THE CLASS DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA AS SEEN THROUGH THE CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS IN VIKAS SWARUP’S SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
THE CLASS DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA AS SEEN THROUGH THE CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS IN VIKAS SWARUP’S SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
KUMALA DEWI
Student Number: 074214026
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2011
THE CLASS DISCRIMINATION IN INDIA AS SEEN THROUGH THE CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS IN VIKAS SWARUP’S SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
KUMALA DEWI
Student Number: 074214026
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2011
The Climb I can almost see it That dream I am dreaming
But there’s a voice inside my head saying “You’ll never reach it” Every step I’m taking Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction My faith is shaking But I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high
There’s always gonna be another mountain I’m always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose
Ain’t about how fast I get there Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side It’s the climb The struggles I’m facing
The chances I’m taking Sometimes might knock me down But no, I’m not breaking I may not know it
But these are the moments that I’m gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on Keep on moving, keep climbing Keep the faith, baby It’s all about, it’s all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith.
Miley Cyrus
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to
My beloved parents Rustamaji and Teng So TjienMy beloved sister Riana Dewi And my beloved English teacher RIP Mrs. Diah Soekmasari
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My first and deepest gratitude is dedicated to the Almighty God and the Goddess of Mercy who always give me love and guidance in every single step that I take in my life, especially in finishing this undergraduate thesis. I also would like to thank my father Rustamaji, my mother Teng So Tjien, and my sister Riana Dewi for the everlasting love and courage. My special thanks go to RIP Mrs. Diah Soekmasari, my English teacher for ten years. I would like to thank her for her patience and attention in teaching me English since I was a child.
My endless gratitude and appreciation goes to my Advisor Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd., M. Hum. I would like to thank her for the attention, patience, and guidance during the process of finishing this undergraduate thesis. I would also like to thank my Co-Advisor, Dr. F.X. Siswadi, M.A. for giving me correction and suggestion.
I will not forget to give my special thanks to Sondang, Putri, Ayu, and Emeilya for being my good friends in the campus. Next, I would like to thank my friends in the boarding house Astrid, Jean, Irma, Karina, Jessica, Oma Soplanit, and Mbak Sur for being my family during my time away from home.
The last but not least, I would like to thank all the lecturers and staff in Sanata Dharma University for providing me the best education and chance to improve myself.
Kumala Dewi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE....................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGE………………………………………………… iiACCEPTANCE PAGE……………………………………………. iii
MOTTO PAGE…………………………………………………….. ivDEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………… v
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH…… viACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………………………………………. vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………….. viii
ABSTRACT………………………………………………………… x
ABSTRAK…………………………………………………………... xi16 B. Approach of the Study ……………………………………...
3. Social Setting ………………………………………... 35
2. Setting of Place ……………………………………… 30
1. Setting of Time ……………………………………… 30
B. The Settings in the Novel …………………………………… 29
4. Mrs. Rebecca Taylor ………………………………... 28
3. Prem Kumar ………………………………………… 26
2. Nita …………………………………………………. 24
1. Ram Mohammad Thomas ………………………….. 22
A. The Characters in the Novel ………………………………... 21
19 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS………………………………………….. 21
18 C. Method of the Study ………………………………………..
15 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………….. 16 A. Object of the Study ………………………………………….
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION…………………………………… 1 A. Background of the Study …………………………………..
12 D. Theoretical Framework …………………………………….
11 C. Review on Socio Cultural Historical Background of India…
3. Theory on Class Discrimination ……………………
9
8 2. Theory on Setting …………………………………..
8 1. Theory on Character ………………………………..
6 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………….
5 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW……………………….. 6 A. Review of Related Studies ………………………………...
4 D. Definition of Terms ………………………………………..
4 C. Objectives of the Study ……………………………………
1 B. Problem Formulation ……………………………………...
C. Class Discrimination in India ………………………………. 38
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………
50 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………. 54
APPENDIX……………………………………………………………. 56
Summary of the Novel …………………………………………. 56
ABSTRACT
KUMALA DEWI. The Class Discrimination in India as Seen through the
Characters and Settings in Vikas Swarup’sSlumdog Millionaire. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011.
Slumdog Millionaire is a novel written by VikasSwarup. It is the debut and
bestselling novel of VikasSwarup.The novel is generally about Ram Mohammad Thomas, an orphaned and uneducated young waiter from a slum in Dharavi, India. Ram has successfully answered 12 questions in a quiz show. Unfortunately, the producer of the show refuses to give the prize and accuses Ram of cheating. Ram is arrested by the police and tortured physically. A friend from his past, SmitaShah, comes to the police station and becomes his lawyer. Ram then tells Smita about how he successfully answered all the questions in the show. Surprisingly, it was because of his various life experiences. His experiences are mainly about his hard life as a poor person, his working experiences and his encounters with many people in his life. They led him to the answers of each question.
In order to reveal the class discrimination, the thesis is concerned in three problems. The first problem is aimed to observe the characters and their characteristics in the novel. The second problem is aimed to observe the setting and social condition in India. The last problem is aimed to reveal the class discrimination in India through the characters and settings in the novel.
In this study, the writer uses the socio-cultural historical approach to analyze the novel. This approach is suitable to analyze the novel because class discrimination is a kind of social problem based on social condition in the society.
The result of the analysis shows that class discrimination still exists in India until this present time. The setting of place and social setting show that there is a big social gap in the society. The big gap divides the society into classes. The rich people live in luxurious houses and have the high-paid jobs. While the poor people live in horrible places and only have the low-paid job. This gap then creates a dividing line between the rich and the poor. This dividing line then influences the rich people to discriminate the poor in many aspects of life. The most noticeable one is the class discrimination in law and justice. The rich people who have the power and money treat the poor people badly because they think they can buy the law. The poor people are also discriminated in healthcare. They cannot have the proper service in the hospital because they do not have money to pay the doctor and buy the medicine. From this analysis, we can see that the class discrimination is a serious social problem in India. It gives negative impacts for the poor people in many aspects of life.
ABSTRAK
KUMALA DEWI. The Class Discrimination in India as Seen through the
Characters and Settings in Vikas Swarup’s Slumdog Millionaire. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.Slumdog Millionaire adalah sebuah novel yang ditulis oleh Vikas Swarup.
Ini adalah novel debut dan terlaris dari Vikas Swarup. Novel ini pada umumnya menceritakan tentang Ram Mohammad Thomas, seorang pelayan yatim piatu dan tidak berpendidikan dari sebuah tempat kumuh bernama Dharavi di India. Ram telah berhasil menjawab 12 pertanyaan dalam sebuah kuis. Sayangnya, produser kuis tersebut menolak untuk memberikan hadiahnya dan menuduh Ram telah berbohong. Ram kemudian ditangkap oleh polisi dan disiksa secara fisik. Teman lama Ram, Smita Shah, kemudian datang ke kontor polisi dan menjadi pengacaranya. Ram kemudian bercerita kepada Smita tentang cara dia bisa berhasil menjawab semua pertanyaan. Secara mengejutkan, itu dikarenakan oleh banyak pengalaman hidupnya. Pengalaman-pengalaman tersebut terutama tentang kehidupannya yang berat sebagai orang miskin, pengalaman-pengalaman kerjanya, dan juga pertemuan-pertemuannya dengan banyak orang. Inilah yang menuntunnya untuk dapat menjawab semua pertanyaan.
Dalam mengungkap diskriminasi kelas, skripsi ini memfokuskan pada tiga permasalahan. Permasalahan yang pertama bertujuan untuk melihat karakter dan karakteristik tokoh dalam novel. Permasalahan yang kedua bertujuan untuk melihat latar dan kondisi sosial di India. Permasalahan yang terakhir bertujuan untuk mengungkap diskriminasi kelas melalui karakter dan latar dalam novel.
Dalam penelitian ini, penulis memutuskan untuk menggunakan pendekatan sosio-kultural historikal untuk menganalisa novel. Pendekatan ini sesuai untuk menganalisa novel ini karena diskriminasi kelas adalah sebuah masalah sosial yang berdasar pada kondisi sosial dalam masyarakat.
Hasil dari analisa menunjukkan bahwa diskriminasi kelas masih ada di India sampai sekarang ini. Latar tempat dan latar sosial menunjukkan bahwa ada kesenjangan sosial yang besar di masyarakat. Kesenjangan ini membagi masyarakat dalam beberapa kelas. Kesenjangan ini juga kemudian menciptakan garis pemisah antara orang kaya dan miskin. Garis pemisah ini kemudian mempengaruhi orang yang kaya untuk mendiskriminasi orang yang miskin dalam berbagai aspek kehidupan. Yang paling terlihat adalah diskriminasi kelas dalam hukum dan keadilan. Orang kaya yang mempunyai kekuasaan dan uang memperlakukan orang miskin dengan buruk karena mereka merasa bisa membeli hukum. Orang miskin juga terdiskriminasi dalam hal pelayanan kesehatan. Mereka tidak bisa mendapatkan pelayanan yang baik karena mereka tidak bisa membayar dokter dan membeli obat. Dari analisa ini kita dapat melihat bahwa diskriminasi kelas adalah masalah sosial yang serius di India. Ini berdampak negatif pada kehidupan orang-orang miskin dalam banyak aspek kehidupan.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Literature is one’s expression containing thoughts, feelings, and desires. According to Wellek and Warren in Theory of Literature, the function of literature
is to relieve either writers or readers from pressure of emotions (1962: 36). It means that literature is a way to express one’s mind and personal emotions through one’s interpretation of the literary work itself. However, literature is not only an expression, but also a product of social institution. Langland, in her book
Society in the Novel , stated that:
As a member of society, an author may present some social details he observes and also includes his belief into his work. But sometimes the novelist pours his own idea in certain social issues only to make some interesting ends for his novel (1984: 19).
This implies that literature exists because the society exists. Literature and society are inseparable because, whether it is a fact taken from the real world or just the idea of the author, the society and all its aspects are always presented in a literary work.
One of the societies that are often presented in literary work is the Indian society. In “Breaking World India News”, it is stated that “Republic of India is the seventh largest country by geographical area and second most populous country with over 1.18 billion people.” <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/inte rnational/countriesandterritories/india/index.html>. The huge number of population makes India as a plural society. It has a great variety of people, religions, and languages.
As an emerging country in South Asia, India has developed rapidly during the last two decades. It is proven with the development of several big cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Calcutta, Jaipur, Bangalore, and Chennai. But amidst the development of those cities, there is an ironical fact in this country.
India still suffers from poverty, illiteracy, corruption, disease, and malnutrition.
As we all know, in the past India strictly practiced the caste system due to the influence of Hinduism as the major religion in the country. Caste is something that is physically or socially inherent to the person at birth and is expected to determine their opportunities for their lifetime. On the other hand, class is most often determined by the opportunity to get education, to make income and to move in different social, job related and housing circles. The influence of caste system towards the existence of class system is stated by Kamat (2009) in the article “History of Social Structure in India”, as quoted below:
There is some correlation between ritual rank on the caste hierarchy and economic prosperity. Members of higher-ranking castes tend, on the whole, to be more prosperous than members of lower-ranking castes. Many lower-caste people live in conditions of great poverty and social disadvantage <http://countrystudies.us/india/89.htm>.
The quotation above implies that caste is closely correlated with economic prosperity, which is the basic underlying criterion in determining class.
As what has been stated above, class system divides the society members according to their economic prosperity. The difference of economic prosperity level undeniably creates the gap in the society. This gap is the most important factor influencing the existence of discrimination towards people from the lower classes, as what Kamat (2009) in “History of Social Structure in India” stated below:
All through human history, property-less classes have suffered social discrimination of one kind or another. Victims of older forms of discrimination will either continue to be victimized, or simply become victims of new forms of discrimination <http://countrystudies .us/india/89.htm>. The quotation above strengthens the fact that discrimination is the impact of the existence of class system. The lower class continuously becomes the victims of the discrimination done by the higher class.
The writer believes that class discrimination is needed to be studied because it is a huge unsolvable issue which gives a massive impact mostly in the life of the Indian lower class society until this present time. Furthermore, this topic is worth studying because the previous studies about Indian social structure and discrimination were mostly based on caste system. Therefore, the topic of class discrimination is chosen because it can give us a new insight into another kind of discrimination in India, instead of the discrimination based on caste system. Slumdog Millionaire is a debut and bestselling novel written by Vikas Swarup, an Indian diplomat who is currently in service for Indian Consulate in South Africa. The novel is suitable to study the topic because it focuses on class system as the social stratification in the Indian society and also class discrimination as the result of class system existence. In the novel, Swarup portrays very vividly and realistically all of the irony and cruelty in the life of lower class people facing the discrimination from higher class society members.
B. Problem Formulation To conduct this study, the writer has formulated three problems as written below.
1. How are the characters described in the novel?
2. How are the settings described in the novel?
3. How is the class discrimination in India revealed through the characters and settings?
C. Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to answer the questions stated in problem formulation. The aims can be formulated more elaborately as follows.
Firstly, this study is aimed to analyze the characters presented in Slumdog
Millionaire . The analysis of characters shows the characteristics of people from
different classes, how they tend to behave and treat each other.Secondly, this study is aimed to analyze the settings presented in Slumdog
Millionaire . The analysis of settings shows the social condition of people from
different classes based on their living places and occupations.Thirdly, this study is aimed to reveal the forms of class discrimination in India. The class discrimination is revealed through the characters and settings that have been analyzed before.
D. Definition of Terms
The definition of terms is expected to give a brief understanding about class discrimination as the subject of the study. These terms are important to be explained since the study discusses them in the analysis.
As defined in Dictionary of Concepts in History by Ritter, the term class refers to the category of social standing defined in terms of economic function (1986: 42). Based on the definition above, class can be explained further as the division of society according to the economic status which is closely related to occupation and social condition.
While in Dictionary of Sociology, Ford defines discrimination as unfavorable treatment of individuals or groups; such treatment being based on purely arbitrary grounds (1969: 108). Based on the definition above, discrimination can be explained further as a showing of prejudice treatment to the minority groups.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies Slumdog Millionaire is the debut novel of Vikas Swarup. Swarup, who is
currently residing in South Africa, tries to underline the existence of class system and how it affects the life of the lower class society members in his home country India, through a unique story of how a poor Indian boy struggles to survive in life. Charles in his article entitled “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, stated that:
It takes more than a spoonful of sugar to get such medicine down, and Vikas Swarup provides a strange mixture of sweet and sour in this erratically comic novel. Slumdog Millionaire is about a poor waiter from Dharavi, India -- "not a place for the squeamish" -- who's won a billion rupees on a game show <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/con tent/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801567.html>.
From the quotation we can see that Slumdog Millionaire’s uniqueness lies on how the author is able to present a story about the hard struggle to survive in life with a happy ending in which the major character finally can change his life and completely gets out from poverty and the discrimination as a member of lower class society.
Another study on this novel is done by Tubbs. In “Kismet”, he stated that:
Slumdog is rich in themes, both basic and complex. It’s an exuberant
celebration of perseverance and the triumph of the morally sound. The novel also explores the power of love to lift us out of dire circumstances, and of course, the possibility of destiny. It also raises the question of moral relativism <http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LH/b.495279/k.505B.h tm>. From the quotation above, we can see that the novel is mainly about the struggle and how someone can finally succeed to get out from the hard life with the help of perseverance, love, and destiny. Moral relativism here refers to the judgment of the act of lower class people to survive in life which sometimes violate the law such as stealing and deceiving, fully depends on one’s point of view. We may regard it as a bad thing, but our point of view might be different if it is us who experience that kind of circumstance.
Zipp in her article entitled “He Should Have Guessed Wrong”, stated that “Interestingly, rather than widespread social change on a governmental level, Swarup, an Indian diplomat, seems to espouse individual decency as a cure for these ills.” <http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0830/p15s02-bogn.html>. From the quotation, we can see that Slumdog Millionaire tries to be a representation of the real struggle of the lower class society in India. Although the author is originally a government official, but this novel depicts an individual struggle in facing the devastating social condition.
By focusing on class discrimination as the main topic, this study tries to discover something new. Three previous critical studies above give more attention to the struggle of the lower class people to get out of the worst social condition caused by poverty. Meanwhile, this study discovers class discrimination as a new topic, particularly on its form and the influences of the society in the growth of this phenomenon. This is the main reason why this study is different from the other studies about this novel
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory on Character
Character is also a part of intrinsic elements which takes an important role in a story. In A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams (1993: 23) stated that: Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue – and by what they do – the action. Here Abrams emphasizes that characters are the figures presented in the literary work which have the most distinctive feature than any other intrinsic elements, the emotional features. Emotional features are presented in characters because the characters are usually human beings playing their own roles in the story.
When talking about character, we cannot separate it from characterization. In general, characterization is the process by which the author creates a character. In A Handbook of Literature, Holman and Harmon stated that there are three basic methods of characterization as quoted below: a. The explicit presentation of the character by the author through direct explanation, whether in a block’s introductory or throughout the work which is illustrated by action (1986: 81)
b. The presentation of the character in action, therefore the reader will be able to conclude the attributes of character from actions (1986: 81) c. The representation from within a character, without comment on character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on character’s inner self, with the expectation that the reader will come to clear understanding of the attributes of the character (1986: 81)
Boulton in The Anatomy of the Novel discussed the function of characters in the literary works. Characters in the fiction can help us to see the difficulties of others. “It is sometimes easier to realize these through fiction than with tiresome people beside us.” (1975: 72). It happens because fiction usually depicts the life of the characters along with all the emotional, logical, and social traits. Therefore, the difficulties and problems of human beings are relatively easier to be understood by reading fiction.
2. Theory on Setting
In order to have a complete understanding of any literary work, we have to analyze several elements of the literary work itself. One of these elements is setting. Setting is a part of intrinsic elements which constitutes a story. It has a very important role on shaping the story because it depicts the place, time, and people in the story.
According to Stanton, the setting in the story is the environment of its events, the immediate world in which they occur. Part of the setting is the visible background such as river, jungle, and time of the day or year, the climate or the historical period. People in the background can also be considered as setting (1965: 18). While in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams (1993: 192), stated that:
The overall setting of a narrative or dramatic work is the general locale, historical time, and social circumstances in which its action occurs; the setting of a single episode or scene within a work is the particular physical location in which it takes place.
Here Abrams makes it clearer that the three kinds of setting: setting of place, setting of time, and social setting. The general locale is the physical environment of the story, like a house, a street, a city; while the historical time refers to the time or period when the story happens. The social circumstances refer to the condition of the society where the story happens.
Setting of place and social setting are very helpful to reveal class discrimination. According to Murphy, setting of place is divided into three types.
The first type is the familiar place. In this type, the writer may decide to set his story in a place which he considers in familiar to most of his reader (1972: 145).
The second type is the unfamiliar place. This type allows the writer to set his novel in a place that is likely to be fairly unfamiliar to many of the readers of his own nation (1972: 145). The third type is the imaginary place. This type allows the writer to set his story in an entirely imaginary place. These three types presented by Murphy generally refer to the geographical location, its topography, scenery, such as physical arrangements (Holman & Harmon, 1986: 465).
The social setting takes a significant role on presenting the issue to the reader in a literary work of which main focus is on social issue. Basically, social setting refers to the society in the literary work. According to Holman and Harmon, social setting can refer to general environment of the character for example religious, mental, moral, social, emotional conditions, through which the people in the story move. It also can reveal the occupations and daily manner of the living characters (1986: 465). Therefore, from the quotations above, we can conclude that social setting is one important point which shapes the story of any kind of literary work.
3. Theory on Class Discrimination
Before discussing the theory on class discrimination, it is better for us to see the theory on class in India. Stern, in his book Changing India, stated that:
A class is a group of people whose “typical chance for a supply of goods, external life conditions and personal life experiences” is determined by their similar capacities “to dispose of goods or skills for the sake of income in a given economic order.” In other words, and in Indian rural terms, a class is a collection of households which are similarly situated economically. Their members may or may not be conscious of belonging to a class (1993: 85). From the quotation above we can conclude that class in India is determined by the similar economic situation of the households which belong to that class. The economic situation is influenced by their ability to obtain income, which they use to fulfill their life needs.
The theory on class discrimination is taken from “Discrimination against a Social Class”, in which Conniff (2010) stated that:
People that are discriminated against because of their lower social class are being pointed out and labelled a “disgrace” to society in some ways. Instead of providing assistance to these people in need, society wants to ridicule them and take even more away from them, making it even harder for them to succeed <http://www.exampleessays.com/viewpa per/42854.html>.
The above statement implies that the class discrimination towards the people from the lower class has already become a natural habit of the surrounding society, due to the label and stereotype attached to them. To make it worse, the selfish higher- class society does not even have the intention to help the lower class people to get rid of their hard life, because they only care about what’s beneficial for them.
C. Review on Socio-cultural Historical Background of India
Although many other nations are characterized by social inequality, perhaps nowhere else in the world has inequality been elaborately constructed as the Indian institution of caste. As we all know, Hinduism is India’s major religion. As a major religion in the country, Hinduism’s basic principles rule the Indian society in general. Hinduism is very well-known for its caste system, as we can see in the following quotation:
Birth decreed membership in a specific caste, an endogamous group with its own distinctive ritual practices, purity regulations, and relative position in the caste ladder or hierarchy. The four-tiered social and occupational arrangement that embraced the castes dated to the early times of early Aryan invasions, with Brahmans or priest at the top of the structure, followed by the Kshatriyas or nobles and warriors, the Vaisyas or traders and artisans, and finally the Sudras or serfs (Meyer, 1976: 13). From the quotation above, we can see that caste is determined by birth. It is something inherent and can not be changed. Each caste has its own habits and regulations which make them distinct one to another. We also can see the close relation between caste and occupation. Members of high ranking caste tend to have more prosperous life than the members of lower-ranking caste.
Class itself is mostly determined by one’s income and prosperity level. By looking further at the explanation in the previous paragraph, we can see that caste system has a big influence on the existence of class system, since caste usually becomes the underlying factor which determines one’s occupation. Class in India is divided into three classes, all of which are as follows.
The class stratification in India is divided into three-level system: Forward Classes (higher class), Backward Classes (middle and menial underclass), and Harijans (lowest class). Members of the upper class--around 1 percent of the population--are owners of large properties, members of exclusive clubs, and vacationers in foreign lands, and include industrialists, former maharajas, and top executives. There is no single set of criteria defining the middle class, and estimates of its numbers vary widely, but ownership of cars, televisions, and other consumer goods, reasonable earnings, substantial savings, and educated children (often fluent in English) typify this diverse group. Below the middle class is perhaps a third of the population--ordinary farmers, trades people, artisans, and workers. At the bottom of the economic scale are the poor--estimated at 320 million, some
45 percent of the population in 1988--who live in inadequate homes without adequate food, work for pittances, have undereducated and often sickly children, and are the victims of numerous social inequities <http://www.indianchild.com/classes_in_india.htm>.
From the quotation above, we can see that class is divided based on occupation, level of income, and economic assets. The higher class people are those who own properties and have extravagant lifestyle. The middle class people are those who have standard income and lifestyle. While the lowest class people are those who live in conditions of great poverty. The unequal access to economic access and education will lead to some form of class discrimination and inequity in the society.
Although there are many kinds of social problems in India, as an emerging country, India has developed rapidly during the last decades. Lal, in the article “Indian Social Realities” stated that:
The Indian state, which proudly trumpets in its achievements, has frequently called attention to India’s burgeoning industrial sector, India’s accomplishments in space, the phenomenal rise in food production (said to have resulted in self-sufficiency in food, a claim that scarcely squares with the allegation that well over half of the population is severely malnourished), and the well-known contributions of its scientists, engineers, and technicians <http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Soc issues/socreal.html>.
From the quotation above we can see that India has rapidly developed in many sectors, mainly in industrial and food production sector. We also can see that India also develops rapidly in education, as there are more and more educated people from India like scientists, engineers, and technicians who can give their contribution in the global world.
We can see Lal’s further statement in “Indian Social Realities” about the development of India in the following quotation.
70 years ago if one was to say India is conservative, fully cultured, then they would be correct. Today that would be a stereotype, however in the villages or rural areas that still exist. In the cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and New Delhi people are becoming quite westernized from the clothing and just the overall style. As far as amenities go pretty much everyone except some tribes in remote locations have TV, radios, DVD players and computers. Air conditioners are available in most places in the large cities and in all the mid to higher end food joints in the smaller towns. None in villages. Cars are pretty much everywhere but the quality depends on the social strata of the person that owns them <http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Socissues/socreal.ht ml>. From the quotation above we can see that some parts of India have developed rapidly in many aspects of life. In this modern era, the Indians in the big cities are likely to be influenced with the western lifestyle, particularly in their clothing style. India’s development is also marked by the possession of electronic goods and private vehicle by almost everyone except people in remote areas.
In this modern era, India’s movies and television programs are also well- developed. India has an adaptation of the popular quiz show around the world, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, as we can see in the quotation below.
Kaun Banega Crorepati is an Indian version of the popular quiz show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Contestants start off with easy questions, but as they move forward the questions get more and more challenging. To help them out, they are given "lifelines" that let them either eliminate two of the four possible answers, call a friend at home for help, or take a poll of the audience for what they think the right answer is. This version's title literally translates to "Who will be a ten-millionaire?". The show first aired in 2000 and was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250875/plotsummary>.
The quotation above depicts that India has made the adaptation of the popular quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” since early 2000. The existence of this kind of television show is a sign that in several more years India will likely to be completely modern as it starts to adapt things from outside the country.
D. Theoretical Framework
Each of the theory and review above is needed to analyze the novel. The review of related studies is needed to strengthen the importance of studying and analyzing the novel. The theory of character gives a great contribution to the study. This theory helps to see the relation among people in India, particularly on how they behave on treating each other. This theory helps to answer problem number one. The theory of setting also gives contribution to the study. It helps to see the social condition of the society in detail, including their living places and occupations. The theory of class discrimination also helps to relate how the economic condition becomes one of the major factors determining the role and position of poor people in the society and answer problem number three.
The review on the sociocultural-historical background of India helps to understand in general the social conditions in India. It gives a broad understanding that the society in the novel cannot be separated from the characters because it gives strong influence to the characters themselves. It is also supporting this work as a portrayal of social life in India.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study The object of this study is a novel entitled Slumdog Millionaire, written by Vikas Swarup. This book was firstly published in 2005 as Q & A by Scribner, a
division of Simon and Schuster, Inc. Slumdog Millionaire has a prologue, 12 chapters (The Death of a Hero, The Burden of a Priest, A Brother’s Promise, A
Thought for the Crippled, How to Speak Australian, Hold on to Your Buttons,
Murder on the Western Express, A Soldier’s Tale, License to Kill, Tragedy Queen,
X Gkrz Opknu (or A Love Story), The Thirteenth Question ) and an epilogue. The
initial pages of the novel include the comments from various mass media experts such as The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and The
Boston Globe . This novel has been translated into thirty-four languages.
The novel is generally about Ram Mohammad Thomas, an orphaned and uneducated young waiter from a slum in Dharavi, India. Ram has correctly answered 12 questions on the game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, and has won a billion rupees. The producer of the show, who does not have the money to pay Ram, accuses Ram of cheating and makes him arrested by the police. In the police station, Ram is tortured physically and verbally by a police inspector that forces him to admit the suspicion of cheating. A friend from his past, Smita Shah, comes to the police station and becomes his lawyer. Ram then tells Smita about how he successfully answered the questions. Surprisingly, it was because of the sequence of events that occurred in Ram’s life.
Ram’s experiences included his upbringing with Father Timothy, his cruel life in slum, his working period for a former Bollywood actress Neelima Kumari and an Australian diplomat Colonel Taylor, being a tourist guide in Taj Mahal and a waiter in Mumbai. Each of these experiences was all related to the 12 questions.
While working as a tourist guide in Taj Mahal, Ram met young prostitute named Nita. Ram wanted to marry her, but Nita’s pimp refused and asked for 400,000 Rupees. Later on, Prem Kumar tortured Nita when he slept with her. Ram was so angry with him, because he also did the same thing to Neelima Kumari, who committed suicide because of him. Ram wanted to take revenge to Prem. He planned to kill him when he went for a bathroom break. However, Ram changed his mind, and as an exchange, Prem told the answer of the last question, the only question which Ram was unable to answer.
The entire story of this novel clearly depicts how discrimination based on class exists in Indian society. The key to the novel success has been the universality of the human experience such as the fight for survival, dignity and love. Moreover, the depiction of poverty and shocking brutality could be so uplifting in the end of the story. In a blend of comedy and poignancy, Vikas Swarup has created a kaleidoscopic vision of the struggle of good against evil, and what happened when one boy has no other choice but to survive.
B. Approach of the Study
Every literary work always contains intrinsic and extrinsic elements. Both have the important roles on the work. Guerin in A Handbook of Critical
Approaches to Literature stated that:
In analyzing a piece of literary work, it is not only the intrinsic elements that count, but it also involves other extrinsic elements such as author’s biography and the historical background of the work (1979: 20)
Based on the quotation above, we can see the importance of the approach in helping the writer analyze the novel.
According to Rohrberger and Woods, in Reading and Writing about
Literature , “Critics whose major interest is the sociocultural-historical approach
insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it.” (1971: 9). This implies that the critics will mainly focus on the relation between the work of literature and the reality happens in the civilization, including the actions and attitudes of certain people.