The actantial and function structure analysis of three sohrt stories in the book of Karma and other stories by Rishi Reddi

BENI RIYAWATI 107026002727

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIFF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA

A Thesis

Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for

the Degree of Letters Scholar

BENI RIYAWATI 107026002727

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIFF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA

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Stories in the Book of Karma and Other Stories By Rishi Reddi. Thesis. English Letter Department: Letters and Humanities Faculty, State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, April 2011.

This research is aimed to find how the structural narrative which is in Karma and Other Stories book, short stories collection, that written by Rishi Reddi, Indian immigrant, tell about the various conflicts which occur among Indian immigrant communities. The writer only takes three short stories, The Validity of Love, Bangles, and Devadasi. These stories have the same theme that is the intergenerational conflict, thus the writer wants to know whether each structure from the stories is the same or not.

The research conducted in purpose to examine, understand, and describe actantial and functional structure in the three stories and the relation in each story. This research uses the descriptive qualitative method and the theory used is structural narratology theory by A. J. Greimas.

The result of the research gathered shows that the several parts from the story of The Validity of Love and Devadasi, have similarity of narrative structure, but the story of Bangles does not have similar narrative structure with the previous stories. However, from the differences between those short stories, there is intergenerational conflict on the first and second generation because of their different mindset from each other.

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OF THREE SHORT STORIES

IN THE BOOK OF KARMA AND OTHER STORIES BY RISHI REDDI

A Thesis

Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement

for the Degree of Letters Scholar

Beni Riyawati 107026002727

Approved by:

Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum NIP. 19780126 200312 2 002

ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SYARIFF HIDAYATULLAH JAKARTA

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NIM : 107026002727

Title : The Actantial and Functional Structure Analysis of Three Short Stories in the Book of Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi

The thesis has been defended before the Faculty of Adab and Humanities’ Examination Committee on May 25, 2011. It has been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of strata one.

Jakarta, May 25, 2011

Examination Committee

Signature Date

1. Drs Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Chair Person) _____________ _________ 19640710 199303 1 006

2. Elve Oktafiyani, M. Hum (Secretary) _____________ _________ 19781003 200112 2 002

3. Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum (Advisor) _____________ _________

19780126 200312 2 002

4. Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd (Examiner I) _____________ _________ 19650919 200003 1 002

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another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.

Jakarta, May 2011

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First of all, the writer would like to thank to Allah SWT for all His favor and guidance in completing this paper. All praises belong to Him, the creator of living things from being nothing to existence. Many salutation and benediction be unto the noblest of the prophet and messenger, Muhammad SAW.

On this occasion, the writer would like to express a special thank to her father Suparto and her mother Suripiyanti who always give her spiritual supports, prays, financial and all the contributions during her study and the process of making this paper. Your advices and rebukes give her strength in living this life. Thanks for always being there for her. And also to her sisters, Ana Yunika Sari and Cicik Fitriyani, who always give her support and prays so make her become more spirit and stay calm to face all the problems.

Then the writer would like to thank her lovely advisor, Inayatul Chusna, M. Hum, for her guidance and contribution in finishing this thesis, thanks for the great patient in giving her advice to finish this thesis and also thanks for the experience that had been given to her so the writer gets new experience to teach the student. Thank you miss.

The writer would also like to thank important people who have helped her finishing this thesis; Dr. Wahid Hasyim, M. Ag. The Dean of Letters and Humanities Faculty, Drs. Asep Saefudin, M. Pd. The Head of English Letters Departments, the Secretary of English Letters, Elve Oktafiyani, M. Hum and also for all of the lecturers in English Letters Department, for had taught and educated her precious knowledge and giving wonderful experience.

The writer also thanks to her aunt, Suyati, and her cousins, M. Helmy Rabbani and M. Hillal Alamsyah, and also to all family members who cannot mention one by one, thanks for all prayers and support that given to her.

Additionally, the writer is deeply grateful to her beloved, her brother and her best friend, Duduh Abdullah Alwahdi, who usually called by Aa, has been

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In addition the writer would like to thank for her friend, Kak Ali, who had taught her and helped her during the process of writing this research. And then, thanks for her senior friends, Kak Ayunk, Kak Indah and Kak Joya who had helped and supported her. The writer also would like to thank for all classmate in English Letter class C 2007 and Literature class, Jattu Rimby Salindry, Any Andriani, Melani Shantika, Maya Danastri, Putri Nurul Aisyah, Feni Nuraini, Iis Puspita, Sherly Anggraini, Ines Fitriyani, Eva Wulandari, Rohmah Romadhon, Atika, Winni, and all friends who cannot mention one by one. Thanks guys for the spirit, the motivation, and the support that given to her.

Finally, the writer hopes this thesis can be useful, especially for the writer and the reader. And then, wish all the helping and kindness that have been given to her by many people get the reward from God. Amen.

Jakarta, April 2011

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ABSTRACT ……….. i

APPROVEMENT………. ii

LEGALIZATION………. iii

DECLARATION……….. iv

ACKNOWLEDGMENT………... v

TABLE OF CONTENT……… vii

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study………... 1

B. Focus of the Study………. 5

C. Research Questions……… 6

D. Objective of Research……… . . 6

E. Significance of the Study………. . 6

F. Research Methodology……… . 7

1. The Method……… . 7

2. The Data Analysis……….. . 7

3. The Instrument of Research……….... 8

4. The Unit of Analysis……… 8

5. Time of the Research……….. 8

CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Structural Narratology Theory by A. J Greimas……… 9

A. _{1 The Schema of Actant Model}……….. 12

A. 2 The Schema of Functional Model……… 16

CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDING A. Actant and Functional Structure………. 19

A. 1 Actant……… 19

A. 1. 1 The Validity of Love………... 19

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A. 2. 3 Devadasi………... 48

B. The Relationship Between Actans and Functional Structure………. 50

B.1 The Validity of Love………... 50

B. 1. 1 Actant……….. 50

B. 1. 2 Functional Structure………... 51

B. 2 Bangles………... 52

B. 1. 1 Actant……….. 52 B. 1. 2. Functional Structure………... 53

B. 3 Devadasi……….. 54 B. 3. 1 Actant………... 54 B. 3. 2 Functional Structure………... 55

CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND SUGESTION A. Conclusion………... 57

B. Suggestion………... 59

BIBLIOGRAPHY……….. 60

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

As one of literary works prose includes roman (novel) and short story. The short story was, in a sense, discovered in the nineteenth century and it soon received a definite form in the works of Gogol and Anton Checkhov in Russia, Guy de Maupassant in France and Edgar Allan Poe in America.1 The classification and definition of short story have been based on a comparison between short forms with a longer form, that is, the novel. Boris Eichenbaum who is cited in Marquard Book (1992) simply defines the novel as the ‗large form’ and short story as the ‗small form’.2

Besides that, short story also gained a distinct identity when Poe pointed out that its basic difference from the novel was that the short story could be read at a single sitting, and thus should convey a unified impression quite different from principles of unity governing the longer form.3 In contemporary fiction, a short story can range from 1,000 to 20,000 words.4 From those definitions of short story, it can be concluded that a short story is fictional work of prose that is shorter in length than a novel.

1

Mawatle Jeremiah Mojalefa, P. S. Groenewald, Rabadia Ratshatsha: Studies in African Language Literature, Linguistics (African: Sun Press, 2007), p.38.

2

Ibid.

3

David Bordwell, The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style & Mode of Production to 1960 (London: Routledge, 2005), p. 167.

4

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/Section/What-is-a-definition-of-short-story-.id-305403,articleId-7941.html (accessed on 9th February 2011, 08:10 am).

Because of the shorter length, short story is usually less complex than novel. The Art of short story and its enchantment placed precisely on the number of words deliberately restricted. By removing the elements that are usually embodied in the long story like novel, which consists of complex plot elements, complication, bumpy story line, specific setting, many characters, whereas short story focuses on one plot, one main character (with a few additional minor characters), one central theme, and directly presented the main issue without background, and clear resolution. So, they make short story unique because short story can appear more natural, realistic and imaginative.

Short story is generally a form of writing section and the most widely published is fiction, like science fiction, horror fiction, detective fiction, and others. Now, short story also includes nonfiction such as travel record, lyrical prose and variants of post-modern and non-fiction like ficto-critical or new journalism.

Every literary work including short story has its own structure. Structure consists of elements which close in relationship and systematic to form the unity and the wholeness of literary work. Thus, structure is systems which consist of element. According to Piaget in the Structuralism book, there are three ideas about the element that contained in the structure.5 The first is the wholeness, it means that all elements which build a text determine its self significant and determine all significant in intrinsic norm. Also all elements adapt themselves to

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the other element. So, structure has the intrinsic coherence which is a unity that cannot stand alone in the outside of its own structure.

The second is transformation. It means that every element in the text conducts transformation continuity. Every element transforms its self to build its self significant, every element has possibility to form the new matter, the element adapts the process changing in the text of story, such as the additional minor character or the social condition. It intends to build variety interpretation.

The third is self regulation. The structure can govern itself toward another system; it means that structure has the ability to maintain its transformation procedure without helping from another one. From Piaget’s idea about structure, it can be concluded that structure is the most important element in the story whose existence are interconnected between its elements and cannot be separated. They are also dynamic since they can undergo transformation and able to govern itself. So, to comprehend a literary work, we should recognize elements which build the structure.

This research takes the short stories collection written by Rishi Reddi in her book Karma and other stories. It is her first book which consists of seven-story collection and she was written it since 1996, contains her oldest seven-story,

Lakshmi and The Librarian.6 Rishi Reddi is one of immigrant Indian writers in America, she was born in Hyderabad, India, and grew up in Great Britain and the United States. Her work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2005

and received an honorable mention in Pushcart Prize 2004; she is also a recipient

6

of an Artist Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with her husband and daughter7. Most of the themes in

Karma address about the intergenerational conflicts, the tension surrounding traditional gender roles, the differing views on sexuality, which all of these occur among Indian immigrant communities regardless of geographic locale. From the seven stories in this book, the writer only takes three of them; they are The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi. Each of the three stories has the same theme that is the intergenerational conflict that occurs between first generation8 and second generation9.

The first story, The Validity of love, explores the concept of an arranged marriage and a cross-culture relationship in the lives of two young Indian American women. The second story, Bangles, tells about a widow who decides to return to her native village to flee her son's off-putting American ways. And the last story, Devadasi, is set in India, the modern and the urbane jangling with the

7

http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/30744/Rishi_Reddi/index.aspx (accessed on 26th January 2011, 02:15 pm).

8

In the book of New Roots in America‟s Sacred Ground: Religion, Race, And Ethnicity in Indian America explains that the first generation is parents who can claim they are Indians because they were born and raised in India, were active members of the Indian society for years or decades, have much of their memories and histories in that society, “think and act Indian,” relate to the Indian culture more than to the American culture, and in many cases still hope to go back to that society someday. (p. 2)

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The term ofsecond generation encompasses two groups sometimes identified separately by other scholars. The term generally refers both to individuals born in the United States to immigrant parents and those who arrived here by about age six. Some scholars separately designate a “1.5 generation” or “one-and-a-half generation” of children born abroad who arrived in the United States after age five but before age twelve. For example, there are research participants who were born in the United States but returned to India so frequently that they have developed strong transnational relationships with Indian family and family; technically classified as second generation. Likewise, individuals may arrive after age six and travel back to India infrequently; they may experience language loss and may not form strong relationships with extended family in India, two experiences commonly associated with the second generation. (Ibid, p. 7)

ugly racial overtones which are far worse than a young dancer from the United States has ever come to fearin the country she has grown up in.

The three stories have the same theme. They can be more interesting if they are known from their structure whether each structure from the stories are same or not. To know the structure of three stories, the writer uses structural narrative, the theory of A. J Greimas10, by analyzing the actant and functional structure in three stories, The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi. According to Greimas, actantial first model is a generalization of syntactic structure. No matter how many variations of story, there is always a configuration of character type called actant. The function of actant appears in the basic of story sentence. Greimas not only explained the actantial model, he also showed that there is another story type as the plot which consists of actions called function. The writer chooses this structuralism model because the structural narrative of Greimas is considered to have an advantage in presenting the detail of character life from the beginning to the ending of the story. In addition, this structuralism model has clearly been able to demonstrate and differentiate between protagonist and antagonist character.

B. Focus of the Study

In this research, the writer focuses on the structure of story by using structural narrative which is developed by A. J. Greimas, describes actant and

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Algridas J. Greimas (1917–92) was a linguist and semiotician and also a literary scholar who came from France. As a structural theorist, he has successfully developed the structuralism theory became narrative structuralism on the basis of structural analogies in linguistic which is from Ferdinand de Saussure. And then, he has introduced the concept of the narrative smallest unit in literature which is called by actant.

functional structure and also the relationship to each other in three short stories,

The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi by Rishi Reddi. The focus of this study was made in order to researcher does not extend or even deviate from what will be researched, so that the intended meaning can be conveyed to the reader properly.

C. Research Question

Based on the background and focus of the study, the writer would like to purpose the following research question:

1. What are the actant and functional structures in the three stories, The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi from the book of Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi?

2. How is the relation between actants and functional structure in each story, The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi from the book of Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi?

D. Objectives of the Study

Based on research question above, the objective of this research is to describe the actant structure and functional and also to obtain a proper understanding about the relation between actants and functional structure in three short stories from the book of Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi.

E. Significances of the Study

The writer hopes this research will increase treasury scholarly field of study and literary criticism. In addition, the result of this research is expected to

provide information and knowledge on structure of story by using structural actantial and functional model based on A. J. Greimas’ theory in three stories, The Validity of Love, Bangles, and Devadasi.

F. Research Methodology 1. Method

The method used in this research is qualitative-descriptive method. By using this method, the writer tries to answer the two questions of the research above

2. Analysis of Data

In analyzing the data, the writer uses qualitative data analysis method. The data collected will be analyzed by using the structural theory of A. J Greimas. The steps in analyzing the data are as follows:

1. Identifying actant structure and functional models in these short stories by reading.

2. Determining the structure of actants by analyzing the action figures in the story so that it can be determined role as sender, subject, object, opponent, helper and receiver.

3. Arranging functional models through the analysis of movement across a story that consists of three parts, the initial situation, transformation and the final situation.

4. Identifying the relationship between actants and functional structure that is in each of story.

3. Instrument of the Research

The research employs the writer herself as the instrument to get the data by collecting the qualitative data about actant and functional structure and also their relation to others by marking, collecting, giving a notes and reading the text stories repeatedly.

4. Unit of Analysis

The unit of analysis that is used in this research is a short story collection book Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi that is published in 2007 by HarperCollins publisher Inc. In this book there are seven short stories, and the writer only analysis three of them with the same theme, they are The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi.

5. Time of the Research

This research has been started on January 2011, in English Letters Department, Adab and Humanities Faculty, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.

CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL FRAME WORK

A. Structural Narratology Theory by A. J. Greimas

Structuralism is an intellectual movement which began in France in the 1950s and is first seen in the work of the anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss (1908—) and the literary critic Roland Barthes (1915-1980).11 Definitively, structuralism is the understanding about the elements as a structure with the mechanism of its relation. Todorov explains that structuralism does not deal with the literary text as it presents itself to the reader but rather with an abstract deep structure.12 Thus, structuralism according to Todorov, is a study which deals with structure in the literary text without relates with a reader who produces the meaning of literary text.

Besides that, structuralism is considered as anti-humanist which means that structuralism is concerned on the work itself, not in its author. Structuralism is also considered releases the literary work from history and social culture as its origin.13 So, a fundamental concept of structuralism theory is the own literary work itself which is an autonomous structure that can be understood as the unity with the elements of its construction which related. Therefore, to understand the

11

Peter Barry, Beginning Theory; An introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. Second

Edition, (UK: University Press, 2002), p. 2. 12

Luc Herman and Bart Vervaeck, Handbook of Narrative Analysis, (United States of America: Thomson-Shore, Inc., 2001), p. 41.

13

Nyoman Kutha Ratna, Teori, Metode, dan Teknik Penelitian Sastra, (yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 2009), pp. 91-92.

meaning of literary works, one must look into its own structures, apart from the historical background, the author and the effect on the reader.

In the context of literary study, there are many structural theory models that can be used. One of structural theory model is structural narratology. Narratology is also called by the theory of discourse narrative. Both the narratology and discourse theory are defined as a set of concepts about stories and storytelling. It does not confine itself to literary text but the entire text as a human activity. Narratology is inspired largely by the approaches to folk narratives taken by Vladimir Propp, the Russian formalist, and Claude Lévi‐Strauss, the structural anthropologist.14 Propp's work exemplifies the syntagmatic type15 of narrative analysis with its focus on the plotline, and Lévi‐Strauss's work exemplifies the paradigmatic type16 of analysis with its emphasis on underlying semantic

14

http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/2108/narratology.html (accessed on 22nd february 2011, 12:35 am).

15

Syntagmatic type is a structural analysis theory which develops from the notion of syntax in the study of language. Syntax is the rules of sentence construction or textual structure. In this structural analysis theory, the structure of folkloristic text is described following chronological order of the linear sequence of elements in the text. The most elementary syntactic division of the sentence unit is between subject and predicate, for example ‗The knight (subject) slew the dragon with his sword (predicate)’. Evidently this sentence could be the core of an episode or even an entire tale. From this Propp’s approach, it can be understood by comparing the ‗subject’ of a sentence with the typical characters (hero, villain, etc.) and the ‗predicate’ with the typical actions in such stories.

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Paradigmatic type is a structural analysis theory which borrows from the notion of paradigms in the study of language. A paradigm is a set of associated signifiers or signified which are all members of some defining category, but in which each is significantly different. This structural analysis type seeks to describe the pattern (usually binary opposition) which allegedly underlies the folkloristic text. Claude Levi-Strauss analyses the Oedipus myth. He calls the units of myth ‗mythemes’ which is organized in binary oppositions. The general opposition underlying the Oedipus myth is between two views of the origin of human being: (1) that they are born from the earth; (2) that they are born from coition. Several mythemes are grouped on one side or the other of the antithesis between (1) the overvaluation of kinship ties (Oedipus marries his mother; Antigone buries her brother unlawfully); and (2) the undervaluation of kinship (Oedipus kills his father; Eteocles kills his brother). Levi-Strauss is interested in the structural pattern which gives the myth its meaning. So, he believes that this linguistic model will uncover the basic structure of the human mind.

structures. So, both Prop’s work and Strauss’ work influenced the works of Russian formalists; one of them is Algridas Julien Greimas.

A. J. Greimas developed his structural narratology theory by applying Propp’s analyses of narrative. Vladimir Propp (1895-1970), a 'Russian Formalist' critic who worked on Russian folk tales, identifying recurrent structures and situations in such tales, and publishing his findings in his book The Morphology of the Folktale, first published in Russia in 1928.17 In Propp’s work, there are seven spheres of action or roles to the thirty-one functions: villain, donor (provider), helper, princess (sought- after person) and her father, dispatcher, hero (seeker or victim), false hero.18 According to Propp, a function is more important than actors in the structural narrative. A 'function' is an action seen as lending itself to assimilation to other, comparable actions elsewhere in the corpus of tales.19 So, a function is an act of character that defined from the point of view of its significance with the course of the action in the tale.

A. J. Greimas's Semantique structurale (1966), finding Propp's scheme still too empirical, is able to abstract his account even further by the concept of an

actant, which is neither a specific narrative nor a character but a structural unit.20 Structural unit consist of six roles called by actant, they are sender, subject, object, helper and opponent. Greimas also uses the Saussurean concept of binary

17

Peter Barry (2002), op. cit. p. 147. 18

Raman selder and Peter Widdowson, A Reader‟s Guide to Contemporary Literary theory, (Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1993), Third Edition, p. 110.

19

John Sturrock, Structuralism Second Edition, (United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishing, 2003), p. 108.

20

Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction Second Edition, (UK: Blackwell Publishing, 1996),p. 91.

oppositions, so he evolved a set of six actants become three pairs of binary opposition, such as Subject/ Object, Sender/ Receiver and Helper/ Opponent.

In analyzing the structure of literary text with Greimas' theory, the analysis is start with actantial model analysis and its result is continued by functional model analysis. The functional model is closely related to the actantial model because the relation between one actant and the others is determined by their function. Fossion who is cited by Hacette in his book of Lectures Nouvelles said that all stories despite of in different forms show that there is the same configuration on the types of actans which is defined by relation and function played in stories.21

Here is a structural theory of narrative developed by Greimas.

1. The Schema of Actantial Model

The actantial model is a device that can theoretically be used to analyze any real or thematized action, but particularly those depicted in literary texts or images.22 In the actantial model, its study gives more attention to action than subject. Subject is an artificial human which is formed by action called actant.

In the Narrative Fiction Book,23 Greimas distinguishes between „acteur‟ and „actant‟, but both are conceived of as accomplishing or submitting to an act and both can include not only human beings (i.e. ‗characters’) but also inanimate objects (e.g. a magic ring) and abstract concepts (e.g. destiny). The difference

21

Okke K.S Zaimar dan Apsanti Djokosuyatno, Laporan Penelitian Struktur Cerita Sunda, Aktan dan Fungsinya, (UI Depok, 1992), p. 4.

22

http://www.signosemio.com/greimas/a_actantiel.asp (accessed on 28th January 2011, 03:42 pm). 23

Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan, Narrative Fiction, (New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2005), p. 36.

between the two is that actant is general categories underlying all narratives while

acteur is invested with specific qualities in different narratives. Thus, acteurs are numerous, whereas the number of actants is reduced to six in Greimas’s actantial model. For example, in the sentence ‗John and Paul give an apple to Mary’, John

and Paul are two acteurs, but they are one actant. John and Paul are also senders, Mary is receiver and the apple is the object. On the other hand, in the sentence „John buys a cap for himself‟ John is one acteur that works as two actants, they are sender and receiver.

Besides that, Greimas does not give a psyche to the actants. It means that actant is not defined what kinds of beings, broadly speaking, make up reality but an actant may correspond to an anthropomorphic being (for example, a human, an animal or a talking sword, etc.), a concrete, inanimate element, including things (for example, a sword), although not limited to the concrete or abstract thing (for example, the wind, the distance to be travelled), and a concept (courage, hope, freedom, etc.). And also, an actant may be individual or collective (for example, society). That is why actans and actors have different meaning. And then, one 'actantial' role may be played by several actors or one 'actorial' role by several actants.24

Actants are purely formal elements in a narrative, equivalent to the subject and object of a grammarian; they are parties to any action of whatever kind, personal or otherwise, but they have no names, no qualities and no meaning

24

beyond their grammatical role.25 Actant also does not refer to the actual manifestation of a character in the text but rather to the specific role a character plays as an abstract agent in a network of roles on the level of the story. Remon-Kenan said that actans and acteurs can be an act but not always be a human but rather a nonhuman26. Borrowing from the term actant, L. Tesniere argues that actants are beings or things that participate in processes in any form whatsoever, be it only a walk-on part and in the most passive way.27From these statements, it can be concluded that actant are being or thing that participated in the story and be subject to an action in any form even if it merely passive objects.

Actors, on the other hand, are visible components of the narrative, they are the actual subjects and objects of the actions which occur; they may bear names and possess distinctive appearances, natures, etc.28 Therefore, actant in Greimas’ theory is observed from aspect of story that shows the different relationship. Actant is determined by the relationship and function which is played in the story. Actant is also a structure in the narrative of syntax. In Narrative Semiotics and Cognitive Discourses, Greimas said that the ‗syntactic actant’ is not ‗the person, who is speaking’ (subject ontology) but ‗the person who is speaking’ – the abstract person who is formed by the action of his speaking.29 So, in Greimas’ theory, there is only ‗actants’ which/who produced by the configuration of actions and actants do not only appear as a human but also as an inhuman. For example,

25 Ibid.

26

Nyoman Kutha Ratna (2009), op. cit. p. 138. 27

Algirdas Julien Greimas, Semiotics and Language: An Analytical Dictionary Advances in Semiotics, (United States of America: Indiana University Press, 1982), p. 5.

28 Ibid.

29

John Lechte, Fifty key Contemporary Thinkers: From Structuralism to Post-Modernity, (New York: Routledge, 1994), p. 150.

in the sentence ‗Romeo wants to marry with Juliet’, Juliet is a person who as object-actants, but in the sentence ‗Romeo wants to be rich’; that as

object-actants is not a person but rich that formed by action. The schema of actantial model can be described as follows:

The Schema of Actantial Model30

Sender Object Receiver

Helper Subject Opponent

In this schema, the axis becomes important element that connects the syntactical function of each narrative actants. The explanation of this function as follows:

1. Sender is an actant who/ which has a desire and is an activator of the story. Sender determines an object which is looked for. And then sender asks subject to obtain an object that sender wanted.

2. Receiver is an actant who/ which receives an object that is the result of the struggle by subject.

3. Object is something that is desired by sender, such as freedom, justice, wealth and so forth.

4. Subject or a hero is an actant who/ which arranges an agreement with sender’s request. After subject accepts an agreement, subject gets duty to obtain object which is desired by sender.

30

Okke K. S. Zaimar, Strukturalisme, Bahan Penelitian Teori dan Kritik Sastra, (Depok: PPPG Bahasa, 2002), p. 22.

5. Opponent is an actant who/ which blocks the subject’s effort and struggle to get an object.

6. Helper is an actant who/ which help subject to get an object.

7. The axis from sender that leads to object implies that sender has a desire to get an object. The axis from object to receiver means that something which is searched by subject given to receiver.

8. The axis from helper to subject means that helper gives help to the subject who struggle getting an object. The axis from opponent to subject means that opponent obstructs subject’s effort to get an object. The axis from subject to object means that subject searches an object which is desired by sender.

2. The Schema of Functional Model

In addition actant analysis and actantial schema as described above, in Greimas’ structural narratology theory there is also a functional model. A Functional model explains about a model of story as plot of events called by “function”.31

The function of functional model used to explain the role of the subject in order to carry out the assignment from the sender which is contained in the actant. The schema of functional model can be described as follows:

31

The Schema of Functional Model32

Beginning Situation (Equilibrium1st)

Transformation

Ending Situation (Equilibrium2nd) QualifyingTest

(Force1st)

Main Test (Disequilibrium)

Glorifying Test (Force2nd)

The explanation of the functional schema as follows:

1. Begining situation (Equilibrium1st):

The first balancing situation when the sender does not have an object. So, this situasion still calm and peaceful. (e. g. Peace)

2. Transformation is a sequence of subject’s action that has made a contract with the sender to obtain the object through a series of test. Subjects are represented in situations which change or to the changes of which they react. Transformation divided into three, they are:

a) Qualifying Test (Force1st) : a state in which the sender feels disturbed because sender feels lacking something in him/ her/ its self, so sender has a wish to get an object. Sender finds the subject who/ which can carry out sender’s desire that is through by testing. After subject passes the test successfully, subject begins subject’s duty to look for an object. In this situation, the force of opponent begins to invade the subject. (Enemy invades)

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b) Main Test (Disequilibrium): a state in which the subject got a lot of obstacles from the opponent in the journey of the subject’s duties. So, this situasion is not balancing. (War happens)

c) Glorifying Test (Force2nd) : a state in which the helper comes then the subject gets an object successfully. But, when he is on the way to go home giving an object to the sender, the subject gets another obstacle. If the subject can successfully pass this test as the result the subject will get the glory. In this situation, the force of helper comes to help the subject’s effort getting the object. (Enemy is defeated)

3. Ending Situation (Equilibrium2nd):

The second balancing situation when the subject gives an object to the sender successfully. So, this situation will be peaceful again in new term situation. (Peace on new terms)

CHAPTER III RESEARCH FINDINGS

This analysis will be divided into two parts. In the first part describes an analysis the actantial and functional structure in three stories, The Validity of Love, Bangles and Devadasi. And then, in the second part describes the relation between actantial and functional structure in each story.

A. Actant and Functional Structure 1. Actant

a) The Validity of Love

The intergenerational conflict that occurs in the Validity of Love story is caused by the differences of opinion and mindset between the first and second generation in two immigrant Indian family, Lata and Supriya’s family. Lata, the main character (narrator) and Supriya, the representative of the second generation, have the same problem that they refuse the obligation from their parents in arranged marriage.

Generally, the second generations who were born and grow up in the immigrant land tend to forget their ancestral culture which brought by the first generation as the result they face identity crisis. According to Hall, identity is “a matter of „becoming‟ as well as of „being‟”33

. So, identity is something which never stops to form and not only something which ‗being’, but something which

33

Stuart Hall, Cultural Identity and Diaspora, Identity: Community, Culture, Difference, ed. Jonathan Rutherford, (London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1990), p. 225.

continues ‗becoming’. The identity of person leans like a liquid consists of the elements which will accustom in the surrounding culture and not consist of the clumsy characteristic which prevent from the little of change. According to Frank Parkin’s theory of ‗meaning system’,34

there are three responses to the culture; they are dominant, negotiable, or oppositional. First, a dominant is disposed to totally accept one of his or her identity. For instance, if person prefers to be an American, he or she would run all activities based on American culture, ethnic, and society. Second, a negotiable would not accept the whole of two cultures, such as Indian or American identities but rather negotiate about. Third, an oppositional is disposed not to respond and to reject one of the identity he or she run in which he or she is not comfortable to present the identity. That is why the problem of identity crisis appears. Identity crisis is characterized by the presence of in search of identity which includes a kind of ‗project’ over one’s body.

That is why the intergenerational conflict occurs. Lata and Supriya are more interested with the western culture than their original culture, eastern culture. They have life styles who adapted with western culture.

“We had a Ganesha that hung on our threshold, and an ample liquor cabinet to welcome a steady stream of friends that came for late-night parties and weekend brunches or dropped by after work. We had so convinced ourselves that we were free and American, …” (Reddi, 2007: 67)

However the characteristic of Lata and Supriya is different. Lata refuses her original culture clearly, although she loves to dance. But Supriya accepts her

34

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem08c.html, (accessed on 30th April 2011, 07:13 pm).

original culture by negotiating; she does not entirely eliminate or even rejects her original culture.

“I‟d be even more of a rebel because I felt this connection to classical dance, whereas Su was mostly a model daughter and all the uncles and aunties thought she did everything a good Indian girl was supposed to.”

(Reddi, 2007: 71)

Crisis identity of Lata is also seen as she remembers herself with Luke together. Lata wants to be American but she realizes that she has Indian identity which appears on her. We can see from the excerpt below.

“… suddenly the faces of my family would materialize out of the shadowy corners of the ceiling. I saw us as they would‟ve seen us (Lata and Luke) with his white hands on my dark body, and realized that it was hopeless. What I‟d been trying to give my lover was not mine to give anyway; it belonged to them, to those faces on the ceiling, …” (Reddi, 2007: 84)

Because of there are two characters in this story, so this story has two plots which differ. The main plot contained by describing of Lata who tries to get her love with American man, Luke O’Malley back to her. This plot narrated dowdily- forward, backward and flash back- because this plot refers to Lata’s remembering. On the other hand, the subordinate of plot describes the love story of Supriya who marries with Sameer. This plot narrated by linear from the beginning to ending. Both of two plots run in parallel because the narration of Supriya’s character overlaps with the memory of Lata’s character.

1) The Actantial Schema

letter Refusal of arranged marriage Supriya

Lata Supriya Parents

As an Indian woman, Supriya’s parents consider that she has had a certain time to get married. So, her parents send a letter to her about arrange marriage35 with Sameer Murthy who is a smart man and a graduate student at California Technology Institute. So, letter as a sender which is an activator of the story.

“… The letter came from her father about arranging her marriage… (Reddi, 2007: 67)

Supriya makes a planning to refuse her parents obligation because she wanted to do many things before getting married. According to her, marriage is the most important thing. She assumes that her parents are still traditional who believe the Indian tradition. Supriya as a subject who tries to get an object, refusal of arranged married.

“Why can‟t they see? I‟ve told them already. There‟re so many things I want to do before I get married.” (Reddi, 2007: 69)

But, she did not have a choice to refuse this obligation because she is a woman who bounds with an Indian women tradition. Besides that, she is a good girl who always obeyed her parents. To get an object, Supriya faces with the opponent, her parents.

“Women have certain urges, Gopal Uncle had written. These are natural and part of life”(Reddi, 2007: 67)

35

People of India basically follow the arranged marriage system, and they consider it as something great. Dating is a taboo in that country. However, it has its own merits and demerits. Indian people give much importance to family relationship. The system seems to protect the family. The parents take care of their children, and the children obey their parents. Parents find suitable spouses for their children from appropriate families. So, there is no chance of marrying outside their own religion, caste, social status or economic class. This system originated when child marriage was the custom in India. Children at an early age, even before their puberty, were given in marriage. The purpose of child marriage was to prevent those children from seeking by themselves (when they become adults) somebody from lower caste or lower class for marriage. (http://berchmans.tripod.com/arrange.html accessed on 30th March 2011, 12:39 pm)

Supriya was scared to go to the meeting with Sameer, and then she asked Lata to ride her to the meeting. She hopes Lata helping her to stay connected with her real life that is American life style. She does not want to get married by this way. And then Lata becomes a helper who helps Supriya’s effort.

“You‟d help stay connected to my real life, Lat. You‟d help me hold myself together.”

“How could I (Lata) say no to a request like that?” (Reddi, 2007: 74) In the meeting supriya successfully says to Sameer that she refuses this arrange marriage and Sameer agrees about that. Then, she is happy that she has solved her problem clearly.

“We both agreed that the other seemed nice, but that you don‟t mary every nice person you meet, and that we didn‟t want to get married this way.”

(Reddi, 2007: 80)

But, this agreement makes her parents feeling sad and regret, especially Supriya’s mother; Amruta expresses her regret feeling by calling Lata. After that, Supriya and her parents never talked again about an arrange marriage.

telephone _Meeting Supriya

sweater Supriya Lata

Shema of Actant 2

After there is no talking about Sameer Murthy, suddenly Sameer calls Supriya because he wants to return Supriya’s sweater which left in the starbucks café where she and he met. Sameer’s calling is not only first time even though he calls Supriya every night and Supriya feels comfort and happy. Then, Supriya feels something heart to Sameer and decides going to Los Angeles to meet him.

So, the calling from Sameer is a sender that makes Supriya, subject, wants to meet with Sameer, object.

“She was holed up almost every night in her bedroom with the phone to her ear for more than an hour.” (Reddi, 2007: 83).

That is causes that Lata became feeling lonely and lost her friend. Lata asks to Supriya that her going is not only to meet her childhood friend but also to meet with Sameer. And then, Supriya says that she only wants to take her sweater from Sameer. So, sweater becomes a helper who helps Supriya to pass the opponent, Lata. And then, Supriya is also a receiver who receives her struggle to get an object.

“Sameer. He‟s got to get my sweater back to me, doesn‟t he? …” (Reddi, 2007: 83)

love _{getting married} Supriya

Ø Supriya Lata

Schema of Actant 3

Supriya comes back to her apartment after she has been in Los Angeles for a week. In her apartment she explains to Lata that she falls in love with Sameer and decides to get married with him. Thus, Love is a sender who makes Supriya, subject and receiver, decides to marry with Sameer, object.

“I‟m in love with Sameer, and we‟ve decided to get married.” (Reddi, 2007: 85).

Lata shocks after she heard Supriya’s decision which is so soon. She thinks that Supriya accepts an arrange marriage. Supriya becomes angry with

Lata’s judgment because she naturally falls in love with Sameer without compulsion or arrangement love. After that, Supriya moves to her parents’ home. Thus, Lata, who is an opponent, obstructs Supriya marrying with Sameer.

“You don‟t even know what love is, Lata, okay? If you did, you‟d still be with Luke.” (Reddi, 2007: 86)

guilty feeling Plann to attend Supriya’s engagement and appologize

Lata and Supriya

Mature Lata Parents Supriya’s

comment

Schema of Actant 4

Lata feels lonely in her apartment after Supriya leave. She realizes that she has judged to Supriya’s decision and becomes feeling guilty to her. All along in the night before Supriya’s engagement ceremony, Lata thinks about Supriya and she wants to accompany her during her engagement ceremony and apologize. So, Lata’s feeling guilty becomes a sender. So, the guilty feeling (sender), makes Lata (subject) planning to attend Lata’s engagement and to apologize (object).

“I realized that she thought I was judging her; she was right…”

“I wanted to be with her during the formal engagement… so I wanted to apologize.” (Reddi, 2007: 87)

But she gets the problems in her mind that is she does not want to meet her parents who will come there too. Her relationship with her parents is not good because her parents still feel angry with her decision that is she has refused her arranging marriage. Besides that, Lata also feels hurtful when she remembered the comment of Supriya about her love with Luke. These problems become opponent for Lata to get her object.

“my parents would be there and I didn‟t know how they would act. … the comment she made about Luke and my not knowing what love is and I got

angry again…”(Reddi, 2007: 88)

Finally, she realizes that she must not blamed others people for anything. So, she decides to attend Supriya’s engagement ceremony because she is her best friend and she wants to with her during her ceremony. So, Lata’s mature helps herself to get an object.

“… I decided that I would do the thing for which I couldn‟t be blamed by anyone for anything…” (Reddi, 2007: 88)

attending _Apologize Lata and Supriya

mature

Lata Self-conscious

Childhood friend

Schema of actant 5

Lata attends Supriya’s engagement by wearing her fanciest chalwar kameez36. She wants to apologize with her. When she arrives in the ceremony, she gets the problems which makes her feel self-conscious because there is only a few of her childhood friend in the ceremony, she also feels uncomfortable with her short hair which is not suitable with her Indian cloth. Then, she thinks that she should not attend in this ceremony and she wants to come back to her apartment. Thus, Lata’s attending in Supriya’s engagement as a sender that makes Lata, subject, ask for apology (object). To get an object, Lata faces problems, her self-conscious feeling and her childhood friend as the opponet for her.

36

Chalwar Kameez or Salwar Kameez is the most popular traditional attire worn by the women in India. The shalwar is a baggy pajama type of trouser, which has legs wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic, which often reaches up to the knees. (http://dances.iloveindia.com/natraja.html accessed on 30th March 2011, 01:26 pm)

“I realized that very few of my childhood friends would attend, … My short hair looked ridiculous against the regal violet sweep of my Indian clothes, …”(Reddi, 2007: 89)

But, she cancels her wanting because she must be brave to face her problems and she enters to the engagement ceremony. Finally, she finds Supriya and walks toward her. Lata begs pardon to her but she does not apologize in return. This matter making Lata becomes feeling annoyance with her. Lata hides her angry feeling because she respects her. So, it becomes a helper to her getting the purpose.

“I felt a surge of annoyance that she didn‟t apologize to me in return, then our eyes met and it didn‟t matter. I couldn‟t be mad at her…” (Reddi, 2007: 88- 92)

News _{Refusal of arranged marriage} Lata

Ø _Lata Parents

Schema of Actant 6

Lata’s parents explain that they get the good news about Santosh, is a Canadian doctor and his family from an old line of land-holding zamindars37 in rural Andhra Pradesh accepts to marry with Lata. After she heard about that, she immediately refuses a marriage. She considers that an arrange married will be an appropriate marriage to her parents because she was from the correct subcaste and

37

Zamindar is a holder or occupier (dar) of land (zamin). The root words were Persian, and the resulting name was widely used wherever Persian influence was spread by the Mughals or other Indian Muslim dynasties. The meanings attached to it were various. In Bengal the word denoted a hereditary tax collector who could retain 10 percent of the revenue he collected. In the late 18th century the British government made these zamindars landowners, thus creating a landed aristocracy in Bengal and Bihar that lasted until Indian independence (1947). (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zamindar accessed on 30th March 2011, 09:09 pm)

her father was a doctor too. Thus, News becomes a sender which makes Lata, subject, to refusal of arranged marriage, object. Lata is also a receiver.

“I was from the correct subcaste, … my father was a doctor, so it would be an appropriate marriage.” (Reddi, 2007: 75)

“I „m not interested. I mean no,” (Reddi, 2007: 76)

But her parents, especially her father gives her an offering that is she can continue her dance lesson if she get married with him because Santosh is an succses man and has a good earning. So, her parents become opponents that obstruct Lata to get an object.

“But with his earning capacity you can continue on with your dance as long as you want.” (Reddi, 2007: 76)

Lata who does not have a helper, becomes angry and go out from her parents’ home. After that, her parents never talk with her again.

“I‟ll dance in my own time and in my own way, thanks Dad. And you can tell his family I said no.” (Reddi, 2007: 76-77)

Luke Telling Lata’s relationship

to her parents

Lata and Luke

Ø

Lata Parents and

tradition

Schema of Actant 7

Lata remembers her past time, when she was in relationship with Luke. Luke asks her to tell their relationship to her parents in order that their relationship getting a progress. So, Luke as a sender who has an object, telling relationship to Lata’s parents and Lata is a subject. Luke and Lata is a receiver.

“He felt strongly that I should tell my parents about us, …” (Reddi, 2007: 79).

But, Lata does not have a braveness to be honest to her parents and she is afraid with her parents’ obligation that forces her to obey the Indian marriage tradition which is Indian women always get arranged marriage and marries with Indian man. Besides that, she realizes that she does not match with Luke, an American man, because they come from different culture. Thus, tradition and parents become opponent for Lata and she does not get a help. Then, Luke broken their relationship and they never met again. As seen from the excerpt below, when Lata and Luke made love, she saw her parent’s shadow on the ceiling.

“What I‟d been trying to give my lover was not mine to give anyway; it belonged to them, to those face on the ceiling.” (Reddi, 2007: 84).

fate _{Rebuild relationship} Lata

Supriya Lata Ø

Schema of Actant 8

Unconsciously, fate meets Lata with Luke. She feels happy and they talk about their life after break up. So, fate becomes a sender that makes a desire.

“After months of not seeing Luke, of dreaming about writing to him, of thinking that I saw him and being wrong, it finally happened in the grocery store. …” (Reddi, 2007: 93)

Immediately, Lata says sorry to him, she thinks it can rebuild her relationship again. Supriya’s comment about her love makes she realize her mistake so she changes her attitude and her sight, she tries to be wise and mature and also brave to face all the problems which she get. After that, Luke responses her words which implies hope or regret to her. So, Lata as a subject who tries to get an object, rebuild the relationship. She gets a help from Supriya. Although,

Lata does not face opponent but she does not appear the successful or failed to get an object.

I tried to read his answer. I tried to sense if his words had a tiny trace of hope. Or only regret, “I think it would‟ve been the beginning of everything,” I said. (Reddi, 2007: 94)

b) Bangles38

In this story the conflict between the first generation and second generation begins when the first generation that starts to accustom in the second generation country, is American life. Arundhati is a first generation who lives in America after her husband died. In accordance with Indian custom and duty, Venu, her only son takes care of her and invites her to live together with his family. Arundhati feels confused with her new life in her new country and her mind set different from the second generation who has lived long time in America so she begins uncomfortable to live together with her son’s family.

This matter raises diaspora identity issue which happens on Arundahti. According to Stuart Hall, “diaspora does not refer us to those scattered tribes whose identity can only be secured in relation to some sacred homeland to which they must at all costs return”39

. He also says that, “diaspora defined, not by essence or purity, but by the recognition of necessary heterogeneity and diversity; by a conception of 'identity' which lives with and through, not despite, difference;

38

Bangles are considered to be traditional jewelry in India and are known as "Chudi". They are worn by women of any age group irrespective of race, caste, religion, etc. Besides that, the bangle becomes an important symbol of marriage and wedlock. A newlywed woman and a bride to be never leave their hands bare and wear either red glass bangles or a pair of gold bangles. (http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-jewelry/types-of-jewelry/bangles.html acessed on 30th March 2011, 09:30 pm)

39

by hybridity”40

. From Stuart Hall’s definition, it can be conclude that diaspora identity produces and reproduces a person through transformation and diversity constantly. So, when a person is in the foreign country he/ she still keeps her/ his original culture and tries continually to develop it by transformation. The groups of diaspora who experience transferring of place have feeling homesick to their hometown. Their feeling homesick becomes bigger because they feel that they have lost their origin culture.

Arundahti wants to leave America and go back to India because she feels that the culture that she brings different from the culture that she lives now. Before she wants to go back, she tries to adapt and internalization the values in the new culture. However, Arundhati still does not feel comfortable like in her hometown.

Diaspora identity which occurs to Arundhati differs from the second and the next generation which experienced by Venu, Kamlesh, and their children. Arundhati as a first generation still has the values of her culture which is she brings from her hometown, but her child and her grandchildren live in the new country with the new culture and they have adapted the culture in their living so their identity change. This matter causes there is differentiate the diaspora identity between the first generation, the second generation and the third generation. Moreover, the difference between the first generation and the third generation can cause the third generation does a resistance toward the culture of first generation because the third generation feels that it is not belonging to them.

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1) The Actantial Schema

status living Arundhati

Venu Arundhati Ø

Shema of Actant 1

Arundhati is a sixty-nine years old. After her husband died, Venu, her son, invited her to live in America with him and his family together. And then, she goes to her new life and she must adaptation with the new tradition in the new country. Thus, Arundhati’s status who is a widow as a sender that has an object to live with Venu, helper, in America. Arundhati also becomes a subject and a receiver.

“He might have said, “This is your new city, new country, new life,” because he was her only son, her only child and she was a widow…”

(Reddi, 2007: 97- 98)

Venu and Kamlesh take care of Rahul Venu, Kamlesh

and Rahul

Tara, Rina,

Venu and Kamlesh Arundhati

Unaccustomed and Rahul

Schema of Actant 2

After some days living together with Venu and his family, Arundati is requested by Venu and Kamlesh, his wife to take care of Rahul who is theirs son and her youngest grandson. Rahul is a naughty boy, spoiled and bold. Arundhati feels that she has a duty to take care of her grandchild. So, Venu and Kamles as senders who request Arundhati, subject, to take care of Rahul, object. And then Venu, Kamlesh and Rahul are receivers.

Venu and Kamlesh sat side by side on the sofa. “Can you take care of him?” (Reddi, 2007: 101-102)

When Arundhati takes care of Rahul, she is confused and does not know how to play with him. But, she gets a help from Tara and Rina, her granddaughters who have a holiday from their school. Then, she learns how Tara’s way to take care of Rahul and how Rani’s way to make sandwich which is not Indian food. So, Tara and Rina become helpers who help Arundhati’s assigment.

“Don‟t worry, I‟ll take care of him,” said Tara. …

“I‟ll make sandwiches,” Rani said… (Reddi, 2007: 102-103)

After that, Arundhati gets the other problems when Rahul cries asking some juice. And then, Tara decides to buy it but Arundhati who does not know about the condition in her new city forbids Tara to buy it because she feels worried to her safety and she must protect her grandchildren, it makes Tara becomes angry. Few minutes later, Venu and Kamlesh go home, they know about this condition after Rani told to them. Then, Venu invites Rahul to get some orange juice in the store and Kamlesh asked Tara to apologize with Arundhati. Then, Arundhati realizes that she must become accustomed to small children again. Thus, the opponent is Arundhati’s self who unaccustomed to live in America and then Venu and Kamlesh become helper too.

“… Suddenly, Arundhati moved forward and hugged her, “I am sorry. I do not know anything here.” (Reddi, 2007: 104-105)

religious Puja Arundahti’s husband

Rukmini Arundhati Brahmin and Venu’s family

Arundhati who is a religious Indian, a sender, has a desire to do a puja (object). Pujas are performed by priest and lay Hindus through devotional songs and prayer to express faith, gratefulness, love, and offerings to a deity.41 A receiver is her husband who had died. Arundhati, a subject, asks Venu and his family to go to the temple.

“All of us. Let us go and do a puja for your father.” (Reddi, 2007: 107) After arriving in the temple, the Brahmin said that he cannot do puja because he and all the Brahmins in the temple are busy and also he does not have all the things that will need. Later, the Brahmin asks her to come back tomorrow because he is free. But Arundhati realizes that Venu and his family are impossible to come back to temple again except today. So, Brahmin and Venu’s family are the opponents.

“Come back tomorrow. At ten o‟clock I am free.”

But Arundhati knew her family would not bring her again the next day.

(Reddi, 2007: 109-110)

This situation makes Arundhati regrets but Venu introduces her to Rukmini. Every Saturday, Rukmini goes to the temple so Arundhati can go to the temple with Rukmini without accompanied by Venu. Rukmini becomes a helper for Arundhati to get an object.

“Rukmini says she comes every Saturday. She‟ll pick you up. She lives only ten minutes from us.” (Reddi, 2007: 111)

41

Sunil Bhatia, American Karma: Race, Culture, and Identity in the Indian Diaspora, (New York: New York University Press: 2007) p. 235.

Rahul take care Rahul

Venu Arundhati Rahul and Kamlesh

Schema of Actant 4

In the temple, Rahul does not look a good boy. Kamlesh, his mother, is not unaware of Rahul’s act. Arundhati looks Rahul who is disrespectful with the goddess, he takes a coconut from the basket and he runs to the alcove then flings it to the seated devotees into the small chamber where the statue of goddess stood. Immediately, Arundhati runs to him, and then she catches him and pulls him toward Venu and kamlesh. Thus, Rahul as a sender that makes Arundhati, subject, to take care of him, object.

Arundhati ran to her grandson and caught his arm with her right hand.

Rahul screamed. She pulled him toward Venu… (Reddi, 2007: 111)

Kamlesh who sees Arundhati’s act becomes angry and she blames her because she thinks Arundhati has hurt Rahul. But, Venu forbids Kamlesh to blame Arundhati and he asks rahul to be quite. So, Kamlesh becomes an opponent but Venu becomes a helper who support Arundhati’s act.

Kamlesh picked up her son. “Don‟t you think you‟re being little rough?” she said, looking at Arundhati.

“No, it wasn‟t rough,” Venu said. “He‟s screaming because he knows he acted so badly. Nobody hurt him.”…( Reddi, 2007: 112)

On the way home, Kamlesh does not look to her and speaks only when Venu asked. After that, Kamlesh’s attitude changes to Arundhati, she shows her feeling dislike to her and never talks to her.

Rahul and Kamlesh go home Arundhati

Rukmini Supriya Venu

Schema of Actant 5

In the kitchen, Arundhati looks Rahul sitting at the counter with his coloring book and playing tulips which is in the heavy crystal vase. Then, Arundhati forces him to lift him down from the counter. Unfortunately, Rahul’s hand catches the vase and then it fall down to the floor and break. All the people who are in the home, includes Rukmini who has came to pick up Arundhati, go to the kitchen and look at Arundhati and Rahul. Immediately, Rahul points his finger and kicks Arundhati’s leg, he accuses Arundhati who has done it. This situation makes Arundhati shames because her grandson shows disrespectful to her in front of all Indian people in home.

“She did it!” Rahul swung his foot back and kicked his grandmother in the leg. (Reddi, 2007: 120-121)

In the night, Arundhati talks to Venu that she wants to go back to India and lives with her brother. But Venu forbids her because he is only her son who has a duty to care her mother in accordance with Indian custom and duty. Arundhati feels that her attending is not expected by Kamlesh so she begs to Venu to allow her go to India. Venu still refuses Arundhati’s request. Then, Arundhati feels disappointed because she realized that she cannot go back to India without Venu’s help. Thus, Rahul and Kamlesh as senders make Arundhati, subject, feeling uncomfortable and decides to go back to the India, object. But Venu becomes an opponent who forbids her to get her object.

“But I am in the way here. I am not a help to either you or your wife. And she does not want me here, either,…”

Venu paused. “No,” he said…. “Your place is here.” (Reddi, 2007: 123) During the week, Arundhati always thinks about how she can go back to India without need a help from Venu. And then, she asks Arundhati who picks up her to the temple as usual on Saturday, to sell her bangles for her in order that she can go back to India. Rukmini shocks with Arundhati’s request. But in the end, she understands with her condition and obeys her request. So, Rukmini is a helper who helps a subject to get an object.

… Rukmini opened her handbag and took out a tissue. Then she wrapped the bangles, slowly, and put them inside her purse. (Reddi, 2007: 124-125)

c) Devadasi

Devadasi story begins from Uma’s departure to India, her hometown. After Uma is in America for sixteen years, she must go to India because her father asking her to attend her cousin’s wedding ceremony. Before she goes, she requests her parents to give her a private dance lesson in India. This story took place in 1992 when Hindus and Muslims’ riot42 happened.

Despite that Uma who has lived in America for long time feels uncomfortable since arriving in India; she also feels that there is a distance which separates her with her family in India. Uma considers herself is not Indian but American so she does not care with the problem or custom which is in India.

42

Hindu and Muslim’s riot happen on December, 1992. This riot is caused by Hindu mobs who demolished the Babri Mosque in the town of Ayodhya, claiming it was built on the birthplace of their god-king Rama. The demolition triggered religious riots that killed some 2,000. (http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2010/09/20/ghost-of-hindu-muslim-riots-haunts-upcoming-babri-mosque-verdict-in-india/ accessed on 30th March 2011, 11:46 pm)

“She was American who did not care about the differences between Hindus and Muslims. She did not care about saris or Indian jewels, or that women should not be too familiar with the company of men.” (Reddi, 2007: 163)

This difference of identity becomes the conflict between the western values which has adapted by Uma (second generation) and the eastern values which is adopted by her family (first generation) seen as Uma talks with Hafeez, her family’s driver. Uma’s parents feel angry because according to them, Uma’s attitude is not suitable with the Eastern culture. In Indian tradition, women and men cannot talk familiarly and Indian family only shares with the person who has similar caste and religion.

“She thought of her parents, who shared the same religion and caste, whose marriage had been orchestrated by relatives. They were together because everyone around them thought they should be together.” (Reddi, 2007: 174)

And then Hindus and Muslims’ riot make Uma realized that she oscillates in the Indian and American identity. In the fact, Uma cannot really escape from her Indian identity. This matter showed with her hobby, Indian dance. Dance serves as a sense of Uma’s comfortable to move between in two of both identities. As the result, in the ending of story Uma feels lonely and exiles from her own culture, so Uma faces identity crisis.

1) The Actantial Schema

Uma’s father go to India Uma

deal

Uma Uma and Karl

Horisson

Uma is sixteen years old. Her father is a mere consultant who works out of home and gives money to VHP43 party in India, which preserve the nation for the Hindus and become more Hindu. He takes Uma to go to India for the first time. So, Uma’s father is a sender who has a desire to take Uma go to India, object. Uma is a subject and a reciver.

“The November that Uma turned sixteen, her parents took her to India for the first time….” (Reddi, 2007: 159-160)

To get an object, Uma gets the problems because she does not want to leave America. She is very comfortable to live in America and feels that she is American. Besides that, she has found the boy who loves her, Karl Horrison. This is why Uma feels difficult to leave America and it makes opponent for her.

“… she had gone to a party at classmate‟s home and drank beer with her friend Karl Horrison, a senior soccer player.” (Reddi, 2007: 160)

Finally, she makes a deal with her parents to exchange for traveling to India with getting a private dance lesson. And then, her parents agree about that and she will learn a dance with the dancer who recommended by her instructor in America, Amruta Auntie. Uma packs her suitcases and goes to India with her parents. So, a deal is a helper.

“With this deal in mind, Uma packed her suitcases and boarded the plane with her parents before Thanksgiving, resigned to two weeks without Karl.“ (Reddi, 2007: 161)

43

In the book of New Roots in America‟s Sacred Ground: Religion, Race,. And Ethnicity in Indian America explains that The Visha Hindu Parishad, founded in 1964 by leaders of Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Hindu guru Swami Chinmayanand, is a movement that simultaneously tries to reach out globally to all Hindus in the world and mobilize Hindus in India for anti-Muslim politics. (p. 213)

Uma’s mother argument about India Uma

Ø Uma Indian’s attitude

The Schema of Actant 2

After a few days living in India, Uma’s mother asks Uma argument about India. Her mother hopes Uma likes living in India because India is her hometown and her origin country. But Uma cannot answer her mother question. She does not like Indian men’s attitude that stare her strangely and make Uma feeling uncomforted. Thus, Uma’s mother is a sender who has a desire to know Uma’s argument and Uma is a receiver and also a subject. But she cannot get the object because she faces the opponent, Indian’s attitude.

“So do you like India?” her mother asked suddenly.

Uma could not answer. … she did not like their driver‟s furtive glances… a man had hung his tongue out at her hungrily. (Reddi, 2007: 165)

dance performances Dance Uma

Hafeez, Guru-ji

and Raju’s voice Uma Guru-ji’s test

The Schema of Actant 3

Uma wants to performance at arangetram44 (sender), so she (subject) tries to learn a dance in Guru-ji’s home (object). To get Guru-ji’s home, Uma is driven by Hafeez, her family’s driver (helper). Upon arriving at the Guru-ji’s house, she gets

44

Arangetram or ranga pravesh means “entering the stage” which is a graduation performance or

debut of the dancer is performed when a dancer has completed her education in the discipline. It marks the beginning of a dancer's life, when he or she may cross the threshold from student to professional artist. (http://www.umavasudevan.com/html/arangetram.html accessed on 30th March 2011, 10:13 pm)

Qualifying Test Main Test Glorifying Test Uma is sixteen years old

when her father takes Uma to India for the first time.

She refuses her father’s

asking because she does not want to leave her activity in America and separates from Karl Horrison, her boyfriend. But she makes a deal with her parents to exchange her trips with the dancing lesson in India. And then her parents agree with her deal.

After a few days living in India, her mother asks her argument about India. But she does not answer her

mother’s question

because since arriving in India she never feels

comfortable.

For the first time, she goes to learn a dance in Guru-ji home where is beyond the boundaries of the Muslim

neighborhoods in the old city accompanied by Hafeez. She will perform at arangetram so she learns a dance in India. Upon arriving at

Guru-ji’s home she gets a test

to show her allaripu dance but she has

forgotten how to dance it.

And then, Guru-ji

together with Raju’s

singing shows a few the dance movements of allaripu. Uma follows Guru-ji movements. Immediately, Uma remembers how to dance its dancing. She dances well.

When she dances, for the first time since arriving in India, she feels free. And then Guru-ji praises her dancing.

Beginning Situation Transformation Ending Situation Qualifying Test Main Test Glorifying Test

In causin father’s

wedding ceremony, Uma feels bored and then she decides to walk out from the ceremony. In the outside, she finds Hafeez and they talk together as if they are equals.

When Uma and Hafeez talks together in the car with doors open, her parent, her aunts, her grandmothers and Rohini

who is her mother’s friend

look at her with Hafeez. So, her parents become angry with her but they hide their angry because there are Rohini with her husband. In the next morning, she decides learning her last dance at Guru-ji’s home.

As usual Hafeez picks up her to Guru-ji’s home. Before they go, Hafeez advices her to cancel her wishing because in the Old City where Guru-ji and her husband live there are

Muslim and Hindu’s

riot. But Uma ignores

Hafeez’s warning, and then they go to the Old City.

On the way to Guru-ji’s home, there are the gangs of men who are Muslim gather their car. Hafeez immediately asks her to remove her bindi. Uma obeys his asking and she picks her duppata to cover herself as if she is a Muslim. Then, the muslim men allow Hafeez and Uma go without hurting them.

Hafeez turns the car

toward Uma’s grandparent’s home.

After that, Uma confuse about her identity and where place herself in her home or in the world. So she faces identity crisis in herself.

Situation Qualifying Test Main Test Glorifying Test

Lata and Supriya is best friend who live together at the apartment. One day

Supriya’s father sends the letter about arrange marriage with Sameer Murthy. It makes Lata remembering her parents who obligated her to get married with Santosh, a success Indian man in the past time, but she refused him and her parents never told again with her. Supriya successfully refuses him in the meeting and she gets help from Lata. Suddenly, Sameer calls her to return her sweater and then they are in calling every night. It makes they fall in love and decide to get married. Lata does not agree with Supriya’s decision so Supriya moves to her parents’ home.

Supriya’s

departure makes Lata feeling lonely and makes Lata nostalgic about Luke, her American boyfriend. She wants to repair her attitudes in the past time when she cannot keep her love with Luke and she also want to apologize to Supriya.

Lata is afraid to tell about Luke to her parents because her parents want to marry her with Indian man in accordance with Indian marriage tradition. Lata is also afraid to face her parents in the

Supriya’s engagement because she and her parents never talks again after she refused her arrange marriage.

Supriya’s comments makes

Lata realized that she must brave to face all her problem in order that she can get her object. Then, Lata decides to attend Supriya’s engagement ceremony, whereas her parents and her appearance make her feeling self-conscious. A month after

Supriya’s engagement

ceremony, Lata meets unconsciously with Luke in the grocery store.

Lata says sorry to Luke and then Luke gives her response which means regret or hopes to rebuild their

relationship again.

Beginning Situation Transformation Ending Situation Qualifying Test Main Test Glorifying Test

Arundhati lives with his

son’s family in

Lexington after she has been a widow.

Venu and Kamlesh’s

request Arundhati to take care of Rahul. Rahul becomes more naughty and Arundhati more gives him a clearly attitude that makes Kamlesh thinks

that Arundhati’s act has

hurt him. On the

contrary, Venu supports her and does not blame her. In this case makes Arundhati trying to accustom with her grandson.

One day, Rahul’s

attitude becomes more disrespectful with her; he kicks Arundhati and claims that she has broken the vase in the front of Indian people

who visit Venu’s

house. After that, Arundhati becomes shame and she tells Venu that she wants to go back to India. But, Venu does not permit her to do that.

(Failed get 1st object)

After Venu says his prohibition, she requests Rukmini to help her when Rukmini picks up her to the temple. In Rukmini’s car, Arundahti gives her a bangles and she asks her to sell that for her.

At the first time, Rukmini surprises with

Arundhati’s request.

She asks a reason for doing that but Arundati does not say anything to her. Finally, Rukmini understands with

Arundhati’s reason and

then she obeys her request by wrapping the bangles into her purse.

Qualifying Test Main Test Glorifying Test

Uma’s father takes

her to India for the first time. Before they go, Uma

refuses her father’s

asking and then she makes a deal which exchanges the trip with the private dance lesson in India.

Uma’s mother wants to know Uma’s

feeling since arriving in the India, she hopes Uma will like India, her hometown. But Uma does not answer because she feels uncomfortable

with Indian’s attitude

to her. Hafeez, her

family’s driver picks

up her to dance class lesson at Guru-ji’s home for the first day.

Upon arriving in Guru-ji’s home, Guru-ji tests her to dance an allaripu dance. Guru-ji who knows Uma has forgotten to dance it shows her its

movements dance

together with Raju’s

sing. Uma follows her and she dance well. When she dances, she feels free for the first time in India.

Uma and her family attend

to her cousin’s wedding

ceremony. There she talks together with Hafeez in car. Her parents and her family look at them and become angry because her act is not suitable with Indian

tradition. In the next morning, she goes to her last dance class with Hafeez. Before they go, Hafeez warns her to cancel her dance class because there is Hindu and

Muslim’s riot, but Uma

ignores him.

On the way to Guru-ji’s home, the gangs of Indian Muslim men gather their car. Immediately, Hafeez asks her to remove her bindi in order she looks like Indian Muslim. So, Hafeez and Uma can pass them. This incidents makes Uma confusing her identity because she is India but she never know all about India and she is not American where she has lived and has considered that she is American.

CURRICULUM VITAE

P e r s o n a l D a t a

N a m e : Beni Riyawati

NIM : 107026002727

Program Study : English Letters Department

Address : Kp. Baru Pd. Caber Rt.02 Rw. 10 No. 4 Kec. Pamulang-Tangerang 15418 Place/Date of birth : Sragen, February 16, 1989

Sex : Female

Religion : Moslem

Marital Status : Single

Telephone : 021 – 7442624 / Mobile. 085697974590 Email : reizendnhie@yahoo.com

Title of Thesis : The Actantial and Functional Structure Analysis of Three Short Stories in the Book of Karma and Other Stories by Rishi Reddi