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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO
Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO
Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
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Why do we fall?
So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up.
(Alfred Pennyworth)
WHAT DOESN’T KILL US
ONLY MAKES US STRONGER
It’s not who I am underneath.
But what I do that defines me.
(Batman)
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This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
- my beloved parents
- my little brother
- my red_diva
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Allah SWT for His blessing and grace He
give me every time. He is the One who could make all of this happens.
My deep gratitude is for my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka,
M.Hum., for his time and guidance in helping me finish this undergraduate thesis.
My gratitude is also for Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A., my co-advisor, in
helping me by giving me some corrections and advises to complete my thesis
writing. This thesis will not be complete without her suggestions.
My deepest gratitude is especially for my parents for all love, time,
patience, support, and prayer all the time. Thank you for always loving me. Of the
superheroes I know, they are my real superheroes. I also thank my brother for the
support he gives. Keep on fighting, bro....
I would like to thank my lovely Red_Diva, for the love we share. She’s
always been there in my happy and hard time.
For Anto, thank you for your support and motivation. Let’s rock the world,
bro..!! And show who the boss is. Thanks to Anggie, for your help and kindness. I
could not make it without you.
I like to thank F2 Community, especially Guspay, Jambrong, Soejab,
Simbah, Bemby, Andy, Budi, Iqbal and late Emon. Let’s prove we are harder
than the rock. Hail the pain, guys....
I like to thank to the people who underestimate me, to the people who see
me as a small stone among the rock. I have proven you are wrong.
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I like to thank to Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, limpbizkit,
koRn, Story of the Year, and Captain Jack for the music they made that
accompany me finishing this thesis. They are my sucking fhit. I am a big fan of
you, guys...
Thank you for all the people who I cannot mention one by one who have
helped me in writing this thesis. God bless you all.
Last but not least, to 2003 English Letters: Dodi, Wedhuz, Yerri,
Bendhol, Sushit, Boim, Nitnot, Bayu, Cosmas, Kosep, thank you for all the
memories.
Setio Putro Mardiko
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………… i
APPROVAL PAGE…..................................................................................... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………..………...... iii
MOTTO PAGE…………………………………………..………………...... iv
DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………..…….…... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…...………………………………..………...… vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………... vii
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………... viii
ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………………. ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………......….
A. Background of the Study……………………………………….....
B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………...
C. Objectives of the Study……………………………………………
D. Definition Terms…………………………………………………..
1
1
6
7
7
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW……………………………...…
A. Review of Related Studies………………………………………....
B. Review of Related Theories……………………………………….
1. Theory on Character and Characterization……………………...
2. Theory of Symbolism…………………………………………...
3. Theory of American Dream……………………………………..
C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s – 1930s……...
D. Theoretical Framework…………………………………………….
9
9
12
12
14
16
19
22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………...
A. Object of the Study………………………………………………..
B. Approach of the Study………….…………………………………
C. Method of the Study…………………………………….…………
24
24
26
26
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………………… 28
A. The Characteristics of Batman……………………………………. 28
B. The Significance of Batman in American Society………………... 39
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………………………………………..……. 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………. 56
APPENDIX: Summary of Batman Begins……………………………….…. 59
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ABSTRACT
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society:
A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Batman Begins is the 5th Batman movie since 1989. The character of
Batman is based on its comics strips. The story of Batman Begins was written on
its movie script tells about a man who turns himself to be a crime fighter named
Batman after he witnesses the murder of his parents which takes place in front of
him when he was a child.
In this thesis, which analyzes Batman Begins movie script, there are two
questions formulated as the guidelines in the research. The first question is to
explore the characteristics of Batman. The second is to find out the significance of
Batman in American Society.
The writer applies the socio-historical approach in analyzing Batman
Begins movie script as the object of the study. This library research is supported
by the books, articles, and other related sources.
The analysis shows that the characteristics of Batman are built from his
childhood memory of the murder of his parents that took place in front of him.
This incident makes Bruce Wayne has a will to fight the crimes and injustice in
Gotham City. Bruce turns himself to be a crime fighter named Batman as the
symbol of his will. Talking about the representation of Batman in American
society is also talking about Bruce Wayne as Batman’s alter ego. The significance
of Batman in American Society is the representation of hopes and dream of the
Americans which is well known as the American Dream and we can see them
through Batman and Bruce Wayne. In this thesis, American Dream is described as
a successful and satisfying life which is translated as economic prosperity, having
the technology and gadgets, and automobiles.
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ABSTRAK
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society:
A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Batman Begins adalah film Batman kelima sejak 1989. Karakter Batman
berdasarkan komik tentang Batman. Cerita dalam Batman Begins yang tertulis
pada naskah filmnya bercerita tentang seseorang yang berubah menjadi seorang
pembasmi kejahatan setelah dia menyaksikan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya
yang terjadi di depan matanya saat dia masih kecil.
Di dalam skripsi ini, yang menganalisa naskah film Batman Begins, ada
dua pertanyaan yang dirumuskan sebagai panduan dalam penelitian. Pertanyaan
pertama adalah untuk menggali karakteristik Batman. Pertanyaan kedua adalah
untuk menemukan arti dari keberadaan Batman di dalam masyarakat Amerika.
Penulis menggunakan pendekatan sosio-historikal dalam menganalisa
naskah film Batman Begins sebagai obyek studi. Studi pustaka ini didukung
dengan buku – buku dan artikel – artikel sebagai sumber kedua.
Analisis menunjukan bahwa karakteristik Batman terbentuk dari kenangan
masa kecilnya akan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya yang terjadi di depan
matanya. Peristiwa ini membuat Bruce Wayne mempunyai keinginan untuk
membasmi kejahatan dan ketidakadilan di kota Gotham. Bruce mengubah dirinya
menjadi seorang pembasmi kejahatan bernama Batman sebagai sebuah simbol dari
keinginannya tersebut. Berbicara tentang keberadaan Batman juga berbicara
tentang Bruce Wayne sebagai alter ego dari Batman. Arti dari keberadaan Batman
di dalam masyarakat Amerika adalah sebagai sebuah simbol dari harapan dan
impian dari mayarakat Amerika yang dikenal dengan American Dream dan kita
dapat melihat hal tersebut melalui Batman dan Bruce Wayne. Di dalam skripsi ini,
American Dream dijabarkan sebagai sebuah kehidupan yang nyaman dan sukses
yang diartikan sebagai kesuksesan di bidang ekonomi, memiliki teknologi dan
peralatan yang berguna, dan kendaraan bermotor.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature cannot be separated from the life of human beings. Generally,
literature describes the reality of human life. In other words, literature is an
imitation of human life. Literary works usually tell about politics, economy, social
life, and culture which are happened in the era when those works are written.
Literary works contain many things which can be analyzed or studied.
There must be some things which we can learn about in them. Literature itself is
any kind of writing that, for certain reasons certain people value highly. Literature
also can be said as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. Or
imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value.
The kind of literary works themselves are poem, play or drama, novel,
short story. In much, if not all of the world, texts can be oral as well, and include
such genres as epic, legend, myth, ballad, plus other forms of oral poetry, and the
folktale.
At this time, there is a new “form” of literature becoming a part of popular
culture in society which is called comics, although there are still so many debates
on the problem whether comics can be regarded as literary works or not. Comics
is a kind of popular culture which can easily be found in our society.
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In www.arroweducation.org, popular culture or pop culture is defined as a
shared set of practices and beliefs that have attained global acceptance and which
can be normally characterized by: being associated with commercial products;
developing from local to national to global acceptance; allowing consumers to
have widespread access and are constantly changing and evolving.
Pop culture is one of the matters which are in the cultural studies. In his
book, The Cultural Studies Reader, Simon During states that cultural studies is, of
course, the study of culture, or, more particularly, the study of contemporary
culture. But this does not take us very far. Even assuming that we know precisely
what “contemporary culture” is, it can be analyzed in many ways- sociologically,
for instance, by “objectively” describing its institutions and functions as if they
belong to a large, regulated system; or economically, by describing the effects of
investment and marketing on cultural production. (During, 1993: 1)
What are contained in pop culture are like comics, fashion, music, sport,
film, and video game. The world of pop culture had a particular influence on art
from the early 1960s, through Pop art. It is characterized by themes and
techniques drawn from popular mass culture, such as advertising and comics
books.
Comics itself has great effects for the people; especially they who love to
read it. Those people also have the activities with comics as the object, like
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collecting. Comics can also inspire to do the great things, like make a movie based
on the story of a comics or just the characters contained in it.
There are so many movies making based on comics, like Superman,
Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Punisher,
Daredevil, Catwoman, X-Men, and Hellboy.
Besides based on other works exist before which inspire a scriptwriter or a
director to make a movie, sometimes the story of a movie is closely related to the
social reality. It is often used by the scriptwriters and the directors to give the
description about the social phenomena and often bound up with the history when
the stories made and it can also be analyzed through cultural studies.
The definition of film is a form of entertainment that enacts a story by
sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement.
In making a movie, there are many things to be prepared well to result a
good movie. One of them is movie script to make a movie flows like what its
director wants.
Movie script or screenplay is the written text that provides the basis for a
film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by the
characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film's action. Screenplays may be
adapted from novels or stage plays or developed from original ideas suggested by
the screenwriters or their collaborators. They generally pass through multiple
revisions, and screenwriters are called on to incorporate suggestions from
directors, producers, and others involved in the filmmaking process. Early drafts
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often include only brief suggestions for planned shots, but by the date of
production a screenplay may evolve into a detailed shooting script, in which
action and gestures are explicitly stated.
A movie script becomes one of the most important things which is really needed
to be made as good as possible to make the story in it flows well.
A movie script or a screenplay actually is same with the drama or play: all
of them made to be performed. A movie script has the similar structure with a
drama script. The difference is, the movie script is performed in form of movie
which is produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by
creating images using animation techniques or special effects, than play or drama
is performed on the stage and watched live.
Sometimes, a movie script is made based on the history, a social and or
society phenomena. For that reason there are so many movies which are made
based on the true story or real event.
History and social and society phenomena can also inspire someone to
create something which reflects the idea of someone, like what Christopher Nolan
and David S. Goyer did for their movie, Batman Begins (although most of people
regard David S. Goyer who wrote the movie script).
They made that movie based on Bob Kane and Bill Finger who were the
creators of a super hero named Batman (in this thesis, Batman will be called as a
crime fighter, not a super hero because Batman does not have a kind of super
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power like the other superheroes) in form of comics in 1939. Although, only Bob
Kane who has the official credit of Batman and known as Batman’s creator.
Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer wrote Batman Begins movie based
on and inspired by the social phenomena happened in American society. It is not
first movie which is made based on what the phenomena happened in society.
There are several movies based on Batman character, such as in the
animated series of DC universe, like in Batman: The Animated Series. Batman
also appears in the silver screen movies, like Batman and Batman Returns which
were directed by Tim Burton and Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were
directed by Joel Schumacher. For the last movie, Batman Begins, it was directed
by Christopher Nolan and the movie script was written by David S. Goyer and
Christopher Nolan.
Although it is the 5th live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is
neither a prequel nor a sequel to either the previous Tim Burton or Joel
Schumacher movies, the previous directors of Batman movies, but rather a reboot
into its own movie franchise. The film was both a critical and financial success.
The character of Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill
Finger, though Kane often receives credit as the sole creator. The character first
appeared in Detective Comics #27 (1939) and later became popular enough to
spawn his own books.
What the writer does in this thesis is his admiration about Batman as a
unique super hero (crime fighter) because he does not have super power. He trains
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his human abilities, learned the martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape
artistry which later will be his “weapons” in fighting the crimes.
Batman has provided many of the core story arcs for the DC brand since
his creation. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no super
powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money,
inventiveness and detective skills to beat his opponents. A regular member
of the Justice League, though not a founder, he makes up for his lack of
super powers with a library of information and weaknesses of numerous
villains and his team mates should they ever go rogue.
From quotation above, we can conclude that Batman is more suitable to be
called as a crime fighter. Batman is also the result from what has been
experienced by his persona (Bruce Wayne) in the past and the result of his feeling
about life in Gotham City. Batman becomes the symbol used by Bruce Wayne to
realize what he wants to do toward Gotham City.
Batman Begins movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S.
Goyer becomes the object of this thesis which discusses about the character of
Bruce Wayne as the main character in Batman Begins movie and the use of “bat”
as his crime fighter’s symbol. This thesis also discusses about representation of
Batman in American life, like how Batman reflects the American Dream and
Batman as the myth in American life.
B. Problem Formulation
These are the problems or questions which are formulated on this
undergraduate thesis:
1. How is Batman characterized in Batman Begins?
2. What is the significance of Batman in American Society?
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C. Objectives of the Study
From this thesis we can know about the intrinsic elements contained in
Batman Begins, like how Batman is characterized in Batman Begins and the
significance of the symbol “bat” for him. This thesis also discuses about the
extrinsic element in this movie: what the significance of Batman in American
Society is.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Crime fighter
Crime fighter is a commonly used to refer to the superheroes without such
powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
Batman is a unique superhero, therefore he is called a crime fighter. A
crime fighter can also be regarded as a superhero with no superhuman powers or
abilities. Batman is the example. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no
super powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money,
inventiveness and detective skills to fight the crimes and the injustice.
Batman uses what he got from his physical traits, not the power of a
superhuman, to fight the crime. And he supports himself with the advanced and
modern technology and gadgets.
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2. American Dream
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, American Dream is the
U.S. ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to
aspire to high attainment and material success (2002: 45). We can say that
American Dream is about the equality of opportunity had by every single
American to gain a successful life.
In his The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams states that American
Dream is a dream of land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for
everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.
American Dream is not a dram of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream
of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the
fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for
what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.
On the other words, American Dream is dreams and or hopes that people
in America try to pursue and seize in order to gain better life and standard of
living.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many people discuss is about Batman and the other super heroes
(actually we can not say that Batman is a super hero because he has no super
power). A super hero is a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman
powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.
For that reason, in this thesis Batman will be called as a crime fighter, not
a superhero.
Like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Green Lantern,
Flash, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Hawkman, Power Girl, Wolverine, XMen, Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel, and another super heroes and crimes
fighters comics-based also discussed by people like in www.dccomics.com,
www.kafegaul.com, www.comicvine.com, or the other sites which discuss those
objects which actually based on characters from the comics, which most of them
are from Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Batman is one of the most discussed super hero characters by many people
who like this character. They like to discuss him because they think Batman is a
character with mysterious background and history. They think that Batman’s
character is so “dark”. It can be seen from Batman’s name given by DC Comics,
“The Dark Knight”.
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Batman Begins is also discussed by critics around the world. They criticize
the movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer.
Srinivas Kanchibhotla, in her article titled “Some Ramblings on Batman
Begins” posted in www.idlebrain.com says “Batman, is none of the above chose to
become a super hero. The powers that came with the territory came naturally to
them, either congenitally or accidentally. Nobody has worked for them and
nobody has wished upon them. This fundamental difference separates Batman
from the rest. The only thing that ties him with the rest of the group is his mystic
outfit during the hour of duty. He is as human as the one next to him.”
She tells that Batman is just a human who has no super power like the
other heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Hulk, Daredevil, X-Men, and
Fantastic 4. He gains his “power” from training his physical abilities, learning
martial arts, technologies supports in fighting crimes in Gotham City.
Kanchibhotla adds that Christopher Nolan (the co-writer along with David
Goyer, and the director) pegs his entire script on this believability factor and
makes Batman as human and as normal as can cinematically be possible, stripping
him off the excesses that usually accompany, and naturally encumber, the super
heroes. It means that Batman is described as a human with no super power who
fights the crimes in his city. This movie counts heavily on Batman’s human side
as Bruce Wayne as his alter-ego than Batman’s crime fighter side who fights the
criminals.
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Kanchibhotla wants to say that Batman is result of what is happening in
his society and finds the way to fight the injustice around him. Although at the
first time he is confused to choose the legal way or the illegal one to fight it.
The movie itself repeatedly stresses the human side of Batman, reminding
us that he has no super powers, just skill, wits and an ability to manipulate fear,
which is one of the film's themes. A lot of attention is also paid to the
accoutrements of the legend and how the suit, the cape, the car, the cave came to
be.
Clint Morris has his own idea in criticizing the script in his article titled
“Script Review: Batman Begins” posted in www.moviehole.net.
“…a good back-story is what will always keep an audience glued to the
screen (Most of us remember the De Niro flashback scenes from
‘Godfather Part II’ as being the guts of the flick) and Goyer’s fleshed this
one out better than a butcher would edible chook….the script immediately
seems more interested in telling us about the man behind the cowl rather
than
the
well-attired
Caped
Crusader
himself.”
Morris wants to tell that Batman Begins is a movie based on Batman
comics (in this article he says that Batman Begins is based on Frank Miller's
Batman: Year One). Batman Begins tells about a person witnesses the murder of
his parents in front of him when he was a child. Then he turns to be a crime
fighter after trained his physical abilities and supported by his richness to get the
gadgets and technologies, and fights the crimes in his Gotham City. In the end of
his article, Morris says that Batman Begins is going to be the best “Batman”
movie ever.
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B. Review of Related Theories
In analyzing Batman Begins movie script, the writer applies three theories.
They are theory on character and characterization, theory of symbol, and theory of
American Dream.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
Character is an important element in the literary work. It has a big role to
make a literary work alive and interesting. Character in fiction is indeed imaginary
person. However, Rohrberger states that characters must be credible; that is,
readers must accept them as believable person (1971: 20). Imaginary or fictional
characters have physical appearance as real human being, have feeling, carry out
actions, and experience problems, conflicts, and even development. Thereby,
readers can accept them as believable people.
In his A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as a person
in dramatic or narrative work endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that
are expressed in what they say, i.e., the dialogue, and what they do, i.e., the action.
The grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and
actions constitute his motivation (1981: 20).
Stanton has his own idea about making his characters understandable. First
is by giving his character a name will be helpful to the readers to understand the
character, because sometimes, in some works, the sound of the name fits the
character. Second, it is usually more important, is an explicit description and
comment of the author to the character. This personal description will help the
author and the reader visualize the person and understand his character. Next way
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is other characters attitude, even the minor ones, to the person in a story.
Obviously, their attitudes toward a major character are important. Not so
obviously, their similarities to or differences from him help to define most
significant traits. The last and the most important way is known through the
dialogue and behavior from the person himself (1965: 17-18).
M. J. Murphy, in his An Understanding Unseen (1972: 161-173), states
that to present characters in a narrative or dramatic works, an author may use the
ways a character portrayal which is often known as characterization.
According Baldick, characterization is the representation of persons in
narrative or dramatic works which may include direct methods like the
attributions of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect (or ‘dramatic’)
methods inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech, or
appearance (1991).
Murphy mentions nine ways to establish a character understandable and
lively for the readers.
a. Personal description. The author gives detailed description of the physical
appearance to the person’s character. This will help the reader to have a
visualization of the person’s characters as well.
b. Characters as seen by another. The author described a person by using
another character’s sights and opinion. These can be helpful ways to give the
reader a reflected image of the character.
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c. Speech. Through this way, other’s opinion n and conversation can reveal what
kind of character he/ she has. So the reader can get some clues which are
related to the character.
d. Past life. A description of someone’s past life more or less can help to shape
his character. The author can give this life’s description through his direct
comment, he person’s conversation and thought, or uses the other person or
medium.
e. Conversation of others. Through the conversation of others, the reader can get
some clues which are related to the person they speak about.
f. Reactions. Through the reaction in facing various situations and events, the
reader can get some clues to understand the person’s character.
g. Direct comment. Through his own statement, the author can directly give
descriptions or comments on a person’s character.
h. Thoughts. Through other person’s thoughts, the author gives the readers
knowledge of the person’s character.
i. Mannerism. The reader can understand the person’s character by the author’s
description of the person’s manners, habits, behaviors, etc.
2. Theory of Symbolism
Webster’s Encyclopedia Unbridged Dictionary of the English Literary
defines symbol in its broadest sense as something used for or regarded as a
material objects representing something else, often something immaterial,
emblem, token or sign. Furthermore it also means a letter, a figure or other
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character or mark or a combination of the letters or the like used to represent
something (1989: 1440)
In Hugh C. Holman and William Harmon’s A Book to Literature, a symbol
is something that is itself and yet stands for or suggest or means something else, a
symbol is like an image that evokes and objective reality and has a meaning that
suggests another level of meaning (1988: 494). Furthermore, Rohrberger in
Reading and Writing about Literature states that symbol by definition stands for
something beyond and itself and often for many things (1971: 15).
According to Robert Stanton in his An Introduction to Fiction, symbol
may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting, a single object, a physical,
type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a sound, a fragrance, and so forth.
They may represent a face of a human personality, futile ambitious, the
romanticism of youth and so on (1965: 31).
Symbol, in fiction according to Stanton’s theory, has three usual effects
depending upon how it is used. First, a symbol appears during an important
moment of the story underlines the significant of the moment. Second, a symbol
repeated several times to remind us. Third, a symbol that recurs in varying context
to define or clarify the theme (1965: 32).
Rohrberger states that one reason why literature can be approached from
so many different directions and by much reason of different generations is by he
appearance of symbols. Moreover she says that putting a symbol is not always
based on a certain object, object details, characters or places. Every action can be
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16
endowed with a meaning beyond themselves so that ideas and feeling as
intangible things can be a concrete reality and meaning can be visible 1971: 15).
3. Theory of American Dream
There was an inhabitant land that was still virgin and fertile. The virgin
land was known as the New World, the start of a new good era and a new
beginning for the new people. They, the new people, who came from faraway
places, had longed for a better world where their family could live comfortably.
Finally, those people had found a place that they called New World as a new
paradise for them to realize their dreams. The New World seemed to promise
them a chance to get a better life.
In his An Early American Reader, Leo Lemay states that the very name
calls the New World an idyllic myth, the start of a new golden age, a new
beginning for a new Adam. The name conspired with the idea of nature to ensure
that the prevailing myth of the New World would be that of a new Garden of
Eden. The New World seemed to promise that mankind could recapture the
innocence, joys and eternal life, as well as the freedom from cares and labor that
had existed in the Garden of Eden (Lemay, 1989: 1).
Those immigrants affected people who lived in that time and the culture in
that society. It also affected their dreams as a new comer in the land which later
would be called as America.
The idea of the dream of American or popularly called as American
Dream. In general, the American dream can be defined as being the opportunity
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and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if
only they work hard enough.
In American Studies Today: An Introduction to Methods and Perspectives,
Amritjit Singh, Max J. Skidmore, and Isaac Sequeira states that Americans have
long been dedicated to the creation of the good society, and they have come close
to fulfillment in the postwar era. They have achieved a remarkable state of
material quantity that is more than enough – good food, comfortable clothes,
convenient homes, fast cars, excellent medical care; to a considerable they have
been relieved from the constant fatigue, the pain, hunger, sickness and misery
which have been mankind’s lot through history. It is a striking fact that with so
much leisure and abundance there has been a little idleness or even relaxation. In
general, Americans show a great fear of wasting time, and furiously pursue new
experiences and higher levels of performance as if they are determined to make
the most of each day and each hour. (1995: 224-225)
In his American Studies: A Conceptual Approach, Irving L. Gordon states that
American and foreign observers have attempted, throughout the history, to
identify “typical American traits”. Americans have been described as possessing
the following traits: (1) hard working, materialistic, and practical, (2)
adventuresome and optimistic, (3) impatient and inclined toward violence, (4)
patriotic and nationalistic, (5) supporters of humanitarian and idealistic goals, and
(6) believers in fair play, equality of opportunity, and individual responsibility
(1984: 385)
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First, being materialistic relates to the tendency to be more concerned with
material than with spiritual or intellectual goals or values. In short, the only or
highest goals or values are comfort, pleasure, and wealth. Whereas, being
practical concerns with the application of knowledge in actual practice, rather than
with theory. Second, being optimistic has the tendency to take the most hopeful
and cheerful view of matters. In other words, it is the practical of looking on the
bright side of things or of thinking positively. Third, being impatient deals with
the feeling or showing a lack of patience, annoyance, or of not willing to bear or
tolerate. The worst result of it is having involved in violence. Next, having
idealistic goals has something to do with following one’s own ideals to the point
of impracticality. For addition, according to Webster’s New World College
Dictionary, an idealist is similar to a dreamer (1996: 669). The fifth or last trait
supporting the analysis is having equality of opportunity. It is the same as having,
or perhaps demanding, the same chance or possibility as what other people do.
These traits are chosen because they reflect the characteristics of most of
Americans who lived in the twenties. The traits are appropriate for the analysis to
show that most of the Americans have those kinds of characteristics to get what
they want in their lives. In other word, these traits support them to achieve a better
life in personal fulfillment or even in material success.
The American Dream has become the culture in American society. It
consists of body contact and personal expression, social class, class factors and
politics, health and income, political attitudes, economic outlook, popular culture,
technology and gadgets, automobiles, etc.
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C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s and 1930s
The character of Batman was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in
Detective Comics #27 in May 1939 issued by National and All-American which
later known as DC Comics. Bob Kane was in collaboration with Bill Finger in
creating that character. Batman Begins script itself was made in 2004 by David S.
Goyer and Christian Nolan, but this review discusses about the American Society
in 1930s when character of Batman was made.
American society life in 1930s was closely related with the life in 1920s
when 1920s and 1930s were called as the period of Post – World War I. In history
of American Society, Post – World War I brought a quite significant influence in
the development of American civilization. Some of the influences can be seen in
the form of new values and life goals of most American society. 1920s was the
period of prosperity or commonly called as The Golden Prosperity of Industry in
American civilization that was set up with the development of mechanization in
industrialization. Industrialization was the focus of the government under W.
Harding presidency at the time as the answer for the economics needs caused by
the World War I expenditures. (Current, 1976: 274)
1920 was the time when the automobile came into its own with increased
production and absorbed employment more than 3 million persons. It was the time
of the coming numerous household gadgets: radio, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner
and many others. It was an age when the federal government sought to impose a
species intoxicating beverages and an age of what seemed too many like
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unprecedented license in speech and behavior, the age of “flaming youth” and
unrestrained dances like the “bunny hug and Charleston”
(Current, 1976: 274)
In the development of a mass national culture, Americans live with a
emphasis on leisure, consumption, and amusement that had characterized the
modern era. Its benefits were more accessible to the middle class than to
minorities and other disadvantages groups. (Henretta, 1993: 734)
1920s was a critical decade in the development of the Americans Economy
and it came to its highest peak. The prosperity and economic innovation of the
1920s gave Americans the highest standard of living in the world, although not
every American was lucky enough to benefit from this new way of life. Most
farmers, urban blacks, and recent immigrants could not afford the new massproduced consumer goods and sampled them only selectively, adapting them to
their traditional lifestyle. (Henretta, 1993: 727)
The country had reached a “permanent plateau” of prosperity and need
never worry again about the possibility of a serious slump. Nevertheless,
prosperity, like “normalcy” proved to be only temporary. Eventually the country
fell into much worst economic depression it had ever known. (Current, 1976: 274)
The period of 1930s was the period that absolutely contrasts with the
conditions n the 1920s.the collapse in the stock market in October 1929, The
Great Depression, which resulted from the tensions in capitalism economy,
followed by the widespread of unemployment, deflation, and prolonged crisis.
The Hoover administration, 1928 – 1932, had to subsidize business and to pull in
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sail. However, it was unable or unwilling to meet the problem confronted the
nation. (Thorp, 1941: 77)
In 1932, millions of Americans were out of work and many of them lived
in squalid shack on the edge of the cities and got their food from charity. Even
those who still employed frequently earned less from farm, job, or investments
than in the previous decade. Psychologically, they were in fear because no one
could anticipate more problem laid ahead. (Youngs, 1981: 160)
The impact of The Great Depression on individual Americans was not
sudden, but gradual. Although most people remained employed day after day,
thousands men and women received severance slips at the beginning. (Norton,
1982: 706)
Million of Americans were not only hungry and ill, they were cold unable
to afford fuel, some huddled in unheated tenements and shacks, families doubled
up in crowded apartments, but some who were unable to pay that rent were
evicted, furniture packing boxes and other debris usually carted away as junk.
Several hundred women took to sleeping in Chicago’s Lincoln and Grant Parks; in
Oakland, California, hundreds of people live in leftover concrete waste ducts f
sewer – pipe city. (Norton, 1982: 709)
The Great Depression left an “invisible scar” on many Americans who
lived through the 1930s, especially on white middle class. (Henretta, 1993: 783)
The Great Depression had caused severe problems to most of the
individual Americans and the impact stayed in an extended condition along with
the struggle recovery. Even after the economy shifted toward war mobilization in
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the late 1930s, the “invisible scar” of The Great Depression in some individual
Americans still resists.
D. Theoretical Framework
In analyzing the Batman Begins movie script, the writer uses some
theories. They are divided into two parts. One, they are the theories to reveal the
elements inside the story. They are theory of Character and Characterization and
theory of Symbolism. The other is the theory to reveal the extrinsic elements of
the story. It is theory of American Dream.
The first theory is Theory on Character and Characterization. This theory
is used to reveal the character of Bruce Wayne, as Batman’s alter ego, as the
major character on Batman Begins. It is also needed to know about Batman’s
character.
The second one is Theory of Symbolism. This theory is used to reveal the
symbolism of the bat as symbol of a crime fighter who fights the crimes in
Gotham City. It is also used to know why Bruce Wayne uses the symbol as a
crime fighter.
Both theory of Character and Characterization and theory of Symbolism
are used by the writer to answer the first question which is stated in problem
formulation.
The third theory which is used is Theory of American Dream. This theory
is needed to reveal the significance and symbolism of Batman in American
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society. It is to find out whether Batman is the representation of the American
Dream. It is to answer the second problem formulation.
The review of review of American Society in 1920s and 1930s is for the
comparison for what happened in those eras with what happens in Batman Begins.
It is also useful to see the life in American society in 1920s and 1930s through
Batman/ Bruce Wayne.
All of them are needed to reveal what becomes the purpose of this thesis:
studying the socio-historical contained in Batman Begins.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Batman Begins is the 5th movie based on Batman’s character created by
Bob Kane. Batman is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first
appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. He has become one of the
world's most recognized superheroes, along with Superman and Spiderman.
What becomes the object of the study in this thesis is Batman Begins
movie script. The script itself tells about a man named Bruce Wayne who
witnesses the murder of his parents in front of him in a robbery. Then, trained
himself, Bruce turns to a crime fighter named Batman. He makes use of intellect,
detective skills, technology, and physical prowess in his war on crime.
The script was written by co-writer Christopher Nolan and David S.
Goyer, although there are many people only regard Goyer as the writer of the
script. This script was taken from www.imsdb.com.
Batman Begins is directed by Christopher Nolan and it was released in
2005 by Warner Brothers Pictures. Christian Bale casts as Bruce Wayne/ Batman,
Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
Batman Begins won some awards in some movie festivals, like in 2005
Hollywood Film Festival. Batman Begins won Sound of the Year from David
Evans. In 2006 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, it
won some awards for some categories, like Christian Bale for Best Actor.
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Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer won for Best Writing, and as Best Fantasy
Film. In 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Christian Bale won Best Hero.
Batman Begins tells about Bruce Wayne who turns into a crime fighter
named Batman who fights the crimes in his city, Gotham. Bruce Wayne has a
trauma with bats. It is caused when he was a child. He fell to the deep hole with so
many of bats inside it. Bruce felt so scared when those bats were flying outside
the hole and crossing him. His trauma is haunting him until he learns to face and
conquer it with help from Ducard and Ra’s Al Ghul.
After he has learned and experienced so many things, trained his physical
abilities, learned the martial arts, and supported by technologies and gadgets,
Bruce Wayne decides to get back to his city, Gotham, and becomes a crime
fighter and uses the bat as his symbol. His symbol is known as Batman.
Batman is Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire
industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as
a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual
perfection, don a costume, and fight crime.
Although it is the 5th live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is
neither a prequel nor a sequel to either the previous Tim Burton or Joel
Schumacher movies, but rather a reboot into its own movie franchise. The film
was both a critical and financial success.
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B. Approach of the Study
Wellek and Warren state that a work may be the result of author
understanding about social problems around him (1956: 95), in other words a
literary work may represent social problems. Concerning that reason, the writer
believes that it will be very suitable to analyze the movie script from the sociohistorical point of view.
Rohrberger states that socio-historical approach inserts the real condition
of social and history that influences the author in making a literary work, because
the work itself cannot be separated from the social milieu and historical when the
play is created (1971: 9-10). It is important because literary works are not made
without any purpose; it usually conveys a significant idea, values, or rules of the
society in which it occurs.
The approaches which are used in this thesis is socio-historical approach
because it is the most appropriate one to answer the question in the problem
questions which is related with society and history. Using this approach, the writer
wants to figure out the condition in America through the movie script which
becomes the object of study of this thesis. Moreover, the writer also wants to
compare the story with real fact and condition of America in that time. It will give
us a description of real society.
C. Method of the Study
It is a library research with the movie script as the object of the study
regarded as the primary data source. The study done by the writer is supported
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27
with some books and articles to provide the supporting evidences as the secondary
data sources. It also uses the sources from the articles on internet.
There were some steps used by the writer in analyzing the object of the
study. First step was to read the object of the study the mov
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO
Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO
Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
i
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
Why do we fall?
So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up.
(Alfred Pennyworth)
WHAT DOESN’T KILL US
ONLY MAKES US STRONGER
It’s not who I am underneath.
But what I do that defines me.
(Batman)
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PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
- my beloved parents
- my little brother
- my red_diva
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PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Allah SWT for His blessing and grace He
give me every time. He is the One who could make all of this happens.
My deep gratitude is for my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka,
M.Hum., for his time and guidance in helping me finish this undergraduate thesis.
My gratitude is also for Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A., my co-advisor, in
helping me by giving me some corrections and advises to complete my thesis
writing. This thesis will not be complete without her suggestions.
My deepest gratitude is especially for my parents for all love, time,
patience, support, and prayer all the time. Thank you for always loving me. Of the
superheroes I know, they are my real superheroes. I also thank my brother for the
support he gives. Keep on fighting, bro....
I would like to thank my lovely Red_Diva, for the love we share. She’s
always been there in my happy and hard time.
For Anto, thank you for your support and motivation. Let’s rock the world,
bro..!! And show who the boss is. Thanks to Anggie, for your help and kindness. I
could not make it without you.
I like to thank F2 Community, especially Guspay, Jambrong, Soejab,
Simbah, Bemby, Andy, Budi, Iqbal and late Emon. Let’s prove we are harder
than the rock. Hail the pain, guys....
I like to thank to the people who underestimate me, to the people who see
me as a small stone among the rock. I have proven you are wrong.
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PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
I like to thank to Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, limpbizkit,
koRn, Story of the Year, and Captain Jack for the music they made that
accompany me finishing this thesis. They are my sucking fhit. I am a big fan of
you, guys...
Thank you for all the people who I cannot mention one by one who have
helped me in writing this thesis. God bless you all.
Last but not least, to 2003 English Letters: Dodi, Wedhuz, Yerri,
Bendhol, Sushit, Boim, Nitnot, Bayu, Cosmas, Kosep, thank you for all the
memories.
Setio Putro Mardiko
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………… i
APPROVAL PAGE…..................................................................................... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE…………………………………………..………...... iii
MOTTO PAGE…………………………………………..………………...... iv
DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………..…….…... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…...………………………………..………...… vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………... vii
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………... viii
ABSTRAK……………………………………………………………………. ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………......….
A. Background of the Study……………………………………….....
B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………...
C. Objectives of the Study……………………………………………
D. Definition Terms…………………………………………………..
1
1
6
7
7
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW……………………………...…
A. Review of Related Studies………………………………………....
B. Review of Related Theories……………………………………….
1. Theory on Character and Characterization……………………...
2. Theory of Symbolism…………………………………………...
3. Theory of American Dream……………………………………..
C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s – 1930s……...
D. Theoretical Framework…………………………………………….
9
9
12
12
14
16
19
22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………...
A. Object of the Study………………………………………………..
B. Approach of the Study………….…………………………………
C. Method of the Study…………………………………….…………
24
24
26
26
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………………… 28
A. The Characteristics of Batman……………………………………. 28
B. The Significance of Batman in American Society………………... 39
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………………………………………..……. 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………. 56
APPENDIX: Summary of Batman Begins……………………………….…. 59
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ABSTRACT
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society:
A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Batman Begins is the 5th Batman movie since 1989. The character of
Batman is based on its comics strips. The story of Batman Begins was written on
its movie script tells about a man who turns himself to be a crime fighter named
Batman after he witnesses the murder of his parents which takes place in front of
him when he was a child.
In this thesis, which analyzes Batman Begins movie script, there are two
questions formulated as the guidelines in the research. The first question is to
explore the characteristics of Batman. The second is to find out the significance of
Batman in American Society.
The writer applies the socio-historical approach in analyzing Batman
Begins movie script as the object of the study. This library research is supported
by the books, articles, and other related sources.
The analysis shows that the characteristics of Batman are built from his
childhood memory of the murder of his parents that took place in front of him.
This incident makes Bruce Wayne has a will to fight the crimes and injustice in
Gotham City. Bruce turns himself to be a crime fighter named Batman as the
symbol of his will. Talking about the representation of Batman in American
society is also talking about Bruce Wayne as Batman’s alter ego. The significance
of Batman in American Society is the representation of hopes and dream of the
Americans which is well known as the American Dream and we can see them
through Batman and Bruce Wayne. In this thesis, American Dream is described as
a successful and satisfying life which is translated as economic prosperity, having
the technology and gadgets, and automobiles.
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ABSTRAK
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society:
A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Batman Begins adalah film Batman kelima sejak 1989. Karakter Batman
berdasarkan komik tentang Batman. Cerita dalam Batman Begins yang tertulis
pada naskah filmnya bercerita tentang seseorang yang berubah menjadi seorang
pembasmi kejahatan setelah dia menyaksikan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya
yang terjadi di depan matanya saat dia masih kecil.
Di dalam skripsi ini, yang menganalisa naskah film Batman Begins, ada
dua pertanyaan yang dirumuskan sebagai panduan dalam penelitian. Pertanyaan
pertama adalah untuk menggali karakteristik Batman. Pertanyaan kedua adalah
untuk menemukan arti dari keberadaan Batman di dalam masyarakat Amerika.
Penulis menggunakan pendekatan sosio-historikal dalam menganalisa
naskah film Batman Begins sebagai obyek studi. Studi pustaka ini didukung
dengan buku – buku dan artikel – artikel sebagai sumber kedua.
Analisis menunjukan bahwa karakteristik Batman terbentuk dari kenangan
masa kecilnya akan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya yang terjadi di depan
matanya. Peristiwa ini membuat Bruce Wayne mempunyai keinginan untuk
membasmi kejahatan dan ketidakadilan di kota Gotham. Bruce mengubah dirinya
menjadi seorang pembasmi kejahatan bernama Batman sebagai sebuah simbol dari
keinginannya tersebut. Berbicara tentang keberadaan Batman juga berbicara
tentang Bruce Wayne sebagai alter ego dari Batman. Arti dari keberadaan Batman
di dalam masyarakat Amerika adalah sebagai sebuah simbol dari harapan dan
impian dari mayarakat Amerika yang dikenal dengan American Dream dan kita
dapat melihat hal tersebut melalui Batman dan Bruce Wayne. Di dalam skripsi ini,
American Dream dijabarkan sebagai sebuah kehidupan yang nyaman dan sukses
yang diartikan sebagai kesuksesan di bidang ekonomi, memiliki teknologi dan
peralatan yang berguna, dan kendaraan bermotor.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature cannot be separated from the life of human beings. Generally,
literature describes the reality of human life. In other words, literature is an
imitation of human life. Literary works usually tell about politics, economy, social
life, and culture which are happened in the era when those works are written.
Literary works contain many things which can be analyzed or studied.
There must be some things which we can learn about in them. Literature itself is
any kind of writing that, for certain reasons certain people value highly. Literature
also can be said as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. Or
imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value.
The kind of literary works themselves are poem, play or drama, novel,
short story. In much, if not all of the world, texts can be oral as well, and include
such genres as epic, legend, myth, ballad, plus other forms of oral poetry, and the
folktale.
At this time, there is a new “form” of literature becoming a part of popular
culture in society which is called comics, although there are still so many debates
on the problem whether comics can be regarded as literary works or not. Comics
is a kind of popular culture which can easily be found in our society.
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2
In www.arroweducation.org, popular culture or pop culture is defined as a
shared set of practices and beliefs that have attained global acceptance and which
can be normally characterized by: being associated with commercial products;
developing from local to national to global acceptance; allowing consumers to
have widespread access and are constantly changing and evolving.
Pop culture is one of the matters which are in the cultural studies. In his
book, The Cultural Studies Reader, Simon During states that cultural studies is, of
course, the study of culture, or, more particularly, the study of contemporary
culture. But this does not take us very far. Even assuming that we know precisely
what “contemporary culture” is, it can be analyzed in many ways- sociologically,
for instance, by “objectively” describing its institutions and functions as if they
belong to a large, regulated system; or economically, by describing the effects of
investment and marketing on cultural production. (During, 1993: 1)
What are contained in pop culture are like comics, fashion, music, sport,
film, and video game. The world of pop culture had a particular influence on art
from the early 1960s, through Pop art. It is characterized by themes and
techniques drawn from popular mass culture, such as advertising and comics
books.
Comics itself has great effects for the people; especially they who love to
read it. Those people also have the activities with comics as the object, like
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3
collecting. Comics can also inspire to do the great things, like make a movie based
on the story of a comics or just the characters contained in it.
There are so many movies making based on comics, like Superman,
Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Punisher,
Daredevil, Catwoman, X-Men, and Hellboy.
Besides based on other works exist before which inspire a scriptwriter or a
director to make a movie, sometimes the story of a movie is closely related to the
social reality. It is often used by the scriptwriters and the directors to give the
description about the social phenomena and often bound up with the history when
the stories made and it can also be analyzed through cultural studies.
The definition of film is a form of entertainment that enacts a story by
sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement.
In making a movie, there are many things to be prepared well to result a
good movie. One of them is movie script to make a movie flows like what its
director wants.
Movie script or screenplay is the written text that provides the basis for a
film production. Screenplays usually include not only the dialogue spoken by the
characters but also a shot-by-shot outline of the film's action. Screenplays may be
adapted from novels or stage plays or developed from original ideas suggested by
the screenwriters or their collaborators. They generally pass through multiple
revisions, and screenwriters are called on to incorporate suggestions from
directors, producers, and others involved in the filmmaking process. Early drafts
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4
often include only brief suggestions for planned shots, but by the date of
production a screenplay may evolve into a detailed shooting script, in which
action and gestures are explicitly stated.
A movie script becomes one of the most important things which is really needed
to be made as good as possible to make the story in it flows well.
A movie script or a screenplay actually is same with the drama or play: all
of them made to be performed. A movie script has the similar structure with a
drama script. The difference is, the movie script is performed in form of movie
which is produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by
creating images using animation techniques or special effects, than play or drama
is performed on the stage and watched live.
Sometimes, a movie script is made based on the history, a social and or
society phenomena. For that reason there are so many movies which are made
based on the true story or real event.
History and social and society phenomena can also inspire someone to
create something which reflects the idea of someone, like what Christopher Nolan
and David S. Goyer did for their movie, Batman Begins (although most of people
regard David S. Goyer who wrote the movie script).
They made that movie based on Bob Kane and Bill Finger who were the
creators of a super hero named Batman (in this thesis, Batman will be called as a
crime fighter, not a super hero because Batman does not have a kind of super
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5
power like the other superheroes) in form of comics in 1939. Although, only Bob
Kane who has the official credit of Batman and known as Batman’s creator.
Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer wrote Batman Begins movie based
on and inspired by the social phenomena happened in American society. It is not
first movie which is made based on what the phenomena happened in society.
There are several movies based on Batman character, such as in the
animated series of DC universe, like in Batman: The Animated Series. Batman
also appears in the silver screen movies, like Batman and Batman Returns which
were directed by Tim Burton and Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were
directed by Joel Schumacher. For the last movie, Batman Begins, it was directed
by Christopher Nolan and the movie script was written by David S. Goyer and
Christopher Nolan.
Although it is the 5th live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is
neither a prequel nor a sequel to either the previous Tim Burton or Joel
Schumacher movies, the previous directors of Batman movies, but rather a reboot
into its own movie franchise. The film was both a critical and financial success.
The character of Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill
Finger, though Kane often receives credit as the sole creator. The character first
appeared in Detective Comics #27 (1939) and later became popular enough to
spawn his own books.
What the writer does in this thesis is his admiration about Batman as a
unique super hero (crime fighter) because he does not have super power. He trains
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6
his human abilities, learned the martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape
artistry which later will be his “weapons” in fighting the crimes.
Batman has provided many of the core story arcs for the DC brand since
his creation. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no super
powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money,
inventiveness and detective skills to beat his opponents. A regular member
of the Justice League, though not a founder, he makes up for his lack of
super powers with a library of information and weaknesses of numerous
villains and his team mates should they ever go rogue.
From quotation above, we can conclude that Batman is more suitable to be
called as a crime fighter. Batman is also the result from what has been
experienced by his persona (Bruce Wayne) in the past and the result of his feeling
about life in Gotham City. Batman becomes the symbol used by Bruce Wayne to
realize what he wants to do toward Gotham City.
Batman Begins movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S.
Goyer becomes the object of this thesis which discusses about the character of
Bruce Wayne as the main character in Batman Begins movie and the use of “bat”
as his crime fighter’s symbol. This thesis also discusses about representation of
Batman in American life, like how Batman reflects the American Dream and
Batman as the myth in American life.
B. Problem Formulation
These are the problems or questions which are formulated on this
undergraduate thesis:
1. How is Batman characterized in Batman Begins?
2. What is the significance of Batman in American Society?
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7
C. Objectives of the Study
From this thesis we can know about the intrinsic elements contained in
Batman Begins, like how Batman is characterized in Batman Begins and the
significance of the symbol “bat” for him. This thesis also discuses about the
extrinsic element in this movie: what the significance of Batman in American
Society is.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Crime fighter
Crime fighter is a commonly used to refer to the superheroes without such
powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
Batman is a unique superhero, therefore he is called a crime fighter. A
crime fighter can also be regarded as a superhero with no superhuman powers or
abilities. Batman is the example. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no
super powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money,
inventiveness and detective skills to fight the crimes and the injustice.
Batman uses what he got from his physical traits, not the power of a
superhuman, to fight the crime. And he supports himself with the advanced and
modern technology and gadgets.
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2. American Dream
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, American Dream is the
U.S. ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to
aspire to high attainment and material success (2002: 45). We can say that
American Dream is about the equality of opportunity had by every single
American to gain a successful life.
In his The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams states that American
Dream is a dream of land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for
everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement.
American Dream is not a dram of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream
of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the
fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for
what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.
On the other words, American Dream is dreams and or hopes that people
in America try to pursue and seize in order to gain better life and standard of
living.
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CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many people discuss is about Batman and the other super heroes
(actually we can not say that Batman is a super hero because he has no super
power). A super hero is a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman
powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.
For that reason, in this thesis Batman will be called as a crime fighter, not
a superhero.
Like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Green Lantern,
Flash, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Hawkman, Power Girl, Wolverine, XMen, Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel, and another super heroes and crimes
fighters comics-based also discussed by people like in www.dccomics.com,
www.kafegaul.com, www.comicvine.com, or the other sites which discuss those
objects which actually based on characters from the comics, which most of them
are from Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Batman is one of the most discussed super hero characters by many people
who like this character. They like to discuss him because they think Batman is a
character with mysterious background and history. They think that Batman’s
character is so “dark”. It can be seen from Batman’s name given by DC Comics,
“The Dark Knight”.
9
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10
Batman Begins is also discussed by critics around the world. They criticize
the movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer.
Srinivas Kanchibhotla, in her article titled “Some Ramblings on Batman
Begins” posted in www.idlebrain.com says “Batman, is none of the above chose to
become a super hero. The powers that came with the territory came naturally to
them, either congenitally or accidentally. Nobody has worked for them and
nobody has wished upon them. This fundamental difference separates Batman
from the rest. The only thing that ties him with the rest of the group is his mystic
outfit during the hour of duty. He is as human as the one next to him.”
She tells that Batman is just a human who has no super power like the
other heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Hulk, Daredevil, X-Men, and
Fantastic 4. He gains his “power” from training his physical abilities, learning
martial arts, technologies supports in fighting crimes in Gotham City.
Kanchibhotla adds that Christopher Nolan (the co-writer along with David
Goyer, and the director) pegs his entire script on this believability factor and
makes Batman as human and as normal as can cinematically be possible, stripping
him off the excesses that usually accompany, and naturally encumber, the super
heroes. It means that Batman is described as a human with no super power who
fights the crimes in his city. This movie counts heavily on Batman’s human side
as Bruce Wayne as his alter-ego than Batman’s crime fighter side who fights the
criminals.
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11
Kanchibhotla wants to say that Batman is result of what is happening in
his society and finds the way to fight the injustice around him. Although at the
first time he is confused to choose the legal way or the illegal one to fight it.
The movie itself repeatedly stresses the human side of Batman, reminding
us that he has no super powers, just skill, wits and an ability to manipulate fear,
which is one of the film's themes. A lot of attention is also paid to the
accoutrements of the legend and how the suit, the cape, the car, the cave came to
be.
Clint Morris has his own idea in criticizing the script in his article titled
“Script Review: Batman Begins” posted in www.moviehole.net.
“…a good back-story is what will always keep an audience glued to the
screen (Most of us remember the De Niro flashback scenes from
‘Godfather Part II’ as being the guts of the flick) and Goyer’s fleshed this
one out better than a butcher would edible chook….the script immediately
seems more interested in telling us about the man behind the cowl rather
than
the
well-attired
Caped
Crusader
himself.”
Morris wants to tell that Batman Begins is a movie based on Batman
comics (in this article he says that Batman Begins is based on Frank Miller's
Batman: Year One). Batman Begins tells about a person witnesses the murder of
his parents in front of him when he was a child. Then he turns to be a crime
fighter after trained his physical abilities and supported by his richness to get the
gadgets and technologies, and fights the crimes in his Gotham City. In the end of
his article, Morris says that Batman Begins is going to be the best “Batman”
movie ever.
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B. Review of Related Theories
In analyzing Batman Begins movie script, the writer applies three theories.
They are theory on character and characterization, theory of symbol, and theory of
American Dream.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
Character is an important element in the literary work. It has a big role to
make a literary work alive and interesting. Character in fiction is indeed imaginary
person. However, Rohrberger states that characters must be credible; that is,
readers must accept them as believable person (1971: 20). Imaginary or fictional
characters have physical appearance as real human being, have feeling, carry out
actions, and experience problems, conflicts, and even development. Thereby,
readers can accept them as believable people.
In his A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as a person
in dramatic or narrative work endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that
are expressed in what they say, i.e., the dialogue, and what they do, i.e., the action.
The grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and
actions constitute his motivation (1981: 20).
Stanton has his own idea about making his characters understandable. First
is by giving his character a name will be helpful to the readers to understand the
character, because sometimes, in some works, the sound of the name fits the
character. Second, it is usually more important, is an explicit description and
comment of the author to the character. This personal description will help the
author and the reader visualize the person and understand his character. Next way
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13
is other characters attitude, even the minor ones, to the person in a story.
Obviously, their attitudes toward a major character are important. Not so
obviously, their similarities to or differences from him help to define most
significant traits. The last and the most important way is known through the
dialogue and behavior from the person himself (1965: 17-18).
M. J. Murphy, in his An Understanding Unseen (1972: 161-173), states
that to present characters in a narrative or dramatic works, an author may use the
ways a character portrayal which is often known as characterization.
According Baldick, characterization is the representation of persons in
narrative or dramatic works which may include direct methods like the
attributions of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect (or ‘dramatic’)
methods inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech, or
appearance (1991).
Murphy mentions nine ways to establish a character understandable and
lively for the readers.
a. Personal description. The author gives detailed description of the physical
appearance to the person’s character. This will help the reader to have a
visualization of the person’s characters as well.
b. Characters as seen by another. The author described a person by using
another character’s sights and opinion. These can be helpful ways to give the
reader a reflected image of the character.
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14
c. Speech. Through this way, other’s opinion n and conversation can reveal what
kind of character he/ she has. So the reader can get some clues which are
related to the character.
d. Past life. A description of someone’s past life more or less can help to shape
his character. The author can give this life’s description through his direct
comment, he person’s conversation and thought, or uses the other person or
medium.
e. Conversation of others. Through the conversation of others, the reader can get
some clues which are related to the person they speak about.
f. Reactions. Through the reaction in facing various situations and events, the
reader can get some clues to understand the person’s character.
g. Direct comment. Through his own statement, the author can directly give
descriptions or comments on a person’s character.
h. Thoughts. Through other person’s thoughts, the author gives the readers
knowledge of the person’s character.
i. Mannerism. The reader can understand the person’s character by the author’s
description of the person’s manners, habits, behaviors, etc.
2. Theory of Symbolism
Webster’s Encyclopedia Unbridged Dictionary of the English Literary
defines symbol in its broadest sense as something used for or regarded as a
material objects representing something else, often something immaterial,
emblem, token or sign. Furthermore it also means a letter, a figure or other
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15
character or mark or a combination of the letters or the like used to represent
something (1989: 1440)
In Hugh C. Holman and William Harmon’s A Book to Literature, a symbol
is something that is itself and yet stands for or suggest or means something else, a
symbol is like an image that evokes and objective reality and has a meaning that
suggests another level of meaning (1988: 494). Furthermore, Rohrberger in
Reading and Writing about Literature states that symbol by definition stands for
something beyond and itself and often for many things (1971: 15).
According to Robert Stanton in his An Introduction to Fiction, symbol
may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting, a single object, a physical,
type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a sound, a fragrance, and so forth.
They may represent a face of a human personality, futile ambitious, the
romanticism of youth and so on (1965: 31).
Symbol, in fiction according to Stanton’s theory, has three usual effects
depending upon how it is used. First, a symbol appears during an important
moment of the story underlines the significant of the moment. Second, a symbol
repeated several times to remind us. Third, a symbol that recurs in varying context
to define or clarify the theme (1965: 32).
Rohrberger states that one reason why literature can be approached from
so many different directions and by much reason of different generations is by he
appearance of symbols. Moreover she says that putting a symbol is not always
based on a certain object, object details, characters or places. Every action can be
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16
endowed with a meaning beyond themselves so that ideas and feeling as
intangible things can be a concrete reality and meaning can be visible 1971: 15).
3. Theory of American Dream
There was an inhabitant land that was still virgin and fertile. The virgin
land was known as the New World, the start of a new good era and a new
beginning for the new people. They, the new people, who came from faraway
places, had longed for a better world where their family could live comfortably.
Finally, those people had found a place that they called New World as a new
paradise for them to realize their dreams. The New World seemed to promise
them a chance to get a better life.
In his An Early American Reader, Leo Lemay states that the very name
calls the New World an idyllic myth, the start of a new golden age, a new
beginning for a new Adam. The name conspired with the idea of nature to ensure
that the prevailing myth of the New World would be that of a new Garden of
Eden. The New World seemed to promise that mankind could recapture the
innocence, joys and eternal life, as well as the freedom from cares and labor that
had existed in the Garden of Eden (Lemay, 1989: 1).
Those immigrants affected people who lived in that time and the culture in
that society. It also affected their dreams as a new comer in the land which later
would be called as America.
The idea of the dream of American or popularly called as American
Dream. In general, the American dream can be defined as being the opportunity
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17
and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if
only they work hard enough.
In American Studies Today: An Introduction to Methods and Perspectives,
Amritjit Singh, Max J. Skidmore, and Isaac Sequeira states that Americans have
long been dedicated to the creation of the good society, and they have come close
to fulfillment in the postwar era. They have achieved a remarkable state of
material quantity that is more than enough – good food, comfortable clothes,
convenient homes, fast cars, excellent medical care; to a considerable they have
been relieved from the constant fatigue, the pain, hunger, sickness and misery
which have been mankind’s lot through history. It is a striking fact that with so
much leisure and abundance there has been a little idleness or even relaxation. In
general, Americans show a great fear of wasting time, and furiously pursue new
experiences and higher levels of performance as if they are determined to make
the most of each day and each hour. (1995: 224-225)
In his American Studies: A Conceptual Approach, Irving L. Gordon states that
American and foreign observers have attempted, throughout the history, to
identify “typical American traits”. Americans have been described as possessing
the following traits: (1) hard working, materialistic, and practical, (2)
adventuresome and optimistic, (3) impatient and inclined toward violence, (4)
patriotic and nationalistic, (5) supporters of humanitarian and idealistic goals, and
(6) believers in fair play, equality of opportunity, and individual responsibility
(1984: 385)
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First, being materialistic relates to the tendency to be more concerned with
material than with spiritual or intellectual goals or values. In short, the only or
highest goals or values are comfort, pleasure, and wealth. Whereas, being
practical concerns with the application of knowledge in actual practice, rather than
with theory. Second, being optimistic has the tendency to take the most hopeful
and cheerful view of matters. In other words, it is the practical of looking on the
bright side of things or of thinking positively. Third, being impatient deals with
the feeling or showing a lack of patience, annoyance, or of not willing to bear or
tolerate. The worst result of it is having involved in violence. Next, having
idealistic goals has something to do with following one’s own ideals to the point
of impracticality. For addition, according to Webster’s New World College
Dictionary, an idealist is similar to a dreamer (1996: 669). The fifth or last trait
supporting the analysis is having equality of opportunity. It is the same as having,
or perhaps demanding, the same chance or possibility as what other people do.
These traits are chosen because they reflect the characteristics of most of
Americans who lived in the twenties. The traits are appropriate for the analysis to
show that most of the Americans have those kinds of characteristics to get what
they want in their lives. In other word, these traits support them to achieve a better
life in personal fulfillment or even in material success.
The American Dream has become the culture in American society. It
consists of body contact and personal expression, social class, class factors and
politics, health and income, political attitudes, economic outlook, popular culture,
technology and gadgets, automobiles, etc.
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C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s and 1930s
The character of Batman was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in
Detective Comics #27 in May 1939 issued by National and All-American which
later known as DC Comics. Bob Kane was in collaboration with Bill Finger in
creating that character. Batman Begins script itself was made in 2004 by David S.
Goyer and Christian Nolan, but this review discusses about the American Society
in 1930s when character of Batman was made.
American society life in 1930s was closely related with the life in 1920s
when 1920s and 1930s were called as the period of Post – World War I. In history
of American Society, Post – World War I brought a quite significant influence in
the development of American civilization. Some of the influences can be seen in
the form of new values and life goals of most American society. 1920s was the
period of prosperity or commonly called as The Golden Prosperity of Industry in
American civilization that was set up with the development of mechanization in
industrialization. Industrialization was the focus of the government under W.
Harding presidency at the time as the answer for the economics needs caused by
the World War I expenditures. (Current, 1976: 274)
1920 was the time when the automobile came into its own with increased
production and absorbed employment more than 3 million persons. It was the time
of the coming numerous household gadgets: radio, refrigerator, vacuum cleaner
and many others. It was an age when the federal government sought to impose a
species intoxicating beverages and an age of what seemed too many like
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20
unprecedented license in speech and behavior, the age of “flaming youth” and
unrestrained dances like the “bunny hug and Charleston”
(Current, 1976: 274)
In the development of a mass national culture, Americans live with a
emphasis on leisure, consumption, and amusement that had characterized the
modern era. Its benefits were more accessible to the middle class than to
minorities and other disadvantages groups. (Henretta, 1993: 734)
1920s was a critical decade in the development of the Americans Economy
and it came to its highest peak. The prosperity and economic innovation of the
1920s gave Americans the highest standard of living in the world, although not
every American was lucky enough to benefit from this new way of life. Most
farmers, urban blacks, and recent immigrants could not afford the new massproduced consumer goods and sampled them only selectively, adapting them to
their traditional lifestyle. (Henretta, 1993: 727)
The country had reached a “permanent plateau” of prosperity and need
never worry again about the possibility of a serious slump. Nevertheless,
prosperity, like “normalcy” proved to be only temporary. Eventually the country
fell into much worst economic depression it had ever known. (Current, 1976: 274)
The period of 1930s was the period that absolutely contrasts with the
conditions n the 1920s.the collapse in the stock market in October 1929, The
Great Depression, which resulted from the tensions in capitalism economy,
followed by the widespread of unemployment, deflation, and prolonged crisis.
The Hoover administration, 1928 – 1932, had to subsidize business and to pull in
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21
sail. However, it was unable or unwilling to meet the problem confronted the
nation. (Thorp, 1941: 77)
In 1932, millions of Americans were out of work and many of them lived
in squalid shack on the edge of the cities and got their food from charity. Even
those who still employed frequently earned less from farm, job, or investments
than in the previous decade. Psychologically, they were in fear because no one
could anticipate more problem laid ahead. (Youngs, 1981: 160)
The impact of The Great Depression on individual Americans was not
sudden, but gradual. Although most people remained employed day after day,
thousands men and women received severance slips at the beginning. (Norton,
1982: 706)
Million of Americans were not only hungry and ill, they were cold unable
to afford fuel, some huddled in unheated tenements and shacks, families doubled
up in crowded apartments, but some who were unable to pay that rent were
evicted, furniture packing boxes and other debris usually carted away as junk.
Several hundred women took to sleeping in Chicago’s Lincoln and Grant Parks; in
Oakland, California, hundreds of people live in leftover concrete waste ducts f
sewer – pipe city. (Norton, 1982: 709)
The Great Depression left an “invisible scar” on many Americans who
lived through the 1930s, especially on white middle class. (Henretta, 1993: 783)
The Great Depression had caused severe problems to most of the
individual Americans and the impact stayed in an extended condition along with
the struggle recovery. Even after the economy shifted toward war mobilization in
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22
the late 1930s, the “invisible scar” of The Great Depression in some individual
Americans still resists.
D. Theoretical Framework
In analyzing the Batman Begins movie script, the writer uses some
theories. They are divided into two parts. One, they are the theories to reveal the
elements inside the story. They are theory of Character and Characterization and
theory of Symbolism. The other is the theory to reveal the extrinsic elements of
the story. It is theory of American Dream.
The first theory is Theory on Character and Characterization. This theory
is used to reveal the character of Bruce Wayne, as Batman’s alter ego, as the
major character on Batman Begins. It is also needed to know about Batman’s
character.
The second one is Theory of Symbolism. This theory is used to reveal the
symbolism of the bat as symbol of a crime fighter who fights the crimes in
Gotham City. It is also used to know why Bruce Wayne uses the symbol as a
crime fighter.
Both theory of Character and Characterization and theory of Symbolism
are used by the writer to answer the first question which is stated in problem
formulation.
The third theory which is used is Theory of American Dream. This theory
is needed to reveal the significance and symbolism of Batman in American
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23
society. It is to find out whether Batman is the representation of the American
Dream. It is to answer the second problem formulation.
The review of review of American Society in 1920s and 1930s is for the
comparison for what happened in those eras with what happens in Batman Begins.
It is also useful to see the life in American society in 1920s and 1930s through
Batman/ Bruce Wayne.
All of them are needed to reveal what becomes the purpose of this thesis:
studying the socio-historical contained in Batman Begins.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Batman Begins is the 5th movie based on Batman’s character created by
Bob Kane. Batman is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first
appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. He has become one of the
world's most recognized superheroes, along with Superman and Spiderman.
What becomes the object of the study in this thesis is Batman Begins
movie script. The script itself tells about a man named Bruce Wayne who
witnesses the murder of his parents in front of him in a robbery. Then, trained
himself, Bruce turns to a crime fighter named Batman. He makes use of intellect,
detective skills, technology, and physical prowess in his war on crime.
The script was written by co-writer Christopher Nolan and David S.
Goyer, although there are many people only regard Goyer as the writer of the
script. This script was taken from www.imsdb.com.
Batman Begins is directed by Christopher Nolan and it was released in
2005 by Warner Brothers Pictures. Christian Bale casts as Bruce Wayne/ Batman,
Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
Batman Begins won some awards in some movie festivals, like in 2005
Hollywood Film Festival. Batman Begins won Sound of the Year from David
Evans. In 2006 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, it
won some awards for some categories, like Christian Bale for Best Actor.
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Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer won for Best Writing, and as Best Fantasy
Film. In 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Christian Bale won Best Hero.
Batman Begins tells about Bruce Wayne who turns into a crime fighter
named Batman who fights the crimes in his city, Gotham. Bruce Wayne has a
trauma with bats. It is caused when he was a child. He fell to the deep hole with so
many of bats inside it. Bruce felt so scared when those bats were flying outside
the hole and crossing him. His trauma is haunting him until he learns to face and
conquer it with help from Ducard and Ra’s Al Ghul.
After he has learned and experienced so many things, trained his physical
abilities, learned the martial arts, and supported by technologies and gadgets,
Bruce Wayne decides to get back to his city, Gotham, and becomes a crime
fighter and uses the bat as his symbol. His symbol is known as Batman.
Batman is Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire
industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as
a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual
perfection, don a costume, and fight crime.
Although it is the 5th live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is
neither a prequel nor a sequel to either the previous Tim Burton or Joel
Schumacher movies, but rather a reboot into its own movie franchise. The film
was both a critical and financial success.
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B. Approach of the Study
Wellek and Warren state that a work may be the result of author
understanding about social problems around him (1956: 95), in other words a
literary work may represent social problems. Concerning that reason, the writer
believes that it will be very suitable to analyze the movie script from the sociohistorical point of view.
Rohrberger states that socio-historical approach inserts the real condition
of social and history that influences the author in making a literary work, because
the work itself cannot be separated from the social milieu and historical when the
play is created (1971: 9-10). It is important because literary works are not made
without any purpose; it usually conveys a significant idea, values, or rules of the
society in which it occurs.
The approaches which are used in this thesis is socio-historical approach
because it is the most appropriate one to answer the question in the problem
questions which is related with society and history. Using this approach, the writer
wants to figure out the condition in America through the movie script which
becomes the object of study of this thesis. Moreover, the writer also wants to
compare the story with real fact and condition of America in that time. It will give
us a description of real society.
C. Method of the Study
It is a library research with the movie script as the object of the study
regarded as the primary data source. The study done by the writer is supported
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with some books and articles to provide the supporting evidences as the secondary
data sources. It also uses the sources from the articles on internet.
There were some steps used by the writer in analyzing the object of the
study. First step was to read the object of the study the mov