, one could guess by her white face, and heavy eyes---she sometimes came into the kitchen all wildered like, and looked as if she would fain beg assistance: but I was not going to disobey the master---I never dare disobey him, Mrs. Dean, and thought I thought it wrong that Kenneth should not be sent for, it was no concern of mine, either to advise or complain; and I always refused to meddle. (chapter XXX, page 334)
The writer of this novel shows her character style through how she tells her story by using first-person narration, in this case, the narrator is not main character, but minor character named Mr. Lockwood, man who becomes tenant in main character’s house (Heathcliff). There will be a consistency between the style of the author and the style of the narrator she is likely to employ.
TONE
One of the most important functions of style is its contribution to the establishment of tone in the work of fiction. Tone is the sense in which we speak of tone of voice. In written language, including the language of fiction, tone is that quality, primarily a quality of style, that reveals the attitudes of the author toward his subject and toward his audience.
In this novel, the writer uses understatement as a tone. The use of understatement here may be a way to calling on the reader to react with the full power of the moral imagination. She tries to describe how the main character (Heatcliff, Catherine, Hindley, and Edgar) behave in their environment that causes several cases and how they get the consequence concerning what they have done. Then, through the narrator, the reader can catch and see what the moral value inside the story by themselves. Let’s we see this several last paragraph:
“For the use of such ghosts as choose to inhabit it,” I observed.
“No, Mr. Lockwood,” said Nelly, shaking her head. “I believe the dead are at peace, but it is not right to speak of them with levity.”
At the moment the garden gate swung to; the ramblers were returning.
“They are afraid of nothing,” I grumbled, watching their approach through the window. “Together they would brave satan and all his legions.” (chapter XXXIV, page 384)
I sought, and soon discovered, the three head-stones on the slope next the moor—the middle one, grey, and half buried in heath—Edgar Linton’s only harmonized by the turf and moss, creeping up its foot—Heathcliff’s still bare.
I lingered round them, under that benign sky; watched the moths fluttering among the heath, and hare-bells; listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass; and wondering how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers, for the sleepers in that quiet earth. (chapter XXXIV, page 385)
The Analysis Setting of Novel: “A Farewell to Arms” By Ernest Hemingway
SETTING
Setting is one of the element that reveals us where and when of the event of the plot occur. It refers to the time and space of the story.
Generally, setting is divided into two parts:
a.Setting of place, it is where the events in a story occur. In this novel, titled A Farewell to Arms, the setting of place is in Italy and Switzerland.
- In Italy, especially in the small Italian village, Gorizia town, Abruzzi, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Palermo, Capri, Milan, and Bainsizza, a succession of small mountains in which intense fighting has taken place. It can be seen in the paragraph below, in the beginning of the story:
In the late of summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked accross the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. (par. 1, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
the next year there were many victories. The mountain that was beyond the valley and the hillside where the chestnut forest grew was captured and there were victories beyond the plain on the plateau to the south and we crossed the river inAugust and lived in a Gorizia that had a fountain and many thick shady trees in a walled garden and a wistaria vine purple on the side of the house. (par. 1, page 2, chapter II, book I)
Then, also in the dialogue below between Henry, the priest and his firend. “There will be no more offensive now that the snow has come,” I said. “Certainly not,” said the major. “You should go on leave. You should go to Rome, Naples, Sicily------“
“He should visit Amalfi,” said the lieutenant. “I will write you cards to may family in Amalfi. They will love you like a son.”
“He should go to Palermo.”
“He ought to Capri.”
“I would like you to see Abruzzi and visit my family at Capracotta,” said the priest.
We can see also in this paragraph:
The next day in the morning we left for Milan and arrived forty-eight hours later. It was a bad trip. We were sidetracked for a long time this side of Mestre and children came and pocked in.... (par. 8, pg. 59, chapter XII, book I)
We got into Milan early in the morning and they unloaded us in the freight yard... (pg. 60, chapter XII, book )
Proof of setting in Bainsizza,
I had not seen the Bainsizza before and it was strange to go up the slope where the Austrians had been, beyond the place on the river where I had been wounded. There was a steep new road and many trucks.... (par. 2, pg. 134, chapter XXVII, book III)
In Switzerland.
We can see the dialogue between Count Greffi, and Henry as follows:
“If you have nothing to fear an arrest is nothing. But it in always bad to be arrested ---especially now.”
“I don’t want to be arrested.”
“Then go to Switzerland.” (pg. 198, chapter XXXVI, book IV
Also in the dialogue between Henry and Catherine.
“I think we’re in Switzerland, Cat,” I said.
“Really?”
“There’s no way to know until we see Swiss troops.”
“Or the Swiss navy.” (pg. 207, chapter XXXVII, book IV))
Then, in the small village of the side of the mountain, outside of Montreux village. Lets see these paragraph:
...we lived in a brown wooden house in the pine trees on the side of the mountain... (par. 1, pg. 215, chapter XXXVIII, book V)
Sometimes we walked down the mountain into Montreux. There was a path went down the mountain but it was steep and so usually we took the road and walked down in the wide walls on the vineyards and on down between the houses of the villages along the road.... ((par. 7, pg. 217, chapter XXXVIII, book V)
It also in Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Pallanza, according to his setence: “How should we go? In this rain we need a compass.”
“ No. Row to Isola Bella. Then on the other side of Isola Madre go with the wind. The wind will take you to Pallanza. You will see the light. Then go up the shore.” (pg. 201, chapter XXXVI, book IV)
It also in Lausanne town, let’s we see paragraph here:
We took the train to Lusanne from Montreux, looking out the window toward where we had lived you could not see mountains for the clouds. The train stopped in Vevey, then went on, passing the lake on one side and on the other the wet brown fields and the bare woods and the wet houses. We came into Lausanne and went into a medium-sized hotel to stay.... (pg. 228, chapter XL, book IV)
b.Setting of time, it is when the events in a story occur. In this novel, titled A Farewell to Arms, the setting of time is in 1916–1918, in the middle of World War I. Look out of this sentence, it represent how the situation of the war:
...Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. (par. 1, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
Sometimes in the dark we heard the troops marching under the window and guns going past pulled by motor-tractors. There was much traffic at night and many mules on the roads with boxes of ammunition on each sude of their pack-saddles and gray motor-trucks that carried men, and other trucks with loads covered with canvas that moved slower in the traffic.... (par. 3, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
...the line of the river that separated the two armies. We went along the rough new military road that followed the crest of the ridge... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
...there were troops on this road and motor trucks and mules with mountain guns ... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
The Italians were sure that America would declare war on Austria too and they were excited about any Americans coming down, even the Red Cross. They asked me if the President Wilson would declare war on Austria and I said it was only a matter of days.... (par. 4, pg. 57, chapter XII, book I)
...he said the fighting was over for the year here and that the Italians had bitten off more than they chew. He said the offensive in Flanders was going to the bad. If they killed men as they did this fall the Allies would be cooked in another year... (par. 1, pg 99, chapter XXI, book II)
We can see this dialogue, between Henry and Chaterine:
“there’s a war on, you know.” I said I knew.
“You’re the American in the Italian army?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How did you happen to do that? Why didn’t you join up with us?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Could I join now?”
“I’m afraid not now. Tell me. Why did you join up with the Italians?”
“I was in Italy,” I said, “and I spoke Italians.” (pg. 15, chapter V, book I)
I had not seen the Bainsizza before and it was strange to go up the slope where the Austrians had been, beyond the place on the river where I had been wounded. There was a steep new road and many trucks.... (par. 2, pg. 134, chapter XXVII, book III)
The wind rose in the night and at three o’clockin the morning with the rain coming in sheets there was a bombardment and the Croations came over across the mountain meadows and through patches of wood and into the front line.... (pg. 138, chapter XXVII, book III)
Then, there are four elements that compose the setting:
1.The actual geographical location, including topography, scenery, even the details of room’s interior.
In this novel, there are many describing about the condition place where the event takes place. Let’s we look on the first pargraph on the beginning of the story.
In the late of summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked accross the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.
Second, it describes also the scenery in a small village in Italy and in a journey to Pallanza, Switzerland.
...the field were green and there were small green shoots on the vines, trees along the road had small leaves and a breeze came from the sea. I saw the hill and the old castle above it in a cup in the hiils with the mountains beyond, brown mountains with a little green on their slopes...
(par. 1, pg. 6, chapter III, book I)
...The rain stopped and the wind drove the clouds so that the moon shone through and looking back I could see the long dark pointof Castagnola and the lake with white-caps and beyond, the moon on the high snow mountains. Then the clouds came over the moon again and the mountains and the lake were gone, but it was much lighter than it had been before and we could see the shore.... (pg. 203, chapter XXXVII, book IV)
Third, it describe how the details of the room.
The room was long with windows on the right-hand side and a door at the far end that went onto the dressing room. The row of the beds that mine was in faced the windows and another row, under the windows, faced the wall. If you lay on your left side you could see the dressing-room door. There was another door at the far end that people sometimes came in by. If anyone were going to die they put a screen around the puttees of doctors and men nurses showed under the bottom of the screen and sometimes at the end there would be whispering.... (par. 1, page 56, chapter XII, book I)
2.The occupations and modes of day-to-day existence of the characters.
The main characters in this novel are Lietenant Henry and Catherine Barkley, who the man is a American ambulance driver and the woman is a English nurse. They involve in a love relationship, although they come from in a different background.
...The British hospital was a big villa built by Germans before the war. Miss Barkley was in the garden. Another nurse was with her. We saw their white uniforms though the trees and walked toward the. Rinaldi saluted. I saluted toobut more moderately.
“How do you do?” Miss Barkley said. “You’re not an Italian, are you?”
“Oh, no.”
Rinaldi was talking with other nurse. They were lauhing.
“What an odd thing---to be in the Italian army.”
“It’s not really the army. It’s only the ambulance.”
(pg. 12, chapter IV, book I)
The next afternoon I went to call on Miss Barkley again. She was not in the garden and I went to the side door of the villa where the ambulance drove up. Inside I saw the head nurse, who said Miss Barkley was on duty ---“there’s a war on, you know.”
I said I knew.
“You’re the American in the Italian army?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How did you happen to do that? Why didn’t you join up with us?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Could I join now?”
“I’m afraid not now. Tell me. Why did you join up with the Italians?”
“I was in Italy,” I said, “and I spoke Italians.”
(pg. 15, chapter V, book I)
3.The time in which the action takes place, e.g, historical period, season of the year.The event occur in a World War I, it is shown in some paragraphs.
The Italians were sure that America would declare war on Austria too and they were excited about any Americans coming down, even the Red Cross. They asked me if the President Wilson would declare war on Austria and I said it was only a matter of days.... (par. 4, pg. 57, chapter XII, book I)
...he said the fighting was over for the year here and that the Italians had bitten off more than they chew. He said the offensive in Flanders was going to the bad. If they killed men as they did this fall the Allies would be cooked in another year... (par. 1, pg 99, chapter XXI, book II)
There are some seasons that is mentioned inside the story, for example: summer, spring, winter.
We had a lovely time that summer. When I could go out we rode in a carriage in the park.... (par. 1, pg. 82, chapter XVIII, book II)
When I come back to the front we still lived in that town. There were many more guns in the country around and the spring had come....
(par. 1, pg. 6, chapter III, book I)
In September the first cool nights came, then the days were cool and the leaves on the trees in the park began to turn color and we knew the summer was gone.... (par. 1, pg. 99, chapter XXI, book II)
By the middle of January I had a beard and the winter had settled into bright cold days and hard cold nights. We could walk on the roads again. the snow was packed hard and smooth by the hay-sleds and wood-sledges and the logs that were hauled down the mountain....
(par. 1, pg. 225, chapter XXXIX, book V).
4.The religius, moral, intellectual, social, and emotional environment of the characters.
In this novel, the environment is full of the condition of a war. The trucks contains amunese often to pass in the roads, the soldiers is in everywhere, many doctors and nurse are employed, soemtimes a safe place is not really a safe place. We can see in this dialogue:
...the line of the river that separated the two armies. We went along the rough new military road that followed the crest of the ridge... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
...there were troops on this road and motor trucks and mules with mountain guns ... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
“Any news. What’s happened in the town?”
“It is time of war,” he said. “The enemy’s ears are everywhere.” (pg. 67, chapter XIV, book II)
...He said the Austrians had a great amount of artillery in the woods along Ternova ridge beyond and above us, and shelled the roads badly at night. There was a battery of naval guns that had gotten on his nerves...
(par. 3, pg. 135, chapter XXVII, book III)
All right, in this novel that we have analyzed, we concluded that the atmosphere inside the story is going well. A writer can describe the atmosphere through the weather, season, the condition of character, the condition of the event take place, etc. It make the story become alive, because the readers can established their imagination through the explanation of the setting.
Setting is one of the element that reveals us where and when of the event of the plot occur. It refers to the time and space of the story.
Generally, setting is divided into two parts:
a.Setting of place, it is where the events in a story occur. In this novel, titled A Farewell to Arms, the setting of place is in Italy and Switzerland.
- In Italy, especially in the small Italian village, Gorizia town, Abruzzi, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Palermo, Capri, Milan, and Bainsizza, a succession of small mountains in which intense fighting has taken place. It can be seen in the paragraph below, in the beginning of the story:
In the late of summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked accross the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. (par. 1, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
the next year there were many victories. The mountain that was beyond the valley and the hillside where the chestnut forest grew was captured and there were victories beyond the plain on the plateau to the south and we crossed the river inAugust and lived in a Gorizia that had a fountain and many thick shady trees in a walled garden and a wistaria vine purple on the side of the house. (par. 1, page 2, chapter II, book I)
Then, also in the dialogue below between Henry, the priest and his firend. “There will be no more offensive now that the snow has come,” I said. “Certainly not,” said the major. “You should go on leave. You should go to Rome, Naples, Sicily------“
“He should visit Amalfi,” said the lieutenant. “I will write you cards to may family in Amalfi. They will love you like a son.”
“He should go to Palermo.”
“He ought to Capri.”
“I would like you to see Abruzzi and visit my family at Capracotta,” said the priest.
We can see also in this paragraph:
The next day in the morning we left for Milan and arrived forty-eight hours later. It was a bad trip. We were sidetracked for a long time this side of Mestre and children came and pocked in.... (par. 8, pg. 59, chapter XII, book I)
We got into Milan early in the morning and they unloaded us in the freight yard... (pg. 60, chapter XII, book )
Proof of setting in Bainsizza,
I had not seen the Bainsizza before and it was strange to go up the slope where the Austrians had been, beyond the place on the river where I had been wounded. There was a steep new road and many trucks.... (par. 2, pg. 134, chapter XXVII, book III)
In Switzerland.
We can see the dialogue between Count Greffi, and Henry as follows:
“If you have nothing to fear an arrest is nothing. But it in always bad to be arrested ---especially now.”
“I don’t want to be arrested.”
“Then go to Switzerland.” (pg. 198, chapter XXXVI, book IV
Also in the dialogue between Henry and Catherine.
“I think we’re in Switzerland, Cat,” I said.
“Really?”
“There’s no way to know until we see Swiss troops.”
“Or the Swiss navy.” (pg. 207, chapter XXXVII, book IV))
Then, in the small village of the side of the mountain, outside of Montreux village. Lets see these paragraph:
...we lived in a brown wooden house in the pine trees on the side of the mountain... (par. 1, pg. 215, chapter XXXVIII, book V)
Sometimes we walked down the mountain into Montreux. There was a path went down the mountain but it was steep and so usually we took the road and walked down in the wide walls on the vineyards and on down between the houses of the villages along the road.... ((par. 7, pg. 217, chapter XXXVIII, book V)
It also in Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Pallanza, according to his setence: “How should we go? In this rain we need a compass.”
“ No. Row to Isola Bella. Then on the other side of Isola Madre go with the wind. The wind will take you to Pallanza. You will see the light. Then go up the shore.” (pg. 201, chapter XXXVI, book IV)
It also in Lausanne town, let’s we see paragraph here:
We took the train to Lusanne from Montreux, looking out the window toward where we had lived you could not see mountains for the clouds. The train stopped in Vevey, then went on, passing the lake on one side and on the other the wet brown fields and the bare woods and the wet houses. We came into Lausanne and went into a medium-sized hotel to stay.... (pg. 228, chapter XL, book IV)
b.Setting of time, it is when the events in a story occur. In this novel, titled A Farewell to Arms, the setting of time is in 1916–1918, in the middle of World War I. Look out of this sentence, it represent how the situation of the war:
...Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves. (par. 1, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
Sometimes in the dark we heard the troops marching under the window and guns going past pulled by motor-tractors. There was much traffic at night and many mules on the roads with boxes of ammunition on each sude of their pack-saddles and gray motor-trucks that carried men, and other trucks with loads covered with canvas that moved slower in the traffic.... (par. 3, page 1, chapter 1, book1)
...the line of the river that separated the two armies. We went along the rough new military road that followed the crest of the ridge... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
...there were troops on this road and motor trucks and mules with mountain guns ... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
The Italians were sure that America would declare war on Austria too and they were excited about any Americans coming down, even the Red Cross. They asked me if the President Wilson would declare war on Austria and I said it was only a matter of days.... (par. 4, pg. 57, chapter XII, book I)
...he said the fighting was over for the year here and that the Italians had bitten off more than they chew. He said the offensive in Flanders was going to the bad. If they killed men as they did this fall the Allies would be cooked in another year... (par. 1, pg 99, chapter XXI, book II)
We can see this dialogue, between Henry and Chaterine:
“there’s a war on, you know.” I said I knew.
“You’re the American in the Italian army?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How did you happen to do that? Why didn’t you join up with us?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Could I join now?”
“I’m afraid not now. Tell me. Why did you join up with the Italians?”
“I was in Italy,” I said, “and I spoke Italians.” (pg. 15, chapter V, book I)
I had not seen the Bainsizza before and it was strange to go up the slope where the Austrians had been, beyond the place on the river where I had been wounded. There was a steep new road and many trucks.... (par. 2, pg. 134, chapter XXVII, book III)
The wind rose in the night and at three o’clockin the morning with the rain coming in sheets there was a bombardment and the Croations came over across the mountain meadows and through patches of wood and into the front line.... (pg. 138, chapter XXVII, book III)
Then, there are four elements that compose the setting:
1.The actual geographical location, including topography, scenery, even the details of room’s interior.
In this novel, there are many describing about the condition place where the event takes place. Let’s we look on the first pargraph on the beginning of the story.
In the late of summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked accross the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves feel fell early that year and we saw the troops masrching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.
Second, it describes also the scenery in a small village in Italy and in a journey to Pallanza, Switzerland.
...the field were green and there were small green shoots on the vines, trees along the road had small leaves and a breeze came from the sea. I saw the hill and the old castle above it in a cup in the hiils with the mountains beyond, brown mountains with a little green on their slopes...
(par. 1, pg. 6, chapter III, book I)
...The rain stopped and the wind drove the clouds so that the moon shone through and looking back I could see the long dark pointof Castagnola and the lake with white-caps and beyond, the moon on the high snow mountains. Then the clouds came over the moon again and the mountains and the lake were gone, but it was much lighter than it had been before and we could see the shore.... (pg. 203, chapter XXXVII, book IV)
Third, it describe how the details of the room.
The room was long with windows on the right-hand side and a door at the far end that went onto the dressing room. The row of the beds that mine was in faced the windows and another row, under the windows, faced the wall. If you lay on your left side you could see the dressing-room door. There was another door at the far end that people sometimes came in by. If anyone were going to die they put a screen around the puttees of doctors and men nurses showed under the bottom of the screen and sometimes at the end there would be whispering.... (par. 1, page 56, chapter XII, book I)
2.The occupations and modes of day-to-day existence of the characters.
The main characters in this novel are Lietenant Henry and Catherine Barkley, who the man is a American ambulance driver and the woman is a English nurse. They involve in a love relationship, although they come from in a different background.
...The British hospital was a big villa built by Germans before the war. Miss Barkley was in the garden. Another nurse was with her. We saw their white uniforms though the trees and walked toward the. Rinaldi saluted. I saluted toobut more moderately.
“How do you do?” Miss Barkley said. “You’re not an Italian, are you?”
“Oh, no.”
Rinaldi was talking with other nurse. They were lauhing.
“What an odd thing---to be in the Italian army.”
“It’s not really the army. It’s only the ambulance.”
(pg. 12, chapter IV, book I)
The next afternoon I went to call on Miss Barkley again. She was not in the garden and I went to the side door of the villa where the ambulance drove up. Inside I saw the head nurse, who said Miss Barkley was on duty ---“there’s a war on, you know.”
I said I knew.
“You’re the American in the Italian army?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How did you happen to do that? Why didn’t you join up with us?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Could I join now?”
“I’m afraid not now. Tell me. Why did you join up with the Italians?”
“I was in Italy,” I said, “and I spoke Italians.”
(pg. 15, chapter V, book I)
3.The time in which the action takes place, e.g, historical period, season of the year.The event occur in a World War I, it is shown in some paragraphs.
The Italians were sure that America would declare war on Austria too and they were excited about any Americans coming down, even the Red Cross. They asked me if the President Wilson would declare war on Austria and I said it was only a matter of days.... (par. 4, pg. 57, chapter XII, book I)
...he said the fighting was over for the year here and that the Italians had bitten off more than they chew. He said the offensive in Flanders was going to the bad. If they killed men as they did this fall the Allies would be cooked in another year... (par. 1, pg 99, chapter XXI, book II)
There are some seasons that is mentioned inside the story, for example: summer, spring, winter.
We had a lovely time that summer. When I could go out we rode in a carriage in the park.... (par. 1, pg. 82, chapter XVIII, book II)
When I come back to the front we still lived in that town. There were many more guns in the country around and the spring had come....
(par. 1, pg. 6, chapter III, book I)
In September the first cool nights came, then the days were cool and the leaves on the trees in the park began to turn color and we knew the summer was gone.... (par. 1, pg. 99, chapter XXI, book II)
By the middle of January I had a beard and the winter had settled into bright cold days and hard cold nights. We could walk on the roads again. the snow was packed hard and smooth by the hay-sleds and wood-sledges and the logs that were hauled down the mountain....
(par. 1, pg. 225, chapter XXXIX, book V).
4.The religius, moral, intellectual, social, and emotional environment of the characters.
In this novel, the environment is full of the condition of a war. The trucks contains amunese often to pass in the roads, the soldiers is in everywhere, many doctors and nurse are employed, soemtimes a safe place is not really a safe place. We can see in this dialogue:
...the line of the river that separated the two armies. We went along the rough new military road that followed the crest of the ridge... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
...there were troops on this road and motor trucks and mules with mountain guns ... (pg. 33, chapter V, book1)
“Any news. What’s happened in the town?”
“It is time of war,” he said. “The enemy’s ears are everywhere.” (pg. 67, chapter XIV, book II)
...He said the Austrians had a great amount of artillery in the woods along Ternova ridge beyond and above us, and shelled the roads badly at night. There was a battery of naval guns that had gotten on his nerves...
(par. 3, pg. 135, chapter XXVII, book III)
All right, in this novel that we have analyzed, we concluded that the atmosphere inside the story is going well. A writer can describe the atmosphere through the weather, season, the condition of character, the condition of the event take place, etc. It make the story become alive, because the readers can established their imagination through the explanation of the setting.
The Analysis Style and Tone of Novel: “The Red Badge of Courage” By Stephen Crane
STYLE
Style may simply mean a writer’s characteristic way of using language. In short, we mean everything the author does with words, including his way for arranging words into such larger units as sentence. For purposes of simplification, we shall consider this topic under three heading elements: diction, imagery, and syntax.
1.Diction
It simply means the author’s choice of words. In this novel entitled The Red Badge of Courage, the writer uses connotation in his most paragraphs. There are several paragraphs that represent it.
He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life—of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the bygone with his thought-images of heavy crowns and high castles. There were a portion of the world’s history which he had regarded as the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over the horison and had disappeared forever. (chapter I, page 5)
The ground was cluttered with his vines and bushes, and the trees grew close and spread out like bouquets. He was obliged to force his way with much noise. The creepers, catching against his legs, cried out harshly as their sprays were torn from the barks of trees. The swishing saplings tried to make known his presence to the world. He could not conciliate the forest. As he made his way, it was always calling out protestation. When he separated embraces of trees and vines the disturbed foliages waved their arms and turned their face leaves toward him. He dreaded lest these noisy motions and cries should bring men to look at him. So he went far, seeking dark and intricate places. (chapter VII, page 41)
As he marched along the little branch-hung roadway among his prattling companions this vision of cruelty brooded over him. It clung near him always and darkened his view of these deeds in purple and gold. Whichever way his thoughts turned they were followed by the sombre phantom of the desertion in the field. He looked stealthily at his companions, feelings sure that they must discern in his face evidence of his pursuit. But they were plodding in ragged array, discussing with quick tongues the accomplishments of the late battle. (chapter XXIV,page 117)
2.Imagery
An image is the evocation through words of sensory experience; imagery is simply the collection of images in the entire work or in any significant part of the work. In this novel entitled The Red Badge of Courage, the writer uses literal images and figurative images.
a.Literal images.
A basic function of literal imagery is simply to satisfy the reader’s demand for specific, concrete details, his desire to know how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. Look out of these paragraphs:
The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to trembled with eagerness at the noise of rumours. It cast its eyes upon the roads, which were growing from long troughs of liquid mud to proper thoroughfares. A river, amber-tinted in the shadow of its banks, purled at the army’s feet; and at night, when the stream had become of a sorrowful blackness, one could see accross it the red, eyelike gleam of hostile camp-fires set in the low brows of distant hills. (chapter I, page 3)
The spectral soldier was at his side like a stalking reproach. The man’s eyes were still fixed in a stare into unknown. His grey, appalling face had attracted attention in the crowd, and men, slowing to his dreary pace, were talking with him. They were discussing his plight, questioning him and giving him advice. In a dogged way he repelled them, signing to them to go on and leave him alone. The shadows of his face were deepening and his tight lips seemed holding in check the moan of great despair. There could be seen a certain stiffness in the movements of his body, as if he were talking infinite care not to arouse the passion of his woiunds. As he went on, he seemed always looking for a place, like one who goes to choose a grave. (chapter IX, page 48)
The men cuddled behind the small embankment and sat in easy attitudes awaiting their turn. Many had their backs to the firing. The youth’s friend lay down, buried his face in his arms, and almost instantly, it seemed, he was in a deep sleep. (chapter XVI, page 79)
b.Figurative images.
It is more commonly called figures of speech. An image is figurative when it must be understood in some sense other than the literal. There are several figures of speech that the writer uses inside the story.
à Simile, an explicit comparison of dissimilar objects, involving the use of such comparative words as ‘like or as’. It represents in these paragraphs.
He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life—of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the bygone with his thought-images of heavy crowns and high castles. There were a portion of the world’s history which he had regarded as the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over the horison and had disappeared forever. (chapter I, page 5)
A dull, animal—like rebellion against his fellows, war in the abstract, and fate grew within him. He shambled along with bowed head, his brain in a tumult of agony and despair. When he looked loweringly up, quivering at each sound, his eyes had the expression of those of a criminal who thinks his guilt litlle and his punishment great, and knows that he can find no words. (chapter VII, page 41)
The youth’s regiment was marched to relieve a command that had lain long in some damp trenches. The men took positions behind a curving line of riffle pits that had been turned up, like a large furrow, along the line of woods. Before them as a level strecth, peopled with short, deformed stumps. From the woods beyond came the dull popping of the skirmishers and pickets, firing in the fog. From the right came the noise of a terrific fracas. (chapter XVI, page 79)
At nightfall the column broke into regimental pieces, and the fragments went into the fields to camp. Tents sprang up like strange plants. Camp fires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dotted the night. (chapter II, page 16)
Metaphor, the comparison remains implicit, the statement seems to assert an identification. It represents in these paragraphs.
The other sat down and and carefully lighted his pipe. “You’re getting blue, my boy. You’re looking thundering peeked. What the dickens is wrong with you?” (chapter II, page 16)
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage. (chapter IX, page 48)
A single riffle flashed in a thicket before the regiment. In an instant it was joined by many others. There was a mighty song of clashes and crashes that went sweeping through the woods. The guns in the rear, arroused and enraged by shells that had been thrown burr-like at them., suddenly involved themselves in a hideous altercation with another band of guns. The battle roar settled to a rolling thunder, which was a single, long explosion. (chapter XVI, page 83)
Personification, is the giving of human characteristics to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals. It represents in these paragraphs.
The skirmish fire increased to a long clattering sound. With it was mingled far-away cheering. A battery spoke. (chapter III, page 25)
The day had grown more white, until the sun shed his full radiance upon the thronged forest. A sort of a gust of battle came sweeping toward that part of the line where lay the youth’s regiment. The front shifted a trifle to meet it suarely. There was a wait. In this part of the field there passed slowly the intense moments that precede the tempest. (chapter XVI, page 82)
Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds. (chapter XXIV, page 115 )
3.Symbols.
It is basically a kind of image, differing from other images in the use to which it is put. Because symbolism often proves a stumbling block for inexperienced readers, we shall approach the subject of the literary symbol indirectly.
1.The dead man
After Henry runs away from battle and is in the midst of rationalizing his behavior, he comes across a particularly tranquil spot in the woods:
At length he reached a place where the high, arching boughs made a chapel. He softly pushed the green doors aside and entered. Pine needles were a gentle brown carpet. There was a religious half light
This is where Henry comes to realize that nature and the universe have no interest in this dead man, nor do they have an interest in whether Henry himself lives or dies. There is simply nothing out there to help or save him or anyone else. This is a shocking lesson for him, and one that shatters his notions of the way things work.
2.Red
Let’s we discuss this dialogue below:
"From across the river the red eyes were still peering."
“From this little distance the many fires, with the black forms of men passing to and fro before the crimson rays, made weird and satanic effects."
"They were going to look at war, the red animal –war, the blood-swollen god.”
"Then, upon this stillness, there suddenly broke a tremendous clangor of sounds. A crimson roar came from the distance.”
"At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage."
"He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle."
Well, we can think that red has something to do with things that are scary, bloody, dangerous, and war-related.
3.Animal Imagery
When Henry looks around in "the mystic gloom," he stares at the "red eyes across the river" and imagines they are "the orbs of a row of dragons advancing". Later, in battle, he imagines the enemy as an "onslaught of redoubtable dragons" approaching like a "red and green monster". Mythical creatures aside, there’s plenty of mention of the regiment lines moving like snakes, or the men being killed like pigs, or Henry running forward like a dog or fighting like a wild cat. Remember that the instincts Henry is dealing with – self-preservation, fear, all that biology 101 "fight or flight" stuff – are all animalistic in nature. He’s tapping into the core of his being that he shares with snakes, pigs, dogs, cats, etc. Essentially, there isn’t a big difference between men and animals when they’re put into these sorts of life-threatening situations.
4.Religious Stuff
Crane, who was the son of a minister (but not himself a believer), also uses religious imagery in the novel. The chapter that deals with the death of Jim Conklin (notice his initials), promotes Jim as a sort of Christ-figure who through his painful death helps "redeem" Henry. The final sentence of this chapter ("The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer"), is no mere description of nature. In the Christian sacrament of communion, believers eat the "body of Christ" via communion wafers and red wine. Crane seems to be commenting on the concept of men having to die to save other men, whether in war or in spirit. It gets us back to that "part of a larger whole" thing we talked about in the "Why Should I Care." Gosh, almost like a common important thread or something.
4.Syntax.
It is the way in which the writer constructs his sentence. We will discuss the characteristic length of his sentences, the proportion of simple to complex sentences. In this novel, the writer uses a combination: simple and complex sentence to describe everything he wants to inform for the readers. Look out of the paragraphs below that written in simple and complex sentence together.
There were moments of waiting. The youth thought of the village street at home before the arrival of the circus parade on a day in the spring. He remembered how he had stood, a small, thrithful boy, prepared to follow the dingly lady upon the whihte horse, or the band in its faded chariot. He saw the yellow road, the lines of expectant people, and the sober houses. He particularly remembered an old fellow who used to sit upon a cracker box in front of the store and feign to despise such exhibition. A thousand details of colour form surged in his mind. The old fellow upon the cracker box appeared in middle prominence. (chapter V, page 29)
The youth felt comforted in a measured by this sight. They were all retreating. Perhaps, then, he was not so bad after all. He seated himself and watched the terror-stricken wagons. They fled like soft, ungainly animals. All the roars and lashers served to help him to magnify the dangers and horrors of the engangement that he might try to prove to himself that the thing with which men could charge him was in truth a symmetrical act. There was an amount of pleasure to him in watching the wild march of this vindication. (chapter XI, page 57)
The youth, upon hearing the shouts, began to study the distance between him and the enemy. He made vague calculations. He saw that to be firm soldiers they must go forward. It would be death to stay in the present place, and with all the circumstances togo backward would exalt too many others. Their hope was to push the galling foes away from the fence. (chapter XXX, page 111)
The writer of this novel shows her character style through how he tells her story by using third-person narration (limited omniscient), in this case, we can see the action through the eyes of just one character, "the Youth" named Henry Fleming. Though Henry is not the narrator of the story, we are inside Henry’s mind throughout the novel. We are never allowed to know any of the other characters’ thoughts or feelings (unless of course they vocalize them to Henry). In the novel, the storyteller describes things as Henry sees and interprets them. At the same time, because of the slight tone of irony that the narrator employs, we realize that some of the things Henry perceives and recounts may not reflect the truest reality. This type of narration relies on the reader to ferret out which of Henry’s emotions and observations are accurate, and which are merely a reflection of Henry’s temporary state of mind.
TONE
One of the most important functions of style is its contribution to the establishment of tone in the work of fiction. Tone is the sense in which we speak of tone of voice. In written language, including the language of fiction, tone is that quality, primarily a quality of style, that reveals the attitudes of the author toward his subject and toward his audience.
In this novel, the writer uses understatement as a tone. The use of understatement here may be a way to calling on the reader to react with the full power of the moral imagination. Then, through the narrator, the reader can catch and see what the moral value inside the story by themselves. Let’s we see this paragraph:
A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hideous possibilities. He contemplated the lurking menaces of the future, and failed in an effort to see himself standing stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled his vision of broken-bladed glory, but in the shadow of the impending tumult he susoected them to be impossible pictures. (chapter I, page 9)
The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade. He had feared that all of the untried men possessed a great and correct confidence. He now was in measure reassurred. (chapter I, page 11)
In the paragraph, describing that the youth feel scared with experience of war. Though, a soldier should get courage to fight with the enemies, not fear.
Besides, another tone in this novel is irony. Many have identified in Red Badge a discrepancy between Henry’s thoughts and those of the author. Crane often uses exaggerated language to describe Henry’s visions of glory and valor, so much so that he even seems to be mocking his main character. His descriptions of Henry often force the reader to question the legitimacy of Henry’s perceptions about himself. We realize that what Henry thinks about himself may not be what the narrator – or we – knows to be very accurate.
It’s clear that Crane has a bone to pick with traditional notions of courage, manhood, and warfare; Crane’s realistic descriptions of battle, fear, and horrific death lessen our deeply held beliefs about the glories and honor of fighting for one’s country or belief system. Both Henry’s desire for glory and his embarrassing unwillingness to do what is required for its attainment reveal Crane’s sophisticated sense that gray is the color of most men’s souls – that there is no such thing as true courage, or even right and wrong.
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage. (chapter IX, page 48)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. 1966. Monarch Press: New York
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. 1995. Mackays of Chantham:Britain
Style may simply mean a writer’s characteristic way of using language. In short, we mean everything the author does with words, including his way for arranging words into such larger units as sentence. For purposes of simplification, we shall consider this topic under three heading elements: diction, imagery, and syntax.
1.Diction
It simply means the author’s choice of words. In this novel entitled The Red Badge of Courage, the writer uses connotation in his most paragraphs. There are several paragraphs that represent it.
He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life—of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the bygone with his thought-images of heavy crowns and high castles. There were a portion of the world’s history which he had regarded as the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over the horison and had disappeared forever. (chapter I, page 5)
The ground was cluttered with his vines and bushes, and the trees grew close and spread out like bouquets. He was obliged to force his way with much noise. The creepers, catching against his legs, cried out harshly as their sprays were torn from the barks of trees. The swishing saplings tried to make known his presence to the world. He could not conciliate the forest. As he made his way, it was always calling out protestation. When he separated embraces of trees and vines the disturbed foliages waved their arms and turned their face leaves toward him. He dreaded lest these noisy motions and cries should bring men to look at him. So he went far, seeking dark and intricate places. (chapter VII, page 41)
As he marched along the little branch-hung roadway among his prattling companions this vision of cruelty brooded over him. It clung near him always and darkened his view of these deeds in purple and gold. Whichever way his thoughts turned they were followed by the sombre phantom of the desertion in the field. He looked stealthily at his companions, feelings sure that they must discern in his face evidence of his pursuit. But they were plodding in ragged array, discussing with quick tongues the accomplishments of the late battle. (chapter XXIV,page 117)
2.Imagery
An image is the evocation through words of sensory experience; imagery is simply the collection of images in the entire work or in any significant part of the work. In this novel entitled The Red Badge of Courage, the writer uses literal images and figurative images.
a.Literal images.
A basic function of literal imagery is simply to satisfy the reader’s demand for specific, concrete details, his desire to know how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel. Look out of these paragraphs:
The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. As the landscape changed from brown to green, the army awakened, and began to trembled with eagerness at the noise of rumours. It cast its eyes upon the roads, which were growing from long troughs of liquid mud to proper thoroughfares. A river, amber-tinted in the shadow of its banks, purled at the army’s feet; and at night, when the stream had become of a sorrowful blackness, one could see accross it the red, eyelike gleam of hostile camp-fires set in the low brows of distant hills. (chapter I, page 3)
The spectral soldier was at his side like a stalking reproach. The man’s eyes were still fixed in a stare into unknown. His grey, appalling face had attracted attention in the crowd, and men, slowing to his dreary pace, were talking with him. They were discussing his plight, questioning him and giving him advice. In a dogged way he repelled them, signing to them to go on and leave him alone. The shadows of his face were deepening and his tight lips seemed holding in check the moan of great despair. There could be seen a certain stiffness in the movements of his body, as if he were talking infinite care not to arouse the passion of his woiunds. As he went on, he seemed always looking for a place, like one who goes to choose a grave. (chapter IX, page 48)
The men cuddled behind the small embankment and sat in easy attitudes awaiting their turn. Many had their backs to the firing. The youth’s friend lay down, buried his face in his arms, and almost instantly, it seemed, he was in a deep sleep. (chapter XVI, page 79)
b.Figurative images.
It is more commonly called figures of speech. An image is figurative when it must be understood in some sense other than the literal. There are several figures of speech that the writer uses inside the story.
à Simile, an explicit comparison of dissimilar objects, involving the use of such comparative words as ‘like or as’. It represents in these paragraphs.
He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life—of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the bygone with his thought-images of heavy crowns and high castles. There were a portion of the world’s history which he had regarded as the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been long gone over the horison and had disappeared forever. (chapter I, page 5)
A dull, animal—like rebellion against his fellows, war in the abstract, and fate grew within him. He shambled along with bowed head, his brain in a tumult of agony and despair. When he looked loweringly up, quivering at each sound, his eyes had the expression of those of a criminal who thinks his guilt litlle and his punishment great, and knows that he can find no words. (chapter VII, page 41)
The youth’s regiment was marched to relieve a command that had lain long in some damp trenches. The men took positions behind a curving line of riffle pits that had been turned up, like a large furrow, along the line of woods. Before them as a level strecth, peopled with short, deformed stumps. From the woods beyond came the dull popping of the skirmishers and pickets, firing in the fog. From the right came the noise of a terrific fracas. (chapter XVI, page 79)
At nightfall the column broke into regimental pieces, and the fragments went into the fields to camp. Tents sprang up like strange plants. Camp fires, like red, peculiar blossoms, dotted the night. (chapter II, page 16)
Metaphor, the comparison remains implicit, the statement seems to assert an identification. It represents in these paragraphs.
The other sat down and and carefully lighted his pipe. “You’re getting blue, my boy. You’re looking thundering peeked. What the dickens is wrong with you?” (chapter II, page 16)
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage. (chapter IX, page 48)
A single riffle flashed in a thicket before the regiment. In an instant it was joined by many others. There was a mighty song of clashes and crashes that went sweeping through the woods. The guns in the rear, arroused and enraged by shells that had been thrown burr-like at them., suddenly involved themselves in a hideous altercation with another band of guns. The battle roar settled to a rolling thunder, which was a single, long explosion. (chapter XVI, page 83)
Personification, is the giving of human characteristics to inanimate objects, ideas, or animals. It represents in these paragraphs.
The skirmish fire increased to a long clattering sound. With it was mingled far-away cheering. A battery spoke. (chapter III, page 25)
The day had grown more white, until the sun shed his full radiance upon the thronged forest. A sort of a gust of battle came sweeping toward that part of the line where lay the youth’s regiment. The front shifted a trifle to meet it suarely. There was a wait. In this part of the field there passed slowly the intense moments that precede the tempest. (chapter XVI, page 82)
Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds. (chapter XXIV, page 115 )
3.Symbols.
It is basically a kind of image, differing from other images in the use to which it is put. Because symbolism often proves a stumbling block for inexperienced readers, we shall approach the subject of the literary symbol indirectly.
1.The dead man
After Henry runs away from battle and is in the midst of rationalizing his behavior, he comes across a particularly tranquil spot in the woods:
At length he reached a place where the high, arching boughs made a chapel. He softly pushed the green doors aside and entered. Pine needles were a gentle brown carpet. There was a religious half light
This is where Henry comes to realize that nature and the universe have no interest in this dead man, nor do they have an interest in whether Henry himself lives or dies. There is simply nothing out there to help or save him or anyone else. This is a shocking lesson for him, and one that shatters his notions of the way things work.
2.Red
Let’s we discuss this dialogue below:
"From across the river the red eyes were still peering."
“From this little distance the many fires, with the black forms of men passing to and fro before the crimson rays, made weird and satanic effects."
"They were going to look at war, the red animal –war, the blood-swollen god.”
"Then, upon this stillness, there suddenly broke a tremendous clangor of sounds. A crimson roar came from the distance.”
"At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage."
"He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle."
Well, we can think that red has something to do with things that are scary, bloody, dangerous, and war-related.
3.Animal Imagery
When Henry looks around in "the mystic gloom," he stares at the "red eyes across the river" and imagines they are "the orbs of a row of dragons advancing". Later, in battle, he imagines the enemy as an "onslaught of redoubtable dragons" approaching like a "red and green monster". Mythical creatures aside, there’s plenty of mention of the regiment lines moving like snakes, or the men being killed like pigs, or Henry running forward like a dog or fighting like a wild cat. Remember that the instincts Henry is dealing with – self-preservation, fear, all that biology 101 "fight or flight" stuff – are all animalistic in nature. He’s tapping into the core of his being that he shares with snakes, pigs, dogs, cats, etc. Essentially, there isn’t a big difference between men and animals when they’re put into these sorts of life-threatening situations.
4.Religious Stuff
Crane, who was the son of a minister (but not himself a believer), also uses religious imagery in the novel. The chapter that deals with the death of Jim Conklin (notice his initials), promotes Jim as a sort of Christ-figure who through his painful death helps "redeem" Henry. The final sentence of this chapter ("The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer"), is no mere description of nature. In the Christian sacrament of communion, believers eat the "body of Christ" via communion wafers and red wine. Crane seems to be commenting on the concept of men having to die to save other men, whether in war or in spirit. It gets us back to that "part of a larger whole" thing we talked about in the "Why Should I Care." Gosh, almost like a common important thread or something.
4.Syntax.
It is the way in which the writer constructs his sentence. We will discuss the characteristic length of his sentences, the proportion of simple to complex sentences. In this novel, the writer uses a combination: simple and complex sentence to describe everything he wants to inform for the readers. Look out of the paragraphs below that written in simple and complex sentence together.
There were moments of waiting. The youth thought of the village street at home before the arrival of the circus parade on a day in the spring. He remembered how he had stood, a small, thrithful boy, prepared to follow the dingly lady upon the whihte horse, or the band in its faded chariot. He saw the yellow road, the lines of expectant people, and the sober houses. He particularly remembered an old fellow who used to sit upon a cracker box in front of the store and feign to despise such exhibition. A thousand details of colour form surged in his mind. The old fellow upon the cracker box appeared in middle prominence. (chapter V, page 29)
The youth felt comforted in a measured by this sight. They were all retreating. Perhaps, then, he was not so bad after all. He seated himself and watched the terror-stricken wagons. They fled like soft, ungainly animals. All the roars and lashers served to help him to magnify the dangers and horrors of the engangement that he might try to prove to himself that the thing with which men could charge him was in truth a symmetrical act. There was an amount of pleasure to him in watching the wild march of this vindication. (chapter XI, page 57)
The youth, upon hearing the shouts, began to study the distance between him and the enemy. He made vague calculations. He saw that to be firm soldiers they must go forward. It would be death to stay in the present place, and with all the circumstances togo backward would exalt too many others. Their hope was to push the galling foes away from the fence. (chapter XXX, page 111)
The writer of this novel shows her character style through how he tells her story by using third-person narration (limited omniscient), in this case, we can see the action through the eyes of just one character, "the Youth" named Henry Fleming. Though Henry is not the narrator of the story, we are inside Henry’s mind throughout the novel. We are never allowed to know any of the other characters’ thoughts or feelings (unless of course they vocalize them to Henry). In the novel, the storyteller describes things as Henry sees and interprets them. At the same time, because of the slight tone of irony that the narrator employs, we realize that some of the things Henry perceives and recounts may not reflect the truest reality. This type of narration relies on the reader to ferret out which of Henry’s emotions and observations are accurate, and which are merely a reflection of Henry’s temporary state of mind.
TONE
One of the most important functions of style is its contribution to the establishment of tone in the work of fiction. Tone is the sense in which we speak of tone of voice. In written language, including the language of fiction, tone is that quality, primarily a quality of style, that reveals the attitudes of the author toward his subject and toward his audience.
In this novel, the writer uses understatement as a tone. The use of understatement here may be a way to calling on the reader to react with the full power of the moral imagination. Then, through the narrator, the reader can catch and see what the moral value inside the story by themselves. Let’s we see this paragraph:
A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hideous possibilities. He contemplated the lurking menaces of the future, and failed in an effort to see himself standing stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled his vision of broken-bladed glory, but in the shadow of the impending tumult he susoected them to be impossible pictures. (chapter I, page 9)
The youth of this tale felt gratitude for these words of his comrade. He had feared that all of the untried men possessed a great and correct confidence. He now was in measure reassurred. (chapter I, page 11)
In the paragraph, describing that the youth feel scared with experience of war. Though, a soldier should get courage to fight with the enemies, not fear.
Besides, another tone in this novel is irony. Many have identified in Red Badge a discrepancy between Henry’s thoughts and those of the author. Crane often uses exaggerated language to describe Henry’s visions of glory and valor, so much so that he even seems to be mocking his main character. His descriptions of Henry often force the reader to question the legitimacy of Henry’s perceptions about himself. We realize that what Henry thinks about himself may not be what the narrator – or we – knows to be very accurate.
It’s clear that Crane has a bone to pick with traditional notions of courage, manhood, and warfare; Crane’s realistic descriptions of battle, fear, and horrific death lessen our deeply held beliefs about the glories and honor of fighting for one’s country or belief system. Both Henry’s desire for glory and his embarrassing unwillingness to do what is required for its attainment reveal Crane’s sophisticated sense that gray is the color of most men’s souls – that there is no such thing as true courage, or even right and wrong.
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage. (chapter IX, page 48)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kenney, William. How to Analyze Fiction. 1966. Monarch Press: New York
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. 1995. Mackays of Chantham:Britain
TRADISI SINOMAN DALAM PESTA PERNIKAHAN SEBAGAI WUJUD GOTONG ROYONG MASYARAKAT DI DAERAH CEPU
PENDAHULUAN
1.Latar Belakang Masalah
Bangsa Indonesia terdiri atas jajaran pulau-pulau dengan berbagai ragam budaya, namun tetap satu kesatuan atau Bhinneka Tunggal Ika sehingga berbagai kekayaan budaya harus dipelihara dan dikembangkan. Ada berbagai bentuk budaya dari daerah Sabang sampai Merauke. Itu artinya kebudayaan Indonesia disebut multi kultural. Kebudayaan-kebudayaan daerah tersebut akhirnya mengerucut menjadi kebudayaan nasional. Itulah mengapa Indonesia selalu disebut-sebut memiliki kekayaan budaya nasional.
Menurut Koenjtaraningrat mengenai definisi kebudayaan itu sendiri, budaya berasal dari kata buddhayah (sansekerta) yang merupakan bentuk jamak dari buddhi (akal atau pikiran). Jadi kebudayaan berarti hal-hal yang berhubungan dengan budi dan akal. Kebudayaan tersebut meliputi gagasan-gagasan, cara berpikir, ide-ide, yang menghasilkan norma-norma, adat istiadat, hukum, dan kebiasaan-kebiasaan yang merupakan pedoman bagi tingkah laku dalam masyarakat. Tingkat yang lebih tinggi dan paling abstrak dari adat istiadat adalah sistem nilai budaya, karena sistem nilai budaya merupakan konsep yang hidup dalam alam pikiran (sebagian) masyarakat. Sistem nilai budaya itu pun tidak saja berfungsi sebagai pedoman, tetapi juga sebagai pendorong kelakuan manusia dalam kehidupannya sehari-hari.
Salah satu pulau yang memiliki beranekaragam kebudayaan di dalamnya adalah Pulau Jawa. Karkono sendiri berpendapat bahwa kebudayaan Jawa adalah pancaran atau pengejawantahan budi manusia Jawa yang mencakup kemauan, cita-cita, ide maupun semangat dalam mencapai kesejahteraan, keselamatan lahir dan batin. Kebudayaan Jawa ini telah ada sejak zaman prasejarah. Kedatangan kebudayaan Hindu di Pulau Jawa melahirkan kebudayaan Hindu-Jawa, kedatangan kebudayaan di Jawa melahirkan kebudayaan Islam-Jawa. Kedatangan bangsa Barat untuk berdagang dan menjajah kebudayaannya melahirkan kebudayaan Barat-Jawa yang cenderung materialistik. Kemudian, kebudayaan Jawa menjadi sinkretis meliputi unsur-unsur: pra-Hindu (Jawa asli), Hindu Jawa, Islam Jawa, dan Barat Jawa.
Kajian terhadap Kebudayaan Jawa sendiri maksudnya adalah penyelidikan atau penelitian secara mendalam terhadap budaya yang merupakan kebiasaan dan selalu dilakukan oleh manusia atau masyarakat Jawa. Konsepsi tentang manusia sebagai satu-satunya organisme yang merupakan makhluk pembentuk kebudayaan, mengakui bahwa kebudayaan bersifat universal dan merupakan atribut dari semua manusia. Manusia dapat mewujudkan kebudayaan karena ia memiliki kemampuan untuk berkomunikasi melalui lambang-lambang. Kebudayaan menjadi milik manusia melalui proses belajar dan diajarkan kepada anggotanya melalui proses akulturasi, enkulturasi, dan proses sosialisasi.
Karena itulah dalam makalah ini, penulis ingin memaparkan salah satu bentuk kebudayaan Jawa yang berada di daerahnya, yaitu tradisi sinoman. Pembahasan mengenai kegiatan sinoman ini lebih difokuskan pada pesta pernikahan, khususnya di daerah Cepu. Penulis ingin memberikan referensi pada para pembaca agar pembaca bisa membandingkannya lamgsung dengan kegiatan sinoman di daerah lain, meskipun pada dasarnya mempunyai esensi yang sama. Serta menunjukkan bagaimana kegiatan itu berlangsung sebagai suatu tradisi bagi masyarakat setempat.
2.Pembatasan Masalah
Kebudayaan Jawa merupakan salah satu kebudayaan yang memiliki banyak variasi meski masih berada dalam satu wilayah provinsi. Seperti misalnya, dalam segi bahasa, bahasa yang digunakan sudah pasti adalah bahasa Jawa karena masyarakatnya berada dalam wilayah Pulau Jawa. Akan tetapi bila dicermati lebih lanjut, ada perbedaan antara bahasa Jawa daerah Solo dengan bahasa Jawa di daerah Cilacap. Perbedaan tersebut adalah mengenai dialek yang merupakan tata cara pengucapan suatu bahasa. Oleh sebab itu dalam makalah ini penulis ingin menyajikan penjelasan lebih lengkap mengenai tradisi sinoman di daerah Cepu, yang mungkin akan memberikan warna berbeda dari bentuk-bentuk sinoman yang ada di daerah lain.
Pembahasan yang ada dalam makalah ini akan berkisar mengenai segi sosial dan budaya. Semua hal yang dipaparkan disini diharapkan akan memberikan gambaran kepada para pembaca agar lebih lanjut bisa membandingkannya dengan tradisi sinoman di daerah lain, karena meski pada dasarnya sama akan tetapi pasti ada sesuatu yang membedakannya dengan yang lain. Pemaparan yang akan ditulis akan lebih membahas tentang bagaimana sinoman menjadi suatu budaya dalam masyarakat suatu desa dan bagaimana sinoman dipandang dari segi sosial itu sendiri.
3.Rumusan Masalah
Setelah dijabarkan mengenai latar belakang mengenai tradisi ini, maka didapatkan beberapa rumusan masalah sebagai berikut:
a.Apa yang ingin diketahui dari sinoman dalam pernikahan di daerah Cepu?
b.Siapa yang biasanya ikut berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan tersebut?
c.Kapan kegiatan sinoman pernikahan tersebut biasanya dilakukan?
d.Dimana kegiatan sinoman pernikahan itu berlangsung?
e.Mengapa tradisi sinoman dalam pernikahan perlu dilestarikan?
f.Bagaimana tradisi sinoman pernikahan di daerah Cepu berlangsung?
4.Tujuan
Tujuan penulisan dari makalah ini adalah memaparkan lebih lanjut mengenai tradisi sinoman pernikahan di daerah Cepu. Dengan pertimbangan bahwa kita nantinya bisa membandingkan bagaimana tradisi sinoman ini berlangsung di daerah-daerah yang lainnya. Karena walaupun esensinya sama, tapi pasti ada sedikit hal yang membedakan antara kegiatan sinoman yang satu dengan yang lainnya. Selain itu agar bisa menjadi referensi bagi para pembaca agar lebih dapat mengaplikasikan tradisi tersebut sebagai wujud gotong royong dan sosialisasi dalam masyarakat, khususnya para muda-mudinya. Karena bagaimanapun juga, sinoman dalam pernikahan merupakan salah satu dari kebudayaan Jawa yang mesti dilestarikan.
5.Kajian Pustaka
Penulisan makalah ini didasarkan pada beberapa sumber tertulis yang terdapat pada artikel-artikel yang ada dalam salah satu website di internet, catatan-catatan mata kuliah Kajian Kebudayaan Jawa dan sebuah buku tentang Kebudayaan Jawa. Selain itu juga berdasarkan pengamatan dan pengalaman yang dialami penulis sebagai masyarakat Jawa pada umumnya dan masyarakat daerah Cepu pada khususnya. Sumber data yang lain juga didapatkan dari pengalaman-pengalaman dari muda-mudi daerah lain yang pernah menjadi sinoman dalam suatu pesta pernikahan. Data-data tersebut kemudian diolah sedemikian rupa sehingga didapatkan pemaparan-pemaparan yang nantinya diharapkan bisa menjawab rasa keingintahuan para pembaca.
BAB 2
PEMBAHASAN
1.Garis Besar Sinoman pada Umumnya
a.Definisi Sinoman
Sebelum membicarakan sinoman lebih lanjut, maka ada baiknya mengetahui arti atau definisi dari sinoman. Ada beberapa versi dari pendefinisian arti kata ‘sinoman’ itu sendiri sebagai bentuk keanekaragaman opini masyarakat Jawa. Namun pada akhirnya kesemuanya itu akan membentuk, mengerucut pada satu kesimpulan yang sama, satu pengertian atau esensi yang sama.
Pertama, bila dirujuk langsung pada pembentuk kata itu sendiri sebagai kata dasar, ‘nom’ yang dalam bahasa Jawa berarti muda, maka kata sinoman bisa diartikan sebagai hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan para pemuda. Kedua, bila menilik atau mengambil versi dari salah satu tembang macapat ‘sinom’, dalam serat Purwakara diartikan sebagai seskaring rambut yang berarti anak rambut. Selain itu, sinom juga diartikan ‘daun muda’ sehingga kadang-kadang diberi isyarat dengan lukisan daun muda.
Ketiga, bila dilihat dari bentuk kata kerjanya yaitu ‘nyinom’, maka kurang lebih artinya adalah sebuah perkumpulan atau organisasi yang terdiri para pemuda untuk membantu orang lain dalam mempunyai hajat. Pendapat lain ada yang menyatakan bahwa ‘sinom’ ada kaitannya dengan upacara-upacara bagi anak-anak muda zaman dahulu. Dari pendapat-pendapat tersebut, maka dapat diambil kesimpulan sebagai pendefinisian ‘sinoman’ itu sendiri yaitu sebuah kegiatan yang dilakukan para pemuda dalam sebuah desa untuk membantu tetangganya yang sedang mengadakan hajatan atau syukuran, baik syukuran pernikahan, sunatan, ataupun kematian.
b.Tujuan Sinoman
Setelah membahas mengenai definisi sinoman maka untuk selanjutnya adalah mengetahui apa tujuan dari sinoman itu sendiri dalam suatu masyarakat di desa, karena pada dasarnya suatu hal yang dilakukan pasti mempunyai sebuah tujuan, entah itu baik atau bahkan buruk. Sebenarnya jika diamati secara cermat, sinoman mempunyai beberapa tujuan yang baik dalam hubungan antar sesama masyarakat. Dalam bab ini akan disimpulkan beberapa tujuan dari sinoman:
Meringankan beban orang lain yang mempunyai hajatan. Misalnya, mempersiapkan peralatan untuk keperluan pesta (biasanya pada pesta pernikahan atau sunatan yang membutuhkan banyak bantuan), membantu dalam prosesi pemakaman bila ada yang tetangga yang sedang berdukacita karena kematian salah satu anggota keluarganya, dan sebagainya.
Mewujudkan suatu bentuk gotong royong atau sebuah kebersamaan bagi warga masyarakat di daerah tersebut. Hal ini didasari dengan fakta bahwa manusia sebagai makhluk sosial membutuhkan bantuan orang lain sehingga menuntutnya untuk bersosialisasi dengan warga masyarakat yang lain.
Ingin berbakti ataupun memberikan suatu kontribusi sesuai kemampuannya karena suatu bantuan tidak harus dalam bentuk uang. Misalnya, seorang pemuda yang masih bersekolah dan belum bekerja tidak mungkin akan bisa memberikan uang sebagai bentuk bantuannya pada orang lain yang mempunyai hajat, sehingga cara lain adalah dengan memberdayakan tenaganya, mengingat biasanya para pemuda tersebut masih memiliki tenaga ekstra dalam penyaluran energi yang dipunyainya dan sinoman merupakan kegiatan positif sebagai alternatif pengisi kekosongan waktu luang.
Merperkokoh tali silaturahmi antar warga masyarakat. Tradisi ini setidaknya banyak membantu mempererat tali persaudaraan antar tetangga karena dengan memberikan bantuan tersebut, si tuan rumah yang mempunyai hajatan akan sangat berterimakasih dan menghargai segala bentuk bantuan yang diberikan sehingga menimbulkan kedekatan di antara mereka.
Memperluas jaringan bersosialisasi antar warga masyarakat. Misalkan, seorang pemuda yang selama ini menghabiskan waktunya hanya di rumah dan lingkungan sekolah saja (belum banyak bergaul dengan tetangga sekitarnya), saat ikut dalam sinoman bersama pemuda-pemuda yang lainnya maka secara tidak langsung yang tadinya tidak begitu mengenal atau bahkan tidak mengenal sama sekali akan tahu dan mengenal karena adanya suatu percakapan di antara mereka. Selain itu, tamu yang berdatangan disana (kebanyakan tetangga dari RT atau RW sebelah) akan mengetahui eksistensi pemuda tersebut. Begitu pula sebailknya.
Terciptanya kerukunan antar pemuda atau tetangga dalam masyarakat tersebut. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari sikap saling tolong-menolong yang mereka perlihatkan antar sesama warga sehingga tampak menciptakan suasana rukun, damai dan sejahtera, karena biasanya parameter suatu harmonisnya suasana pedesaan diukur dari tingkat kerukunanya antar warga masyarakatnya.
Menumbuhkan semangat kepemudaan bagi para sinoman itu sendiri. Maksudnya disini adalah adanya suatu keterikatan batin antara para pemuda yang muncul saat bersama-sama dalam suatu pertemuan. Misalnya, seorang pemuda yang ikut sinoman sebelumnya belum pernah ikut dalam organisasi karang taruna di desanya sehingga saat bertemu dengan temannya yang lain saat menjadi sinoman tersebut, akhirnya ia tertarik untuk ikut berpatisipasi aktif dalam segala kegiatan di dalamnya karena ada suatu persamaan visi dan misi. Atau mungkin dalam suatu desa belum ada organisasi karang taruna yang diperuntukkan bagi para pemuda, maka dengan bertemunya mereka sebagai sinoman dalam hajatan tertentu di rumah tetangganya akan menumbuhkan semangat tersebut hingga akhirnya berinisiatif membentuk organisasi tersebut bersama teman-teman pemuda yang lain.
Membudayakan tradisi tersebut bagi generasi muda agar kegiatan ‘sinoman’ tidak luntur seiring dengan perkembangan zaman yang semakin modern ini karena melihat fakta yang ada, kegiatan ‘sinoman’ sulit ditemukan di kota-kota besar yang kebanyakan warganya mulai bersifat individualistik. Sikap inilah yang nantinya akan mendasari sikap apatis bagi para warga terhadap lingkungan sekitarnya.
2.Tradisi Sinoman pada Masyarakat Cepu
Cepu adalah sebuah kecamatan yang berada dalam naungan Kabupaten Blora. Daerah ini terkenal akan sumber minyaknya sehingga mendapat julukan sebagai ‘kota minyak’. Oleh karena itu walaupun wilayah Cepu luasnya tidak ada apa-apanya dibandingkan dengan kota Blora tapi namanya tidak kalah terkenal dengan kota kabupaten itu. Itulah mengapa Cepu akhirnya menyandang status baru sebagai ‘kota kecil’. Sebuah kota kecil yang cukup terkenal, yang terrletak di wilayah perbatasan antara Jawa Tengah dan Jawa Timur.
Masyarakat Cepu pada umumnya masih tergolong masyarakat pedesaan (kecuali masyarakat yang tinggal dalam pusat kota) karena memang wilayah Cepu itu sendiri terdiri dari banyak desa di dalamnya dan setiap desa tersebut pasti mempunyai aturan atau norma-norma sendiri bagi warga masyarakatnya. Kemudian dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, aktifitas tertentu yang dilakukan mereka lama kelamaan menjadi suatu kebiasaan hingga akhirnya berkembang sebagai satu kebudayaan.
Salah satu dari kebudayaan tersebut adalah kegiatan ‘sinoman’yang dilakukan masyarakat bila salah satu tetangganya ada yang mempunyai hajatan atau syukuran. Seperti yang telah dijelaskan sebelumnya bahwa kegiatan sinoman yang dimaksud disini lebih memfokuskan pada pemuda-pemuda yang ada dalam masyarakat tersebut. Dengan melakukan kegiatan sinoman ini diharapkan para pemuda yang ada dalam desa tersebut lebih bisa menanamkan rasa kebersamaan lewat gotong royong itu.
Kegiatan sinoman di daerah Cepu biasanya dilakukan bila ada salah satu warga desa sedang mengadakan hajatan (pada umumnya pernikahan dan sunatan). Tapi dalam makalah ini penulis hanya akan memaparkan pada sinoman pernikahan saja dengan pertimbangan bahwa biasanya syukuran pernikahan lebih banyak diadakan daripada syukuran khitanan sendiri, apalagi pada dewasa ini. Masyarakat nampaknya lebih jeli dalam memanajemen kepentingannya yang lebih utama. Syukuran khitanan dianggap tidak perlu diadakan secara besar-besaran, sama seperti pesta pernikahan, tapi diadakan cukup sederhana saja dengan pertimbangan modal.
Di daerah Cepu ada dua jenis sinoman yang biasanya dilakukan masyarakat setempat. Pertama adalah sinoman yang terkoordinir. Maksudnya adalah sinoman ini dilakukan secara terkoordinir oleh sang tuan rumah (yang punya hajatan). Jadi, mereka mengundang atau meminta beberapa pemuda yang diinginkan untuk ikut serta dalam panitia pernikahan salah satu anggota keluarganya. Biasanya pernikahan tersebut diadakan secara besar-besaran oleh orang yang cukup berada. Para sinoman ini nantinya akan diberikan seragam tertentu dan diberi upah berupa sejumlah uang. Tugas mereka biasanya mengurusi konsumsi untuk para tamu dan membantu keperluan prosesi pernikahan tersebut selama beberapa hari lamanya.
Kedua adalah sinoman yang tidak terkoordinir (spontanitas). Jadi, para muda-mudi desa secara langsung mendatangi rumah tetangganya yang punya hajatan tanpa permintaan dari si pemilik rumah (spontanitas). Biasanya mereka menggunakan baju sinoman pada umumnya, yaitu hitam putih (atas putih bawah hitam). Berbeda dengan jenis sinoman yang di atas, sinoman ini tidak diberi upah berupa uang. Mereka datang dan ikut berpartisipasi disana karena ingin memberikan kontribusi tanpa adanya suatu pamrih. Mereka lebih mengutamakan rasa kebersamaan antar sesama warga desa. Tugas mereka sama, yaitu bertanggungjawab untuk melayani tamu undangan dalam urusan konsumsi.
Sinoman pernikahan biasanya terdiri dari sinoman putra dan sinoman putri. Tugas sinoman putra biasanya membawa makanan dari dapur sampai tempat duduk para tamu. Sedangkan sinoman putri bertugas untuk membagikannya kepada para tamu. Dalam hal ini, beberapa sinoman (putra dan putri) akan dibagi berdasarkan sektor yang ada dan bertanggungjawab pada sektor tersebut, jangan sampai ada tamu yang tidak mendapatkan konsumsi.
Pada umumnya dalam pesta pernikahan tersebut, ada empat sesi perjamuan (makan) :
1.Sesi teh dan snack.
Biasanya saat para tamu berdatangan pada waktu yang telah ditentukan, mereka akan menandatangani presensi kehadiran sekaligus menyerahkan bingkisan berupa barang atau uang di meja resepsionis. Disana juga mereka langsung diberi cinderamata (barang kenang-kenangan dari mempelai) dan satu snack setiap orangnya (kecuali yang datang bersama salah satu anggota keluarganya). Lalu setelah mereka duduk di tempat yang telah tersedia, para sinoman akan memberikan segelas teh hangat pada setiap tamu.
2.Sesi sop.
Beberapa saat kemudian, saat tamu bertambah banyak, para sinoman akan segera menyajikan semangkuk sop atau bakso pada tamu. Isi dari sop sesuai dengan sop yang biasanya dibuat, ada irisan wortel, kentang, macaroni, sosis, kol dan tambahan bahan lainnya.
3.Sesi makanan utama.
Setelah sesi sop selesai, maka makanan utama mulai dibagikan. Biasanya makanan ini terdiri dari nasi, daging sapi berbumbu, kentang, acar, sambal goreng, dan kerupuk. Semua itu sudah disiapkan dalam setiap piring dan porsinya sama.
4.Sesi es krim atau es buah.
Seusai sesi makanan utama, yang terakhir disajikan adalah es krim atau es buah. Hidangan ini diberikan sebagai makanan penutup pesta pernikahan tersebut. Sesi yang terakhir ini tidak diharuskan ada dalam pesta pernikahan. Bahkan kadang bisa diganti dengan pemberian buah sebagai pencuci mulut yang biasanya diberikan bersamaan dengan sesi makanan utama.
Setelah sesi makan selesai dan para tamu sedang menikmati hiburan yang diberikan, maka inilah saatnya para sinoman tadi gantian makan (langsung empat sesi sekaligus) dan kalau masih ada tamu yang berdatangan karena terlambat mereka biasanya bergantian dengan temannya dahulu.
Tapi tugas para sinoman ini tidak hanya berhenti disitu saja, setelah pesta pernikahan selesai, tugas mereka selanjutnya adalah membereskan meja dan melipat semua taplak. Sebenarnya tugas mereka tidak terlalu berat karena banyak muda-mudi yang ikut menjadi sinoman sehingga pekerjaan mereka menyenangkan. Kalau semuanya sudah selesai, mereka baru menikmati hiburan (biasanya campursari atau dangdutan) sampai malam karena selama pesta yang diadakan selama beberapa hari itu para warga masyarakat yang berdekatan datang (berkumpul) untuk ‘jagongan’ (ngobrol bersama-sama untuk meramaikan suasana rumah yang punya hajatan).
Kegiatan sinoman ini bagi masyarakat Cepu adalah sebagai wujud gotong royong antar sesama warga masyarakat karena esensi budaya Jawa yang melekat kuat. Bahwa bagi mereka kebersamaan adalah segalanya, sesuai dengan pepatah ‘mangan ora mangan asal ngumpul’. Mereka dalam kegiatan sinoman ini dilatih untuk memiliki rasa kebersamaan dengan saling bergotongroyong melalui pesta pernikahan. Sederhana memang, tapi demikianlah perilaku masyarakat yang patut untuk dilestarikan. Disamping itu, tuan rumah pun akan merasa terbantu karena tamu undangan mereka terlayani.
3.Perkembangan Tradisi Sinoman Dewasa Ini pada Masyarakat Cepu
Jika dicermati lebih lanjut, tradisi ‘sinoman’ ini lebih banyak dijumpai pada daerah pedesaan. Hal tersebut memang wajar terjadi mengingat fakta bagaimana kondisi lingkungan di daerah perkotaan besar yang mayoritas warganya sangat individualistik. Sikap keindividualistikan ini mungkin disebabkan oleh orientasi kerja yang berbeda diantara keduanya. Orang-orang di desa dalam mengerjakan suatu pekerjaan lebih mementingkan kebersamaan sementara orang-orang di kota lebih berorientasi pada uang, keefisien waktu, dan hasil yang menguntungkan. Bagi mereka, waktu adalah uang. Karena itulah ritme kerja orang-orang kota sangat padat, seperti tidak ada habis-habisnya, dari pagi buta sampai subuh kembali menjemput.
Di daerah Cepu, yang terdiri dari beberapa desa, tradisi sinoman masih terjaga kelestariannya meskipun tak menampik kemungkinan bahwa tradisi ini akan terkikis sedikit demi sedikit oleh waktu nantinya. Hal ini bisa dilihat dari banyaknya masyarakat yang lebih suka menyelenggarakan pesta pernikahannya dalam gedung-gedung mewah dimana bentuk perjamuannya biasanya berupa prasmanan atau standing party (penyelenggaraan pesta dimana para tamunya terus berdiri dalam acara prosesi pernikahan tersebut). Alasan lain yang menyebabkan hal tersebut bisa terjadi adalah adanya arus budaya kota yang masuk dalam wilayah Cepu sedikit demi sedikit. Apalagi melihat kenyataan bahwa Cepu telah mendapat predikat sebagai ‘kota minyak’ yang pasti menjadikannya tidak bisa lagi disebut sebagai ‘desa’ tapi sudah berubah menjadi sebuah ‘kota kecil’. Lama-kelamaan perubahan status ini juga akan mempengaruhi cara pandang masyarakat di dalamnya bahwa mereka harus mengubah imej Cepu sebagai suatu ‘kota’ bukan sebuah desa lagi.
Oleh karena itu diharapkan bagi generasi muda pada zaman sekarang hendaknya tetap memegang teguh tradisi setempat sebagai wujud kebudayaan masyarakat. Sinoman memang sudah mengakar dan ada nyaris di semua pedesaan dengan ciri khasnya masing-masing sehingga menjadikannya sebagai suatu budaya yang patut untuk terus dilestarikan, tetapi semua itu tergantung pada pilihan para masyarakatnya sendiri (para pemudanya): apakah berniat untuk berusaha menjaga kelestariannya atau malah tidak peduli sama sekali. Sebuah pilihan yang cukup adil jika melihat situasi yang ada sekarang ini.
BAB 3
PENUTUP
1.Kesimpulan
Berdasarkan uraian di atas dapat disimpulkan bahwa tradisi sinoman dalam pernikahan Cepu masih berjalan dengan baik sampai sekarang meskipun hal itu hanya terjadi di pedesaannya karena di zaman modern seperti saat ini, masyarakat cenderung mengikuti arus budaya barat, misalnya dengan mengadakan prasmanan, standing party, ataupun bentuk pesta yang lain dalam gedung mewah sehingga tidak membutuhkan para sinoman. Tapi rupanya masyarakat masih beranggapan bahwa kegiatan ini bisa mewujudkan rasa kebersamaan bagi setiap warganya dan sebagai bentuk gotong royong yang merupakan ciri khas bangsa Indonesia ketika orang lain membutuhkan pertolongan kita.
Selain itu, kegiatan ini bisa memberikan banyak keuntungan bagi para muda-mudi daerah tersebut pada khususnya dan masyarakat pada umumnya. Sinoman ini juga bisa dikatakan sebagai bentuk eksistensi mereka dalam masyarakat karena telah ikut berkontribusi sesuai dengan kemampuannya masing-masing. Meskipun demikian, dapat digarisbawahi tadi bahwa di daerah Cepu ada juga sinoman yang mendapatkan bayaran, jadi istilahnya sebagai kerja part time walaupun para muda-mudinya juga berada dalam satu wilayah tersebut.
Tapi terlepas dari semua itu, kegiatan sinoman dalam pesta pernikahan di daerah Cepu ini dipandang sebagai wujud gotong royong masyarakat setempat. Jadi, walaupun hanya spontanitas saja menjadi sinoman, hal tersebut tidak masalah karena masyarakat lebih berorientasi pada kebersamaan bukan materialistik. Sebenarnya itulah yang harus dipunyai oleh para muda-mudi bangsa Indonesia ini, bukan paradigma yang berasal dari budaya Barat yang akhirnya mengikis budaya Indonesia yang sudah mendarah daging. Dan satu-satunya cara untuk menyelamatkannya adalah dengan terus melestarikan budaya tersebut.
2.Saran
Setelah menulis makalah ini penulis ingin memberikan beberapa saran untuk para pemuda pada khususnya dan masyarakat setempat pada umumnya:
a.Hendaknya para pemuda zaman sekarang tidak mempunyai rasa materialistik pada dirinya karena hal tersebut dapat menyebabkan rasa tidak peduli pada lingkungan sekitarnya (individualistik).
b.Hendaknya tidak mengikuti paradigma budaya Barat yang sudah masuk ke dalam bangsa Indonesia sehingga bisa mengikis tradisi yang sudah ada dalam masyarakat setempat.
c.Pemuda diharapkan lebih peka terhadap lingkungan masyarakat agar bisa bersosialisasi dengan baik.
d.Hendaknya para muda-mudi melestarikan tradisi sinoman sebagai wujud gotong royong sehingga memupuk rasa kebersamaan bersama anggota masyarakat.
Daftar Pustaka:
1.Catatan harian mata kuliah Kajian Kebudayaan Jawa.
2.Drs. Imam Sutardjo, M. Hum. 2008. Kajian Budaya Jawa. Surakarta: FSSR UNS.
1.Latar Belakang Masalah
Bangsa Indonesia terdiri atas jajaran pulau-pulau dengan berbagai ragam budaya, namun tetap satu kesatuan atau Bhinneka Tunggal Ika sehingga berbagai kekayaan budaya harus dipelihara dan dikembangkan. Ada berbagai bentuk budaya dari daerah Sabang sampai Merauke. Itu artinya kebudayaan Indonesia disebut multi kultural. Kebudayaan-kebudayaan daerah tersebut akhirnya mengerucut menjadi kebudayaan nasional. Itulah mengapa Indonesia selalu disebut-sebut memiliki kekayaan budaya nasional.
Menurut Koenjtaraningrat mengenai definisi kebudayaan itu sendiri, budaya berasal dari kata buddhayah (sansekerta) yang merupakan bentuk jamak dari buddhi (akal atau pikiran). Jadi kebudayaan berarti hal-hal yang berhubungan dengan budi dan akal. Kebudayaan tersebut meliputi gagasan-gagasan, cara berpikir, ide-ide, yang menghasilkan norma-norma, adat istiadat, hukum, dan kebiasaan-kebiasaan yang merupakan pedoman bagi tingkah laku dalam masyarakat. Tingkat yang lebih tinggi dan paling abstrak dari adat istiadat adalah sistem nilai budaya, karena sistem nilai budaya merupakan konsep yang hidup dalam alam pikiran (sebagian) masyarakat. Sistem nilai budaya itu pun tidak saja berfungsi sebagai pedoman, tetapi juga sebagai pendorong kelakuan manusia dalam kehidupannya sehari-hari.
Salah satu pulau yang memiliki beranekaragam kebudayaan di dalamnya adalah Pulau Jawa. Karkono sendiri berpendapat bahwa kebudayaan Jawa adalah pancaran atau pengejawantahan budi manusia Jawa yang mencakup kemauan, cita-cita, ide maupun semangat dalam mencapai kesejahteraan, keselamatan lahir dan batin. Kebudayaan Jawa ini telah ada sejak zaman prasejarah. Kedatangan kebudayaan Hindu di Pulau Jawa melahirkan kebudayaan Hindu-Jawa, kedatangan kebudayaan di Jawa melahirkan kebudayaan Islam-Jawa. Kedatangan bangsa Barat untuk berdagang dan menjajah kebudayaannya melahirkan kebudayaan Barat-Jawa yang cenderung materialistik. Kemudian, kebudayaan Jawa menjadi sinkretis meliputi unsur-unsur: pra-Hindu (Jawa asli), Hindu Jawa, Islam Jawa, dan Barat Jawa.
Kajian terhadap Kebudayaan Jawa sendiri maksudnya adalah penyelidikan atau penelitian secara mendalam terhadap budaya yang merupakan kebiasaan dan selalu dilakukan oleh manusia atau masyarakat Jawa. Konsepsi tentang manusia sebagai satu-satunya organisme yang merupakan makhluk pembentuk kebudayaan, mengakui bahwa kebudayaan bersifat universal dan merupakan atribut dari semua manusia. Manusia dapat mewujudkan kebudayaan karena ia memiliki kemampuan untuk berkomunikasi melalui lambang-lambang. Kebudayaan menjadi milik manusia melalui proses belajar dan diajarkan kepada anggotanya melalui proses akulturasi, enkulturasi, dan proses sosialisasi.
Karena itulah dalam makalah ini, penulis ingin memaparkan salah satu bentuk kebudayaan Jawa yang berada di daerahnya, yaitu tradisi sinoman. Pembahasan mengenai kegiatan sinoman ini lebih difokuskan pada pesta pernikahan, khususnya di daerah Cepu. Penulis ingin memberikan referensi pada para pembaca agar pembaca bisa membandingkannya lamgsung dengan kegiatan sinoman di daerah lain, meskipun pada dasarnya mempunyai esensi yang sama. Serta menunjukkan bagaimana kegiatan itu berlangsung sebagai suatu tradisi bagi masyarakat setempat.
2.Pembatasan Masalah
Kebudayaan Jawa merupakan salah satu kebudayaan yang memiliki banyak variasi meski masih berada dalam satu wilayah provinsi. Seperti misalnya, dalam segi bahasa, bahasa yang digunakan sudah pasti adalah bahasa Jawa karena masyarakatnya berada dalam wilayah Pulau Jawa. Akan tetapi bila dicermati lebih lanjut, ada perbedaan antara bahasa Jawa daerah Solo dengan bahasa Jawa di daerah Cilacap. Perbedaan tersebut adalah mengenai dialek yang merupakan tata cara pengucapan suatu bahasa. Oleh sebab itu dalam makalah ini penulis ingin menyajikan penjelasan lebih lengkap mengenai tradisi sinoman di daerah Cepu, yang mungkin akan memberikan warna berbeda dari bentuk-bentuk sinoman yang ada di daerah lain.
Pembahasan yang ada dalam makalah ini akan berkisar mengenai segi sosial dan budaya. Semua hal yang dipaparkan disini diharapkan akan memberikan gambaran kepada para pembaca agar lebih lanjut bisa membandingkannya dengan tradisi sinoman di daerah lain, karena meski pada dasarnya sama akan tetapi pasti ada sesuatu yang membedakannya dengan yang lain. Pemaparan yang akan ditulis akan lebih membahas tentang bagaimana sinoman menjadi suatu budaya dalam masyarakat suatu desa dan bagaimana sinoman dipandang dari segi sosial itu sendiri.
3.Rumusan Masalah
Setelah dijabarkan mengenai latar belakang mengenai tradisi ini, maka didapatkan beberapa rumusan masalah sebagai berikut:
a.Apa yang ingin diketahui dari sinoman dalam pernikahan di daerah Cepu?
b.Siapa yang biasanya ikut berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan tersebut?
c.Kapan kegiatan sinoman pernikahan tersebut biasanya dilakukan?
d.Dimana kegiatan sinoman pernikahan itu berlangsung?
e.Mengapa tradisi sinoman dalam pernikahan perlu dilestarikan?
f.Bagaimana tradisi sinoman pernikahan di daerah Cepu berlangsung?
4.Tujuan
Tujuan penulisan dari makalah ini adalah memaparkan lebih lanjut mengenai tradisi sinoman pernikahan di daerah Cepu. Dengan pertimbangan bahwa kita nantinya bisa membandingkan bagaimana tradisi sinoman ini berlangsung di daerah-daerah yang lainnya. Karena walaupun esensinya sama, tapi pasti ada sedikit hal yang membedakan antara kegiatan sinoman yang satu dengan yang lainnya. Selain itu agar bisa menjadi referensi bagi para pembaca agar lebih dapat mengaplikasikan tradisi tersebut sebagai wujud gotong royong dan sosialisasi dalam masyarakat, khususnya para muda-mudinya. Karena bagaimanapun juga, sinoman dalam pernikahan merupakan salah satu dari kebudayaan Jawa yang mesti dilestarikan.
5.Kajian Pustaka
Penulisan makalah ini didasarkan pada beberapa sumber tertulis yang terdapat pada artikel-artikel yang ada dalam salah satu website di internet, catatan-catatan mata kuliah Kajian Kebudayaan Jawa dan sebuah buku tentang Kebudayaan Jawa. Selain itu juga berdasarkan pengamatan dan pengalaman yang dialami penulis sebagai masyarakat Jawa pada umumnya dan masyarakat daerah Cepu pada khususnya. Sumber data yang lain juga didapatkan dari pengalaman-pengalaman dari muda-mudi daerah lain yang pernah menjadi sinoman dalam suatu pesta pernikahan. Data-data tersebut kemudian diolah sedemikian rupa sehingga didapatkan pemaparan-pemaparan yang nantinya diharapkan bisa menjawab rasa keingintahuan para pembaca.
BAB 2
PEMBAHASAN
1.Garis Besar Sinoman pada Umumnya
a.Definisi Sinoman
Sebelum membicarakan sinoman lebih lanjut, maka ada baiknya mengetahui arti atau definisi dari sinoman. Ada beberapa versi dari pendefinisian arti kata ‘sinoman’ itu sendiri sebagai bentuk keanekaragaman opini masyarakat Jawa. Namun pada akhirnya kesemuanya itu akan membentuk, mengerucut pada satu kesimpulan yang sama, satu pengertian atau esensi yang sama.
Pertama, bila dirujuk langsung pada pembentuk kata itu sendiri sebagai kata dasar, ‘nom’ yang dalam bahasa Jawa berarti muda, maka kata sinoman bisa diartikan sebagai hal-hal yang berkaitan dengan para pemuda. Kedua, bila menilik atau mengambil versi dari salah satu tembang macapat ‘sinom’, dalam serat Purwakara diartikan sebagai seskaring rambut yang berarti anak rambut. Selain itu, sinom juga diartikan ‘daun muda’ sehingga kadang-kadang diberi isyarat dengan lukisan daun muda.
Ketiga, bila dilihat dari bentuk kata kerjanya yaitu ‘nyinom’, maka kurang lebih artinya adalah sebuah perkumpulan atau organisasi yang terdiri para pemuda untuk membantu orang lain dalam mempunyai hajat. Pendapat lain ada yang menyatakan bahwa ‘sinom’ ada kaitannya dengan upacara-upacara bagi anak-anak muda zaman dahulu. Dari pendapat-pendapat tersebut, maka dapat diambil kesimpulan sebagai pendefinisian ‘sinoman’ itu sendiri yaitu sebuah kegiatan yang dilakukan para pemuda dalam sebuah desa untuk membantu tetangganya yang sedang mengadakan hajatan atau syukuran, baik syukuran pernikahan, sunatan, ataupun kematian.
b.Tujuan Sinoman
Setelah membahas mengenai definisi sinoman maka untuk selanjutnya adalah mengetahui apa tujuan dari sinoman itu sendiri dalam suatu masyarakat di desa, karena pada dasarnya suatu hal yang dilakukan pasti mempunyai sebuah tujuan, entah itu baik atau bahkan buruk. Sebenarnya jika diamati secara cermat, sinoman mempunyai beberapa tujuan yang baik dalam hubungan antar sesama masyarakat. Dalam bab ini akan disimpulkan beberapa tujuan dari sinoman:
Meringankan beban orang lain yang mempunyai hajatan. Misalnya, mempersiapkan peralatan untuk keperluan pesta (biasanya pada pesta pernikahan atau sunatan yang membutuhkan banyak bantuan), membantu dalam prosesi pemakaman bila ada yang tetangga yang sedang berdukacita karena kematian salah satu anggota keluarganya, dan sebagainya.
Mewujudkan suatu bentuk gotong royong atau sebuah kebersamaan bagi warga masyarakat di daerah tersebut. Hal ini didasari dengan fakta bahwa manusia sebagai makhluk sosial membutuhkan bantuan orang lain sehingga menuntutnya untuk bersosialisasi dengan warga masyarakat yang lain.
Ingin berbakti ataupun memberikan suatu kontribusi sesuai kemampuannya karena suatu bantuan tidak harus dalam bentuk uang. Misalnya, seorang pemuda yang masih bersekolah dan belum bekerja tidak mungkin akan bisa memberikan uang sebagai bentuk bantuannya pada orang lain yang mempunyai hajat, sehingga cara lain adalah dengan memberdayakan tenaganya, mengingat biasanya para pemuda tersebut masih memiliki tenaga ekstra dalam penyaluran energi yang dipunyainya dan sinoman merupakan kegiatan positif sebagai alternatif pengisi kekosongan waktu luang.
Merperkokoh tali silaturahmi antar warga masyarakat. Tradisi ini setidaknya banyak membantu mempererat tali persaudaraan antar tetangga karena dengan memberikan bantuan tersebut, si tuan rumah yang mempunyai hajatan akan sangat berterimakasih dan menghargai segala bentuk bantuan yang diberikan sehingga menimbulkan kedekatan di antara mereka.
Memperluas jaringan bersosialisasi antar warga masyarakat. Misalkan, seorang pemuda yang selama ini menghabiskan waktunya hanya di rumah dan lingkungan sekolah saja (belum banyak bergaul dengan tetangga sekitarnya), saat ikut dalam sinoman bersama pemuda-pemuda yang lainnya maka secara tidak langsung yang tadinya tidak begitu mengenal atau bahkan tidak mengenal sama sekali akan tahu dan mengenal karena adanya suatu percakapan di antara mereka. Selain itu, tamu yang berdatangan disana (kebanyakan tetangga dari RT atau RW sebelah) akan mengetahui eksistensi pemuda tersebut. Begitu pula sebailknya.
Terciptanya kerukunan antar pemuda atau tetangga dalam masyarakat tersebut. Hal ini dapat dilihat dari sikap saling tolong-menolong yang mereka perlihatkan antar sesama warga sehingga tampak menciptakan suasana rukun, damai dan sejahtera, karena biasanya parameter suatu harmonisnya suasana pedesaan diukur dari tingkat kerukunanya antar warga masyarakatnya.
Menumbuhkan semangat kepemudaan bagi para sinoman itu sendiri. Maksudnya disini adalah adanya suatu keterikatan batin antara para pemuda yang muncul saat bersama-sama dalam suatu pertemuan. Misalnya, seorang pemuda yang ikut sinoman sebelumnya belum pernah ikut dalam organisasi karang taruna di desanya sehingga saat bertemu dengan temannya yang lain saat menjadi sinoman tersebut, akhirnya ia tertarik untuk ikut berpatisipasi aktif dalam segala kegiatan di dalamnya karena ada suatu persamaan visi dan misi. Atau mungkin dalam suatu desa belum ada organisasi karang taruna yang diperuntukkan bagi para pemuda, maka dengan bertemunya mereka sebagai sinoman dalam hajatan tertentu di rumah tetangganya akan menumbuhkan semangat tersebut hingga akhirnya berinisiatif membentuk organisasi tersebut bersama teman-teman pemuda yang lain.
Membudayakan tradisi tersebut bagi generasi muda agar kegiatan ‘sinoman’ tidak luntur seiring dengan perkembangan zaman yang semakin modern ini karena melihat fakta yang ada, kegiatan ‘sinoman’ sulit ditemukan di kota-kota besar yang kebanyakan warganya mulai bersifat individualistik. Sikap inilah yang nantinya akan mendasari sikap apatis bagi para warga terhadap lingkungan sekitarnya.
2.Tradisi Sinoman pada Masyarakat Cepu
Cepu adalah sebuah kecamatan yang berada dalam naungan Kabupaten Blora. Daerah ini terkenal akan sumber minyaknya sehingga mendapat julukan sebagai ‘kota minyak’. Oleh karena itu walaupun wilayah Cepu luasnya tidak ada apa-apanya dibandingkan dengan kota Blora tapi namanya tidak kalah terkenal dengan kota kabupaten itu. Itulah mengapa Cepu akhirnya menyandang status baru sebagai ‘kota kecil’. Sebuah kota kecil yang cukup terkenal, yang terrletak di wilayah perbatasan antara Jawa Tengah dan Jawa Timur.
Masyarakat Cepu pada umumnya masih tergolong masyarakat pedesaan (kecuali masyarakat yang tinggal dalam pusat kota) karena memang wilayah Cepu itu sendiri terdiri dari banyak desa di dalamnya dan setiap desa tersebut pasti mempunyai aturan atau norma-norma sendiri bagi warga masyarakatnya. Kemudian dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, aktifitas tertentu yang dilakukan mereka lama kelamaan menjadi suatu kebiasaan hingga akhirnya berkembang sebagai satu kebudayaan.
Salah satu dari kebudayaan tersebut adalah kegiatan ‘sinoman’yang dilakukan masyarakat bila salah satu tetangganya ada yang mempunyai hajatan atau syukuran. Seperti yang telah dijelaskan sebelumnya bahwa kegiatan sinoman yang dimaksud disini lebih memfokuskan pada pemuda-pemuda yang ada dalam masyarakat tersebut. Dengan melakukan kegiatan sinoman ini diharapkan para pemuda yang ada dalam desa tersebut lebih bisa menanamkan rasa kebersamaan lewat gotong royong itu.
Kegiatan sinoman di daerah Cepu biasanya dilakukan bila ada salah satu warga desa sedang mengadakan hajatan (pada umumnya pernikahan dan sunatan). Tapi dalam makalah ini penulis hanya akan memaparkan pada sinoman pernikahan saja dengan pertimbangan bahwa biasanya syukuran pernikahan lebih banyak diadakan daripada syukuran khitanan sendiri, apalagi pada dewasa ini. Masyarakat nampaknya lebih jeli dalam memanajemen kepentingannya yang lebih utama. Syukuran khitanan dianggap tidak perlu diadakan secara besar-besaran, sama seperti pesta pernikahan, tapi diadakan cukup sederhana saja dengan pertimbangan modal.
Di daerah Cepu ada dua jenis sinoman yang biasanya dilakukan masyarakat setempat. Pertama adalah sinoman yang terkoordinir. Maksudnya adalah sinoman ini dilakukan secara terkoordinir oleh sang tuan rumah (yang punya hajatan). Jadi, mereka mengundang atau meminta beberapa pemuda yang diinginkan untuk ikut serta dalam panitia pernikahan salah satu anggota keluarganya. Biasanya pernikahan tersebut diadakan secara besar-besaran oleh orang yang cukup berada. Para sinoman ini nantinya akan diberikan seragam tertentu dan diberi upah berupa sejumlah uang. Tugas mereka biasanya mengurusi konsumsi untuk para tamu dan membantu keperluan prosesi pernikahan tersebut selama beberapa hari lamanya.
Kedua adalah sinoman yang tidak terkoordinir (spontanitas). Jadi, para muda-mudi desa secara langsung mendatangi rumah tetangganya yang punya hajatan tanpa permintaan dari si pemilik rumah (spontanitas). Biasanya mereka menggunakan baju sinoman pada umumnya, yaitu hitam putih (atas putih bawah hitam). Berbeda dengan jenis sinoman yang di atas, sinoman ini tidak diberi upah berupa uang. Mereka datang dan ikut berpartisipasi disana karena ingin memberikan kontribusi tanpa adanya suatu pamrih. Mereka lebih mengutamakan rasa kebersamaan antar sesama warga desa. Tugas mereka sama, yaitu bertanggungjawab untuk melayani tamu undangan dalam urusan konsumsi.
Sinoman pernikahan biasanya terdiri dari sinoman putra dan sinoman putri. Tugas sinoman putra biasanya membawa makanan dari dapur sampai tempat duduk para tamu. Sedangkan sinoman putri bertugas untuk membagikannya kepada para tamu. Dalam hal ini, beberapa sinoman (putra dan putri) akan dibagi berdasarkan sektor yang ada dan bertanggungjawab pada sektor tersebut, jangan sampai ada tamu yang tidak mendapatkan konsumsi.
Pada umumnya dalam pesta pernikahan tersebut, ada empat sesi perjamuan (makan) :
1.Sesi teh dan snack.
Biasanya saat para tamu berdatangan pada waktu yang telah ditentukan, mereka akan menandatangani presensi kehadiran sekaligus menyerahkan bingkisan berupa barang atau uang di meja resepsionis. Disana juga mereka langsung diberi cinderamata (barang kenang-kenangan dari mempelai) dan satu snack setiap orangnya (kecuali yang datang bersama salah satu anggota keluarganya). Lalu setelah mereka duduk di tempat yang telah tersedia, para sinoman akan memberikan segelas teh hangat pada setiap tamu.
2.Sesi sop.
Beberapa saat kemudian, saat tamu bertambah banyak, para sinoman akan segera menyajikan semangkuk sop atau bakso pada tamu. Isi dari sop sesuai dengan sop yang biasanya dibuat, ada irisan wortel, kentang, macaroni, sosis, kol dan tambahan bahan lainnya.
3.Sesi makanan utama.
Setelah sesi sop selesai, maka makanan utama mulai dibagikan. Biasanya makanan ini terdiri dari nasi, daging sapi berbumbu, kentang, acar, sambal goreng, dan kerupuk. Semua itu sudah disiapkan dalam setiap piring dan porsinya sama.
4.Sesi es krim atau es buah.
Seusai sesi makanan utama, yang terakhir disajikan adalah es krim atau es buah. Hidangan ini diberikan sebagai makanan penutup pesta pernikahan tersebut. Sesi yang terakhir ini tidak diharuskan ada dalam pesta pernikahan. Bahkan kadang bisa diganti dengan pemberian buah sebagai pencuci mulut yang biasanya diberikan bersamaan dengan sesi makanan utama.
Setelah sesi makan selesai dan para tamu sedang menikmati hiburan yang diberikan, maka inilah saatnya para sinoman tadi gantian makan (langsung empat sesi sekaligus) dan kalau masih ada tamu yang berdatangan karena terlambat mereka biasanya bergantian dengan temannya dahulu.
Tapi tugas para sinoman ini tidak hanya berhenti disitu saja, setelah pesta pernikahan selesai, tugas mereka selanjutnya adalah membereskan meja dan melipat semua taplak. Sebenarnya tugas mereka tidak terlalu berat karena banyak muda-mudi yang ikut menjadi sinoman sehingga pekerjaan mereka menyenangkan. Kalau semuanya sudah selesai, mereka baru menikmati hiburan (biasanya campursari atau dangdutan) sampai malam karena selama pesta yang diadakan selama beberapa hari itu para warga masyarakat yang berdekatan datang (berkumpul) untuk ‘jagongan’ (ngobrol bersama-sama untuk meramaikan suasana rumah yang punya hajatan).
Kegiatan sinoman ini bagi masyarakat Cepu adalah sebagai wujud gotong royong antar sesama warga masyarakat karena esensi budaya Jawa yang melekat kuat. Bahwa bagi mereka kebersamaan adalah segalanya, sesuai dengan pepatah ‘mangan ora mangan asal ngumpul’. Mereka dalam kegiatan sinoman ini dilatih untuk memiliki rasa kebersamaan dengan saling bergotongroyong melalui pesta pernikahan. Sederhana memang, tapi demikianlah perilaku masyarakat yang patut untuk dilestarikan. Disamping itu, tuan rumah pun akan merasa terbantu karena tamu undangan mereka terlayani.
3.Perkembangan Tradisi Sinoman Dewasa Ini pada Masyarakat Cepu
Jika dicermati lebih lanjut, tradisi ‘sinoman’ ini lebih banyak dijumpai pada daerah pedesaan. Hal tersebut memang wajar terjadi mengingat fakta bagaimana kondisi lingkungan di daerah perkotaan besar yang mayoritas warganya sangat individualistik. Sikap keindividualistikan ini mungkin disebabkan oleh orientasi kerja yang berbeda diantara keduanya. Orang-orang di desa dalam mengerjakan suatu pekerjaan lebih mementingkan kebersamaan sementara orang-orang di kota lebih berorientasi pada uang, keefisien waktu, dan hasil yang menguntungkan. Bagi mereka, waktu adalah uang. Karena itulah ritme kerja orang-orang kota sangat padat, seperti tidak ada habis-habisnya, dari pagi buta sampai subuh kembali menjemput.
Di daerah Cepu, yang terdiri dari beberapa desa, tradisi sinoman masih terjaga kelestariannya meskipun tak menampik kemungkinan bahwa tradisi ini akan terkikis sedikit demi sedikit oleh waktu nantinya. Hal ini bisa dilihat dari banyaknya masyarakat yang lebih suka menyelenggarakan pesta pernikahannya dalam gedung-gedung mewah dimana bentuk perjamuannya biasanya berupa prasmanan atau standing party (penyelenggaraan pesta dimana para tamunya terus berdiri dalam acara prosesi pernikahan tersebut). Alasan lain yang menyebabkan hal tersebut bisa terjadi adalah adanya arus budaya kota yang masuk dalam wilayah Cepu sedikit demi sedikit. Apalagi melihat kenyataan bahwa Cepu telah mendapat predikat sebagai ‘kota minyak’ yang pasti menjadikannya tidak bisa lagi disebut sebagai ‘desa’ tapi sudah berubah menjadi sebuah ‘kota kecil’. Lama-kelamaan perubahan status ini juga akan mempengaruhi cara pandang masyarakat di dalamnya bahwa mereka harus mengubah imej Cepu sebagai suatu ‘kota’ bukan sebuah desa lagi.
Oleh karena itu diharapkan bagi generasi muda pada zaman sekarang hendaknya tetap memegang teguh tradisi setempat sebagai wujud kebudayaan masyarakat. Sinoman memang sudah mengakar dan ada nyaris di semua pedesaan dengan ciri khasnya masing-masing sehingga menjadikannya sebagai suatu budaya yang patut untuk terus dilestarikan, tetapi semua itu tergantung pada pilihan para masyarakatnya sendiri (para pemudanya): apakah berniat untuk berusaha menjaga kelestariannya atau malah tidak peduli sama sekali. Sebuah pilihan yang cukup adil jika melihat situasi yang ada sekarang ini.
BAB 3
PENUTUP
1.Kesimpulan
Berdasarkan uraian di atas dapat disimpulkan bahwa tradisi sinoman dalam pernikahan Cepu masih berjalan dengan baik sampai sekarang meskipun hal itu hanya terjadi di pedesaannya karena di zaman modern seperti saat ini, masyarakat cenderung mengikuti arus budaya barat, misalnya dengan mengadakan prasmanan, standing party, ataupun bentuk pesta yang lain dalam gedung mewah sehingga tidak membutuhkan para sinoman. Tapi rupanya masyarakat masih beranggapan bahwa kegiatan ini bisa mewujudkan rasa kebersamaan bagi setiap warganya dan sebagai bentuk gotong royong yang merupakan ciri khas bangsa Indonesia ketika orang lain membutuhkan pertolongan kita.
Selain itu, kegiatan ini bisa memberikan banyak keuntungan bagi para muda-mudi daerah tersebut pada khususnya dan masyarakat pada umumnya. Sinoman ini juga bisa dikatakan sebagai bentuk eksistensi mereka dalam masyarakat karena telah ikut berkontribusi sesuai dengan kemampuannya masing-masing. Meskipun demikian, dapat digarisbawahi tadi bahwa di daerah Cepu ada juga sinoman yang mendapatkan bayaran, jadi istilahnya sebagai kerja part time walaupun para muda-mudinya juga berada dalam satu wilayah tersebut.
Tapi terlepas dari semua itu, kegiatan sinoman dalam pesta pernikahan di daerah Cepu ini dipandang sebagai wujud gotong royong masyarakat setempat. Jadi, walaupun hanya spontanitas saja menjadi sinoman, hal tersebut tidak masalah karena masyarakat lebih berorientasi pada kebersamaan bukan materialistik. Sebenarnya itulah yang harus dipunyai oleh para muda-mudi bangsa Indonesia ini, bukan paradigma yang berasal dari budaya Barat yang akhirnya mengikis budaya Indonesia yang sudah mendarah daging. Dan satu-satunya cara untuk menyelamatkannya adalah dengan terus melestarikan budaya tersebut.
2.Saran
Setelah menulis makalah ini penulis ingin memberikan beberapa saran untuk para pemuda pada khususnya dan masyarakat setempat pada umumnya:
a.Hendaknya para pemuda zaman sekarang tidak mempunyai rasa materialistik pada dirinya karena hal tersebut dapat menyebabkan rasa tidak peduli pada lingkungan sekitarnya (individualistik).
b.Hendaknya tidak mengikuti paradigma budaya Barat yang sudah masuk ke dalam bangsa Indonesia sehingga bisa mengikis tradisi yang sudah ada dalam masyarakat setempat.
c.Pemuda diharapkan lebih peka terhadap lingkungan masyarakat agar bisa bersosialisasi dengan baik.
d.Hendaknya para muda-mudi melestarikan tradisi sinoman sebagai wujud gotong royong sehingga memupuk rasa kebersamaan bersama anggota masyarakat.
Daftar Pustaka:
1.Catatan harian mata kuliah Kajian Kebudayaan Jawa.
2.Drs. Imam Sutardjo, M. Hum. 2008. Kajian Budaya Jawa. Surakarta: FSSR UNS.
Game Day USA
INTRODUCTION
According to Jack Nachbar and Kevin Louse, popular culture is the products of human work and thought which are (or have been) accepted and approved of by a large community or population. Popular culture forms the vast majority of the artifact and events which compose our daily lives, but it does not consist of our entire culture (it surrounds us, but does not drown other opportunities for existence apart from it).
In this paper, we will discuss about the game day in America which is belonging to ritual. In the house of popular culture, ritual itself is in event floor. Rituals are highly patterned symbolic events in which we all participate as away of marking important passages in our individual lives or in society as a whole, in which we bind our culture together in a celebration of our common beliefs and values and in which we release tension and anxiety in a social acceptable, ‘safe’ manner.
There are key elements of popular rituals:
1.They use elements from the other rooms (heroes, stereotype, icons)
2.They are formulaic (the heart of the meaning is in their repetitiousness).
3.They are performed in special places > “sacred” vs “profane”
4.Popular rituals verify popular beliefs and values.
This paper is made based on the article of Charlottesville, VA Eastman Kodak and Thommason Grant titled Game Day USA. We will discuss about how this event becomes a ritual in America society, the history, the heroes, the stereotype, icons, beliefs and vales which related in this events.
CONTENT
A.Game Day in America
Games Day provides a grand celebration of the certain community. In America, Game Day refers to football match which is held by college, senior high school or certain state. American football might be branded “murder” because it can kill the player and injuries many of people, then even today, statistic reveal that more women report physical abuse from their husband or boyfriend during the Super Bowl than at any other time of the year. Violence is the characteristic of this game, when the helmet collisions make football particularly vicious, so that people look at this game as a theater of war and as if they state that it is their characteristic. Even the editor in this article has defined that violence is national character of America.
American football unites American people regardless of their ethnic, gender, social, age, economic level, geography, politics, etc. It brings together everyone without considering their identity. Everybody can participate in this game, whether as player, spectator, or anything which is related inside. The fans come from all corners of the state and region and they have enthusiasm to watch this game directly in stadium or just watch in TV.
American football is belonging to secular (non religious) popular ritual which provides us some of the same emotional needs and also provides us with a sense of inner well-being. So, as secular ritual, American football share several key elements:
1.It uses elements from the other rooms in the house of popular culture. This elements are heroes which is represented by coach and players, define stereotype which provide roles for everyone (fans and cheerleaders can not be separated from this game), and icons which are represented by pennants and mascots.
2.American football applications are formulaic. Because it has same structure of the ritual before and after the football match in all areas of the country that is always repeated every time (the same rules of the game apply, bands march at all half time ceremonies, coaches rage at referees and fans at both, etc).
3.American football is performed in special places. The special place named ‘stadium’ and the main entrance in this stadium become a transition from profane place to sacred place.
B.Types of Popular Ritual
Then, to discover the function and the meanings inside them, American football will be classified into several types of popular ritual. They are:
1.Rites of unity.
Because American football had unified all people from different background in social, political, cultural, educational, ethnic, etc. it makes of them feel a part of something larger and grander than their individual lives. When people come together in stadium, they will become one to support their favorite team.
2.Rites of season.
American football usually is held in fall or autumn season. in university, football match is held at autumn season in homecoming day to the student.
3.Rites of reversal.
It provides audience to act nuts, like yelling, screaming, singing aloud, flying their flag, and give all expression that they feel during the match. They can do anything crazy in stadium then become normal if the match is over.
4.Rites of spectacle.
American football provides passive spectators, it means they can not jumped or join into match, then annoying the match itself. They can do anything as they do not make a chaos in that match. They just watch and sit directly or indirectly.
C.Game Day in the South, Midwest, and West (according to the article)
The south (article written by Willy Morries)
It begins with the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt game of October 28, 1989, in Oxford, Missisipi when it was Ole Miss Homecoming. The ritual of the game might be as follow: two hours before the kick off, the young men of the home team, led by coach, walked single file as avid tailgaters applauded. From the distance the band played ‘From Dixie with love’ followed by little girls. The hero from this match is Roy Lee ‘Chucky’ Mullins, a cornerback of Ole Miss gets serious injuries so that he has to been taken to hospital. This accident would not easily be obliterated. Therefore, there was no celebration in the locker room of Ole Miss Players. In short, they finally try to win the game in order to present the victory for their fallen teammate. They try to chase the score in last moment of the match. This story reflects that life often does not work that way. A great sporting event indeed emulates life, its gallantries and failure and its time running out. When the time runs out, there are only love remain, hope, and the possibility.
The Midwest (article written by Frank Conroy)
It happens in The Heartland that agriculture region of the Midwest that includes Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and vast stretches west of the Mississippi and in many ways the name seems apt. The national interest in sport can be seen in its purest form, as an expression of regional pride, as a celebration off the power and beauty of youth. Sports here are bound to family and community. The fans seem truly come together, to infect each other with their enthusiasm and hope in a very different way, in church. People show the colors logo of hawk, yellow and black as represent the color of corn and topsoil. They use yellow and black banners, pennants, jacket, sweat shirt, running suits, sock, sweater, etc. Even almost all shop windows and restaurant full of banners. On game day, the visitors are everywhere. Everyone enthusiasm want to get closer with the field. Band music float like invisible smoke before the game begins. In the Heartland, some things remain relatively simple: the pleasure of coming together had confirmed the power of common ritual: the affirmation of decency and fair play, of self respect, and hard work. It’s all still there, tacit and modest most of the time, but truly celebrated on game day. The spirit of people lifts every actions and contrary.
The west (article written by Richard Hoffer)
In Ohio, the idea of football game played in full. People remain to watch a football game although the day is rainy. They make a resolution: that is where they will go. That place is also often attacked by the earthquake. So, there are a parade, a football game and earthquake, but people still come to the stadium. It is showed that people there is very enthusiasm for game day. In the West, hard work was not only not enough, it may have been irrelevant. Variety of experience was the point for all pioneers.
D.Symbolic meaning of Game Day
Player and coach. In this game, they symbolized the hero who becomes important role in this game. The spectators will admire them because their brave, patriotic, power, confidence, hard work, strategy to reach a victory.
Cheerleaders. It symbolizes the motivation and support for team in this game. They always give their spirit in order the team get new spirit to win the game.
Pennants and mascot. It symbolizes the icon of the team which will give certain power to do better in the game.
Helmet. It symbolizes safety for each player. In a real life, people also think to their safety when they do dangerous activity.
E.Beliefs and Values that embodied in this game day
American people believe that the victory will be reached with hard work, discipline, dedication, struggle, good strategy and passion in this life.
Positive: this game will bring together all people in different background, it will emerge the nationalism for the heart of American people, it will learn people about how manage the teamwork well to get same vision in competition.
Negative: the violence inside the game will make someone gets serious injuries and even dead.
CONCLUSION
In our conclusion after we learn this essay, we conclude that American football ritual had became the heart of American people since they present his game to reflect their character nationality during its repetitions year by year. Violence inside the game is the uniquely of American football which is long standing, but the widespread and intense popularity of the sport is remarkable.
REFERENCES
Nachbar, Jack and Lause, Kevin.1992. Popular Culture: An Introductiory Text.
http://www.usafootball.com/glossary/glossary/index/officials/F
www.footballbabble.com
According to Jack Nachbar and Kevin Louse, popular culture is the products of human work and thought which are (or have been) accepted and approved of by a large community or population. Popular culture forms the vast majority of the artifact and events which compose our daily lives, but it does not consist of our entire culture (it surrounds us, but does not drown other opportunities for existence apart from it).
In this paper, we will discuss about the game day in America which is belonging to ritual. In the house of popular culture, ritual itself is in event floor. Rituals are highly patterned symbolic events in which we all participate as away of marking important passages in our individual lives or in society as a whole, in which we bind our culture together in a celebration of our common beliefs and values and in which we release tension and anxiety in a social acceptable, ‘safe’ manner.
There are key elements of popular rituals:
1.They use elements from the other rooms (heroes, stereotype, icons)
2.They are formulaic (the heart of the meaning is in their repetitiousness).
3.They are performed in special places > “sacred” vs “profane”
4.Popular rituals verify popular beliefs and values.
This paper is made based on the article of Charlottesville, VA Eastman Kodak and Thommason Grant titled Game Day USA. We will discuss about how this event becomes a ritual in America society, the history, the heroes, the stereotype, icons, beliefs and vales which related in this events.
CONTENT
A.Game Day in America
Games Day provides a grand celebration of the certain community. In America, Game Day refers to football match which is held by college, senior high school or certain state. American football might be branded “murder” because it can kill the player and injuries many of people, then even today, statistic reveal that more women report physical abuse from their husband or boyfriend during the Super Bowl than at any other time of the year. Violence is the characteristic of this game, when the helmet collisions make football particularly vicious, so that people look at this game as a theater of war and as if they state that it is their characteristic. Even the editor in this article has defined that violence is national character of America.
American football unites American people regardless of their ethnic, gender, social, age, economic level, geography, politics, etc. It brings together everyone without considering their identity. Everybody can participate in this game, whether as player, spectator, or anything which is related inside. The fans come from all corners of the state and region and they have enthusiasm to watch this game directly in stadium or just watch in TV.
American football is belonging to secular (non religious) popular ritual which provides us some of the same emotional needs and also provides us with a sense of inner well-being. So, as secular ritual, American football share several key elements:
1.It uses elements from the other rooms in the house of popular culture. This elements are heroes which is represented by coach and players, define stereotype which provide roles for everyone (fans and cheerleaders can not be separated from this game), and icons which are represented by pennants and mascots.
2.American football applications are formulaic. Because it has same structure of the ritual before and after the football match in all areas of the country that is always repeated every time (the same rules of the game apply, bands march at all half time ceremonies, coaches rage at referees and fans at both, etc).
3.American football is performed in special places. The special place named ‘stadium’ and the main entrance in this stadium become a transition from profane place to sacred place.
B.Types of Popular Ritual
Then, to discover the function and the meanings inside them, American football will be classified into several types of popular ritual. They are:
1.Rites of unity.
Because American football had unified all people from different background in social, political, cultural, educational, ethnic, etc. it makes of them feel a part of something larger and grander than their individual lives. When people come together in stadium, they will become one to support their favorite team.
2.Rites of season.
American football usually is held in fall or autumn season. in university, football match is held at autumn season in homecoming day to the student.
3.Rites of reversal.
It provides audience to act nuts, like yelling, screaming, singing aloud, flying their flag, and give all expression that they feel during the match. They can do anything crazy in stadium then become normal if the match is over.
4.Rites of spectacle.
American football provides passive spectators, it means they can not jumped or join into match, then annoying the match itself. They can do anything as they do not make a chaos in that match. They just watch and sit directly or indirectly.
C.Game Day in the South, Midwest, and West (according to the article)
The south (article written by Willy Morries)
It begins with the Ole Miss-Vanderbilt game of October 28, 1989, in Oxford, Missisipi when it was Ole Miss Homecoming. The ritual of the game might be as follow: two hours before the kick off, the young men of the home team, led by coach, walked single file as avid tailgaters applauded. From the distance the band played ‘From Dixie with love’ followed by little girls. The hero from this match is Roy Lee ‘Chucky’ Mullins, a cornerback of Ole Miss gets serious injuries so that he has to been taken to hospital. This accident would not easily be obliterated. Therefore, there was no celebration in the locker room of Ole Miss Players. In short, they finally try to win the game in order to present the victory for their fallen teammate. They try to chase the score in last moment of the match. This story reflects that life often does not work that way. A great sporting event indeed emulates life, its gallantries and failure and its time running out. When the time runs out, there are only love remain, hope, and the possibility.
The Midwest (article written by Frank Conroy)
It happens in The Heartland that agriculture region of the Midwest that includes Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and vast stretches west of the Mississippi and in many ways the name seems apt. The national interest in sport can be seen in its purest form, as an expression of regional pride, as a celebration off the power and beauty of youth. Sports here are bound to family and community. The fans seem truly come together, to infect each other with their enthusiasm and hope in a very different way, in church. People show the colors logo of hawk, yellow and black as represent the color of corn and topsoil. They use yellow and black banners, pennants, jacket, sweat shirt, running suits, sock, sweater, etc. Even almost all shop windows and restaurant full of banners. On game day, the visitors are everywhere. Everyone enthusiasm want to get closer with the field. Band music float like invisible smoke before the game begins. In the Heartland, some things remain relatively simple: the pleasure of coming together had confirmed the power of common ritual: the affirmation of decency and fair play, of self respect, and hard work. It’s all still there, tacit and modest most of the time, but truly celebrated on game day. The spirit of people lifts every actions and contrary.
The west (article written by Richard Hoffer)
In Ohio, the idea of football game played in full. People remain to watch a football game although the day is rainy. They make a resolution: that is where they will go. That place is also often attacked by the earthquake. So, there are a parade, a football game and earthquake, but people still come to the stadium. It is showed that people there is very enthusiasm for game day. In the West, hard work was not only not enough, it may have been irrelevant. Variety of experience was the point for all pioneers.
D.Symbolic meaning of Game Day
Player and coach. In this game, they symbolized the hero who becomes important role in this game. The spectators will admire them because their brave, patriotic, power, confidence, hard work, strategy to reach a victory.
Cheerleaders. It symbolizes the motivation and support for team in this game. They always give their spirit in order the team get new spirit to win the game.
Pennants and mascot. It symbolizes the icon of the team which will give certain power to do better in the game.
Helmet. It symbolizes safety for each player. In a real life, people also think to their safety when they do dangerous activity.
E.Beliefs and Values that embodied in this game day
American people believe that the victory will be reached with hard work, discipline, dedication, struggle, good strategy and passion in this life.
Positive: this game will bring together all people in different background, it will emerge the nationalism for the heart of American people, it will learn people about how manage the teamwork well to get same vision in competition.
Negative: the violence inside the game will make someone gets serious injuries and even dead.
CONCLUSION
In our conclusion after we learn this essay, we conclude that American football ritual had became the heart of American people since they present his game to reflect their character nationality during its repetitions year by year. Violence inside the game is the uniquely of American football which is long standing, but the widespread and intense popularity of the sport is remarkable.
REFERENCES
Nachbar, Jack and Lause, Kevin.1992. Popular Culture: An Introductiory Text.
http://www.usafootball.com/glossary/glossary/index/officials/F
www.footballbabble.com
General Election in Bali collided with Traditional Ceremony
The general election and traditional ceremony had been held at same time by people in Bali, April 9, 2009. As the light of the morning star faded and the sun crested over Gunung Agung, Bali’s tallest mountain, devotees began arriving at Pura Besakih, the largest and most sacred place of worship. It was the first month of the Balinese calendar, an occasion to be marked by Bhatara Tarun Kabeh (The God’s Visit on Earth) ceremony.
This event emerged apathy toward a democratic party which projected a very low voter turn out in Bali.
“I’m not going to vote. People don’t care about the election or who is in charge, as long as the country still running this system,” says Ketut, about to ascend the hundreds of steps to the main temple, Pura Penataran Agung. He also states the most important is religion; that’s Balinese culture.
While, Nyoman, who is guiding voter through the collection of colored ballots in Besakih KPPS officials says he hopes people will come in the morning and the go to the temple after.
Bali has a huge rural population and education for a lot of people is not privileged to, Nyoman points out.
For some people, the traditional ceremony is as important as general election, so they didn’t want to pass this event.
“It’s only once every 5 years, so why not come?” one of them says.
Back at Besakih, worshippers gather on every level of the complex’s 23 temples. By midday the sun beats down, they try to find a cool spot in the shade of one of the many temple spires. It shows how the condition contrasts between the polling station and lively joy ceremony.
It’s also important to note the main events of the ceremony were still give a chance to allow people time to vote, but by 11 o’clock celebration are in full swing. People take their turn to pray, give offerings to the gods and receive blessings in return.
“Yes, of course I voted!” says Made enthusiastically; he is one of devotees who also come to the Besakih. “Just this morning, on my way to the temple,” he explains, and also states that In Bali, people have one side for God and one side for the nation.
Although, only 300 of Besakih’s 1000 registered voters, it shows their democratic duty to this nation.
Meanwhile, up at the temple, the gods visited earth for who they voted for and to communicate off the record.
Reference: Harrington, Morgan. 2009. Sacred Tradition vs Civic Duty. The Jakarta Post: Jakarta.
This event emerged apathy toward a democratic party which projected a very low voter turn out in Bali.
“I’m not going to vote. People don’t care about the election or who is in charge, as long as the country still running this system,” says Ketut, about to ascend the hundreds of steps to the main temple, Pura Penataran Agung. He also states the most important is religion; that’s Balinese culture.
While, Nyoman, who is guiding voter through the collection of colored ballots in Besakih KPPS officials says he hopes people will come in the morning and the go to the temple after.
Bali has a huge rural population and education for a lot of people is not privileged to, Nyoman points out.
For some people, the traditional ceremony is as important as general election, so they didn’t want to pass this event.
“It’s only once every 5 years, so why not come?” one of them says.
Back at Besakih, worshippers gather on every level of the complex’s 23 temples. By midday the sun beats down, they try to find a cool spot in the shade of one of the many temple spires. It shows how the condition contrasts between the polling station and lively joy ceremony.
It’s also important to note the main events of the ceremony were still give a chance to allow people time to vote, but by 11 o’clock celebration are in full swing. People take their turn to pray, give offerings to the gods and receive blessings in return.
“Yes, of course I voted!” says Made enthusiastically; he is one of devotees who also come to the Besakih. “Just this morning, on my way to the temple,” he explains, and also states that In Bali, people have one side for God and one side for the nation.
Although, only 300 of Besakih’s 1000 registered voters, it shows their democratic duty to this nation.
Meanwhile, up at the temple, the gods visited earth for who they voted for and to communicate off the record.
Reference: Harrington, Morgan. 2009. Sacred Tradition vs Civic Duty. The Jakarta Post: Jakarta.
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