that homosexuality is just about sex and nothing else. The homosexual men in Japan do not have any rights to identified themselves in the society because the
society do not want to acknowledge them as society‟s member.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the idea described in the background of the study, the problem is formulated as follows:
1. How is the society described through the setting and the characters?
2. What is the Japanese society‟s perspective toward homosexuality seen in
the novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
From the statement above, the purpose of the study are to find out how homosexuality in Japan is described in this story through the characters and the
setting and how the society perspective on homosexuality in that era. This thesis, furthermore, aims to understand and answer the question stated previously. The
problem formulations contain the question that has relation with the topic that the writer wants to discuss.
The writer wants to know how the homosexuality is described from some characters‟ point of view that is used to reveal the society in the novel in the terms
of seeing homosexuality. It can be seen from the setting of time and place in the novel that indicates the homosexual life in that time. The writer then wants to
know how the society perspective toward homosexuality is depicted in the novel.
D. Definition of Terms
In this thesis, the writer is giving explanation about homosexuality. The definition of homosexuality can be seen from the explanation below.
Homosexuality
As the writer has mentioned in the introduction, most people think homosexuality as a sexual contact between individuals of the same sex. However,
this definition is not quite complete. The term homosexual refers to: a definition of self, sexual behavior, and emotional affiliation. The following definition
incorporates a broader spectrum of elements. A homosexual person is an individual „whose primary erotic, psychological, emotional, and society interest is
in a member of the same sex, even though that interest may not be overtly expressed
‟ Crooks, 1983:291. However in this thesis, the term homosexuality refers to a minority group
membership. In this sense, the individuals, sharing a gay identity develop communities similar to ethnic, religious, and cultural minorities Corsini,
1994:151-152.
8
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
Forbidden Colors depicts the life of a young homosexual in post-war
Japan. It offers not only an insight into gay culture, but also an examination of the deeper implications of being attracted
to members of one‟s own sex. More broadly, it is a novel about secret lives, and of finding the balance between the
gratification of desires, and ones social responsibilities. As far as the writer‟s knowledge, there is one research that already done
by Yulita Widayati that discusses similar topic with this thesis. The topic is about the
society‟s perspective toward homosexuality seen in British society. The thesis entitled
“The Perception of British Society Toward Homosexuality in the Early Twentieth Cen
tury A Study of Foster‟s Maurice”. In her research, Widayati tells that society in British is influenced by religion teaching as it is written in the
quotation below. The social perspectives and judgement on homosexuality actually was
based on the Christian teaching. Most British citizenz are all Christian. They based their lives on the bible. They regard the bible as a written
norm and value that should be practiced in their society. Because of that, the Bible also influenced the governmental law, including that for
homosexuality. The legal sanction given to homosexuals were that some of them were sent to the prison or exiled to the other country. Even in the
past decades, some of them were sentenced to death Widayati, 2000:57- 58.
It is explained in the quotation above how the society in British sees
homosexuality. Because of the influence of religiosity, the Christian teaching,
homosexuality is seen as something sinful and forbidden. Meanwhile the thing that makes the research written by Yulita Widayati different from what the writer
do is the writer discusses about the Japanese society in sees homosexuality and what makes it different from the other research is that the Japanese society have a
long history about homosexuality and the Japanese society do not have any religion influence in seeing homosexuality. There are not any religions teaching
that condemn homosexuality. Being a homosexual is surely not an easy way to live that there are a lot of
difficulties to face in the society and how the person who is a homosexual have to act towards other people. According to David W. Atkinson:
The theme of homosexuality as a socially alienating force also surfaces in Mishimas Kinjiki 1953; Forbidden Colors and signals how human
happiness is rooted in rejecting the causes of this alienation … Yuichi is
plagued by guilt because he feels he is betraying both his wife and his mother; he must give them what society demands, including a child, but is
in the process untrue to himself. That this veneer of respectability is a fiction is further revealed in a host of characters in the novel, who enjoy
positions of immense social influence and wealth but who hide who they truly are as a consequence Atkinson, 1989:60.
In his review, Atkinson states about the alienation that is felt by homosexual from the society. As in the quotation written above, the theme of
homosexuality is often related to the alienation from to the society because the society cannot accept homosexual as a common thing that makes those
homosexuals tend to separate themselves from the society. Atkinson wrote in his review about
Yukio Mishima‟s major literary works that is themed about the dissatisfied of the author towards Japanese society as Atkinson wrote
“Mishima sees a Japanese society that is stultifying to
individual freedom”. In the quotation
above, it explains about the alienation as the main character from the novel, Yuichi who is a homosexual, lead his dual life as a homosexual and as a husband.
It is written in the quotation about how the main character in this novel feels betrayed by both his wife and mother because he thought to give them what
society demands but is in the process untrue to himself. It shows about someone who wants to have a position in the society but in order to make it happen he has
to hide his real self as a homosexual as a consequence. Atkinson also wrote that there are some issues of social bankruptcy in Forbidden Colors, that can be seen
from the other characters. Shunsuke Hinoki is a famous writer who is a woman hater and sees Yuichi as a tool of revenge for women who are hurt him. The social
bankruptcy seen in the character of Shunsuke Hinoki can be viewed from the quotation below.
Seeing himself as the victim in several unsuccessful marriages, Shunsuke is a committed woman-hater, who sees in Yuichi a way of gaining his
revenge against womankind in general. Yet Shunsukes actions are a visible signal of the very values that society has praised in his books. The
beauty of Shunsukes writing is praised by those poisoned by intellectual hedonism who have replaced concern for humanity with
individualism . . . [and] violently torn beauty from the arms of ethics. These great intellects represent a spiritually bankrupt culture and society
for which truth is little more than immediate sensation devoid of understanding. Thus the promiscuity of the homosexual subculture signals
the spiritual corruption of society generally Atkinson, 1989:60.
Shunsuke is an old author that wrote mainly about his hatred toward women and heterosexual. As it is written above that his writing is praised by the
society for its implicit content and its beauty. The „great intellects‟ here means the
society that it is explained in the story that the truth they seen is not an actual meaning that Shunsuke tried to delivered in his writing. It is merely an immediate
sensation without deep understanding. The other characters that get involved with Yuichi who share the same problem are Mr. Kaburagi and his wife.
The same kind of moral bankruptcy is evident in the lives of Count and Mrs. Kaburagi. Count Kaburagi presents himself as a philanthropist and
supporter of good causes, yet his vast fortune is the result of gentlemanly villainy. That Mrs. Kaburagi shares her husbands moral values is
confirmed in how, despite her sexual loathing of him, she remains in the marriage because it expresses the love of partners in crime. Her
fascination with Yuichi indicates her inability to appreciate his complexities, and suggests how societys superficial demands mitigate true
human understanding Atkinson, 1989:60.
In the quotation above explain about how Mr. Kaburagi and his wife appearance as a person who is looked like as a good person that have done many
good deeds in the society but the truth is they are desire for Yuichi. Mr. kaburagi is attracted to Yuichi‟s body and youth as Mrs. Kaburagi is desire for yuichi‟s
beauty. Mr. Kaburagi offers money and job to Yuichi so Yuichi can be his. Mrs. Kaburagi is curious of Yuichi‟s beauty and the darkness in Yuichi allure her to
fall in love with Yuichi They cannot see Yuichi as a human being but just treat him as someone who can please their own desire and lust. Below is the quotation
about how Yuichi is described regarding his condition through the story: While Yuichi is consumed with his own physical needs, he is not
incapable of personal reflection on his life. Thus when his child is born, he insists on being with his wife as she goes through a Caesarian section.
Yuichi, in experiencing his wifes suffering, comes to see how his pursuit of pleasure anesthetizes him from the corruption of his own life.
Significant, however, is that Yuichi is still drawn back to the homosexual world he knows to be corrupt Atkinson, 1989:61.
From the passage above, it is explaining about Yuichi‟s indecisive
personality to become a homosexual or a normal husband for his family as he is still searching for such a fit and comfortable place for him to life and because he
seek for a pleasure, he cannot really go far from his homosexual life. He also needs security of his status as a husband and also a father of an infant. Thus he is
trapped in the dreamy reality for his pleasure in his homosexual lifestyle and a cruel reality which he is bearing a responsibility as a leader
of Minami‟s household.
The other study that the writer uses to reveal some explanation about the history of homosexuality in japan is from the book written by Mark. J. Mclelland.
The title of his book is Male Homosexuality in Modern Japan: Between Cultural Myths and Social Realities.
It splits into nine chapters. It contains about homosexuality in Japanese history and the development of the homosexuality
until present time. It explained in the book how homosexual is seen in japan and what the image of homosexual in Japanese society eyes is. In his book, he gives a
brief guide of history of homosexuality in japan to the reader. He gives the explanation about the homosexuality from each era, including the era when the
story of this novel takes place, the post-war era. As for Forbidden Colors, Mclelland stated:
Mishima‟s treatment of homosexuality is marked by and undercurrent of anxiety and self-doubt, even self-hatred. He conceives of homosexual men
as a distinct subgroup who are forced to associated with each other in order to appease their sexual desire which is characterized as a misfortune.
The alienation of homosexual men from mainstream society is emphasized in scenes contrasting the hidden, furtive activities of gay men which take
place behind closed doors in ba
rs or in „closed‟ public spaces Mclelland, 2000:26.
In the quotation above, Mclelland also said similar thing with Atkinson
about the alienation that homosexual felt from the society. It emphasizes of the
setting of place as it mentions about public space. The writer used these statements above as fundamental information to relate the studies with the
problems that are being analyzed. Those are some of related studies that the writer used to conduct this
research. For the related studies that the writer choose is mainly discussing about some important feature of the novel such as setting and the theme of the topic of
this research, how the homosexuality grows in japan and the consequence of the homosexual bear as they are alienate from the society.
B. Reviews of Related Theories
