Journal of Language and Literature Studies
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The Flood and Kant’s Epistemology against Man’s Alienation in Wallace Stevens’ “The Comedian”
No full textThis article examines the connectedness between Wallace Stevens’ idea of a balance between reality and the imagination in his poem “The Comedian as the Letter C” and Kant’s idea that man’s knowledge of the world is always mediated by mental representations. Aware that the decline of spirituality means that man is left alienated in a thoroughly material world, Stevens strives to rescue humanity from spiritual emptiness and to make out of the same reality poetry in which the imagination brings meaning to man’s existence. In this poem, Stevens makes use of the motif of the flood as an intertextual response to Hegel’s reading of the Greek and biblical stories of the flood that places Kant in the biblical tradition in which man’s submission to God leads to his severance from his reality while the Greek story emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Owing to the nature of this study, this article relies on close reading, a technique advocated by the New Critics and Julia Kristiva’s intertextuality that insists on the presence of elements of one text within another. This methodology highlights that the flood in “Comedian” is a vehicle through which Stevens rejects Hegel’s anti-Kantianism and insists that Kant’s epistemology is the most suitable philosophical paradigm to create a union between man and nature in a secular age. This union is possible if the poet is able to reach a balance between reality and the imagination
Existentialism in Extracurricular Poetry Creation: A Hermeneutic Analysis
No full textPoetry is a literary form that conveys the poet's emotions and thoughts through an imaginative and structured process. It is rich in emotion and distinct in its expression. Writing poetry involves channeling imagination into lines and stanzas, reflecting the poet's creative freedom and ownership. Within the framework of existentialism, poets exercise complete freedom in crafting their poetry without external influence. This study employs a qualitative approach using Hermeneutic analysis and data validation techniques, where data are validated through thorough reading to ascertain the meaning of each word and phrase. The data sources consist of seven poetry texts created by members of the extracurricular poetry group at MTs Miftahul Huda Palang Tuban. Data were collected in the form of words, phrases, and stanzas that depict existentialism, particularly individual freedom. The findings reveal five existential themes in the poetry: "me" (29%), "heart" (14%), "love" (14%), "friends" (29%), and "God" (14%). The terms "me" and "best friend" are the most prevalent, highlighting the themes of self-identity and interpersonal relationships as forms of existence. This study demonstrates that the poet's existence is manifested through the choice of words, with the dominant themes reflecting the poet's exploration of identity, relationships, and individual freedom
Exploring Thematic Structures and Progression in Self-Help Literature: A Textual Metafunction Analysis of “The 5 Second Rule”
No full textGiven the widespread appeal and influence of self-help literature, understanding how authors engage and inform their readers through linguistic strategies is crucial. The study aims to explore how thematic structures contribute to the genre’s purpose of motivating and guiding readers. A descriptive qualitative method was employed, involving observation, interpretation, and explanation. The analysis reveals that the most frequent Themes in the text are Unmarked Topical Themes, primarily in the forms of “You,” “I,” and “It.” The text also frequently utilizes Conjunctive Adjuncts as Textual Themes (e.g., "First," "Second") and Modal Adjuncts as Interpersonal Themes. The zig-zag pattern emerged as the dominant Thematic Progression, allowing the author to maintain clarity and engagement. The strategic use of Theme and Mood facilitates an approachable, mentor-like voice, helping to establish a connection with the reader. These findings offer valuable insight into how thematic structures and progression are employed in self-help literature to enhance readability, coherence, and emotional engagement. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the linguistic mechanisms that drive the effectiveness of self-help texts in fulfilling their social and communicative purposes
Challenges in Accessing Higher Education: A Semiotic Analysis on Gender Stereotypes, Cultural Conservatism, and Economics
No full textThis study investigates the role of logo symbolism in shaping the identity and communication strategies of State Islamic Universities (UINs) in Central Java, Indonesia. Logos serve as powerful visual representations of an institution's identity, blending cultural and religious values. Despite their importance, there is limited research on the semiotic analysis of UIN logos, particularly in terms of integrating Islamic identity with local cultural heritage. This research examines the challenges faced by the Towani Tolotang community in Indonesia, focusing on gender stereotypes, cultural conservatism, and economic barriers to higher education, especially for women. The Towani Tolotang community’s adherence to traditional values often creates a conflict between higher education and cultural preservation, limiting educational opportunities. Gender expectations and economic limitations further exacerbate this issue, with women’s education often deprioritized and financial constraints hindering access to higher education. This study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach, utilizing semiotic analysis based on Charles Peirce's theory and Cerrato’s color theory. Data was gathered through documentation techniques from online repositories, focusing on logos from five UINs in Central Java. Findings indicate that these logos incorporate Islamic values while reflecting local cultural heritage, using symbols such as gunungan, flowers, and specific color schemes (green, white, yellow, orange, gold, and black). These logos not only embody cultural preservation but also promote progressive Islamic education. The study underscores the significance of logo symbolism in reinforcing institutional identity, enhancing public perception, and boosting the competitiveness of UINs globally
Striving for Superiority Reflected in the Main Character of Angie Thomas’s the Hate U Give: A Psychological Study
No full textThis study analyzes the main character, Starr Carter, in Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give, using Adlerian psychology to explore her drive, motivation, and development. Starr’s feelings of inferiority, stemming from her social and economic conditions, race, and traumatic experiences, are examined. The study reveals that Starr compensates for these feelings by adopting two contrasting personas: one in her predominantly white school and another in her Black neighborhood. However, as the story progresses, Starr strives for superiority by embracing her true identity and overcoming the challenges of racism, social inequality, and personal trauma. Her final goal is to unify these conflicting identities and assert her voice as a Black woman, representing her community in the fight against institutional racism. Through creative power and striving for success, Starr transforms her initial inferiority into activism, culminating in her decision to use her voice for justice, particularly following the murder of her friend, Khalil. This research contributes to understanding how Adlerian concepts apply to literary character analysis, especially in the context of racial identity and social justice
Exploring Social Critique in the Literary Work of Film: Ali & Ratu Queens through Bourdieu's Sociological Theory
No full textFilm criticism involves evaluating the quality of a work from artistic, cultural, and technical perspectives. It does not only focus on the narrative or story of the film but also includes other elements such as cinematography, acting, character development, and the conveyed themes. Therefore, this study aims to explore social critique in the film Ali & Ratu Queens using Pierre Bourdieu’s sociological approach, specifically the concepts of habitus, capital, and field as presented in the film. The research employs a descriptive qualitative method, with data drawn from the dialogues and actions of characters within the film. Data collection techniques include watching, marking, observing, and note-taking. The collected data is qualitatively analyzed by observing dialogues, identifying those that reflect Bourdieu’s theories, documenting them, classifying dialogues into categories of habitus, capital, and field, and drawing conclusions based on the analysis of these dialogues. The findings show that the film depicts habitus as a result of internalized social experiences, where economic, social, and cultural capital influences character interactions, and social and educational fields serve as arenas in which individuals compete for higher social positions. Through the application of Bourdieu’s theory, this research reveals that film can serve as an effective tool for critiquing and reflecting on the social and cultural conditions of society
Illocutionary Speech Acts of Articulating Commands in the Movie “Marvels”: An analysis of Linguistics Principles
No full textSpeech acts play a crucial role in human communication, allowing individuals to perform actions through language. The application of speech act is crucial especially in communication because it is an action of communication. Therefore, this study investigates the various forms of illocutionary acts, with a particular emphasis on directive speech acts, as presented in the film "The Marvels" from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This study uses qualitative methodology to deeply analyze the use of directive speech acts in The Marvels. This qualitative approach is appropriate because it emphasizes a detailed examination of the dialogue, context, and pragmatic functions of language in the narrative. By focusing on the meaning and purpose behind the directive speech acts used by the main characters, this study aims to uncover patterns, relationships, and insights that cannot be easily measured. Utilizing Searle's theory of speech acts, Grice's conversational implicature theory, and the situational context framework proposed by Halliday and Hasan, the research explores the way the characters' dialogues are shaped by these linguistic principles. The analysis focuses on how the context of the dialogue influences the illocutionary force of the characters' interactions, revealing the intricate ways in which meaning is conveyed. The findings highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to understanding communication in film, showing that the study of language within specific contexts can enhance people’s appreciation of character interactions and narrative development. This research contributes to the broader field of linguistic analysis in literature and offers valuable insights for students and scholars
Teaching Strategies Applied by EFL Teachers at Inclusive Classroom: An Learning Experince Learnt from Inclusive Classes
No full textThe term inclusion in the field of education is broadly defined as the incorporation of students with disabilities or those with special needs into general classrooms. In this regard, inclusive education represents a concept of education with the aim of fulfilling human rights in terms of education without any sense of discrimination. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the pedagogical strategies used by teachers to teach English in inclusive classrooms. This study applies a descriptive qualitative method embracing the data collection techniques; observation, interviewing, and note-taking. The subject of this research was English teachers in the 9th grade of SMP IT Al Qimah. To analyze the data from observation, and interview, this study used data condensation, data visualization, and conclusion/verification. The results of this study show that English teachers at the immersion level apply two strategies when teaching English: active learning strategy and cooperative learning strategy. The problem that teachers encounter is the difficulty in choosing learning materials and controlling students' moods. To solve problems related to teaching English in inclusive classrooms, teachers should share and discuss with after-school teachers about students' abilities and learning goals. In addition, to enrich skills and knowledge dealing with the problems in teaching English in inclusive classes, teachers need to read many reference materials. Based on the result of the study, it is suggested that the teacher provide a smart solution besides, only sharing with shadow teachers and finding out a lot of references dealing with teaching strategies for inclusive students. Those solutions provide teachers with a lot of new insight and creativity to overlook the problems
Using TikTok as a Media to Enhancing Speaking Skills in English Foreign Language Classroom: A Lesson Learned from ESP Contexts
No full textThe TikTok application is a social media platform that allows users to upload and edit videos using a variety of features to create content as desired. Its accessibility via mobile phones means that it can be used for online learning anywhere and anytime, effectively functioning as a mobile learning (m-learning) tool. This research focused on utilizing TikTok as a medium to enhance speaking skills in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms. This study employed a qualitative approach to explore the effectiveness of TikTok in improving students' English speaking skills. Data for the research were collected through observations and questionnaires. The study involved 20 students from the Marine Engineering program at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya. Through careful analysis of the collected data, the research aimed to determine the impact of TikTok on students' speaking abilities. The results indicated that using TikTok as a medium significantly improved speaking skills in the EFL classroom. Students showed enhanced proficiency in their spoken English, attributed to the engaging and interactive nature of the platform. The study concluded that TikTok is an effective tool for improving students' speaking skills in English as a foreign language. Therefore, incorporating TikTok into EFL instruction can successfully enhance students' speaking abilities, making it a valuable resource for language educators
Inequality Experienced by Black Women Characters in Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other: A Black Feminism Study
No full textGender roles are determined by expectations and values within society, which can lead to stereotypes and prejudice. Stereotypes are judgments that are considered correct for a group, while racial stereotypes are assumptions about all people of the same race. These racial stereotypes can make life difficult for women. This research aims to analyze the inequality expressed in Girl, Woman, Other and how the disparity occurs in society. The study employs Kimberle Crenshaw's Black Feminism theory. Moreover, this study uses a qualitative descriptive research method to analyze the novel. The information, approach, and theories are drawn from books, dictionaries, internet sources, journals, encyclopedias, and other primary and secondary sources. The primary data is the novel Girl, Woman, Other. The result of this study is that the novel Girl, Woman, Other clearly illustrates that inequality occurs not only because there is one identity that is owned but because each character owns several intersecting social identities. Race, gender, class, and sexual orientation that intersect with one another are the leading causes of the inequalities experienced by the characters in Girl, Woman, Other. The inequality experienced by the six characters causes them to struggle to gain equality in society as human beings