Mutiah Karim, 2211415039 (2020) THE CONCEPT OF THE OTHER AS CONSTRUCTED IN BHARATI MUKHERJEE’S DESIRABLE DAUGHTERS. Under Graduates thesis, Univeristas Negeri Semarang.

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Abstract

Dichotomy of the West and the East has become an issue after colonial era ended. The colonized countries such as India (so called the Far East) are seen as inferior to the Western countries—European countries and America. Moreover, according to Orientalism by Edward Said, the West regard the East as The Other. This study is aimed to explain (1) the concept of The Other constructed in Mukherjee’s Desirable Daughters and (2) how the construction of The Other affects the personality of the main characters. There are two objects of the study. Firstly, the material object is a novel entitled Desirable Daughters, written by Bharati Mukherjee. Secondly, the concept of The Other constructed in Mukherjee’s Desirable Daughter is the formal object of this study. This qualitative descriptive study employed Orientalism theory by Edward Said in analyzing the data. The findings of the study are as follows: the concept of The Other in Mukherjee’s Desirable Daughters are constructed on three (3) keys which are (1) Western perspective on Indian people as well as Indian perspective on the Westerners, (2) the otherness of India, (3) and the imagery of India as reflected in the novel. Meanwhile, the construction of The Other affecting the main characters’ personality can be seen by the way the main characters think and presume that the West is better than India. Tara has become Americanized, Padma (Didi) has turned to be more traditional Indian woman in America, and Parvati has not been too eager to lead traditional Indian nor westernized life. The researcher concluded that The Other in the novel is a group of people who are considered as inferior, powerless, poor, restricted, and traditional compared with The Self who are represented as superior, powerful, rich, liberated, and modern. Furthermore, the construction of The Other has made Tara insecure at first but then she becomes independent. On the other hand, it has made Padma become a brave and wise woman. Meanwhile, it has sharpened Parvati’s vigilant side.

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