THE USE OF FASHION BRAND BY THE CAPITALIST IN HEGEMONIZING WOMEN AS DEPICTED IN THE NOVEL THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA BY LAUREN WEISBERGER THESIS Submitted to Meet a Part of the Requirements for Sarjana Sastra Degree from English Department Faculty of Cultural Sciences Sebelas Maret University By: ERNI NUGRAHA DIWATI C0310021 ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF CULTURAL SCIENCES SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY SURAKARTA 2016
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PRONOUNCEMENT Name Number : Erni Nugraha Diwati : C0310021 I announce that the thesis entitled The Use of Fashion brand by the Capitalist System in Hegemonizing Women as Depicted in American Women s Novel The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger is my own work. It is not plagiarism nor written by others. Any materials and theories used as references in this thesis are written in direct quotations and/or in paraphrase and contained in bibliography. I would take the responsibility, if it is proved that I do cheating. Surakarta, January 20 th, 2016 The Researcher Erni Nugraha Diwati iv
MOTTO Remember your Lord in yourself humbly and fearfully, without loudness of voice, morning and evening. Do not be of the headless ones. (Q.S Al-A raf : 205) It s not the broken dreams that break us; it s the ones we don t dare to dream. (Will Schuester Glee ) In reaching your success, there will be a test to prove your appropriateness. Walk through it. Face it. Enjoy the process. Hope Allah SWT always guides you. Amen. (YIF, Kudus, July 29 th 2015) Who can decide what they dream? And dream I do. (Amy Lee) v
DEDICATION With all of my heart, I dedicate this thesis to: My Beloved Family, My Lecturers, My Friends, Myself, and American Studies Scholars vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. First of all, I would like to give my best praise as the biggest gratitude and blessing by saying Alhamdulillah to Allah SWT who gives me guidance for every aspect in my life. I would also like to give my deepest thanks to those who contribute in conducting and finishing my thesis. I would like to extend gratitude to: Prof. Drs. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed., Ph.D as the Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Sebelas Maret University Surakarta. Drs. Agus Hari Wibowo, M.A., Ph.D as the Head of English Department, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Sebelas Maret University Surakarta. Dra. Susilorini, M.A as my thesis consultant, I thank from the deepest of my heart for the time, the suggestions, the precious knowledges, and the patience in the process of my thesis arrangement. Thanks for giving me the great guidance so I would not be lost in uncertainty. Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari, M.Hum, Ph.D as the head of examiners, Dra. Rara Sugiarti, M.Tourism as the secretary, and Dra. Nani Sukarni, M.S as the second examiner, I say thanks for the corrections, suggestions, and guidance during my thesis defense. Agus Dwi Priyanto, S.S., M.CALL as my academic supervisor, I say thanks for the assistance during my study for years and always supporting me. vii
Thank for being a very great academic supervisor and the kindness of being helpful all the time. English Department s lecturers, especially American Studies lecturers (Drs. Bathoro Moh. Sardjana, M.A.; Fitria Akhmerti Primasita, S.S., M.A.; Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari, M.Hum., Ph.D.; and M. Taufiq Al Makmun, S.S., M.A, Karunia Purna Kusciati, S.S., M.Si) I would like to say thank for giving me meaningful lessons and sharing the valuable knowledge when I study in English Department. Thanks for always being great and magnificent lecturers in American Studies. My beloved parents, Ir. Didik Nugroho P, S.P and Sutarni, thanks from the deepest of my heart for always loving me, understanding me, supporting me and praying for me in every single day. Thanks for always give me a punch whenever I am down. My sister and my brother-in-law, Rani Nugraha Ningrum and Fatchur Rozi thanks for always accompanying me and support me. Thanks for always being patient whenever I become a mischief-maker. My life would be so much quiet without both of their existence. My first dearest brother, Yogie Arya, thanks for always giving me support and motivation on how to be a tough girl. I would not dare to dream without his support. Thanks for being my brother for years. My second beloved brother, Yusril Ihza Fahrizal, thanks for the caring, the punch, the time, the support, the advice, and other things which you always give viii
me. Thanks for always guiding me from the start. My life is complete when I have him around and I hope that he will be my best buddy eternally. My cousins, Skolastika Ellen Mada Ariani and Stefanus Yogi Aryanta Putra Utama, I thank for their willingness of being crazy with me. My life would not be this complete without both of them. My big guy, Pratama Dharmika Nugraha, thanks for accompanying me passes the graduation in June. I really appreciate that. We walk through the process together. My friends of English Department 2010 and American Studies 2010 who cannot be mentioned one by one, thanks for the fun time we had together. My special thanks fall to Desi Nursita, Dian Ratna Sari, Alvin Dian Wardhana, Sheren Hall, Qadriana Armaningtyas, Siti Fathiyatus, Dita Ikasari, Tyas Nuriska, Haikal Pradana, Adhi Irnawan, Chandra Kartika, Culayla Ayu, Esty Diah Imaniar, Nadia Rimadhani, Fitriana Wulaningrum, Siska Azari, Fariz Dheonata, and Cahyo Adi Nugroho thanks for always standing next to me and support me. I really love all of them. In the end part of this acknowledgement, I know that the thesis is not fully perfect. Nevertheless, I do hope that the thesis will be useful for all readers. All kinds of suggestions and criticisms are welcomed. The Researcher ix
Erni Nugraha Diwati TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER... i APPROVAL OF THESIS CONSULTANT... ii APPROVAL OF BOARD OF EXAMINERS... iii PRONOUNCEMENT... iv MOTTO... v DEDICATION... vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS... x ABSTRACT... xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION... 1 Research Background... 1 Scope of the Research... 7 Research Question... 8 Research Objective... 8 The Significance of the Research... 8 Research Methodology... 9 Type of Research... 9 x
Source of Data... 9 Technique of Collecting and Analyzing Data... 10 Theoretical Approach... 11 Thesis Organization... 16 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW... 17 A. Chick-lit: Genre and Its Formula... 17 B. The Devil Wears Prada as a Chick-lit... 20 C. The Concept of Hegemony... 23 D. Women and Fashion... 26 CHAPTER III: ANALYSIS... 32 A. Capitalist s Exercise of the Concept of Working in the Workplace in The Devil Wears Prada... 33 B. The Exploitation of Women s Belief in Beauty and Power in Producing Brand Image in The Devil Wears Prada... 44 CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION... 71 A. Conclusion... 71 B. Suggestion... 73 BIBLIOGRAPHY... 7 xi
THE USE OF FASHION BRAND BY THE CAPITALIST IN HEGEMONIZING WOMEN AS DEPICTED IN THE NOVEL THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA BY LAUREN WEISBERGER ABSTRACT This research was accomplished to explain how the capitalist used fashion brand to hegemonize American women, which was represented by the main character Andrea Sachs, as depicted in the novel The Devil Wears Prada. The objective of the research was to analyze how The Devil Wears Prada presents the exploitation towards women labors and the use of fashion brand by the capitalist in hegemonizing women. This research is a descriptive qualitative research. The source data is a novel written by Lauren Weisberger The Devil Wears Prada which was published in 2003. The main data are sentences, phrases, expressions, atmosphere, plot, characters, and paragraphs in the dialogues, narrations, and illustration in the novel The Devil Wears Prada. Also, the supporting data are obtained from books, magazines, journal, and internet websites about brand, fashion, women, hegemony, exploitation, and capitalism. The research is conducted under American Studies as the interdisciplinary studies. This research applies literary approach to analyze the literary text, capitalism theory to analyze the strategies of the capitalist, concept of hegemony to describe the domination of the power, and semiotic theory to identify symbols in the novel. The conclusion is that the capitalist has some strategies in hegemonizing women through the fashion brand. The strategies aim to secure its position and to influence the way of thinking of those women. The fashion brand becomes the instruments to hegemonize women. Keywords: Hegemony, Exploitation, Capitalist, Ideology, Women, Novel. xii