CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Analysis
Language has been used by every people in the world. It is become a general statement when we say that language is a great part of human being life. It is the
most important and characteristic form of human behavior. Gleason 1998:2 says “Language is so basic to our existence that life without words is difficult to
envision because speaking, reading, and writing are such fundamental aspects of our daily life, they seem to be ordinary skill.” It means that human can not be
separated from the language since the language is a primarily tools of communication to be used. It is used to express reaction to certain situation, to
convey our feelings, ideas, thought and emotion. Even it is also used to communicate and share information to other.
As we know, human is a social creature and language can helps them to build and facilitate the relationship with others and help them to understand world
events, the art and science. Jackson 1988:49 states “Human beings have been given the capacity to talk, to communicate with each other, to make meaningful
utterance so that they are understood by other human beings.” This statement shows that human has a wonderful ability to communicate by using words which
differentiate human being from animal and other living things. Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex
systems of communication. Bollinger 1975:14 has defined “Language is a system of vocal auditory communication, interacting with the experiences of its
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user, employing conventional signs composed of arbitrary patterned sound units and assembled according to set rules.” This definition shows that language is a
system of communication in vocal auditory form, what human beings want to talk about into the sounds that are heard or the written symbols that are read.
Language has been regarded as a science called linguistics. Hartman 1972:132 states that linguistics as a field of study and the object is language. As
a science, linguistics concerns itself with all aspects relating to language and studies it from all of theoretical viewpoints described above. Linguistics is divided
into some parts of discipline knowledge. They are phonology, morphology, semantics, and syntax.
Semantics is a branch of linguistics that talks about meaning in language. Considering that language is a tool to conveying the meaning, it means that when
we study a language we are also study about the meaning automatically. In semantics, meaning divided into two parts, literal and non-literal figurative
expression. Literal meaning refers to words that do not deviate from their defined meaning or words in literal expressions
denote what they mean according to
common or dictionary usage. Non-literal meaning figurative expression means that there are different means from the real meaning of the word.
The words in figurative expressions
connote —they add layers of meaning.
Figurative expression is an object that the writer will analyze. It is because in figurative expression non-literal meaning, the listener is often feel confusing
to understand what the speaker means from his words. For example: The boy hurts her heart. From this sentence, it does not mean that the boy have hurt the
girl by using something sharp tools but it means he makes the girl sad or
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disappointed. Figurative expression departs from literal meaning to achieve a special effect or meaning and it has done by techniques called
figures of speech .
There are some most common kinds of figure of speech; Hyperbole, an exaggeration that is so dramatic that no one would believe the statement is true;
Irony, which expresses a meaning contradictory to the stated one; Metaphor, which states a fact or draws a verbal picture by the use of comparison;
Personification, a figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal or an object; Simile, which is used to compare one object or idea with
another to suggest they are alike; Synecdoche, which mentions a part of something to suggest the whole; Metonymy, the name of thing is substituted for
another closely associated with it. The source of the data in this thesis is taken from The Holy Bible. The Holy
Bible is the holy book used by Christian people as a means to convey God’s message. The Holy Bible is consists of two big parts, they are The Old Testament
and The New Testament. The Old Testament contains 39 books written from
approximately 1500 to 400 BC. It told about the life journey of Israel before the birth of Jesus Christ. The New Testament contains 27 books written from
approximately 40 to 90 AD. It told about God’s promise to forgive the sin of His race from their sins by giving His son, Jesus Christ.
In doing this thesis, the writer will analyze one chapter of the Holy Bible that is Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is one part of The Old Testament that most likely
applies to King Salomon. The letter was written in unique style of writing because many sentences in Ecclesiastes contain meanings beyond the literal meaning.
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Below is an example of expression taken from Ecclesiastes that contains figurative expression:
1. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God
The example shows ‘mouth’ and ‘hearth’ looks like can walk as a human being by using word ‘quick’ and ‘hasty’. The expression above means that we have to be
careful in doing everything. The reason in choosing data from the Ecclesiastes because it is interested
and the writer want to know the interpretation of meaning between the literal and
non-literal contained in Ecclesiastes so that can be applied in the life .
1.2 Problems of the Analysis
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