Malcolm in the Middle , which won the Emmy Award 2000 for outstanding writing in
a comedy series. “Malcolm in the Middle”
, which later called MIM, presents us the family life of Malcolm - the third born children in the family- when his oldest brother called
Francis was shipped off to Military School leaving his three little brothers behind; Reese, Malcolm and Dewey living at home. Since then, Malcolm become the second
oldest of the three, and this is the title of the show. Malcolm then becomes adolescent genius, and his eccentric, although early normal life. This is to show that Malcolm
takes an important role in his family. Since this drama has different tradition and the most wanted one in the era of
2000, the writer is really intended to analyze this literary work. The other reason of the writer choosing this drama is that play “MIM” is the biggest and most popular
work of Linwood Boomer.
B. Focus of the Study
The writer will focus this study on traditional values of nuclear family in America, which has correlated into the life in this era. Then the writer tries to
describe data taken from episodes in the drama, which related to the American nuclear family traditional values.
C. Research Question
Based on the background of study, the writer will formulate the matter in order to find the right research in appropriate way. The matter is:
1. What are American nuclear family traditional values represented in
“Malcolm in the Middle”?
D. Significance of the Study
After reading this research, the writer hopes that the audiences will understand more about the American nuclear family traditional values as the stimuli to sharpen
up their sharp ability on analyzing the literary work. In addition, the writer hopes this research will develop people’s intention to dig deeply more and more in order to find
amazing value in the literary work. There are so many literary works like poem, prose and drama reflect to the social life where the literary work was written. That is why
many literary works are analyzed by using sociology of literature.
E. Research Methodology
1. Objective
This research aimed to know the traditional values of American nuclear family based on the analysis of the play.
2. Method
The method of this research is descriptive qualitative method. The writer tries to represent the American nuclear family traditional values
reflected in the drama entitled “Malcolm in the Middle” by Linwood Boomer. 3.
Technique of Analysis
In this research, the writer uses the concept of Margareth Mead to analyze the available data. The American Nuclear Family Traditional Values
in “Malcolm in the Middle” will be described based on some episodes in the play. The next, the existing data will be explained and analyzed in order to
find the answer as mentioned in the research question.
4. Unit of Analysis
Analysis unit used in this research is the script of drama “Malcolm in the Middle” by Linwood Boomer presented during 2000.
5. Instrument of Research
Research instrument is the writer himself by marking and classifying
data from several sources related to the drama.
F. Place and Time
This study was taken place in the State Islamic University started on February 2008 until October 2009, the academic year of 20082009.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Sociology of Literature
1. Definition of Sociology
Sociology is an evolution of society, including the forms, institutions, functions of human group. Thomas Ford Hoult dictionary of Modern Society
defines sociology as the intellectual discipline concerned with developing systematic, reliable, knowledge about human social relationships in general and
about the product of such relationship.
7
The sociology intends to know how the structure of social life, how the people can live peacefully, and how they can exists. Those structures are like
religion, family, politics, culture, etc. We can find the description from those structures of how the people adapt with the society, mechanism, cultural process
where finally they will be placed as social member in the society.
8
Both of Sociology and literature has the correlation with the society the environment of the society is able to rise a literary work, because the work that
represented by the author is a reflection from the environment, or the experience where he or she lives. This can be seen when Ernest Hemingway praises his
7
Peter Worsley, Pengantar sosiologi; Sebuah pembanding,. Yogyakarta: PT Tiara wacana, 1991. p.19
8
Sapardi Djoko Damono, Sosiologi Sastra, Sebuah Pengantar Ringkas,. Jakarta: Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa Departmen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 1984. p.6
