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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter reviews some related studies which support the present research. There are two major points that are discussed in this section. The first
point is the theoretical description which reviews some theories and also other related studies relevant to the topic. The second point is the theoretical framework
which provides the synthesized major theories which help the researcher solve the research questions.
2.1. Theoretical Description
Before going further to the analysis of taboo words in Carlin ‟s monologue
it is important to convey the basic concept of taboo and some topics related to it.
2.1.1. The Concept of Taboo
Since the origin of taboo words and swear words is from a sort of things considered taboo, it is important to dig out the concept of taboo itself for the
reason that it will be the notional basic of the whole discussion in this thesis. Factually, there is no certain author capable of defining taboo precisely. Yet, some
authors note that the word “taboo” came from Tongan as its origin spelled „tabu‟
13 in Melanesian which etymologically means
“sacred, set apart for God, kings, priests, or chiefs, and therefore prohibited for general use Hughes, 2006, p. 462.
. However, the concept of taboo grows in ages adapting the cultural contexts which bound the culture and the society. The context also includes the
moral value which is accepted and embedded within a society. As a result, the present understanding about taboo somehow differs from the context in which that
word was firstly accepted by the society. Freud 2004 defines taboo in the context of ancient Aboriginal
Australian. He explains that Aboriginal Australian professes totemism as their system of tribal life. Different symbols of totem are attached to the clans clans
are the smaller division of the tribe. Totem itself could be animals or sometimes plants and some natural phenomena such as rain or water which are believed to
be their “guardian spirit” protecting the clans from danger by its oracle p.3.
Therefore, the members of a clan must not destroy, kill, eat its flesh, nor take benefit from their totem to avoid the consecutive sanction. Thus, as Freud claims,
this relation between the totem and the tribe is called “sacred obligation”. Besides,
it is also noted that totemism has a strong bond with exogamy. The totem symbolized by the clan functions as sign to prevent incest among the same totemic
clans. Thereby, marrying or having sexual intercourse with the same member of the clan with the same totem is prohibited. Conclusively Freud notes that there
are two taboos of which violation would lead the breaker to death as the penalty.
