MORAL DECADENCE IN FITZGERALD’S Moral Decadence In Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful And Damned (1922) A Socio-Cultural Perspective.

MORAL DECADENCE IN FITZGERALD’S
THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED (1922)

A SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

RESEARCH PAPER
Submitted as a Partial Fulfillments of the Requirements
for Getting Bachelor Degree
in English Department

by
DHEWI NUR ANGGRAINI
A 320 040 146

SCHOOL OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION
MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF SURAKARTA
2012

MOTTO

Triumph belongs to the brave


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DEDICATION

This Research Paper is dedicated to:
 My beloved Mom and Dad
 My lovely brothers and sisters
 My lovely friends

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

First, I would like to say Alhamdulillahi robil „alamin to express all my
praise, gratitude and adoration to Allah SWT. He has enabled me to accomplish
this research paper. It is possible for me to finish my research paper because of
His Power and Permission.
Second, I would like to thank to my lovely Mom and Dad who always pray
for my best. They are great people ever had. I thank for the support, caring, loving

and all things for me. I also thank to Drs. M. Thoyibi M. S., as the first
consultant, for his guidance, advices, inspirations and suggestions to complete this
research paper. Dr. Phil. Dewi Candraningrum is the second consultant who has
improved writing in order to make this research paper more interesting to read in
correct sentences. I thank for that.
There are many people who have given their contribution to me. Therefore I
would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for:
1. Drs. H. Sofyan Anif, M.Si, as the Dean of Teacher Training and
Education Faculty.
2. Titis Setyabudi, S.S, as the Head of English Department.
3. All of the English Department lecturers for their knowledge in a whole
great teaching.
4. My dear brother, Mas Yak, for the support and care.

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TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE ...............................................................................................................


i

APPROVAL .....................................................................................................

ii

ACCEPTANCE ................................................................................................ iii
TESTIMONY ................................................................................................... iv
MOTTO ............................................................................................................

v

DEDICATION .................................................................................................. vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENT ................................................................................. vii
TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................... ix
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... xiii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study .....................................................

1


B. Literature Review ................................................................

5

C. Problem Statement ..............................................................

7

D. Limitation of the Study ........................................................

7

E. Objective of the Study .........................................................

7

F. Benefit of the Study .............................................................

7


G. Research Method .................................................................

8

H. Paper Organization ..............................................................

9

CHAPTER II UNDERLYING THEORY
A. Sociology of Literature ......................................................... 10
1. Notion of Sociology of Literature.................................... 10
2. Major Principles of Sociological Perspective .................. 12

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a. Sociology of the Society ............................................. 12
b. Sociology of Author ................................................... 13
c. Sociology of the Reader............................................. 14
B. Moral Decadence ................................................................. 15

1. Notion of Moral Decadence............................................. 15
2. Aspect ............................................................................. 15
3. Characteristic .................................................................. 17
C. Structural Elements of the Novel ......................................... 18
D. Theoretical Application ....................................................... 26
CHAPTER III

THE

SOCIAL

STATES’

BACKGROUND

SOCIETY

IN

THE


OF

UNITED

EARLY

OF

TWENTIENTH CENTURY
A. Social Aspect .................................................................. 27
1. Social Structure .......................................................... 28
2. Social Status ............................................................... 29
3. Family and Social Relation ........................................ 32
4. Conflicts Within the period of 1950s ......................... 35
5. Urbanization ............................................................... 38
B. Economic Aspect ............................................................ 39
C. Political Aspect ............................................................... 42
D. Science and Technology Aspect ..................................... 45
E. Cultural Aspect ............................................................... 47

F. Religious Aspect ............................................................ 50
G. The Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald ........................................ 51

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CHAPTER IV STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
A. Structural Elements of the Novel ........................................ 54
1. Character and Characterization ....................................... 54
2. Setting ............................................................................. 70
3. Plot .................................................................................. 74
4. Point if View .................................................................... 80
5. Style ................................................................................ 81
6. Theme ............................................................................. 86
B. Discussion ........................................................................... 87
CHAPTER V SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BEAUTIFUL
AND DAMNED

A. Sosiological Analysis ........................................................... 90
1. Social Aspect .................................................................. 91
2. Economic Aspect ............................................................ 93

3. Political Aspect ............................................................... 97
4. Religious Aspect ............................................................. 99
5. Science and Technology Aspect ..................................... 101
6. Cultural Aspect ................................................................ 102
B. Moral Decadence .................................................................. 105
C. Discussion ........................................................................... 107
CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATION
A. Conclusion ........................................................................... 110
B. Pedagogical Implication ....................................................... 111
C. Suggestion ........................................................................... 112

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX

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ABSTRACT


DHEWI NUR ANGGRAINI A.320040146. MORAL DECADENCE IN
FITZGERALD’S THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED: SOCIO-CULTURAL
PERSPECTIVE. RESEARCH PAPER. MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF
SURAKARTA. 2012.
The object of this research is the novel entitled The Beautiful and Damned by F.
Scott Fitzgerald. He is an author of some novels that deals with social issues for that time.
The major problem of this study is how moral decadence is reflected in the novel F. Scott
Fitzgerald‘s The Beautiful and Damned is based on Sociological approach. It occurs
because there is some habituation that causes moral decadence.
The researcher employs qualitative research method. In this method, the
researcher uses two data resources namely primary and secondary data sources. The
primary data source is the novel F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s The Beautiful and Damned itself.
The secondary data source is the books about sociology, philosophy and the other sources
related to the analysis. The method of data collection is library research and the technique
of data collection is descriptive technique.

The structural analysis shows that in this novel F. Scott Fitzgerald delivers
a message that money does not give the true happiness. The sociological analysis
suggests that their is a close relationship between the production of this novel, The
Beautiful and Damned, and the social realities of American Society in the 1920‘s.

Keywords: flapper, money, disinheritance, jobless

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