CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
After analyzing Curse of the Starving Class written by Sam Shepard Using semiotics’ theory, the writer concludes that symbols appearing in the drama give
significant meaning to the story such as follows: Drama is the words that have been written down to be spoken and acted on
the stage. Drama as imaginative literature work is primarily concerned with human and social life.
The play is a symbolic drama, but it is no allegory; the symbols are used more for their resonance and imagistic power than for any one-to-one
correspondence with the themes of the play. Symbol is a thing could be an object, person, situation or action, which
stands for something else more abstract. Hunger and starvation are the focus in this drama. Weston’s family
experience hunger not only physically but also spiritually. Constantly opening and closing the refrigerator indicate their physical starvation. Thought they all deny
their physical hunger, they starve spiritually, longing for an identity, role, and function in the family. Weston’s drinking habit makes him abandon his role and
function as the head of the family. As a result, his wife, Ella, tries to find other alternative of happiness by going to Europe and from Taylor’s help. That she
loses her identity as a mother’s figure causes Emma’s empty soul and intention to
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go to Baja, California. The lost of father’s figure is also experienced by Wesley. It makes him want to go to Alaska.
An eagle symbolizes freedom in a capitalist country where individuals have liberation on how to use their wealth and skills. Capitalism run by the
America’s Government has resulted in the gradual disappearance of the function of a father. This situation is represented by an eagle hunting the lamb’s testes.
Such economic system causes materialism way of life as well. Animals are used in this drama to present some animalistic behavior and
characteristics of some figures. Lamb as dominant animal pictured in the play symbolizes weakness, easily-manipulated people, that identically with the
Weston’s family from beginning up to the middle part of the play. Bit different from lamb, cat also symbolizes weakness and innocent people but it can defend
itself. This situation is portrayed when Emma shoots Elli’s bar with a gun. On the other hand, coyotes, and zombie symbolize ‘predators’. People like Taylor, Ellis,
Emerson, and Slater represent predators in this drama. Efforts are made by family members to get out of the deterioration. Every
one attempts to contribute the best solution for the crisis. Ella tries to sell the house with the help of Taylor, a lawyer friend of hers. Emma decides living a
criminal way of life as her solution. Weston’s first attempts to find the solution for his family’s economics turmoil are borrowing money from gangsters and
investing in land that turns to be invaluable at all. His other alternative of solution is by being reborn, an effort he makes to re-establish his identity as a father.
Nevertheless, this hope vaporizes due to his run away in avoiding an attempt of
murder by people whom he borrowed the money from. Wesley is the only character with full of hope in this play. He tries to keep his family together and
defend his land. Wesley also experiences the act of rebirth by following his father’s actions but fails. And wearing his father’s dress indicates an attempt of
growing up and that the curse or disaster that fell upon his father is passed down to him.
B. Suggestion
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