Imas Istiani, , 2250406011 (2011) Struggling for Self Identity against Dominant Identities of the Society as Found in Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea. Under Graduates thesis, Universitas Negeri Semarang.

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Abstract

This final project is a literary analysis of Jean Rhys’ novel Wide Sargasso Sea dealing with struggling for self identity against dominant identities of the society. Identity is attached to self to show who he is or what others think who he is. Its importance is to correlate the self where the identity is attached with the others for the social relationship. Therefore, individual factors and social factors insist the nature and also the development of the self. Since identity can not be detached from society, it can be concluded that society get the dominant identities of self which may raise conflicts and/or crises between self and society. Wide Sargasso Sea is a novel that depicts the complexity of identity crises of Creole character in the post-Emancipation Jamaica. While the study aims at analyzing the struggling for self identity that are different from the dominant identities in the society. Therefore, the objectives of the study are to identify the self identity described in the novel, to explain why the self identity is against the dominant identity of the society and also to find out the form of struggle for self identity as revealed in the novel. I used a descriptive qualitative research as a method of the final project since the data were taken in the form of written words, phrases, sentences, and quotations to be analyzed descriptively. To frame the study, I used Tennessee Self-Concept Scale developed by William Fitts mentioning three internal self-concept and Social Identity Theory (SIT) found by Henri Tajfel outlining the idea of in-group and out-group characteristics and also the defense mechanism by Anna Freud. From the analysis and discussion, I may summarize some conclusions and suggestions based on the theories in this final project. After Britain’s Parliament had approved the Emancipation Act in 1833 which outlawing slavery in all its colonies in West Indies, beside ex-slaves Black Jamaican, there were other grouping of White people at the time; real White people who were still rich and White niggers who became poor because of the neglected plantations as the result of the Emancipation Act. Categorized as White niggers, Antoinette’s family found them as an out-group from real rich White and also poor Black niggers. Beside the financial situation, Antoinette was also rejected because of her Creole identity; a mixture descendant from White father and Black mother. To struggle for her self identity, there were some forms that Antoinette did such as maintaining social relationship, having education, binding to marriage, and choosing citizenship. I hope that the study will be useful for people who are interested in analyzing social aspects and self identity and especially for the students who intend to analyze the same novel or relating themes.

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