commit to user 21
examples people can show their ideas and expression freely. They can show their feeling and personalities through the clothes they wear. Life is all about choices
and in fashion we are free to choose the clothes which show who we are.
C. The American Myth of Individual Freedom
For some people “myth” is generally known as Greek god and goddesses’ story or mistake or error which has somehow come to be accepted as true
Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 84. However in the case of the study of popular culture, myth here refers to the bedrock of cultural beliefs which provide the
foundation of mindset. It says nothing about the “truth” or “falsity” of any belief or value; it says that the belief or value is significant and long lasting- vital to the
mindset of the culture which holds it – and that it is widely accepted as being true.
The point is that myth is believed and that people make choices and action based upon the belief in myth Nachbar and Lause, 1992: 84.
According to Slotkin in Nachbar and Lause myth has close connection with history, and popular beliefs and values do not develop in some short timeless
vacuum of cultural contemplation and musing 1992: 85. The existence of American myths, beliefs and values has grown out of very real historical events.
They are rooted from the history of the very first time the America people came to the America continent.
One of the very important myths in America is myth of individual freedom. The myth rooted from the struggle of the 13 colonies’ fight against the
rebellion of the British Empire. They wanted to be free from the old restrictions
commit to user 22
and build a new nation which can decide their own actions and choices. As stated by Jack Nachbar and Kevin Lause in in Popular Culture: An Introductory Text
1992 “America was born out of a rebellion against all those who would place restrictions upon the inherent right of individual to determine their own choices
and actions” 1992: 46-47 This myth makes all Americans free to do any kinds of effort to reach their
American dream. There are no boundaries for them to be successful, but they must not disturb other people’s life freedom.
The myth has lived long lasting in every asp ects of Americans’ life, from
the very beginning of the construction of this country to the condition at present. The myth had rooted in the history of America. The manifestation of the myth can
be seen in several construction of the nation. One of the manifestations of the myth can be seen in how the separated 13 colonies finally be united under one
nation; America. The colonies shared the same experiences, they were the Sons of Liberty, they wanted to be free from the English authority, and they wanted to
build a new nation. In 4
th
July 1776 America finally declared its independence day. And in their declaration of Independence it had proclaimed the unalienable
rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Americans people were used to be group of people who felt insecure about
their individual freedom. So that when they declared their independence it was important to know that there would be no more interference toward their
individual freedom. But then this nation was aware that the protection of these rights was not secure enough. There were 13 independent states which were still
surrounded by the power of Europe and had chance to be wracked by the internal
commit to user 23
disorder. Then constitutional conventions began in Philadelphia in 1787 which aimed to bu
ild a stronger nation that would able to protect “life, liberty, and property”. American political system is not only a democratic system, but also a
constitutional one. The founders believed that the democratic system did not only concern about goals as liberty and equality, but also saw it as the best way to
govern the complex society, while the constitutions were made focusing on the process of realizing the goals. Burns and Macgregor, 1989: 1-4
The democratic system that the founders of America had believed to govern the complex society has some basic premises which acknowledge the
importance of individual in a society. First, democrats recognize the fundamental and importance
of the individual. Second, democrats recognize the right of each individual to
be treated as a unique and inviolable human being. They do not insist that all are equal in talents or virtues; they do insist
that one person’s claim to life, liberty, and property must be recognized as much as another’s.
Third, democrats are convinced that freedom is good in itself. Liberty or freedom used interchangeably here means that
all individuals must have the opportunity to realize their own goals. The core of liberty is self-determination. Liberty is not
simply the absence of external restraint on a person; it is the
individual’s power to act positively to reach his or her goals. Moreover, both history and reason suggest that individual
liberty is the key to social progress. The greater people’s freedom, the greater the chance of discovering better ways of
life. Burns and Macgregor, 1989: 4
It is clear how democracy values the importance of individual in a society and the importance of freedom for an individual. The freedom they have allows
them to act positively to reach their goals with out interfering somebody else’s
freedom. In making its political system, the American tends to have a democracy
commit to user 24
system since it values higher the importance of individual freedom in a society. Here we can see also how the myth of American individual freedom was
manifested in the making of the nation. Besides American political system which values the importance of
individual rights in a society, one important document that shows how America highly values the importance of individual right is Bill of Rights. It was a
document resulted from the great intense debate for 4 years between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The delegates from 13 colonies convened in
Philadelphia in 1787 and drafted constitution of the United States. The first draft set up a system of checks and balances that included a strong executive branch, a
representative legislature and a federal judiciary. The Constitution was remarkable, but it still flawed. It did not include the Bill of rights. The
constitution only stated what the government should do and it did not include what the government could not do. Due to this, some people were afraid that the
government would interfere the rights of the people. The absence of Bill of Rights turned out to be an obstacle to the Constitution to be ratified by the states. It also
caused a great debate between the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist, and took 4 years of intense debates before the new government’s form resolved
http:www.aclu.orgracial-justice_prisoners-rights_drug-law- reform_immigrants-rightsbill-rights-brief-history. The Anti-Federalists were
against the ratification of the constitution since by the absence of Bill of Rights, people would loose their right because of the self government. They feared the
constitution gave the president too much power. The Anti-Federalist politicians opposed the creation of a federal or national government that would have power
commit to user 25
over the states. Meanwhile, the Federalists urged the Constitution to be ratified. They thought Bill of Rights was not included because listing all the rights was
impossible. It was too complicated. And they favored a strong federal government that would unite the states as one large continental nation.
Though the Anti-Federalists united in opposing to the Constitution they did not agree on what form of government made the best alternative to it. They
still had different opinion in their own group. Some still believed that the Articles of Confederation could be amended in such a way that they would provide a
workable confederation. Others were even ready to accept the Constitution if it was amended in such a way that the rights of citizens and states would be more
fully protected. Meanwhile the Federalist focused their arguments on the inadequacies of national government under the Article of Confederation, and they
argued that a strong central government would foster the commercial growth of the new country. The way these two groups viewed the American society was
also different. The Anti-Federalists viewed the society made up principally of farmers, while the Federalists viewed the society as comprising many different
and competing interests and groups none of which would be completely dominant in a federalist system of government. For this reason many scholars argued that
the Federalists were more aware to the social and economic changes of American society. They had more reliable vision and strong arguments than the Anti-
Federalists did, thus made the Federalists were more favorable to the people, and somehow they were well considered.
The most famous example of The Federalist doctrine was The Federalist Papers. It was a collection of 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
commit to user 26
and John Jay. It was published in New York newspaper and in two bound volumes distributed during the ratification debate. It communicated the central
ideas of the Federalists, the benefits of a Union between the states, the importance of an energetic, effective federal government and a defense of the republicanism
of the proposed Constitution. One of the most famous of its essays is The Federalist number 10, by James Madison. In it Madison addressed the issue of
whether or not the republican government could protect the liberty of its citizens. Madison saw that the most destructive thing to a nation was faction. According to
Madison, a faction was a number of the whole, who were united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other
citizens, or to the permanent aggregate interests of the community. Madison divided popular government into two types, democratic and
republican. In a democracy, all citizens participate directly in the decisions of government. In a republic, representatives elected by the people make the
decisions of government. In his essay he contended that republican government could best solve the problem of faction. The view of James Madison was only one
of the many points that the Federalist Papers made in favor of the Constitution. The outcome from the great debate was the ratification of the Constitution.
By 1790, all 13 states had ratified the document giving the Federalists and their Constitution a great victory. By 1791, in response to the Anti-Federalists
sentiments state legislatures voted to add the first ten Amendments to the Constitution called Bill of Rights and they have become important part of the
Constitution and
its heritage
of liberty
commit to user 27
http:law.jrank.orgpages5603Constitution-United-States-FEDERALIST- VERSUS-ANTI-FEDERALIST.html.
Bill of Rights is truly a manifestation of the myth of individual freedom embraced by American people. It is a written document in which the content
proves how Americans highly value the importance of individual rights and the protection towards it. The idea of individual rights is the oldest and most
traditional of Americans values. The entire Bill of rights was created to protect rights the original citizens believed were naturally theirs, including: freedom of
religion, freedom
of speech,
press, petition,
and assembly
http:www.aclu.orgracial-justice_prisoners-rights_drug-law- reform_immigrants-rightsbill-rights-brief-history.
The myth shapes American people to become free to express their ideas and to determine their choices in choosing job, field of study, and even the simple
thing like choosing the outfit they will wear. With the freedom every American people can be herself or himself. No one can dictate what a person should do and
determine what they have to choose in their life. Every person has their right to choose what is best for him or herself.
commit to user 29
CHAPTER III ANALYSIS
HOW THE MYTH OF AMERICAN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM IS REFLECTED IN THE NOVEL “THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA”
This chapter contains the analysis related to the research question stated in the first chapter, that is “How is the myth of American Individual freedom
reflected in the novel The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger?” The
analysis uses sociological and cultural approaches, and applies historical background to answer the question how the myth of American individual freedom
is reflected in the novel. The novel conveys much about social life in a big city like Manhattan and
New York, the settings of the novel. It presents two main women characters, Miranda Priestley as the boss, and Andrea Sachs as her assistant. Miranda
Priestley is portrayed as a very mean boss and the title itself The Devil Wears Prada
is the representation of her. She is a chief editor of a big fashion magazine, Runway.
She is symbolized as a devil because of her cruel attitude towards her employees.
This novel focuses m uch on Andrea’s life in reaching her dream. It also
uses Andrea as the first point of view. She much represents what the novel wants to tell, that is the American myth of individual freedom. Lily Goodwin, Andrea’s
best friend, one of the supporting characters, also represents the myth of
29
