society’s view toward religion presents the religious fanaticism and religious tolerance. It becomes the surface representation of the novel.
This study focuses on Stevenson’s insights and ideas represented through the setting of French society in the eighteenth century, especially the
representation of French society’s view toward religion in the eighteenth century. Religious tolerance is more prominent in the representation. To get the
representation of depth behind the religious tolerance, religious fanaticism is opposed with religious tolerance. The binary opposite aims to show off religious
tolerance and gets the deeper meaning. Religious fanaticism looks like having a religion with its pure faith. In fact, religious fanaticism presents that having a
religion is an obligation that forces someone to do it. Certainly having a religion is individual right. Thus, tolerance for other people is required. The prominent of
religious tolerance shows that religious tolerance reveals freedom of religion. The essence behind the representation is revealed.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the story Travel with a Donkey in the Cenvenes by Robert Louis Stevenson, some questions are the pillar of the discussion.
1. How is the setting in the novel described? 2. How does the setting in the novel represent French society in the
eighteenth century? 3. How does the representation of French society in the eighteenth century
reveal the freedom of religion? 4
C. Objectives of the Study
The objective of this study is to find the representation of French society in the eighteenth century. In addition, there are three objectives of this
undergraduated thesis based on the three problem formulations. The first objective of this research is to identify the setting in the novel. Then, the second objective is
to identify how the setting represents French society in the eighteenth century. The following analysis is to find the representation of French society in the
eighteenth century to reveal freedom of religion.
D. Definition of Terms
As stated in the title above, the writer discusses the representation of French society in the eighteenth century through the setting to reveal the freedom
of religion. This part discusses the definition of terms that can help the readers understand this study.
1. Setting According to Abrams in A Glossary of Literary Terms, the overall setting of
narrative or dramatic work is the general locale, historical time, and social circumstances in which its action occurs; the setting of a single episode or
scene within a work is the particular physical location in which it takes place 1981: 192.
2. Freedom of Religion McKean states in The New Oxford American Dictionary second edition, that
freedom of religion is the right to practice whatever religion one chooses 5
2005: 670. Boyle and Juliet states in Freedom of Religion and Belief that freedom of religion includes the right to believe that one has exclusive truth
and that what another believes is lacking in truth 1997: 8. 3. Representation
Birenbaum in his book entilted The Happy Critic said that representation is simply description, showing fairly and clearly what the work is and what it is
like. It shows what is in the work as we experience it, describing what it is like, explaining what it is and how, in general, it goes about its business
1997: 11-12. 4. French Society in the Eighteenth Century
Williams states in The Ancient Regime in Europe that French society in the eighteenth century consists of clergy, nobles, bourgeoisie and peasants 1970:
200. 6
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
