Pastiche of Cinderella in Kiera Cass’ the selection: a postmodern study.

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PASTICHE OF CINDERELLA IN KIERA CASS’THE SELECTION: A

POSTMODERN STUDY

A THESIS

Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Arts and Humanities State Islamic University Sunan

Ampel Surabaya

By:

Lucia Dwi Wulandari Reg. Number: A33213064

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN AMPEL SURABAYA 2017


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PASTICHE OF CINDERELLA IN KIERA CASS’THE SELECTION: A

POSTMODERN STUDY

THESIS

Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Sarjana Degree of English Department Faculty of Letters and Humanities State Islamic

University Sunan Ampel Surabaya

The Advisor

Itsna Syahadatud Dinuriyah, M.A NIP: 197604122011012003

Lucia Dwi Wulandari Reg. Number: A33213064

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN AMPEL SURABAYA 201


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DECLARATION

This thesis contains materials which have been accepted for the award of Sarjana degree of English Department Faculty of Letters and Humanities UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya. And to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by other person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis.

Surabaya, July 5, 2017 Writer

Lucia Dwi Wulandari (A33213064)


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THESIS ADVISOR’S APPROVAL PAGE

This thesis written by Lucia Dwi Wulandari, entitled Pastiche of Cinderella in Kiera Cass’ The Selection: A Postmodern Study has been approved by the Advisor to fulfill the requirement of Strata 1 Degree of English Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, State Islamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya.

Surabaya, July 6, 2017 Thesis Advisor

Itsna Syahadatud Dinuriyah, M.A NIP: 197604122011012003

Acknowledge by:

Dr. Mohammad Kurjum, M.Ag NIP: 196906152007011051

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY ARTS AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF SUNAN AMPEL SURABAYA 2017


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THESIS EXAMINER’S APPROVAL PAGE

This thesis has been approved and accepted by the Board of Examiners, English Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, State Islamic University

Sunan Ampel Surabaya, July 05, 2017.

The Dean of Faculty of Arts and Humanities

(Dr. H. Imam Ghazali, M.A) NIP. 196002121990031002

The Board of Examiners are:

Head of Examination Examiner II

(Itsna Syahadatud Dinuriyah, M.A) (Sufi Ikrima Sa’adah, M. Hum) NIP.197604122011012003 NUP: 201603318

Examiner III Examiner IV


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ABSTRACT

Wulandari, Lucia Dwi. 2017. Pastiche of Cinderella in Kiera Cass’ The

Selection: A Postmodern Study. Thesis. English Department. Faculty of

Letters and Humanities. States Islamic University Sunan Ampel Surabaya. 2017

The Advisor: Itsna Syahadatud Dinuriyah, M.A

This thesis aims to examine The Selection as a pastiche or imitation of Cinderella as the older work. It focuses on the narrative of The Selection novel as the object of the study. In analyzing the object of the study, this thesis uses Fredric Jameson’s pastiche of postmodernism. The result shows the evidences of The Selection as a postmodern literature, including the mixing genres, portrayal of consumer society, and depthlessness through the character. Besides, there are some repetition aspects which The Selection imitates from Cinderella’s story. They are the festival or competition of girls winning prince’s heart, female character as main character, and the story sets in monarch system. This research also shows some deviation elements

of The Selection by increasing the idea of the story such as different personality of

both main characters, the reality television show, war theme, fashion element, and the last is changing the form from short story to the novel. From the result mentioned, it can be concluded that The Selection is a pastiche of Cinderella in the way it emphasizes the postmodern characteristics in the novel, and also the repetition aspects that contains main ideas of the older work. And the last is this research also mentions some elements of deviation so it presents a new mode or new style of writing.


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INTISARI

Wulandari, Lucia Dwi. 2017. Pastiche of Cinderella in Kiera Cass’ The

Selection: A Postmodern Study. Tesis. Program Studi Sastra Inggris.

Fakultas Sastra dan Humaniora. Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya. 2017

The Advisor: Itsna Syahadatud Dinuriyah, M.A

Tesis ini bertujuan untuk menguji bahwa novel The Selection adalah pastiche atau imitasi dari Cinderella sebagai karya sebelumnya. Tesis ini juga berfokus pada teks naratif dari novel sebagai objek penelitian. Dalam menganalisa objek studi, thesis ini menggunakan teori dari Fredric Jameson yaitu pastiche. Hasil analisa menunjukkan beberapa bukti dari novel The Selection sebagai karya sastra postmodern, seperti campuran beberapa genre, penggambaran masyarakat consumer, ketidak-dalaman dari sebuah karakter. Selain itu, terdapat beberapa aspek pengulangan yang The Selection ambil dari cerita di Cinderella, seperti festival atau kompetisi para wanita dalam memenangkan hati pangeran, pemeran utama yang diperankan oleh karakter wanita, dan setting cerita yang berlatar belakang kerajaan. Penelitian ini juga menunjukkan adanya elemen-elemen penyimpangan pada novel The Selection dengan megembangkan ide cerita seperti kepribadian yang berbeda antara dua karakter utama tersebut, pertunjukan televise, tema perang, elemen fashion atau mode berpakaian, dan yang terakhir adalah perubahan bentuk cerita pendek ke novel. Dari hasil tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahwa novel The Selection adalah pastiche atau imitasi dari Cinderella dengan menekankan beberapa karakteristik dari karya posmodernisme yang ada pada novel dan juga aspek pengulangan yang mengandung ide utama dari karya sebelumnya. Dan yang terakhir, penelitian ini memasukkan beberapa elemen penyimpangan sehingga novel ini menyajikan mode dan gaya penulisan yang lebih baru.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Inside Cover Page ……….………...i

Inside Title Page ……….ii

Declaration Page ………....iii

Thesis Advisor’s Approval Page………….………iv

Thesis Examiner’s Approval Page……….………..v

Motto ……….……….vi

Dedication Page ………vii

Acknowledgement ………...viii

Table of Contents ……….………..ix

Abstract ……….………..x

Intisari ………xi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of Study ………1

1.2. Statement of Problem ………...7

1.3. Objective of Study ………8

1.4. Significance of Study ………...…8

1.5. Scope and Limitation ………...9

1.6. Method of Study ………..9


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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1.Theoretical Framework ………13

2.2.Postmodernism ……….………13

2.2.1.Pastiche ……….……….19

2.3. Review of Related Literature ………….…….……….22

CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS 3.1. Pastiche of Postmodernism of The Selection………...….26

3.1.1.Postmodern Characteristics of The Selection..………...………...26

3.1.2. Repetition Aspects ………..35

3.2.Elements of Deviation ……….……...………41

CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSION ………..51

WORK CITED BOOKS CITED …….………..53

WEB CITED ………55 APPENDIX SYNOPSIS OF THE SELECTION (2012) ………...…56


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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of Study

In literature, society has the important aspect in inspiring a literary work. Literature cannot be separated from the society because it is a reflection of the human life. According to Wellek and Warren, literature is a representation of life. It reflects the life itself, or, in other words, it is life, which literature imitates or mirrors; and it can say that the subject matter of literature is the manifold experiences of human beings and society (89). Moreover, literature is concerned with social life and circumstance. Thus, the depiction of social life can be seen from literary work itself. As Wellek and Warren states that literature is regarded as the expression or

representation of human life through the medium of social creation viz language (94). So, the literary work itself is a representation of human action and life through

language.

On the one hand, the human life and condition can develop within the changing of time as same as literature. The literary work itself has its own characteristics depend on the age or era. Indeed, the social situation now has changed, it has been remarked that now is postmodern era. Here, postmodernism can be implied or

indicated as a new era and a reaction against modernism after the Second World War. Lemert notes, it hardly need to be said that postmodernism has something to do with


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what is allegedly happening to modernism. So, if modernism is a culture of modern age (or modernity), then postmodernism has something to do with the breaking apart of modernism (27). It is same with Fredric Jameson, he claims that the origins of

postmodernism are found in the confrontation of “The formerly oppositional modern

movement as a set of dead classics (4). Postmodernism believes in the new style and assume an earlier era, modernism, as an old era. So, postmodernism rejects the modern movement which reflects the old belief.

However, in order to comprehend the whole understanding of the concept of postmodernism, people have to understand everything from its history as well. As according to Roberts in his book Fredric Jameson, Jameson believes it is history that provides the basis of judging interpretation (50). Therefore, people will be aware of what is dominating in today’s culture, then they need to have a deep sense of past, by meant from the history. In the postmodern era, the historical past is represented, not through its content but through glossy stylistic means, conveying ‘pastness’ by the glossy qualities of the image (Jameson 75). Briefly, the past could be the benchmark of the emergence of a new style in the present.

Together with postmodernism, postmodern literature also rejects the idea of modern literature. Postmodern literature concerns on new concept of thought in reflection from its literary work based on nowadays social life and condition.

Postmodernism aims to deconstruct or rewrite modernism in order to open its closed systems (Foster ix). It means what modernist has created or believed including


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universal truth or common experience are rejected by postmodern author. Despite the ideas of postmodern literature is quite different from modern literature, both of them are having same focus. As in journal titled Common Themes and Techniques of

Postmodern Literature of Shakespeare by Sharma and Chaudhary, both modern and

postmodern literature explore fragmentariness in narrative and character construction (190). Both of them focus on the text or narrative and how the character is

constructed.

One of the literary works in postmodern era is Kiera Cass’ The Selection. Kiera Cass becomes a number one of New York Times bestselling author of The Selection (as cited from Amazon.com). The novel sets in the futuristic world soon after World War IV happened. The country is named Ilea where the world is divided up into eight castes based on one's social and economic status. Whereas a number represents their level of caste, One, Two, Three, and Four as the four highest levels of caste for the royal family, bourgeoisie people who own the factory, etc., and the Five, Six, Seven,

and Eight as the four lowest or bottom levels of caste represent the working class

based on their job or profession such entertainer, labour class, etc. This novel tells about America Singer as main character who enters the Selection to become a Prince

Maxon’s bride. Nevertheless, she already has her prohibited love with Aspen, a man

whose the caste is lower than her. Maxon represents an opportunity for America to improve the financial and social position of her family (Seifert 58). So, she enters the Selection in order to earn money, provide her family and increase her social caste.


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In addition, The Selection combines many genres, from young-adult genre, romance, and also dystopian genre. Meanwhile, one of the genres in this novel is dystopia. Dystopia means anything which is bad, it is the depiction of messy world included the society. As in Julia Gerhard thesis, Walsh stated that if utopia is social planning that produces good results, dystopia is most often social planning that

backfires and slides into nightmare (14). It is same with the explanation of dystopia in

Wilson’s book, it describes that dystopia involves utopia’s opposite: a nightmare, the

ultimate flawed world, or “a society worse than the existing one,” such as Brave New

World and 1984 (1). Dystopia is the opposite of utopia where new world is created in bad condition or even the society is frightening. Furthermore, it reflects to the social

background in Kiera Cass’The Selection that the country uses the system of

monarchy where the king is the most powerful one in the country while some people there are dehumanized.

This research focuses on the narrative of the novel. According to Fisher, narratives are fundamental to communication and provide structure for human experience and influence people to share common explanations and understandings (58). So, narrative focuses on story of what author created to understand about the human experience. From the narrative of the novel, the point of view of this novel is from a Five caste girl, America Singer, who participates the competition to become wife of Maxon as the Prince of Ilea. Whereas America Singer is not interested with it, she just gets pressure from her mother to join the competition. Even though she does


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not want to marry Prince Maxon, but she participates it only for her family. Then, she makes a deal with the Prince of Maxon to let her stay in Palace, because her families need to be provided with money.

From the story of The Selection (2012), it tends to be similar to the previous work in nineteenth century, Cinderella (1812). Hence, this research will use postmodern pastiche because pastiche is still connected with the postmodern literature. Another characteristic of postmodern literature is the questioning of distinctions between high and low culture through the use of pastiche, the

combination of subject and genre is not previously deemed fit for literature (Jameson, 112). So, pastiche presents the combination of previous work, or an imitation also.

Jameson stated that pastiche involves the imitation or the mimicry of other styles and particularly of the mannerisms and stylistic twitches of other styles. Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique style, the wearing of a stylistic mask, speech in a dead language: but it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without parody's ulterior motive, without the satirical impulse, without laughter (5). Jameson believes that pastiche is like a parody. In this case, parody tends to be more playful satire or irony.

According to prominent theorist of postmodern parody, Hutcheon, claims that postmodern parody is both deconstructively critical and constructively creative, paradoxically making aware of both the limits and the powers of representation—in any medium (228). So, postmodern parody rewrites previous works and gives a


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critique of them whether by irony or satire, whereas pastiche emphasizes distance and difference between work in past with the present whereas pastiche imitates a work in order to make use of its original style. According to Nicol, favors bricolage or

pastiche to original production, the mixing of styles and genres, and the juxtaposition

of ‘low’ with high culture. Where modernism is sincere or earnest, postmodernism is

playful and ironic (2). As the characteristic of pastiche, that it is a kind of combining work in past with the present style, and not only to combine, it also means to imitate.

Jameson notes, whereby instead of creating our own unique styles it looks to the past and imitate old, dead styles through pastiche (74). Pastiche refers to imitating from multiple elements of the previous literary work and make it into new style. In this case, same with Sharma and Chaudhary stated, pastiche can be a compositional techniques in mixing multiple genres to create a unique narrative or to comment the condition in postmodernity (194). It means postmodern pastiche still include the literary work in past, that works of literature still refer to each other.

Since The Selection offers a postmodern pastiche, researcher wants to show that a text may be related with other past text, especially in nowadays literature which deals with ideas in past. Besides, this research is interested to compare The Selection with the famous work in past, Cinderella. Cinderella tells about the unfortunate girl who has stepmother and two stepsisters who have bad attitudes, they also treat Cinderella badly. One day, there is an invitation from the Kingdom about a ball that will be attended by many eligible maiden, so that Prince can find a bride from that


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events. Unfortunately, Cinderella does not have any chance because her stepmother forbids her to attend to the party. Then, something magical happens, Cinderella turns into a pretty girl with nice dress and shoes. She can go to the kingdom, and the Prince chooses her to become his wife.

Based on the previous explanation, it can be suggested that The Selection can

be studied through Jameson’s postmodern pastiche. This research will determine to

what extent The Selection imitates Cinderella in order to make a new style. Thus, this research will focus on the narrative of the novel of Kierra Cass’The Selection, and also use Grimm’s Fairy Tale Cinderella as a benchmark in comparing and

understanding the people’s common experience in seeking both stories.

1.2. Statement of Problem

From the background, this research is conducted to answer some problems formulated as following questions:

1. To what extent does The Selection comply with pastiche theory of postmodernism by Fredric Jameson?

2. How does the The Selection deviate from the previous work, The Cinderella?

1.3. Objective of Study

Based on the previous research problems, this research is aimed:


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Jameson.

2. To examine the story of The Selection novel which is portrayed as a representation to the older work, Cinderella in Grimm’s Fairy Tale.

1.4. Significance of Study

The significance of this study are, firstly, this research, hopefully gives a significant knowledge about postmodernism, especially pastiche theory of

postmodernism by Fredric Jameson. Secondly, this research is hoped to all readers to understand how the ideas of The Selection novel by Kiera Cass is imitated from

Cinderella as older or the previous work. Thus, this research is conducted to show

that a text may be related with other past text, especially in nowadays literature which deals with ideas in past. Thirdly, this research is conducted to show that man’s idea is probably derived from history or past. So, history or past itself greatly affects us in discovery the ideas. The last, this research may use as reference to the next researcher who will conduct the similar research in the future by using different object.

1.5. Scope and Limitation

This research will deal with pastiche theory of postmodernism by Fredric Jameson which will be applied to the novel of The Selection by Kiera Cass. This research tends to focus on the novel, The Selection, and its narrative. It can be


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that represent new mode or style of Cinderella as main character in Cinderella or it can be analyzed from other aspects as long as how the work of The Selection imitates the original work of Cinderella in order to show the idea which is portrayed in the novel reflects to the original work.

Therefore, the research restricts to the interest of getting understanding from pastiche theory of postmodernism by Fredric Jameson by using Kiera Cass’The

Selection and Grimm’s Fairy Tale of Cinderella as new style of writing and as the

previous writing.

1.6. Method of The Study 1. Data Source

This research will use two sources of data: primary and secondary sources. The primary sources as the ordinary source are two novels. As according to Pugh, the

primary source comprises the artistic works that serve as the subject of one’s research

(263). The research will use secondary source to help researcher in order to support the data. The secondary source is one that was created from primary source, other secondary source or some combination of primary and secondary sources (Johnson 475). The secondary source is including critical commentary on primary source for this project (Pugh 263). So, the primary source still becomes a key for secondary data.


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The primary data will be taken from Kiera Cass novel, The Selection and

Cinderella. Whereas the secondary data will be contained from the text of certain

web, article, e-book, paperback or another sources which relate to the topic the researcher will deliver.

2. Type of Research

This research will use library-based. Books, journals, thesis, magazines, online resources are needed by researcher in collecting data. This research will use

qualitative method which according to Maxwel, it is the activity of collecting and analyzing data, developing and modifying theory, elaborating or refocusing the research questions, and identifying and addressing validity threats are usually all going on more or less simultaneously, each influencing all of the others (2). This research will describe for the analysis because it will use descriptive analysis also. 3. Data Collection

The data will be collected through following steps:

1) Reading the primary sources (Kiera Cass’ The Selection (2012) and Grimm’s

Cinderella (1812)) of the research.

2) Collecting the quotes from primary source which prove that The Selection is a postmodern literature and the imitation of previous writing, Cinderella, and also include the element of deviation, and then taking a note in order to increase the understanding from both novels.


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which relates to the researcher purpose of analysis. 4. Data Analysis

The data of the research will be analyzed through literary research. Data collected from the text of Kiera Cass’ The Selection (2012) and Grimm’s Cinderella

(1812) as the primary sources or other sources which relate to the novel as the

secondary source that will be determined as the main purpose of the analysis. Then, the data of the novels will be analyzed from the perspective of Jameson in

postmodern pastiche. The last, conclusion of the research will be arranged after applying the theory and data which get from the data sources.

1.7. Definition of Key Terms

This research will examine some related clues to help the readers to understand the topic and problem discussed in this thesis. The clues are formulated in the form of key term that will be defined clearly. Those related key terms would be in the

following below.

1. Cinderella : a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression or triumphant reward (Zipes 444). In the Cinderella tale, the

mother is the only parent, the father always being "away," absent. No distinct male figure appears in the tale at all until the prince turns up hunting the glass slipper's owner. The


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mother figure dominates the story until that time (Ulanov 40).

2. Narrative : a fundamental to communication and provide structure for human experience and influence people to share common explanations and understandings (Walter 58).

3. Dystopia : it presents human life in term of largery unrelieved bondage. In our day the chief form of this phase is the nightmare of social tyranny (Frye 238).


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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. Theoretical Framework

In this chapter, this research aims to define more about the theory that is used to analyze the novels. Concerning to the previous explanation in the chapter I, as stated in background of study and statements of the problem, this research uses the theory of pastiche by Fredric Jameson. Whereas pastiche itself is one of postmodern study, so it tends to be viewed from the postmodern perspective in analyzing the novels.

Furthermore, this research uses two novels to analyze: The Selection by Kiera Cass and also Cinderella by Grimm’s brother. In addition, this research observes how The

Selection imitates the previous work, Cinderella, and how it complies with the

pastiche theory of postmodernism. 2.1.1.Postmodernism

As a movement, the term postmodern was firstly used in the late of nineteenth

century. Likewise O’Donnell stated, the term ‘postmodernism’ was first used by artist

in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to denote new movements that were breaking free of an old order (8). Postmodernism as a new movement breaks and rejects the idea that emerges in the modern era. Because of that, postmodernism still has a relation to modernism. Lyotard asserts, although the dates of periodisation, a popular version identifies modernity as the period from Enlightenment to the mid twentieth


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century, and postmodernity as after that (3). It indicates that modernism is used to denote the Enlightenment era, while postmodern comes after the modernism. Furthermore, Jameson believes that postmodernism merely means to cultural

dominant than just a style. “What has happened is that aesthetic production today, has

become integrated into commodity production generally,” and one must now “grasp ‘postmodernism’ not as a style, but rather as a cultural dominant” (4). It means that the term ‘postmodernism’ is so widespread. Indeed, cultural dominant becomes

widespread when it is influential within a social or political entity. Together with this, Featherstone also states that Jameson uses postmodernism to refer to culture in the broader sense and talks about postmodernism as a cultural logic, or cultural dominant, which leads to the transformation of the cultural sphere in contemporary society (8).

On the other hand, postmodernism sometimes refers to the condition in certain era. Basically, postmodernism may be understood as the arts and theories that reflect and represent the condition of postmodernity (Fokkema 14). Here, postmodernism includes the condition that change people’s perspective and perception. Whereas the differences between postmodernism and postmodernity is that postmodernism refers to the idea and philosophical value, while postmodernity as the era or historical period when the social, cultural and new trend has created. Grenz states,

postmodernism refers to an intellectual mood and an array of cultural expressions that call into question the ideals, principles, and values that lay at the heart of the modern mind-set. Postmodernity, in turn, refers to an emerging epoch, the era in which we are


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living, the time when the postmodern outlook increasingly shapes our society. While postmodernity is the era in which postmodern ideas, attitudes, and values reign when postmodernism molds culture (12). Indeed, Jameson marks that postmodernism deals with new idea which has been emerged within the last few years. As Jameson stated that, the last few years have been marked by an inverted millenarianism, in which promotions of the future, catastrophic or redemptive, have been replaced by sense of

the end of this or that…taken together, all of these perhaps constitute what is

increasingly called ‘postmodernism’” (1). All these concepts are transformed and all

things now has changed, that a new theme is presented in our society now which is replaced by postmodernism. Thus, in this case, postmodernism directs to

postmodernity as time or era when all of nowadays concepts of idea and principle are emerged.

In literature, postmodernism is part of cultural and historical development that it can be seen from the depiction of the postmodern life and culture. As Hooti & Azizpour stated that postmodernism is used to describe a wide gamut of aesthetic, cultural, historical, literary, and philosophical goings on (15). The term refers to the critical definition in some fields especially on literature or criticism. As what in thesis of Björnsson, Hutcheon states that postmodernism is now used to describe the visual arts, music, dance, film, theatre, philosophy, criticism, historiography, theology, and anything up-to-date in culture in general (4). Postmodernism draws broad ideas that include the critical interpretation of those fields, arts, criticism, philosophy,


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historiography, theology, etc. Postmodernism believes nothing is based on logical reasoning. Foucault notes that postmodernity regards the changing world as a complex, confusing and unclear and disputes modern perspectives of objective universal truths (Arthur 17). Nothing is framed within an absolute or universal truth. It is believed that truth is created rather than discovered.

In addition, the postmodern literature denotes a skepticism associated with the belief of reason to identify the truth. Skepticism means doubt towards truth, belief or any idea that generally questioning. As in journal titled Samuel Beckett’sWaiting for

Godot: A Postmodernist Study by Hooti & Torkamaneh, it is mentioned that

postmodernism is a comprehensive concept which has been challenged and argued over in so many scientific, literary, philosophical, cultural fields. Some critics regard it as originating in architecture. Based on natural attributes, it cannot be defined as stable and fixed (41). Related with this, the paradox of the postmodern literature incredulity towards reality is, that it cannot deny the reality of its incredulity. The implied position is that it advocates an epistemic foundation of incredulity in its skepticism over reality (Ozumba 18). Here, in postmodern literature, skepticism shows the reaction toward the truth encompassing a broad range of ideas. So, postmodern literature is defined by attitude of skepticism and characterized by uncertainty.

The concept of postmodernism includes the aspects of contemporary life or history. Jameson finds that the high modernist ideology of agency and individual


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style has collapsed in postmodernism, and that “the producers of culture have

nowhere to turn but to the past: the imitation of dead styles, speech through all the masks and voices stored up in the imaginary museum of a now global culture” (17). It makes postmodern literature intentionally loss the previous idea by bringing a new imaginary of nowadays culture. Despite, a literary work should not only include past but also the relevance to the present. Hutcheon argues that postmodernism is a fundamentally contradictory enterprise: its art forms (and its theory) use and abuse, install and then subvert convention in parodic ways, self-consciously pointing both to their own inherent paradoxes and provisionality and, of course, to

their critical or ironic re-reading of the art of the past (180). In this case, postmodern literature asserts that text may be related with some other past texts.

In addition, postmodernism also emphasizes the diversity of new styles and also its irony. Jecnks asserts that postmodernism is fundamentally the eclectic mixture of any tradition with that of the immediate past; it is both the continuation of Modernism and its transcendence. Its best works are characteristically doubly-coded and ironic, making a feature of the wide choice, conflict and discontinuity of traditions, because the heterogeneity most clearly captures our pluralism (7). The concept of

postmodernism comes within certain characteristics that construct the mixture of any tradition to make a sense of ironic. Postmodern authors build his/her work by using the old forms and genres, and imitating the ideas or style of famous authors in previous work. As John Barth pointed in his essay The Literature of Exhaustion, that


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mentioned by Rezaei in his journal, that postmodern literary work does not pretend to be new and original, but uses the old literary forms, genres, and kinds of literature and art, kitsch, quotation, allusion and other means to recontextualize their meaning in a different linguistic and cultural contexts to show a difference between the past and present as well as between the past and present forms of representation (18). Here, the vision of past and present is presented in the work of postmodern literature when new work can be taken from the old form of past work. As Jameson has claimed that the historical novel can no longer represent the historical past; it can

only “represent” our ideas and stereotypes about the past (24). In this way, Jameson

believes that difference between work in past and the present is tends to represent the different concept of ideas, and present our stereotype about the past.

Despite of it, there are many features in postmodern criticism. Featherstone mentions some features such the effacement of the boundary between art and everyday life; the collapse of the hierarchal distinction between high and

mass/popular culture; a stylistic promiscuity favouring eclecticism and the mixing of codes; parody, pastiche, irony, playfulness and the celebration of the surface

‘depthlessness’ of culture; the decline of the originality/genius of the artistic

producer; and the assumption that art can only be repetition (7). So, one of

postmodern feature is pastiche. As according to Woodcock that postmodern authors also employ metafiction to undermine the writer's authority. “Pastiche, along with other metafictional strategies, has been seen as one element in the wider phenomenon


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of post-modernism” (10). It clearly stated that pastiche also one of the elements that we can see in the postmodern phenomenon.

2.1.2.Pastiche

One of the most significant features or practices in postmodernism today is pastiche (Jameson 4). Pastiche is one of the main features of postmodernism.

According to Jameson, pastiche has overtaken parody in the twentieth century. It has become a major characteristic of postmodernism and an eclectic culture of the

simulacrum and the copy (as cited from http://intertextuality.webs.com/pastiche.htm). By means, nowadays era is characterized by imitation and new style of the works.

Pastiche can be meant imitates, but not copy. As Hoesterey states, the word "pastiche" first occurred and defined in 1677, it means "ni originaux, ni copies" which means neither original, nor copy (5). As in journal of Common Themes and

Techniques of Postmodern Literature of Shakespeare byRamen Sharma and Dr.

Preety Chaudhary, pastiche can be a combination of multiple genres to create a unique narrative or to comment on situations in postmodernity (194). Pastiche means to combine, or paste multiple elements which means combine or mix different styles or genres in order to make a new writing. It implies that a similarity of postmodern literary works consist of different styles, genres in which having an important role in the composition of the book.

Besides of that, pastiche is like a parody, that parody also includes an imitation work. As according to Jameson, pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or


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unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead

language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter" (17). Jameson

describes pastiche similar with parody in the case of its imitation. Both pastiche and parody involve the imitation or, better still, the mimicry of other styles and

particularly of the mannerisms and stylistic twitches of other (Jameson 4). Jameson adds that pastiche is blank parody, parody that has lost its sense of humor: pastiche is to parody what that curious thing, the modern practice of a kind of blank irony, is to what Wayne Booth calls the stable and comic ironies of, say, the 18th century (Jameson 657). It indicates that pastiche is merely less in the sense of humor, irony, satire or a mock.

However, parody and pastiche are key attribute of postmodern culture, whether in literature, film, fashion or design. A parody is a work created to mock or make fun of an original work and also as irony. As in A Theory of Parody, Linda Hutcheon defines parody as "imitation with critical ironic distance, whose irony can be cut both ways," ranging from "scornful ridicule to reverential homage" (37). Essentially, both of pastiche and parody are different. The differentiation is that parody gives critical irony, being humorous or satirical, merely fun or mock the previous work or even jocular, but it also presents the respectability to the previous work. Whereas pastiche tends to imitate the previous work and combine it with other genres or styles.


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Pastiche is prominent in popular culture. Indeed, the Star Wars films by George Lucas are pastiches of 1930s science fiction serials like Flash Gordon (as cited from https://fashion-trends.knoji.com/). As Jameson states in his discussion of nostalgia in postmodernism and pastiche, Fredric Jameson presents Star Wars (1977) as a

nostalgia film. Star Wars reinvents this experience in the form of pastiche: that is, there is no longer any point to a parody of such serials since they are long extinct (Barton & Lampley 54). Here, Jameson gives a sample that a popular work such as

Star Wars is often considered and described into a pastiche.

Pastiche is applied when the work is passing the previous work from its style or mode. Jameson, notes a shift in private styles, whereby instead of creating our own unique styles we look to the past and imitate old, dead styles through pastiche

(Jameson 74). Moreover, its style from the past is innovated in postmodern literature. As in thesis of David Leddy, titled The Corbicula Cycle: Postmodernism and Identity

in On The Edge, Through The Night And In The Shade, Jameson discusses

postmodern culture as being characterised by the cannibalisation of styles from the past and present, by the loss of authentic artistic style in favour of pastiche, and by the breakdown of firm distinctions between high and low culture. Because of that, pastiche would deal with the loss of personal identity, and it also makes a

differentiation between low and high art. As Hasan claims that pastiche relates to in which continuity and discontinuity, high and low culture, mingle not to imitate but to


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expand the past in the present" (172). In pastiche, one work may be categorized as high art, while another one is the low art.

So, pastiche tends to create the new form by combining some styles or genres in one work. Though pastiche imitates the previous form, it does not mean that

historical past is represented, indeed it can only represent the ideas about the past. Thus, in this one of the postmodern feature, pastiche does not pretend to be new or even original, but uses some old genres, or style in order to show the difference between the past and present as well.

From the previous explanation of Fredric Jameson theory of pastiche, it clearly describes how pastiche deals with a literary work itself. Whereas pastiche is on of features in postmodern study. While we know that postmodern tries to reject the old idea or belief. In other hand, pastiche is different from the parody by Linda Hutcheon. Pastiche gives a notion that it builds with combination of styles or even genres. This method tries to reveal that what author has written is an imitation of the previous work that firstly existed, even though when it is seen from the story line or the characters instead.

2.2. Review of Related Literature

Relates to postmodern study, pastiche is one of its focuses. Whereas still few of researchers who conducted the similar research, that there is a lack of analysis regards to the pastiche or even postmodernism used in The Selection. However, there are


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several studies which conducted using pastiche as its literary criticism and theory, but nothing in which used The Selection as a subject of its analysis. There are some similar studies about pastiche which is applied in different novel. Whereas, there are also studies which conducted using novel The Selection, but none of them which is using pastiche as a theory. These studies which relate to this research are conducted within the last few years.

The first is the study from Islamic Azad University wrote by Maedeh Zare’e (2016) with tittle: Pastiche in Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy. This research described the three novels comprising the trilogy City of Glass, Ghosts, and The

Locked Room which retelling the same story. According to researcher, Quinn, Paul

Auster as the author of mystery novels does not have any tangible information about real crime. Therefore, his stories are not real detective ones but kinds of imitation of this genre on which he has no sufficient information. That an imitation in the

detective genre is used by Auster in writing of the whole novel The New York Trilogy

(2015). It was described as a postmodern detective story in which Auster borrows

some elements from detective fiction and uses his own writing to explore the nature and depicts the limitations of the genre, and to ask questions of a more philosophical nature concerning perception, interpretation, and the availability of truth, or meaning. Moreover, this research shows that those three stories are pastiche to each other as they imitate themselves. By means the main characters of three stories are somehow like each other.


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For the novel, The Selection also had been analyzed by I. A. Ika Sarita Dewi from Udayana University in 2016 titled Conflict and Psychological Aspects of

America Singer in the Novel The Selection. This research focused on the conflict and

psychological character of America Singer that applied the theories of Practical

Psychology by Karl S. Bernhart and the theory of conflict by Gail and Myers. This

present study showed that America Singer is introvert and phlegmatic one. It proved by how she can keep something that happens in her life secret and always resolves the problem by herself.

The next research is from Padjajaran University, by Nisa Faridah titled Kewajaran/Naturalness Terjemahan Novel The Selection Karya Kiera Cass

(Naturalness in the Translating Novel of The Selection by Kiera Cass). This study

aimed to determine the application of adjusment in the novel so that the translation remains acceptable and natural to the novel, The Selection. This study used the theory of naturalness proposed by Peter Newmark, that the levels of naturalness are

categorized. These categories include word order, collocation and cognate words in sentences with informal and colloquial styles affect the casual language that used in novel and translation. Based on this study, the research is concluded that the

adjustment made to the translation is to see the emphasis on the target language due to different word order structure, the use of different forms of collocation with the same meaning and the use of cognate word is not equivalent in Indonesian language.


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Whereas the translation of the novel achieve the natural translation because it follows the rule of grammatical in the target language.

Toward the explanation about the theory and previous studies that have

conducted, it can be concluded that the theory and the novel have ever been analyzed by academic students or other researchers. However, none of those studies which analyzed the same novel, The Selection, with same theory, postmodern pastiche by Jameson. Furthermore, this research deals with its differentiation with other previous studies that have conducted.


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CHAPTER III

PASTICHE OF CINDERELLA IN KIERA CASS’THE SELECTION: A

POSTMODERN STUDY

This section contains the analysis that explain the issue stated in the statements of problem in the first chapter. The analysis will be supported by the relevant data from primary and secondary sources as mentioned in method of the study. This analysis is divided into two issues: the first is that general review of both works, The Selection and Cinderella. Whereas second issue is postmodern pastiche of

The Selection including postmodernism of The Selection, repetition aspects and The

Selection as a new style of Cinderella.

3.1. Pastiche of Postmodernism of The Selection

3.1.1.Postmodern Characteristics of The Selection

The Selection is a popular novel which published in 2012. It is considered as a

postmodern literature that has some characteristics. The fact that The Selection is one of postmodern work is proved by some elements.

A. Portrayal of Consumer Society

First characteristic of postmodern work is the stressing of the consumer society through industrial media. Jameson claims that postmodernism often also designated consumer society, media society, information society, electronic society or high tech, and the like (3). In this case, Sharma and Chaudhary in their journal argue that in


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postmodernity people are inundated with information, technology has become a central focus in many lives, for example, Don DeLillo's White Noise presents characters who are bombarded with a "white noise" of television, product brand names, and clichés. In this case, The Selection also presents postmodern characteristic that portrays a consumer society in which they always watch the television show.

It was Friday, so the Ilea Capital Report would be on at eight. We weren’t exactly obligated to watch, but it was unwise to miss it. Even Eightthe homeless, the wanderingwould find a store or a church where they could see

the Report. And with the Selection coming up, the Report was more than a

semi-requirement. Everyone wanted to know what was happening in that department (Cass 38).

Illea Capital Reportis a television show that focuses on Kingdom’s life that all

of the castes always watch. It shows that people of Illea is consumer society whose the media information is important for them. It indicates that The Selection is a representatives of postmodern work in term of society who live in headway of technology and media industry.

B. Depthlessness through Character

Other characteristic is depthlessness through the character. Postmodern works create characters who are not rebellious as modern ones, but they try to reach a certain level of awareness through multi-perspectivism (Kayhan 74). So they

sometimes hopeless, but sometimes hopeful in certain case. Indeed, when America is in the palace, she proposes a society without caste.


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“But before we get to that, I’d like to announce a new project I am working on that is of great importance to me. Having met these ladies, I’ve been exposed to the wide world outside our palace, a world that I rarely get to see. I’ve been told

of its remarkable goodness and made aware of its unimaginable darkness.

Through speaking to these women, I’ve embraced the importance of the masses

outside these walls. I have been woken to the suffering of some of our lower castes, and I intend to do something about it.” (Cass 241)

It indicates that America has reached her level of awareness. That she tends to be a person who intolerant with caste system which the lower castes much feel suffer than upper castes. So, it makes America becomes person who is different. That at first time, she is totally does not care about the caste system, while then she is aware of that.

C. Mixing Genre

Other characteristic of postmodern literature is the blurring or mixing genres. According to Nicol, postmodernist art “favors bricolage or pastiche to original production, the mixing of styles and genres, and the juxtaposition of ‘low’ with high culture. Where modernism is sincere or earnest, postmodernism is playful and ironic” (2). Postmodern literature use the blurring or the mixing of genres as its narrative technique or as its systematic building.

In Cinderella, it presents the utopian fairy tale in its story. It is portrayed the

world whom Grimm imagined as a kind of beauty place where there is a kingdom and its stable society who live there. The portrayal of utopian world also comes from the


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Then the bird threw down a dress of gold and silver, and a pair of slippers embroidered with silk and silver. And in all haste she put on the dress and went to the festival. But her step-mother and sisters did not know her, and thought she must be a foreign Princess, she looked so beautiful in her golden dress. Of Cinderella they never thought at all, and supposed that she was sitting at home, and picking the lentils out of the ashes (Grimm 3)

Thus, utopia in Cinderella means any beautiful place or thing that can happen in the world of the characters live. This is supported by Claeys that claims, if

romance is Cinderella, then utopia is a fairy godmother not just to the heroine but to the whole world (154). Cinderella introduces its utopian world where the place she lives is so wonderful. She gets a beautiful dress by magic, so it can finish her

problem. In addition, she lives in happiness ever after with the prince that also proves the utopian fiction of the story.

And when her wedding with the Prince was appointed to be held the false sisters came, hoping to curry favor, and to take part in the festivities (Grimm 6)

Whereas the world of The Selection is imagined as a worst place to be lived in, that there is a caste system instead of a monarchy. So that The Selection included as dystopia genre because the novel frames the complex issues of the story by giving the imagination and creativity to create the world full of suffer where the society is divided into castes, whereas the castes are depending on one's social and economic status. The caste is represented based on the number. One is the highest caste and contains people like royalty, while Eight is the lowest caste which contains the


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poorest people who do not have means of production or any land such as artist, servant, farmer, or factory worker.

It wasn’t that our situation was so precarious that we were living in fear of

survival or anything. We weren’t destitute. But I guess we weren’t that far off

either.

Our caste was just three away from the bottom. We were artists. And artists and classical musicians were only three steps up from dirt. Literally. Our money was stretched as tight as a high wire, and our income was highly dependent on the changing seasons (Cass 2-3).

As quotation mentioned, the caste of main character is a Five, caste of the artists. Moreover, this caste is only three steps from the bottom and includes to the lower caste. Besides that, her secret love, Aspen, is a Six indicates a servant that must be live invinsible, means that he lives not to be seen and hard to marry with girl from upper caste. In addition the suffering is also portrayed when people in the lower castes like Sixes and Sevens get terrible education, indeed Eights do not get any education instead. Because Five, Six, Seven, Eight represent the lower class, therefore, The Selection portrays injustice of social condition in the country of Ilea.

We were quiet for a moment. I hoped he was taking my words to heart,

realizing that if he didn’t slow down, he’d wear himself out. It wasn’t anything new for a Six, Seven, or Eight to just die of exhaustion. I couldn’t bear that. I

pressed myself even closer to his chest, trying to get the image of it out of my head (Cass 19).


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Different caste also has different profession because the people in lowest castes are often being suffered and hunger. As it is classified into the genre of dystopian fiction is supported by the quotation (as cited from www.medium.com) that the only aspect of Illea that fits the dystopia genre is taking suppression of women into law.

It’s quite obvious that women are valued for only how they can serve their families or

their marriage prospects. In that case, in Illea, a female who gets married, they will take the caste of their husband.

Aspen was a Six. Sixes were servants and only a step up from Sevens in that they were better educated and trained for indoor work. Aspen was smarter than anyone knew and devastatingly handsome, but it was atypical for a woman to marry down. A man from a lower caste could ask for your hand, but it was rare to get a yes. And when anyone married into a different caste, they had to fill out paperwork and wait for something like ninety days before any of the other legal

things you needed could be done. I’d heard more than one person say it was to

give people a chance to change their minds (Cass 15).

So if the caste of a man is lower than woman, the woman will move to the lower caste as the caste of her husband. That is the depiction of dystopian world which indicates The Selection as dystopian genre. The Selection deviates from the older work by adding a sense of awareness of the story around social message or its moral value. Moreover, the social condition in The Selection is clearly depicted and valued than Cinderella which focuses on only to the own self.

Besides dystopia, The Selection is also included as speculative fiction genre. The novel sets in the futuristic world soon after World War IV happened that then, a


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young country rises, named Illea which is the United States several hundred years to the future.

“Yes. The American State of China had the appearance of its original country,

but was merely a facade. The Chinese were pulling strings behind the scenes, influencing any major political happenings, and steering legislation in their

favor.”

Silvia nodded. “And that led to the founding of the country. The alliances the

ASC acquired had formed a united front, and the United States’s reputation was so damaged, no one wanted to readopt that name. So a new nation was formed

under Gregory Illéa’s name and leadership. He saved this country.” (Cass 209

-211)

It indicates that one of the genre of The Selection is speculative fiction. As Thomas notes from Atwood, that speculative fiction depicts "in another time, in another dimension, through a doorway into the spirit world, or on the other side of the threshold that divides the known form the unknown" (8). So, speculative fiction commonly sets in another dimension, means an alternate universe where the readers feel like it is really exist. Moreover, The Selection sets in the future of America in the world where the writer speculates between known to the unknown.

Whereas one issue that is not missed is love story that The Selection mostly presents. The protagonist, America Singer, often appear in love problematic that she gets during entered the selection. The love story develops when America is on the Palace of Illea. America still loves Aspen, but she starts to fall in love with the prince who never she is imagined.


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A month ago, I had looked at the TV and seen a stiff, distant, boring person—

someone I couldn’t imagine anyone loving. And while hewasn’t anything close

to the person I did love, he was worthy of having someone to love in his life (Cass 248).

As from the quotation, America just realized that Maxon is worthy to be loved. Maxon is not like a guy she thought in th TV. Then, she is confused about her

decision in choosing Aspen or Maxon. As she realizes that she does not want to leave Aspen anyway and it is impossible to tell about Maxon that Aspen is in the palace being a guard.

So I couldn’t tell him. I wouldn’t tell him. Because as mad as I was, I loved

Aspen. And I couldn’t bear him being hurt.

Then should I leave? The ambivalence pulled at my heart. I could escape Aspen, get away from his face—a face that would torture me every day when I saw it and knew it was no longer mine. But if I left, I’d have to leave Maxon,

too. And Maxon was my closest friend, maybe even more. I couldn’t just go.

Besides, how would I explain it without telling him Aspen was here? (Cass 277-278).

The quotation showed when America is confused in choosing between Aspen, the one he loved firstly, or Maxon. The protagonist is often portrayed in love

problem, and it is about decision to choose man with a lower caste that now being Two or Maxon, prince of Illea. In other hand, The Selection also indicates as young-adult fiction or genre. This genre is about a young girl or boy who tries to survive or even fight for one she or he loves.


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“’The recent census has confirmed that a single woman between the ages of

sixteen and twenty currently resides in your home. We would like to make

you aware of an upcoming opportunity to honor the great nation of Illéa.’”

(Cass 6-7)

It indicates that this novel is addressed to young adult reader that the problematic of life as presented in novel is categorized as that age. As according to Smith that another powerful spark in young adult literature is the drive to protect and provide for loved ones. America, the main character in Kiera Cass' The Selection, enters a competition. She competes to earn money for her family. The better she does, the more money her family receives. America's choices are driven by the needs of her loved ones (28). America is asked by her mother and her love, Aspen, to enter the selection, so she decides to try it.

“Wow, Mom.” I shook my head, still in shock. “Okay, I’ll fill out the form today. Are you serious about the money?”

“Of course. Sooner or later you’d go out on your own anyway. And being responsible for your own money will be good for you. Only, don’t forget your

family, please. We still need you” (27).

From the quotation, America’s family really need her. Her mother thinks that

the only way to solve the problem is by entering the selection. Thus, the only way she

can provide her family and comply with Aspen’s wish is by entering the selection.

Therefore, it proves that America is a young girl who wants to do anything for one she loves.


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Due to the fact that despite The Selection has mixed those various genres so it includes to the postmodern literature. Therefore, postmodern work stresses to the characteristics such as the portrayal of consumer society through industrial media, the depthlessness through the character that centered attention is to certain level of awareness of the character, and the mixing genres that The Selection has. Those are the evident that The Selection can be classified as postmodern literature. Whereas The

Selection as pastiche of Cinderella is seen from its repetition aspects as further

analyze in the following section of the paper.

3.1.2.Repetition Aspects of The Selection

Pastiche involves the imitation or the mimicry of other styles and particularly of the mannerisms and stylistic twitches of other styles. As according to Hoesterey, although we tend to understand pastiche as a complex contemporary phenomenon, it is most simply defined as ―a literary, artistic, or musical work that closely and usually deliberately imitates the style of a previous work (ix). From that quotation, pastiche presents the repetition as new one imitates the older or previous one, and also how the new one represents a new style. In The Selection, theory of postmodern pastiche can be applied from the form and content of the story. Therefore, The

Selection demonstrates an imitation of Cinderella storywhich contains the repetition


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wants to be prince’s bride, the society who is led by king, and also perspective of the

novel which is written from the female character. A. The Festival

Cinderella is one of famous fairy tale in the world, so it is a familiar story for

many people. As according to Silvey, the story of Cinderella, in all its many

variations, is one of the world's best-known fairy tale. In its most familiar form, the story begins with a beloved daughter who suffers the death of her mother and,

through her father's remarriage (138). As a famous work, Cinderella is also known as a story of unfortunate girl who really wants to come to the royal ball or a festival of a prince who looks for a bride.

“What! You Cinderella!” said she, “in all your dust and dirt, you want to go to the festival! you that have no dress and no shoes! You want to dance!” But as she persisted in asking, at last the stepmother said, “I have strewed a dishful of

lentils in the ashes, and if you can pick them all up again in two hours you may

go with us.” (Grimm 2).

In this novel, Cinderella as the main character wants to join the festival. The festival is held for all girls who want to join the royal ball in the palace in order to

win prince’s heart. In this form, The Selection adopts the story of Cinderella by repeating the story of an event that is held for girls who then compete to win the

prince’s heart and becomes his bride or princess. Yet, in The Selection, the name of

this event called the selection. It tells a prince who named Maxon invites eligible girls from all provinces to fill the form for joining this competition.


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“‘Our beloved prince, Maxon Schreave,’” Mom continued, “‘is coming of age

this month. As he ventures into this new part of his life, he hopes to move forward with a partner, to marry a true Daughter of Illéa. If your eligible

daughter, sister, or charge is interested in possibly becoming the bride of Prince Maxon and the adored princess of Illéa, please fill out the enclosed form and return it to your local Province Services Office. One woman from each province will be drawn at random to meet the prince (Cass 7).

This novel portrays the main character,America Singer, who decides to compete the selection. The selection is a contest to look for a girl who can win the

heart of Illéa’s prince, Maxon, and other reason is to keep the country is moral up by

being the next queen. As Seifert notes that The Selection is about America Singer, a young girl who is selected to compete in a highly publicized Bachelorette-style pageants in which teen girls try to win a chance at becoming Prince Maxon's bride (58). Illea is a country that is led by a king who searching for a bride for his son. It tells that America Singer, a sixteen-year-old girl, is confused to compete the selection firstly.

Princesses born into the royal family were sold off into marriage in an attempt to solidify our young relations with other countries. I understood why it was done—we needed allies. But I didn’t like it. I hadn’t had to see such a thing, and I hoped I never would. The royal family hadn’t produced a princess in three generations. Princes, however, married women of the people to keep up the morale of our sometimes volatile nation. I think the Selection was meant to draw us together and remind everyone that Illéa itself was born out of next to nothing (Cass 7).


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It clearly describes that both of The Selection and Cinderella point the story to the competition for many girls who want to be the winner of become a princess even though the way of both works are different. In Cinderella, the competition is not as complicated as The Selection.The Selection has its own prerequisite in choosing a

girl, not only for the one who win prince’s heart, but she has to be a powerful girl

who then becomes a queen that also saves the country by her wisdom. As from the quotation, however, the complicated conflict is presented when it is mentioned that Ilea in critical situation. Whereas the way to solve this situation is by marriaging

Ilea’s princess with prince fom other country in order to get the allies. Unfortunately,

royal family hadn’t produced a princess in three generations. Thus, the prince has to marry with selected girl in order to keep the country’s moral up who then being a

queen by holding this competition B. Female Character

Other repetition of the story is that both works focus on female character who becomes main character in the story. In Cinderella, it tells that she is an unfortunate

girl whom father marries with woman who has two daughters. Thus, Ciderella’s life

has changed, her step mother and her step daughters treat her bad and make her as a kitchenmaid. Moreover, the name of Cinderella is given by them because she always looks dirty and sleeps in the cinders.

In the evenings, when she was quite tired out with her hard day’s work, she has


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because she always looked dusty and dirty, as if she had slept in the cinders, they named her Cinderella. (Grimm 2)

Even though Cinderella is an unfortunate girl in the beginning of the story, but

in the last of the story she wins prince’s hearth and becomes a princess. So, this story

tends to be seen from the perspective of female character, Cinderella. On the other hand, The Selection also focuses to the female character who competes the selection,

a name of competition to win prince’s hearth. Unfortunately, America as the main

character does not have any sake to join that competition.

When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her

brilliant plan was me. I didn’t think I was particularly disobedient daughter, but this was where I drew the line. I didn’t want to be royalty. And I didn’t want to be a one. I didn’t even want to try (Cass 1).

It tells that her family, especially her mother, really wants if America joins the opportunity to meet prince Maxon. If Cinderella wants to come to the festival by her wish, but America competes the selection as her family sake. In the beginning of the story, America is not really interested to join the selection because she already has her secret love with Aspen, and does not like the prince. So, the story describes about America who then decides to join the competition that at the first time she thinks it will help her family.

“Would it kill you to fill out the form?” she said, no longer able to contain herself. “The Selection could be a wonderful opportunity for you, for all of us.”


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America is not interested to join the selection, but her mother asks her to at least try it. It shows that both works offer a point of view of female character about to

join the festival or competition. Even though, between America and Cinderella’s

sakes are different. The both novels tend to point the fiction to a girl who unravels her problem or conflict. In The Selection, it is narrated that America faces more harder conflicts than Cinderella does.

C. Monarchy System

Other repetition is that the background of the society where the system of government is monarchy. As we know that monarchy is a system of goverment in which a family or called royal family to control the country. In Cinderella, beyond that, monarchy is portrayed as fantasy where the background of society is stable because there is a great power that can guard them. This power is represented when the kingdom is the only hope for Cinderella to change her life.

The King’s son came to meet her, and took her by the hand and danced with

her, and he refused to stand up with anyone else, so that he might not be obliged to let go her hand; and when any one came to claim it he answered,

“She is my partner.” (Grimm 4)

The place where Cinderella lives is in the kingdom where there is a king who leads the country. Thus, it is identical with monarchy system which usually a king who becomes the one who leads the society. However, The Selection is also


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interesting to make its story sets in monarchy where the king is the one who has the power in country.

The king was already talking, but I had to know.

“Mom?” I whispered, trying not to distract Dad. “Yes?”

“The queen … what was she? Her caste, I mean.” Mom smiled at my interest. “A Four.”

As from the quotation, it finds that The Selection also imitates the monarch system of Cinderella. However, he novel emphasizes the society who obedient to king who leads them, yet The Selection preserves a repressive class system under the monarchy by divided it into different castes. From here, the power is also represented when America is hanging on her hope on kingom that can change her family life.

3.2. Elements of Deviation

Besides pastiche is described of how The Selection imitates some elements of

Cinderella, the novel also combines other elements in order to make the novel into a

new style. This combination of other elements make The Selection deviates from the older work, Cinderella. The combination of many elements encourages the

complexity of The Selection.

A. Different Personality of Female Character

Another element that makes The Selection deviates from Cinderella is new personality of the main character. Indeed, to give a new imaginary of Cinderella, The


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to come to the festival or royal ball to meet a Prince, different with America who does not want to join the competition. Cinderella is so weak, she cannot fight for her sake. She just cries of what she cannot do and rely on a hope.

Then the maiden went to the back-door that led into the garden, and called out,

“O gentle doves, O turtle-doves, And all the birds that be, The lentils that in ashes lie Come and pick up for me! The good must be put in the dish, The bad

you may eat if you wish.” (Grimm 2).

It indicates that Cinderella is less in effort and cannot strive of what she wants. Cinderella only cries and cannot stand up for herself. Whereas America is an

initiative young-girl. It is proved by the reasons she joins to the selection. However, Kiera Cass frames America Singer as a girl who joining the competition as her

family’s sake not an individual sake like Cinderella. In this sense, America joins the selection to get money in order to provide her family and also to comply with her

boyfriend’s wish.

I didn’t see the sum, but it made her eyes well. I was miserable at the idea of

leaving, but I was sure if I went there only to be sent back the next day, this check alone would provide us with enough money for a very comfortable year. And when I got back, everyone would want me to sing. I’d have plenty of work. But would I be allowed to sing as a Three? If I had to pick one of the

career paths of a Three, I think I’d teach. Maybe I could at least help others

learn music (Cass 64).

In this case, America makes sure herself that joining the selection can help her family in finance, even when she gets back she cannot sing anymore. So, America


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Singer is seen as someone with independence, ambition, and initiative to help her family. In addition, it is not merely America’s sake to be a princess or even falls in love with a prince, but she has her own reasons in joining the competition.

Her effort does not stop in only joining the selection, she also has her own way to survive on that competition. She makes a deal with prince Maxon, a

well-mannered boy who less experience with girls, a friendship. She explains how much the competition means to her family and she will help him to navigate through all the women who compete the selection.

“Wouldn’t it be much better for you if you had someone on the inside? Someone to help? Like, you know, a friend?”

“A friend?” he asked.

“Yes. Let me stay, and I’ll help you. I’ll be your friend.” He smiled at the

words.

“You don’t have to worry about pursuing me. You already know that I don’t have feelings for you. But you can talk to me anytime you like, and I’ll try and

help. You said last night that you were looking for a confidante. Well, until you

find one for good, I could be that person. If you want.” (Cass 130)

The quotation proves that America is more initiative than Cinderella. She can stand up for herself with any other help. America is described as very different

personality to Cinderella who still needs other help. In addition, the new imaginary of Cinderella is presented through the treatment of nowadays image that is more

realistic. It appears when America tries to express herself to become a strong lady and deserve to maintain her position in Ilea palace. Moreover, she also tries to not let


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anyone stops her, she will defense herself. It is different with the older one,

Cinderella that she is really weak in facing the problem.

“Shut up. Take off the dress. Now.”

I stood there, my face set, refusing to budge. Celeste was just going to have to get over not being the center of Illéa.

“I could take it off for you,” she offered coldly.

“I’m not afraid of you, Celeste,” I said as I crossed my arms. “This dress was made for me, and I’m going to wear it. Next time you pick out your clothes,

maybe you should try being yourself instead of me. Oh, wait, but maybe then

Maxon would see what a brat you are and send you home, huh?” (Cass 239)

America is a stronger girl who can defense on any situation. She will not let anyone stops her. If Cinderella depicts as a weak girl who hope magic thing happens, different with America who can handle anything by her way. Moreover, Kiera Cass images America as a unified individual subject who possesses the ability to express thoughts and ideas rather than a weak one who less in power like Cinderella.

“But before we get to that, I’d like to announce a new project I am working on that is of great importance to me.”

What?

“It will be at least three months before we can set this up properly, but around

the new year, there will be public assistance for food in every Province Services Office. Any Five, Six, Seven, or Eight may go there any evening for a free, nutritious meal. Please know that these women before you have all sacrificed some or all of their compensation to help fund this important program. And while this assistance may not be able to last forever, we will keep it running as


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America proposes a project so that the lower castes such a Five, Six, Seven and Eight can get a nutritious meal as what upper castes get. The personality of America is quite different with Cinderella. Even like that, America Singer is still as other image of Cinderella as a character. So that the novel intends to complicate the prevailing image of America Singer that survives today through the complex problematic than Cinderella has. So that The Selection can be classified as a new trend of postmodern work because the novel serves nowadays problematic image of Cinderella that gives relativity for the readers that persist in more realist condition. B. Reality Television Show

Kiera Cass has a premise that involves reality television show in improving the idea of the novel. It develops the story by giving entertainment form in order to deviate from the original work. The Selection tries to give another feature in the content of the story, the reality television show during the competition.

Once we were all settled the TV was turned on, and we watched the Report. There were the same announcements as ever—budget updates for projects, progress of the war, and another rebel attack in the East—and then the last half hour was Gavril making commentary over footage of our day. (Cass 101)

This television reality is called Illea Capital Report that also shows the condition in palace and report during the competition. With the presence of reality television show, it makes The Selection gives portrayal of consumer society that all


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four series as mentioned above. Thus, The Selection emphasizes and presents the new mode through the many elements as have mentioned in order to deviate it from the older work, Cinderella.

Afterwards, this novel presents the repetition aspects in order to make the novel classifiable as a pastiche. This novel legitimizes the technique of pastiche writing as we seen in postmodern works. This is evidenced by the fact that despite the

similarities to previous work, Cinderella. This novel has more values and complexities in which pastiche can be used in this novel.

In addition, The Selection is able to appropriate the representational mode of pastiche as well as construct the story in being more complex than the older or the previous one. Therefore, the access to the past is through problematic representations that The Selection constructs from Cinderella in the present. Deviating the old with the new one, The Selection emphasizes a new style of writing by combining some other elements which can be known from the mixing genre, different personality of previous character, element of entertainment through reality television show, war theme, fashion feature that nowadays literature commonly included, and the last is changing form from the short story into a novel series.


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CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION

As from the result of the data analysis which described in the chapter III, this research will be concluded based on formulated research questions that will be separated into two points. First is about how The Selection complies with Jameson’s theory of pastiche that involves the imitation of previous or older work. Then, the second is how The Selection deviates from Cinderella as the older work, so it represents a new style.

Firstly, this research uses pastiche theory of postmodernism by Fredric Jameson in order to know to what extent The Selection complies with its theory. The question is centered to answer whether The Selection by Kiera Cass is an imitation work of Cinderella by Grimms brother. Then from the research analysis, it is found the evidences of The Selection as a postmodern literature, including the mixing genres, portrayal of consumer society, and depthlessness through the character. Besides, pastiche of The Selection is also proved by some repetition aspects as main ideas of the older work, Cinderella. These aspects are the festival where the girls compete each

other in order to being a prince’s bride or become a princess, the female character as a

main character of the story, and the background of the society which sets in monarch system.


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Secondly, this research found how The Selection deviates from Cinderella as the older work in order to make the novel into a new style. It consists of some adding elements or features. First is that The Selection signifies the different character from Cinderella. America Singer is a new imaginary of Cinderella who has strong character. It can be seen from the way they face the problem. America is more independence than Cinderella, she can defense herself and more easy in expressing her thought than

Cinderella’s as we know. Third is reality television show, its feature improves the idea

that the novel has. The portrayal of consumer society that makes the element of entertainment cannot be left in dystopian novel. Forth is that war theme, that the novel depicts the society in attack or rebel during the selection, so it makes different sense of the novel in deviating Cinderella. The next is the element of fashion that the novel tries to give better image of the society by giving an outrageous sense of style and fashion as other American novels that also giving this element, so it becomes common. Then, the last is the changing of form, short story to novel. Cinderella is a famous work which is in form of short story, whereas The Selection is a novel.

However, The Selection emphasizes and presents new mode and style through many elements as have mentioned. The novel proves as postmodern literature because of some characteristics and presents the repetition aspects to make the novel classifiable as pastiche of postmodernism. Then, it improves some elements or features in deviating Cinderella, so the novel has more complexity than the older one.


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