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D. Theoretical Framework
The socio cultural historical approach is used to understand the nature of the social context of the subject matter. They are more likely to describe the society and
culture in Japan in the feudal period, in accordance with the approach conducted. The emphasis on feudal era is because samurai took a role in that very moment. Bushido
principles of loyalty, self-control, and honor that strengthened by review of feudalism in governmental side, Japanese social class, and the concept of ronin is used to
sharpen the analysis of the problem. It is significant to get sufficient data about Japanese culture, encompassing the political and governmental system, the religions,
the art works and literary works, the social classes and the social milieu. Since the setting of the novel is in the feudal period, it is necessary to reflect on the social
cultural background, as long as it is relevant to the analysis.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of this study is John Allyn’s novel entitled The Forty Seven Ronin Story
. The Forty Seven Ronin Story is written by John Allyn in 1970. Tuttle Publishing Company, a division of Periplus Editions which is located in Singapore,
did the premier publishing of it in 2006. The Forty Seven Ronin Story was presented as a traditional folklore in an annual drama. Japanese people called it as
Chushingura . By the time, The Forty Seven Ronin Story performed not only as
Chushingura , but also in modern play script, some documentary films and novels.
B. Approach of the Study
The historical facts about society and culture in Japanese feudal era have an important role to answer the problem formulations. Daiches in Critical Approaches to
Literature. Second Edition stated “a type of criticism which is related both to
historical and to sociological criticism is that which concerns itself with the whole complex of cultural activities of which the production of literature is only one
fragment” 1982:9. It is said that when the study leads back to the past, culture acts in its sacred function as preserver of the past. So, this approach looks at the cultural
scene, in which the whole aspects are important, including the effect of religious,
moral and political ideas, and the function of periodicals. Those all will affect the production and appreciation toward the work.
Dealing with literary criticism, Arnold 1984 said that he was concerned with the state of civilization, the whole pattern of people’s culture, and that in discussing
literary criticism one must take into account the cultural situation in which it operates as cited by Daiches, 1982:14
. The cultural context will add to people’s understanding about the literary work.
In addition, Rohrberger and Woods said that: The society will influence the author in making literary works. They also
stated two important things that literature is not created in vacuum and literature embodies ideas significant to the culture that produced it 1971:9.
It means that the environment affects the author in making his works and the works itself can give something to the environment. The society makes their culture
and history, and the literature itself comes from the society. Here, there are the connections between society, culture, history, and literature.
Socio cultural-historical approach will be suitable in analyzing this novel as this study investigates a Japanese civilization, which is defined as the attitudes and
actions of a specific group of people and the social background Rohrberger and Woods,1971:9. Thomas Warton in Theory of Literature by Wellek and Warren also
said that literature preserved the most picturesque and expressive representation of manners; literature was primarily a treasure of costumes and customs, and also a
sourcebook for history and civilization 1956:102-103. The definitions of socio cultural-historical approach above make the writer
choose this approach in reading the novel. Besides, the topic of this study itself is about the relationship between society and literature. Therefore, these approaches
lead the writer in analyzing the study.
C. Method of the Study
In the process of analyzing, the writer used library research method. The primary source of this study was the novel of John Allyn entitled The Forty Seven
Ronin Story . The book contains the recount of Ako tragedy happened to Asano clan
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