needs, and esteem needs. Those four stages that make Liz can find what actually she
wants, the
balance of
pleasure and
solemnity in
her life
http:digilib.unimus.ac.id. Another thesis that is relevant to this study was written by Senja Pratiwi in
Eat Pray Love 2010 which covers the analysis of semantic features in the translation of negative emotion lexicon by applying the NSM. Realizing the
importance of transferring emotion in translation, her study is focused on the translation of the English emotion lexicon in Eat, Pray, Love into Makan, Doa,
Cinta by applying the natural semantic metalanguage approach NSM proposed by Wierzbicka 1996. The discussion includes the identification of the category
of emotion concepts and the semantic features of the emotion lexicon. This study also discusses the techniques of translation applied by the translator in translating
emotion concepts in Eat, Pray, Love into Makan, Doa, Cinta. The theory of translation techniques used in this study was proposed by Molina and Albir 2002
http:www.pps.unud.ac.id. Compared to those three previous studies, it can be known that the strength of
this study is in terms of the scope of structuralism which covers all explanation of the symbols from the beginning until the end of story that is related with her
struggle in searching for happiness. The structuralism analysis of Eat Pray Love mak
es this research different from Natalia Herawati Sitorus‘ research. By conducting this research, the researcher offers a different view that the novel
entitled Eat Pray Love can be studied by structuralism approach. This analysis focuses on symbols where all the symbols are found during her journey in looking
for happiness. Gilbert‘s journey to new places symbolizes happiness in her real life. Another different theory that is used is the indicator of authentic happiness
that is proposed by Seligman 2010:253 –263.
B. Review of Related Theories
On this analysis, the writes provides some theories in order to answer the problem formulation. There are two theories, the first theory is about the intrinsic
element of the novel which is symbol and the second one is theory about authentic
happiness by Seligman.
1. Theory of Symbol
The symbols in this novel represents the title itself Eat, Pray, Love. Eating refers to Italy where Gilbert found out delicious foods there. Prayer refers to India
where she found out the inner peace and spiritual teacher. Last the word love refers to Indonesia, the place where she met her lover. Thus the symbols of this
novel affect the orientation of the main character due to the main character‘s searching for happiness across the three countries.
Based on Arp and Johnson in the explanation on Symbol, Allegory, and Fantasy, symbol is one of many techniques available to authors to compress their
works yet still leave resounding effect to the readers. He noted the increase of ―emotional force‖ and ―resonance of a story‖ being accomplished by the use of
the aforementioned techniques 2006: 274. According to Arp and Johnson, a literary symbol is something that means more than what it suggests on the surface.
It may be an object, a person, a situation, an action, or some other element that has literal meaning in the story but that suggests or represents other meaning as well
2006: 274. Thus, it may be inferred that it is not an arbitrary or random task to determine certain things as symbols, a
s Arp and Johnson puts it, ―the ability to recognize and identify symbols requires perception and tact‖ 2006: 279.
The ability to interpret symbols is essential for a full understanding on literature. Realizing this, he provides some guideline for readers to follow in
attempt to identify symbols used in a literary text. The followings are the cautions Arp and Johnson suggested the readers to pay attention to:
a. ―Symbols nearly always signal their existence by emphasis, repetition, and position” Arp and Johnson, 2006: 280. What are meant by ―emphasis and
repetition‖ is clear through the sense they give, which is numerous or continual mentions of an item may suggest that it is symbolic. The same goes for ―position‖,
it means that for an item to be called a symbol, it might be ―given prominence at
the beginning of the story, the climax, or the end of the story‖ Arp and Johnson, 2006: 280.
b. ―The meaning of a literary symbol must be established and supported by the entire context of the story‖ Arp and Johnson, 2006: 280. Therefore, if the
alleged symbols do not have meaning inside instead of outside of the story, one should be reluctant to say them as symbols.
Unlike the other three essays in the Anatomy, Fryes theory of symbols is oriented toward an analysis of criticism. Phases are contexts within which
literature can be interpreted; they are primarily meant to describe critical procedures rather than literary types; in short, they represent methods for
analyzing symbolic meaning. Symbol is the first of three basic categories Frye
uses to differentiate the five phases. Here we encounter the breadth of reference and unconventional usage so often found in Fryes work; for in the Second Essay
symbol is used to mean any unit of literary structure which can be isolated for critical attention. This broad definition permits Frye to associate the appropriate
kind of symbolism with each phase, and thereby define the phase at the highest level of generality. The symbol used as a sign results in the descriptive phase; as
motif, in the literal phase; as image, in the formal phase; as archetype, in the mythical phase; and as monad, in the anagogic phase Robert D. Denham, 64.
The pointers above suggest that in order for a detail to be taken symbolically, readers must render it by clues provided by the text itself. Thus, finding symbols
that are nonexistence is the same as perverting the meaning of a text. Both overstating and understating a significant detail are not suggested in the attempt of
symbol identification and analysis.
2. Theory of Happiness
Second the theory of happiness is needed to support this study. That theory is connected with the search for happiness of the main character which is
symbolized in the words eating, prayer, and love. By studying the indicators of happiness from Seligman‘s theory then relating what happiness is from Gilbert‘s
perspective.
