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Written by:
NPM : 13612276
An Undergraduate Thesis
JAKARTA
2016
ABSTRACT
This research is to reveal alienation of man because of cultural industry in a novel entitled
The Rana Look by Sandra Brown. Alienation in this study does not describe the condition
which man faces in isolation. But, alienation, according to Fromm (2002) is the human
condition of mental insanity which man cannot get self-understanding on him. As a
consequence, the mean of activeness, freedom, and productiveness, the basis of human
characters, disappear. Alienation is the cause of the capitalism appliance in social life. In this
study, there are three categories agreed that man is alienated. They can be found from how he
relates to his work, himself and others, and consumption. In capitalistic society, it is
discovered that man cannot express his ability through work freely. He is commanded by his
master in doing his work so that this does not take him into creativeness. Man in the
disappearance of self-understanding by work will turn the mean of humanity into
dehumanization. In addition, the process of such work then will bring human into
passiveness, and because of the demand by his master, he does not have an important role of
production but consumption. Furthermore, in cultural industry, man is always spoiled by any
kinds of enjoyment and pleasure which make him accustomed to consumption. In fact, such
enjoyment and pleasure are kinds of false happiness. In the revelation of alienation, The Rana
Look is used to describe forms of alienation. That the main cast preferred to quit working in
cultural industry is the action caused by alienation.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Religion : Islam
Phone : 081267846736/085781602289
Educational Background
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DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY
I declare that this research project is the product of my own work, and all the sources I
Hana Fauziah
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PAGE OF APPROVAL
Board of Advisor
No Name Position
Board of Examiners
No Name Position
Approved by:
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I praise to Allah SWT, who has given me health and strength, so that I can finish this
research project. The purpose of this research is to fulfill the requirement for Undergraduate
Degree in English Department. I realize that, without help and guide from my supporters, I
cannot finish this research. For that reason, I want to thank to:
2. Prof. Dr. Indiyah Imran as The Dean of Faculty of Letters for giving an opportunity
3. Dr. Rita Sutjiati Johan, M.Pd as the Head of English Department, Faculty of
Letters, Gunadarma University, who has given me motivation and advice while I am
in her class.
4. Hawasi, S.S., S.Hum., M.A. as the advisor who has guided me in the process of
doing this research. Suggestion that he has given to me and knowledge that he always
5. All the lecturers of English Department in Gunadarma University who has given
a lot of knowledge and motivated me so that I always try to do my very best and never
6. My parents who always give me support and pray for my best. Without their love and
7. All my friends in SMSA 04 as the best reminders for me, and because of their
8. All my friends from New Concept English Education Center especially Novi and
Tegar as the best hearers, who are always pleased to listen to my moan and complain
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9. And Richa my best friend far from here who lives in Makassar. I remembered the first
time we met when I arrived in Kediri. She was my roommate. Even though we were
not classmates in our course, we always shared our experience in our room while we
were outside. We also reminded each other when we made any mistake. We always
try to be honest and never hide any secret so that we become closer even though we
This research which I make reflects my ability, and there will be possibly that it is found
weakness in this research. Then, I would be glad to appreciate any critique and suggestion
given to for better study. And the last, I want to thank to all people whom I cannot
mention one by one in finishing this research. I hope this research will be useful for
development of knowledge.
Hana Fauziah
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For my beloved parents, who will always be number one for me
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MOTTO
Sam Levenson
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CONTENTS
TITLE
ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................i
CURRICULUM VITAE……………………………………………………………………..ii
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY………………………………………………….…iii
PAGE OF APPROVAL……………………………………………………………………..iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT……………………………………………………………………..v
PAGE OF DEDICATION…………………………………………………………………vii
PAGE OF MOTTO………………………………………………………………………...viii
CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………………………ix
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION
x
2.3 Critique of Cultural Industry…………………………………………………22
2.4 “To have” and “To be” Mode in The Elaboration of Alienation…………….24
4.3 Analysis………………………………………………………………………37
5.1 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………55
5.2 Suggestion……………………………………………………………………55
BIBLIOGRAPHY
LISTS OF TABLE…………………………………………………………………………..xi
xi
Table 4.2.1 Identification of Rana in Alienation of Her Work………………….…...30
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Alienation in the basic definition is the human’s condition in estrangement, but the term
alienation is explained further, it doesn’t always refer to the human condition in loneliness.
Person who can make good relationship with others does not mean that he is not alienated. It
is definitely possible to say that he is alienated. Alienation here is the mental condition of
man influenced by his social life. As Marx said that if one wanted to know about the
individual nature of a person, he had to find his life in social environment, where he works is
the most decisive way to know how he runs his social life.
Alienation is Marxist critique through capitalism applied in social life. Capitalism is the most
victorious ideology practiced in many countries, especially in the United State of America.
This ideology is applied in the variety of industries. And, one of the most influenced
industries in alienating people is cultural industry. Stokes (2007) defines cultural industry as
anything related to any kinds of media called cultural industry as though states that cultural
entertainment or information.
Basically in the normative view, most people think industrialization as the real
progress for modern era because industry is able to change and control environment for the
fulfillment of human’s needs (Rasmussen, 2010:98). Industry tries to help human activities
more efficiently. By creating sophisticated technology, man can do his duty easily. But, if he
cannot control himself because of the sophistication of technology, it will have an impact of
the regular dependence of man influencing him in activeness. Then, the uncontrolled
which desires easiness. For that reason, the desire of man to easiness cause everything related
to the essence of human industrialized including culture named cultural industry. Then, it
cannot be avoided that the relationship of man to industry has no difference with domination
and alienation because most industries in fulfilling human’s needs do priority profit as their
particular purpose (Rasmussen, 2010:99). Meanwhile, such priority comes out of the mean of
humanity.
In cultural industry of entertainment, media culture plays an important role for the
industry itself. Sound reproduction such as albums, cassette, radio, etc.; visual reproduction
such as movies and dramas and other TV shows; and print media such as newspapers and
magazines are tools of very important media culture as means of culture media that not only
utilizes the technology advanced, but also sees the trend and popular interest of people’s. It
has created perfect pleasure then succeeded to divert the public's attention to keep watching
what is presented by the entertainment industry. (See Douglas Kellner, Budaya Media:
Cultural Studies, Identitas, dan Politik antara Modern dan Postmodern, Jalasutra,
Yogyakarta, 2010)
In fact, the public’s interest becomes more than just willing to watch, but many of
them also like to get involved in the entertainment world since there are many opportunities
gotten from it. For example, passion of singing or given penchant for beautiful voice is an
opportunity that can be taken to become a singer, given fluency in speaking can become host,
having funny character can become comedian, being good at pretending can become a movie
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star, having good appearance can be a model.
Working in the entertainment industry is quite promising; for they can fill anything
they need. For that reason, people are more and more interested in working in the
Then, the question regarding to this phenomenon is can working in the entertainment
industry, which people consider that it is the convenient way to achieve their success, really
bring them to happiness? The answer should not be totally right since entertainment is also a
freedom to have their creative activity. They are demanded to do their master’s activity, in
addition, they have to spend their energy almost the whole day with their limited time for
rest. They are given time to take a rest in order to charge their energy so that they can work
in the development every year. The development of media is more sophisticated. We can get
any kind of information by way of media, with the result that people always depend on media
such ad television, magazine, etc. considered as their need. Entertainment industry is always
flooded by consumers, as consequence workers in the industry are accused to keep serving
consumers. This makes workers in the industry be able have no time for the family even for
themselves.
Brown ‘The Rana Look’. This novel tells the story of a famous model. She was Rana getting
fed up with her life as a model; moreover her materialistic mother made of Rana as ‘ATM
walk’. Her mother with full of ambition utilized Rana’s look to be a model; moreover her
15
mother, who seemed to have sense of no compassion as a mother to her daughter, forced
Rana to marry an old but rich man for the sake of herself. Because Rana did not put up with
her mother’s ambition, she decided to escape from any kinds of glamorous life in
entertainment industry and move to a small town. She changed her name and appearance
drastically. By leaving all her glamorous habits and earning a simple life, Rana felt that her
The novel clearly describes how capitalism has exploited workers. By working should
bring man to be creative and to find his identity. But capitalism has created man in alienation
of life. Rana’s decision to leave entertainment world then prefer to live in a small town is the
The appliance of economy assisted on capitalism leaps a critique from the most
influential philosopher, Karl Marx. What should be criticized? The answer is that in modern
society of capitalism round, they have a condition called alienation. In his study about this, he
found the answer after meeting radical socialists of Paris. When Marx was in Paris, he
definitely got sure that the most basic one is in the process of work. Work is an activity that
should make human find his identity, but the capitalism’s system of ownership right has
overturned the mean of work to be the mean of exploitation. Through working, man doesn’t
find his identity but estranges himself, for the system of ownership divides society into
1.2 Problems
2. How does capitalism, especially in cultural industry reflected in novel The Rana Look,
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exploit workers?
1.3 Aims
And for the aims for this research are such bellows:
supposed to get the further understanding of alienation if it is seen from the condition
of capitalistic society.
2. To observe the way people, as reflected in the novel, are exploited so that they feel
alienated.
This research is focused on how the appliance of capitalism in cultural industry can
cause alienation. Actually, there are several cases causing man alienated. But, in this study,
capitalism through cultural industry is discussed as the cause of alienation. To prove that most
people have experienced alienation, this research will introduce the main role of the novel,
Rana, who decided to leave entertainment world. Her decision is the evidence that she is
definitely alienated. Her story is told in a novel entitled The Rana Look written by Sandra
Brown. The novel is picked because it is one of American novels telling about how the
industry. And, this research uses social psychology approach by Erich Fromm’s theory. He
points out that alienation is a problem of mental health caused by social life. To explain
alienation further, this research takes The Sane Society by Erich Fromm as one of several
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Artinawati (2012), in her research titled entitled Melawan Dampak Kapitalis Industri
Hiburan Di Amerika, analyzes the same novel by using two theories, structuralism and
Freud’s phycology. Based on the structural analysis, She finds that the main role is a quiet,
patient, introvert, obedient as well as rebel woman while based on psychological analysis, she
finds that the main role undergoes inner conflict caused by a variety of events, namely: the
injustice of her mother, sincere love of a playboy, and live in falsehood, as a consequence the
main role undergoes anxiety and trauma. Finally, the solution to solve her inner conflict is by
Zulva Amalia (2014), in her research Kajian Psikologi Sosial Dalam Novel Negeri 5
Menara Karya Ahmad Fuadi, uses also social psychology approach. Her explanation about
social psychology is pointed to man’s activities related to social situations such as situation in
group, mass and others. She also discusses about conflicts of man in adapting himself to
others. In talking about conflicts of man, she divides them into physical and inner conflicts.
Physical conflict explains how man adapts himself to his fellows while inner conflict explains
how man adapts himself to nature. Because her research analyzes a novel, the story of which
takes place in an Islamic boarding school, she reflects the condition of man in his school.
Annas Sholehudin (2009), in his research entitled Tema Alienasi Pada Puisi-Puisi
Karya W.S Rendra, uses the same discussion, alienation, in analyzing Rendra’s poems. In his
discussion, Annas explains alienation based on Rendra’s poems as the condition of people’s
refusal to the government, for those poems contain injustice values occurred in social life.
Then, the effect is the condition which describes that people faces themselves in loneliness,
the lack of solidarity, powerlessness, and antipathy. From the factors mentioned above, they
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1.6 Position of Study
In this position of study, the same novel is used to do this research. Artinawati uses
psychology approach through Freud’s theory while this research uses social-psychological
approach through Fromm’s theory. And in the approach of social psychology, this research
analyzes man in the problem to his work by using term alienation. Annas also discusses
alienation in his research, this research will differentiate it from the factors why people are
alienated. Annas mentions four factors as told above; meanwhile this research has another
view that the appliance of capitalism in social life through the process of work will cause
people in alienation.
previous studies, position of study, problems, aim and scope of study. Secondly, chapter two
is theoretical review which discusses novel as a literature work, plot, and the definition of
alienation, its division, alienation and mental health, critique of cultural industry, and “to
have” and “to be” mode in the elaboration of alienation. The third is research method. The
next chapter is divided into analysis and result of study. And the last has conclusion and
suggestion.
CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL REVIEW
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2.1 Theory of Alienation
Fromm (2002) defines alienation as the human’s condition in the self-experience of being
alien; however, he doesn’t clarifies alienation as the condition of solitude but illuminates that
man encounters himself as the one obeying his created objects instead of being a creator. This
is emphasized that an alienated person considers himself as a thing existing from human’s
creation that should obey its creator. In contrast, it is the creator obeying objects he has
created.
The term “alienation” is used to refer insane human. Then, it is developed by Hegel
and Marx who points it as a self-estrangement which is illustrated that man does his activity,
practically matching with the reason, but the fact proves that it is actually a socially patterned
defect which describes that man in his unconscious never sees any defect, for it has brought
him to happiness. While according to Burston and Olfman (Olfman, 2003:206), socially
arrangement of behavior and lifestyle impairing the capacity for reason and love but
receiving them in the very intense and widespread social validation, as a consequence both of
defeat. In contrast, his own activity controls him. As emphasizing in the term ‘polytheism’ (“
Konsep Manusia Menurut Marx,” 2004) which is defined as idolizing man’s own creation,
Fromm illustrates human in the control of his activity through term “idolatry” as mean by
man creating an idol then worshiping it while the idol does not have any excess but man’s
creation.
Alienation as mentioned above, then will bring human to the unproductiveness, for he
doesn’t internalize himself as human but a thing. Man should be in the process of
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productiveness to show his essence; otherwise he will be receptive and passive. But,
industries have turned man into machine which will make him in passiveness; as a
The unproductiveness of human’s life which alienates human can be seen in the process of
work. Alienation of work is in the sociological definition as the condition which people face
in the boredom and disappointment for they do not get achievement, appreciation, or even
higher position in work as Aiken and Hage argue (Schant, 2012). Both Aiken and Hage
consider that they have the same conception as Marx. But, the fact is that they totally have
different conception as Marx. This is because alienation of work by Marx refers to the
Marx’s idea through work states that man should have an active connectedness to the
nature by working (Fromm, 2004). Working in the essence manner means that man takes
something produced from the nature for the purpose of reproduction (Magnis-Suseno, 2005).
As the basic mean of work just explained, it can be said that man is to think like a statement
stating that man is a thinking being. And, if the statement is connected to man in the
relationship to the nature, it will find that man in Marx’s thought (Magnis-Suseno, 2005)
needs the nature to live; both man and animal have dependence on the nature, but what makes
them different is that animal has direct dependence on the nature while man has to reproduce
what he has taken from the nature. As a result, man will express his creativity to produce
something from the nature. He exports all his ability through work, and then he can find
himself from his product which describes the creator. Then from the result of his production,
Furthermore, the sense of work is seen not only from his production but also how man
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can show up as a social man because everyone impossibly creates something only for his
need but for his fellow. So, work awakens him as useful person for many people for he can
help others. For that reason, if the essence of work were such a way in modern society, man
should get happier. They must have been glad to do much goodness through his product
without any fact of being forced as the argument underlined by Fromm such below.
‘In the process of work, that is, the molding and changing of nature outside of himself,
man molds and changes himself.’ (Fromm, “The Sane Society,” page. 172)
The point of that statement is that work satisfies not only man himself but also others. In the
process of work, man keeps trying to get an idea and do the action for the purpose of creative
person, as Fromm states that man with his idea keeps improving and comes out every single
of his ability to reproduce everything from nature, in order that, his skill keeps increasing.
That work shows human’s creativity and the existence of social man can be also found
in Hegel’s idea. He states that the process of work is capable of identifying and expressing
the essence of man and the social structure by an alive, conscious and free activity to show all
his ability, potencies and the signifier of human existence. The essence of work in such a way
is also emphasized by Marcuse. He mentions that people in the consciousness and freewill is
to do any kind of their activity in their process of work. Furthermore, he explains that praxis
related to strategies of work is meant by people can express their awareness in the right place
and time, as the result, their work or product is a part of reflection, spark, and description of
Work, in the basic way, is assembling all capabilities in order to create man to be
active, productive, being as creator as thought Fromm (2002) narrates that western people in
the 13th and 14th had made their skill be in the top evolution of creative work so that they
considered work not only as a useful activity but also as a satisfying activity. The process of
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work in such manner will be considered as a positive and expected activity, but in the
contemporary society, people in the reality do not consider work as the part of both
unhampered and creative and both meaningful and satisfied activity for them (Schacht, 2012).
Work for them does not describe their personality or their identity.
But, in the 18th and 19th century, the essence of work which can create productive and
active man has turn into the opposite side; people in modern era consider that the process of
work is not a part of their creativity. They work toward their master. They are controlled and
demanded like robots. They become machine human. They are not provided freedom to
realize them toward work. Work is no more the real concept of human. They work only for
The process of work in capitalistic society is in the opposite of the process of work
above, Fromm (2002), borrows words from observer of the industrial scene stating that
human is personality economic atoms moving with the atomistic management. The economic
atom accompanied by the atomistic management, based on the observer’s industrial scene,
always follows every movement. It means that the essence of work, commonly in the modern
society, is not the same as the essence of work applied by people living in the 13th and 14th
century. They consider that they do their activity planned by the one having power, so
workers just do the demand. So that, they just use their energy without getting occasion to
That people in modern era only consider the mean of work as the physical need can be
found in the Lukacs’ idea in History and Class Consciousness. He states that man cannot
actualize his own human dimension in social life as an authentic one being capable of
internalizing his freedom, and the mean of his freedom has been objectively changed by the
existence of value exchange, money, as a consequence of such applied life, man is lack of
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almost his creativity for he does not get the self-understanding as an agent but a thing; then,
the process of human dimension in such a way is called commodification while the result of
The value exchange as Lukacs discusses means that people work and then the work or
the product which they have created will be exchanged into fee by an industry. Such value
exchange then will cause the existence of product is not anymore a mirror of themselves for
the product has belonged to the industry through the agreement of value exchange. So, this
can be said that man faces himself in alienation since he does not anymore find himself as a
creator at thought Marx (Saptawasana & Cahyadi, 2005) mentions that man does not
anymore does his duty in the real human but in the tools of production; moreover in modern
society under controlled by capitalistic power, their humanistic life has been taken over into
materialistic life. Such applied life in modern society has clearly proven that people only
The value exchange by fee does not mean that it is an appreciation given to the
workers but it is a part of force in exploiting them, in addition the value exchange is
identified only by the industry; workers are never involved in any agreement of value
exchange. Furthermore, the system of ownership causes them helpless so that they have no
choice. As a consequence, they have to receive it otherwise they will lose their job. (Saeng,
2012)
Alienation of work describing people who do not reflect themselves as creator is also
discussed by a literary critic and humanist, Walter Benjamin. He uses two concepts “aura”
and “flâneur” to criticize capitalism. He mentions that people will miss the power of aura if
purpose while the existence of aura is to give the mean of the product; meanwhile flâneur is
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meant by man does not totally have his own identity (Saptawasana & Cahyadi, 2005).
In the exploitation of work, Fromm narrates about people in modern era spending
most of the day and also depleting nearly all their energy to produce "thing". They work so
hard and not because of their desire to for creating a work, but they work only for one
purpose, to survive. Unfortunately the process of work is not on the ground of creativity but
demand, a kind of passive work but seen like work hard. The process of work in such
regulated manner would only hide the human’s potential for creativity and make people
passive although they seem to work hard. This is vividly described by Fromm in To Have And
To be, as follows:
‘Alienated activity, in the sense of mere busyness, is actually "passivity," in the sense
of productivity; while passivity, in terms of nonbusyness, may be nonalienated
activity’. (Fromm, 2008:75)
industry. As long as their skill and energy are still useful for the industry, they will get
for the purpose workers never realize that there is actually practices of exploitation to them,
the imitated consciousness by professionalization is a tool used by the industry to keep their
That alienation of work occurs because man never gets the understanding of being a
creator is caused by the system of ownership so that what has been produced will belong to
only the industry. Workers never get any right of having such product. This argument is as
though Fromm argues that they have a little role in the process of production, and they also
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never receive their work totally. Furthermore, they are not considered as the ones who
produce but the ones who consume, moreover, they have to buy “their own” if they want to
have it. They are not involved in the aspects of production, economic, or even social. They do
run an important duty but it is not related to management of work. They are commended to
create something without any curiosity about both the reason why they have to produce it and
what are the functions of those products in people’s needs. They don’t have an active role,
and the machines become their master. The machines have controlled human’s work instead
The result of alienation in work can be found from man impoverishing himself, for he
can’t develop himself. As discussed above, man will be in his freedom when he isn’t at work
although he has to take the risk of income decreasing. As a matter of fact, it is a kind of
policy given by the owner of company in order that he will go back to the owner. Working for
him is no more a part of his activeness, creativity, or even productivity except the purpose for
avoiding the feeling of hanger. If the process of work is in such an appliance, this might be
said that man has come back to the evolution of animal. As most of us know that animals (
Magnis-Suseno, 2005) does their activity for their physical needs only. In consequence of
alienation of work, the meaning of work, according to Marcuse (Saeng, 2012), has changed
The consequence of alienation in work will add other kinds of alienation. They are alienation
of self and alienation of fellow. Alienation is the condition illustrating that man has lost the
of alienation. Then, dehumanization defined by Marx for this context is meant by separability
between man and his humanity; moreover he has lost it almost totally. (Schant, 2012)
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Fromm (2002) mentions self-alienation in the term “marketing orientation” describing
that man considers himself as a thing which will be succeed if it is sold out in market. Fromm
continues that man does not internalize himself as human for his internalization as human has
a role as his socio-economic, furthermore, he has disappeared human characterization for all
emphasized by Karen Horney. He explains that man loses all his feelings. Furthermore, he
divides self-alienation into two categories. The first one is the actual self-alienation meant by
the relationship to the disappearance his the activeness power, and the other is the real self-
alienation related to the totally disappearance of the activeness from the source which is the
point of human existence (Schant, 2012). Both Fromm and Horney find self-alienation as the
human existence coming out of humanity, for the self-understanding has changed into a thing
as though this can be found in Marcuse’s argument (Saeng, 2012) stating that there is
paradoxically terrible reality; the product is now the synonym of subject because it is the
product becoming the human controller while human is the opposite of subject since human
fellow. Fromm (2002) explains man to his fellow in the two abstractions which illustrated as
two separated relationships but using each other. This kind of alienation is more cleared by
Schant’s writing (2012) mentioning that man to his fellow has considered each other as
instrument for their own egoistic purpose which is motivated by only self-interest, for that
reason he tries to make a friendship to protect the fact; he actually consider his college as a
defend. This is clear to assume that in the modern era the relationship to each other is not
definitely bonded in a good manner. In the process of work, they try to have good connection
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to their peers only for “particular” purpose.
Most people have become commodity both for them and for other people around
them. In the relationship of man to fellow, it finds an odd case between two peers of people.
Even though it seems that they have good bonds each other, the fact catches dishonesty
between them. They create love in their relationship in the forced way as though it can be
seen in Fromm’s statement (2002) written that man can’t find both feelings to love or hate,
but he just finds more superficial friendship and falseness in his honesty, moreover, he can
Man to his fellow has been connected by capitalism through various kinds of
view, this will debase human if the social relation is the economic domination for all the
individual status are identified by value (Saeng, 2012). Indeed, the consideration of human as
commodity in capitalism is not a part of humanization but dehumanization. This will be more
The labor theory of value discusses about how economic value toward commodity can
run well. For the purpose, what should be known first is the comparison between the terms
used value and exchanged value. Used value means a thing bought for the use while
exchanged value means a thing for the sale-purchase in market (Magnis-Suseno, 2005). Both
kinds of value have the important role in trading; however, used value (Saeng, 2012) has an
important role only as main precondition appeared from the existence of production in the
forms of link and reciprocal relation, so used value is very common in the process of trade.
From this argument, it can be assumed that capitalism indeed concerns to the exchanged
value.
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the labor theory of value here means the exchanged value; for more information, exchanged
value is the same as commodity but the difference is that commodity is determined not only
by the duration of time but also how it markets (Magnis-Suseno, 2005); meanwhile the
source of exchanged value can be found in Marcuse’ explanation stating that the looking for
value is not from the essence of work but the type of work, abstract work (Saeng, 2012).
Because of the market’s need and requirement in responding the quality of commodity
itself, this makes the essence of work reduced by the quantity of energy spent so that the
peculiarity of work is seen only from the duration of work, and the surplus value is gotten
from the distinguish between the activity of production and the duration of work (Saeng,
2012). Furthermore, what has been given to workers is also determined by the same way. In
this case, workers’ energy used as commodity; they sell their energy and the industry
purchases it. Then, how the exchanged value of energy can run objectively?
Marcuse in Saeng’s writing (2012) answers it through two strategies. The first is that
workers never measure how much energy they have spent for it is the consequence in
exchanging commodity; and the second is the way the industry pay for their energy from their
work duration not the quantity of production. And, the way workers spend their energy is
determined by the number of their needs to survive (Magnis-Suseno, 2005). For that reason,
the two strategies are considered in the normal, fair and objective way.
From the clear explanation about man in the commodity which they totally use their
energy only to fill their physical needs, this will create relationship to fellow like two
abstraction but needing each other. People empirically have opposite purposes. And, the
system of ownership causes the divisions by the two classes of the one having and the one
working for the one having; the opposite classes will not create emotional feeling of hating,
29
The example from the argument above is that the owner of company wants to have
many consumers in order to earn much income, for that reason, his effort is decreasing cost
for consumers, but he also has to decrease his workers’ salary. As that the result, workers
must take more time to produce more because the more products they make the more income
they earn even though they his energy almost totally. By bringing their master’s happiness,
they think that they will get more earning if they apply such a way.
Such effort to bring happiness for the owner is actually a kind of alienation, for their
product keeps belonging to the owner’s. The success of a company will be just appreciated
for the owner of company while workers keep being consumers. They never become a part of
the ones who produce. They work for filling their physical needs. That they have a role of
being consumers can affect them keep consuming. For the reason of making happy for their
boss, other workers do not want to be defeated, and then we can see insane competition
among them. They play kicking out each other. They consider the less competitors they have
the better for them. According to Fromm (2002), Creating such insane relationship seems to
be life like “atoms” (he borrowed the Greek equivalent of individual) as small particles away
from each other but keeping unity for selfish interests and necessities to be useful for others.
Since workers have a little role in the production, they are not considered as producers but
consumers, this also can cause man in alienation of consumption. Fromm (2002) elaborates
that the modern society dependence on buying something just to satisfy the desire more than
the need is likewise a form of alienation. As long as he has a lot of money, he can buy
anything he wants; no matter he really needs it or even not at all. According to Fromm, most
people in modern era consider that the most important things for them are the way they get
goods not the way the use them and that they can buy things in order to own them.
30
They are satisfied with such ownership. Fromm (2008) divides the essence of having
into the norms of the objects applied by industrial society, and they are the wish to get the
property, to keep it, to make it increased for a profit; and that anyone owning it expects that
others will admire and envy as a superior being. After getting a thing and then particular
status from others, they are not finished in such purpose. They commonly will keep finding
out anything new to have in order that they still can keep their particular status given by
others around them; as though Fromm (2008) notices that a thing emphasized to consumption
Alienation of consumption is the same as the admiring of a thing like the term
society reflected to the system of sign. For example, man in the past needed tree or statue
used to worship, and man in modern era uses other idolatries like packages, image, television,
The presence of such idolatries in modern era will ease industry to market products.
Industry keep marketing through advertisement, as a consequence this will bring consumers
to calculated need and eager (Fromm, 2007). In the argument of Philip Smith (Tumenggung,
2005), the strength and influence of culture and mass media makes economic and social life
Then, the dependence of ownership will create a new culture, consumerism. Herry-
about consumerism as trump up consumption. This means that the process of consumption
related to not only socio-phycology but also economy-politic has become the absolute
requirement for business and life style. The ownership of status, comfort, and confidence are
31
the basis issues toward consumerism because in the Baudrillard’s argument, it says that those
basis issues become the consumption objects which have been out of the value of use.
Then, what does alienation impact on the mental health? According to Fromm, the answer
depends on what is the mean of mental health itself. If it is meant by that man can run his
social function well, continue both his production and reproduction, he can be considered that
he is healthy mentally. In Fromm’s argument (2002), man has created not only the most
influential production machine but also the most influential destruction machine, which is not
This is assumed that most psychiatrics define mental health in the normative manner
that most people are indeed in the healthy condition. That is why most people consider that
they are healthy in mentality since they just look into the normative manner. They argue that
people are insane if they are in the conscious mind. As a matter of fact, if they try to find out
their mental health in the deep surface, they will see themselves as insane people.
mental health. They are the need for personal security that means freedom from any anxiety,
the need for intimacy that means collaboration with one or more persons and the need for
lustful satisfaction. Those concepts are normal in mental health for human’s aim, but the
critical approach of these concepts has proven another different thing in the alienated globe
(Fromm, 2002).
The point of personal security, in the discussion of The Sane Society, is that most
people try to avoid anxiety in order to be protected by the safety and security. And, this is
considered as a normal thing. But, life is in mental and spiritual aspects actually in the
32
security and uncertainty and the solving is that man should fight for the unsafe feeling itself.
Meanwhile, people in modern era solve such anxiety problem by conformity or following the
majority, but this even can cause the insecurity increasingly for they cannot decide what they
expect from heart, as consequence the self-understanding toward “I” disappears. The
expectation of conformity will get worse because it has created insecure life regularly in the
uncomfortably.
Another concept of mental health is love. Freud defines love as the basis of sexual
phenomenon, in contrast to Sullivan; he has different idea between sexuality and love. He
defines love as the synonym of intimacy, a sort of situation in the involvement of two people
permitting validation of all personal worth components which require a kind of relationship
needs of the other one in the pursuit of increased identic—which is almost equal satisfaction
But, in the modern centuries the description of intimacy has been referring to “
as though Fromm (2014) elaborates love in the contemporary society through modern
capitalism in The Art of Loving. He states that capitalism needs the large number smoothly
cooperated people wanting more consumption; people who want to be independent but
Happiness is the other concept of mental health. People in modern era commonly
define happiness as satisfaction of pleasure related to consumption (Fromm, 2007). For that
reason, the concept of happiness in such a way is just seen as “pleasure” which will bring
33
changed into pleasure, sadness or sorrow is not the antonym of pleasure but the right
opposite concept of pleasure is depression, a part of inability to feel the sense of both joy or
sadness.
Culture, the handle hold by people, for the purpose that it can take people to good morals, has
been shared by industry. This is mostly considered as a positive action because industry is an
easy access in spreading values. Because of such assumption with big expectation on them,
cultural industry (Adeline, 2005) gets more important and involved in social life.
Cultural industry (Stokes, 2007), found in essays written by Adorno and Horkheimer
entitled Culture Industries, should take human to the higher degree with the bravery to reject
the system bringing human to dehumanization, but this will have very little possibly because
the cultural industry itself is in the capitalistic control, as a result, the freedom potency which
man deserves to get is never exist. Cultural industry, in fact has no difference with other
industries. The industry is not a sort of attempts to realize human to get to humanization
anymore.
In Dialektika Pencerahan (2002), they continue that in the context of modern society,
culture in the industry interference is not an art that should be appreciated totally because all
the essence has been an opportunity for running business by industry. Industry shares an art
by mass culture which is the most identic one in an art itself, for the purpose consumers keep
being satisfied by any enjoyment given by industry. Furthermore, Adorno and Horkheimer
add that art in the business goal has come out of the basic mean and it has been manipulated.
Manipulation through style is never realized, but it is even considered as a normal thing.
Almost all fields have been used as business opportunity including culture. That is
34
why culture has been a part of industries called cultural industry because industry (Bima &
Haryanto, 2005) in running business does priority profit but forget value as critical action and
freedom for human. As a consequence, art as the main basis for human has come out of
it just will create passiveness to them. In addition, consumers have missed their independence
and critical power because of such indulgence so that it can be stated that art in the industry
control is not more than just pseudo happiness (Bima & Haryanto, 2005).
In fact, cultural industry commits fraud by serving joy, but all the services are only
illusion which has the sameness as pseudo joy. In this case, such joy will never satisfy
human. The phenomenon of pseudo joy is found in the quotation of Baurillard through the
hype-reality means that cultural industry makes condition describing artificiality considered
as the reality while the absolute reality itself considered as falsity. To tell the truth, everything
related to reality has been turn into lie created as if it was the truth.
Furthermore, Adorno and Horkheimer, in the critique of cultural industry, points that
commodity fetishism applied by industry is an attempt to make people adore false idolatry, as
a consequence they might be unable to compare between the true reality and not for all
idolatry have been pointed to symbol and brand of a product (www.wikipedia.com). For
example, when a person buys a thing, he does not totally use the thing as the actual function
but as the symbol he admires. The unreal function has taken place of the real one. Man has
35
enjoyment as discussed above. Talking about artificiality, there is a philosophical concept
states that man never finds reality but representation (sense datum) or sign which cannot be
reached except appearance (Astar, 2005). It is more emphasized that what can be seen or felt
work. The desire of getting enjoyment absolutely will make them work hard. But, it seems
that the mean of work has come out of the important values of work (Kelner, 2007:23). The
only purpose of working is that they want to fulfill anything related to enjoyment spoiling
them so that the essence of work has been out of the total productiveness.
2.4 “To have” and “To be” Mode in The Elaboration of Alienation
Discussing about basic definition and kinds of alienation, this becomes an existential problem
about “to have” and “to be”. People mostly consider “to have” mode as a thing that shouldn’t
be made as a problem because this is a normal thing. Fromm does not make a problem out of
such opinion as long as people apply “to have” mode in the existential way. This means that
In the opposite of existential having, “to have” in this era describes that people apply
such mode in the greedy way. Based on Tawney’s idea, Fromm (1976) mentions that human
life is always full of prejudices, for private own, profit and power hold as the pillars of
existence are supports to run their life. Besides that, the norms in industrial society like the
wish to acquire, keep, increase property and make the profit for that through exploitation to
In order to keep their own property more, greedy people use a way hurting others.
That is applying the round of exploitation. They exploit workers by using up their energy.
36
Then to create the profit, the owner will target the production to workers and other
consumers. Indeed, workers alienated by their work have lost their creativity, and they mostly
try to decrease that feeling by enjoying false pleasures. By consuming the greedy people’s
While, in the “to be” mode, it will be found any difference with the reflection. “To
have” is reflected to a thing, but “to be” is reflected to experience. Those two reflections are
alienated from his activity, it can be differentiated from the reflections through the
explanation about activeness belonging to “to be” and passiveness belonging to “to have”
mode,
In “to be” mode, activeness is the most available qualification. Activeness, in this
context, does not mean externally active but internally active. Fromm (1976) elaborates that
internal activeness means when man can express the ability and wealth of his talents
humanly. That is one of the real actions in the internal activeness. Unfortunately, Fromm
discovers people in modern era interpret activeness referring to behavior; activeness is only
meant by business. Anyone will seem to be active if he does several activities even though he
does not certainly do the activities as he expects. In the truth, activeness existentially refers to
a person internalizing as a subject which means that a person who can utter a thing and have a
relation with it. Because of that, such activity is productive. Productiveness means that
The elaboration of activeness has also existed since pre-industry era although it has
little different explanation, for alienation, in the era, was not in the high level yet like industry
era. But, Aquinas (in the quotation of Fromm’s), one of philosophers in the same era as
Meister Eckhart, agrees that activeness coming from individuality will be called sane activity
37
if it is the basis of ethnical and spiritual guidance. For that reason, activity outside the
guide the way people think and behave. In this case, social character has an important role in
forming people’s thought and behavior well as explained by Fromm that religious needs
attached to people have to be filled by social character in order to bring people into humanity.
It is exactly called religion, but which kind of religion could be? To answer the question,
Fromm explains that religion is means by a group of people following a particular system of
idea and act which can give orientation framework and a loyalty object to each individual.
From the explanation above according to him, religion which is rooted in the specific
effectively. To conclude, this can be argued that spiritual approach can solve man existential
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
In this study, the qualitative method was used to interpret through description (Ratna,
2004). Furthermore, the method gives attention to scientific data related to the context. The
literary study will involve not only the origin where the author lives including the common
culture elements. Qualitative method holds the essence of value. In the social study, the
source data are the societies while the research data are the actions, and in the literature study,
the source data are work and the texts while the research data are words, statements, and
38
discourse. In the sociology and psychology of literature, the source data can be societies for,
The primary source for this research is a novel entitled “The Rana Look” written by
Sandra Brown. The story begins that Rana who lived in simple apartment of small town. She
got fed up with her occupation as a model, and then she decided to leave everything related to
her glamorous life. She left New York, where she found fame and wealth from her occupation
as model. By changing her nice look into the opposite appearances like wearing unbranded,
unfashionable, and big-size clothes for covering her nice body; wearing a pair of glasses for
covering her glittering eyes; and turning her occupation as a cloth painter, she has found the
real of herself in a simple life. Meanwhile, several books related to critics toward capitalism
In collecting the data, several procedures are first reading the novel then making a
short synopsis from the novel. The second is picking the topic of the novel, which points to
the appliance of capitalism in the entertainment industry, and the theory that is related to the
causes of the appliances of capitalism. The last step is collecting the data from the novel
evidenced that there are some alienated acts caused by capitalism in the entertainment
industry.
After collecting the theories and data, there are two procedures used to analyze the
data. And the procedures are classifying the data based on the kinds of alienation and
39
interpreting the classified data based on the theory with the writer’s argument. And for the
last, this research will take the conclusion from the findings.
CHAPTER IV
In “The Rana Look”, it tells about a famous model having so much pressure which she
got from her work. The pressure she got was not only from her work but also her mother at
once her manager, Susan Ramsey. Her mother with the huge materialistic ambition utilized
Rana to be a famous model to fulfill her materialistic needs. Rana loved her mother very
much so that she always tried to make her mother happy although it was very hurt for her.
The materialistic ambition of Susan was getting worse so that Rana could not bear it
40
anymore, and then she decided to leave her mother and all colleagues. Her decision to leave
New York caused conflict among them. But in the other side, she finally found the real
happiness through simplicity which she never got before. That is pure love from Ruby, an
owner of apartment, where she lived after leaving New York, and her nephew named Trent.
In this chapter, the data that have been collected from the first until the last chapter will be
divided into three categories for the identification of data. They are identification of Rana in
This research is just going to identify them by using two intrinsic elements: characterization
and plot.
In the identification based on characterization, this research will apply the technique
of telling and showing. The technique of telling means as the direct method because the story
of a fiction is told by the narrator who can be played as the author or the character.
Meanwhile, the technique of showing means as the indirect method because the story of a
fiction is told by the characters through dialogs. And, identification of plot has several kinds.
Those are exposition, rising conflict, climax, and anti-climax. Exposition plot is meant by the
introduction of the basic information given to readers; rising conflict/crisis occurs when the
events are almost going to the peak of story’s action; climax is the top of the most important
decisive action; and anti-climax/denouement describes the action which gets close to the end
41
Chapter 1
my own life for your career. And this is the thanks I get.
Chapter 2
back aching from holding the pose so long and her Exposition
2002:23)
Four?
Chapter 4 and 5
42
“Then, when?” Conflict
“Yes, Morey”
………………………………………………………… Climax
…………………………………………………………
Chapter 2
43
a full hour to get it just right. Her cheekbones stood out Exposition
(TRL, 2002:22)
man’s hand. The man, lying beside her but out of the
camera.s range, had had a face like a potato, but the Exposition
Chapter 3
2002:36)
2002:36)
44
Where do you get off, making a toy out of a human
for the fact that I like Ruby and don’t want to hurt her Climax
utter a single word. She felt better than she had in Anti-climax
months.
Chapter 4
(TRL, 2002:46)
sound?
45
Rising
Ridiculous Conflict
(TRL, 2002:47)
conflict
46
And to yours, Mother
2002:47)
Chapter 5
nose among the dewy petals. She had been sent flowers
47
avoided at all costs. As a teenager, she had rebelled
clean your face, but you don.t do it .... Are you wearing
Chapter 1
48
spectacular. Even without makeup, their slanting Exposition
4.3 Analysis
In the previous chapter, it has discussed about alienation caused by cultural industry. Industry
is a tool used by capitalism to bond human and to avoid him from productiveness, freedom,
and creativeness. For that reason, the way to dissociate such human characteristics is
manipulating him through enjoyment and pleasure so that he will forget the most important
Pleasure and enjoyment that man gets will create a new idolatry in modern society. In
this case, industry uses those with requirement to him. What industry requires is that he has to
deal cooperation with the industry in creating products for pleasure and enjoyment given to
others as just mentioned. In the deal, he has to be pleased to do any kinds of activity without
any questions. Indeed, this will cause the disappearance of human productiveness. In the
appearance, it can be seen than human produces a thing, but the production is out of the
freedom.
has many opportunities in various fields. The other industries even use media in marketing
their products because media is an easy access to add more production and consumption. The
success of industry in developing production and consumption will possibly interest people in
involving themselves in the industry as just discussed in the first chapter of study. People’s
49
miss the three human characteristics as just mentioned. It can be evidenced through the way
Alienation of work has changed the essence of work in activeness, creative, and productive.
Industries have turned upside down the real means of work. Like other industries,
Through it all Rana had lain there, bored, tired, her back aching from holding the pose
so long and her stomach growling from perpetual hunger. (TRL, 2002:23)
It occurred when Rana had left New York. She just received some packages, and then
she tried to look for package to her. Accidentally, she found a magazine with her picture in
the pose of lying for an underwear product. She remembered the process of taking the
picture. She was made up for almost an hour to get the best capture. She had to pose several
times as the photographer instructed. From the description, it clearly proves that Rana totally
did not do her own activity. She did the activity as demanded. Working in such a way brought
her to passiveness. Rana as a famous model was admired by many companies so that she
spent almost all her time involved in various kinds of photography. Her full schedule did not
mean that she was active because doing several poses required by the photographer was
Her decision to quit is the cause that she was alienated by her work. This is more
emphasized in the saying which takes a place when Morey, Rana’s agent, called her. He
expected that Rana would deal to a new cooperation with a company, but she, in real, rejected
to go back to New York and sign an agreement of new cooperation which Morey craved.
Those two rejections of the cooperation were proved that she was very helpless because of
her activities while she became a model. One of obligations to be a model was that she had to
do all instructions by the photographer. Indeed, working in the demand by somebody else will
not bring anyone into the real happiness because any kind of activity in the order separates
Then, she tried to find her own happiness by starting up her life in her new stay in
simplicity. She developed an idea to get new job through her passion in painting. She found
her real ability. She could create a thing and decide whom her work was given to. From her
Her idea of hand-painting articles of clothing had captured his imagination, and he
had enthusiastically agreed to put some of her designs in his store on consignment.
They had sold immediately, and his clientele began clamoring for more. She now
worked almost solely on commission. (TRL, 2002:24)
Her bravery to take such decision, in fact, gave good result. The process work for Rana had
given back to the essence. Active, creative and productive work had taken her to the real
51
purpose to freedom.
The right essence of work should make creative man and give the satisfaction to him.
Someone will be proud if everyone likes his work and admits that it is his work. That people
like his work means that he is successful. He will be so satisfied if he can create something
by his own hard work. And for sure, he will be happy if he can share his work to others
It is more emphasized that Rana in the essence of positive work even did not priority money
for her appreciation. She was very glad to express herself to people through her ability. If
people liked her work, it meant that people saw her as a friendly person. It was definitely
different when she became a model. People considered her as a person more deserving to be
with other higher-class people. That was why as told in the novel she did not have many
friends while she was a model. But, when she left all her glamour life style and preferred to
be a painter then many people admired her work, she just felt that she was indeed a social
person.
In the opposite of positive work, the process of work in capitalistic society has turned
the real mean of work. By working, it does not change people to be creative. They work in
the control by their master. They do not find the real action from themselves through the
work; as a consequence they work only for physical needs. It is can be found in the novel told
about Susan’s ambition to utilize Rana to be a model, for the purpose that she could enjoy
You truly are selfish and self-centered, Rana. I got you out of that unfortunate
52
marriage. I sold my home to get the money to bring you to New York. I.m sacrificing
my own life for your career. And this is the thanks I get. All you do is whine (TRL,
2002:14)
It is a feeling expression leveled by Susan to her daughter. Rana was not only alienated by her
work but victim of alienation of her mother’s. Long years ago, Susan Ramsey was left by her
husband’s death caused by car accident. And, it was a huge and hurt hit for her; moreover, she
could not enjoy pleasures after her husband passed away. She cannot think logically to start
up new life as widower. Through Rana’s nice look, she used her daughter as live hood. What
has just stated by Susan was fear. She kept looking for agents and pleased to get accepted to
work (even though it was Rana going to work). So, this can be concluded that Susan Ramsey
worked to fill her materialistic needs because she was accustomed to earn in a glamour life
Alienation of work can influence the relationship human to himself and others. Man
internalizes himself out of the totally self-understanding. He does not understand himself as
human, but he commoditizes himself in the sale of market. In the entertainment industry,
appearance is the most important tool in doing duty. Chaney (Handayani, 2005) states that
one of the most important things in doing an activity is ‘outside appearance’, number one.
Chaney’s statement is more cleared by Handayani (2005) that in the process of purchase-sale
in modern society, workers utilize their body as the commodity treated to serve market
53
requirement. That is why a company is very selective in finding workers in good appearance
so that the company can be succeed in marketing products. Companies commonly select
entertainers as the icon of product. For high income, workers will do various kinds of
treatment for their appearance. In this era, they do several body treatments for market
requirement. To emphasize that most workers especially woman commoditize their body to
As a child she’d never been allowed to play in the dirt. She had never been allowed to
do anything that spoiled her perfection. Every hair had to be in place. She wasn’t
allowed to ride a bicycle or roller-skate because she might scrape her knee. Scabs or
scars were to be avoided at all costs. As a teenager, she had rebelled occasionally, but
when her little acts of defiance were discovered, her mother’s wrath made the
adventures hardly worthwhile. (TRL, 2002:70)
This was one of other alienation undergone by Rana in doing her work as model. Treating
body for market requirement marker tortured her very much. She could not be free to do
other kinds of activity since childhood until she grew up because her mother was afraid if
each part of Rana’s skin would get blister, as a consequence a company might not use Rana to
promote product. Then, her mother got depressed for she lost a chance of it. For that reason,
Rana had to look perfect and no defect might be seen in her look.
Stand up straight, Rana . . . . Don.t slouch, Rana .. Is that a pimple, Rana? Honestly!
I’ve taught you how to clean your face, but you don.t do it .... Are you wearing your
retainer? Do you want crooked teeth? ... You wrinkled your dress, after I spent a half
an hour ironing it. (TRL, 2002:73)
meant by organism; by the research of physiologist, it is not considered as an object but body
shows a situation and the existence of human. In opposite, body by modern society is
considered as an object for public as though the argument about body as commodity is agreed
54
by Muley whose statement is quoted by Thornam (2010). In his essay, after Muley sees Allen
Jones’ work entitled “Women as Furniture” describing woman as slave and sexually
provocation, he argues that their image as woman is meaningless even though they are
regularly contorted and used as the object of appearance for male consumers to see, look at,
and to glance.
There she was, svelte and sexy, reclining on a white sheet. Her mahogany hair was
spread like a fan behind her head. It had taken the hairdresser and photographer a full
hour to get it just right. Her cheekbones stood out prominently, and above them her
eyes were sultry. Her lips glistened, sulky and suggestive, in a half smile. (TRL,
2002:22)
The narration above is more proven that workers in entertainment industry commonly priority
appearance more than others. Rana in doing her duty was commoditized through her good
appearances like slim body, nice hair, good cheeks, glittering eyes, and sexy lips.
Argument’s Muley about woman as the appearance object in the sense of sight to
The bikini panties she wore sliced well below her prominent hipbones. In the
photograph her tank top was being pushed up to the undercurve of her breast by a
man’s hand. The man, lying beside her but out of the camera.s range, had had a face
like a potato, but the hands of a poet. He made his living doing everything from
patting babies. be- hinds in disposable-diaper commercials to opening cans of beer so
they would foam over the top. (TRL, 2002:22)
That the hands’ male model grabbed her shoulders describes that Rana’s nice appearance is
indeed intended to male consumers. The quotation above took place while Rana was doin
photos for an underwear product. That the photographer was trying to capture Rana’s picture
with two awesome hands of male models holding her shoulders meant to invite male
consumers to keep looking at the appearance object. That is more emphasized by the
photographer’s assistant’s joke which he said that the male model slowly touched Rana’s
55
breast but no one realized it. Although it was just a joke, it might be possibly right that the
model touched her breast for it was a big chance for him to do such sexual violence since
Rana was alienated by herself because she commoditized her own body so that she
could not consider herself as human totally. It was because Rana was shocked after finding
her picture in the magazine. Her shock was the respond describing she was definitely
alienated.
Rana in self-alienation was because most people especially men admired her as a
sexual object. For that reason, she could find male characteristic in three categories, most of
which refer to man looking at her beauty. The three categories were described from Trent
who very often had sex with various women only for his fun, and he expected it from Rana.
So, those categories of male characteristic that Rana could recognize emphasize that Muley’s
Trent’ personality is the top of alienation for Rana because she still got such annoying
man in her new stay. It made her become so mad. Her anger can be seen in the quotation of
bellow.
Where do you get off, making a toy out of a human being? You think of me only as a
game to keep you occupied while you’re here. Well, forget it. If it weren’t for the fact
that I like Ruby and don’t want to hurt her feelings, I wouldn’t even speak to you for
the remainder of your stay. In summation, Mr. Gamblin, I think you.re a class-A jerk.
(TRL, 2002:36)
“Where do you get off, making a toy out of a human being?” is an angry expression which is
proven that most men staring at her as the sexual object had alienated her. From the
expression, she at least succeeded to realize a man that she never expected such consideration
by most men.
56
She slammed the door in his face before he had time to utter a single word. She felt
better than she had in months.
And, it was really successful. Tomorrow morning, Trent put a letter into Rana’s room. He was
You’re absolutely right. I behaved like a class-A jerk. I’m sorry. We can either sign a
mutually agreeable truce, smoke a peace pipe, or go jogging together. I opt for the
latter. I’d take it as a sign of forgiveness if you’d join me. Please. (TRL, 2002:37)
Meanwhile, the human relationship to others has no difference with the relationship to
self. The point of man relationship to others is separately but likely united. It means that man
expects particular purpose in having a relationship. Their relationship is like two abstractions,
other.
I didn’t mean to make light of it. Living with your mother would be like sharing a den
with a barracuda. (TRL, 2002:46)
In modern society, if they do not want to loss job and he cannot fill his physical needs, there
are several attempts that they have to do, for the purpose such unexpected things never
happen. Having good relationship even though he never expects is one of those attempts.
From the quotation above, it has shown that Susan and Morey, by coercion, try to have good
relationship. Both Morey and Susan disliked each other. No matter they really wanted it or
not, both of them had to refrain in order that they could save their job. Susan Ramsey never
dreamt that she wanted to miss her job and all pleasure of it, so did Morey, who did not want
his agency insolvent if he ignored Susan Ramsey; moreover, he also did not want Rana as the
source of his income leave him. Then, this can be said that it was the coercion in having such
relationship with conflicted personal interest. They were hostile each other, but to some
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extent, they needed each other.
Matched to alienation of man to himself illustrating that man, in the loss of self-
understanding as the real human, realizes himself as commodity sold out in market, such
dehumanization is also reflected in alienation to others. In this case, man is alienated because
These were the ones who used her to decorate themselves. Since Rana was often
photographed by paparazzi avid for candid shots of heron the streets of New York,
leaving a restaurant, entering a party, in the park eating an ice-cream cone.her escort
also got the rewards of the free publicity she generated. (TRL, 2002:36)
It is the description why Rana also got alienated to people among her. Even though many
people especially men expected to accompany her, Rana realized that they had particular
interest. They wanted to get popularity from Rana because she was one of the most famous
entertainers. For that reason, they exploited her popularity in order that they could get
She had been courted by numerous politicians, rock stars, and businessmen, all of
whom wanted to benefit from a well-publicized romance with Rana. (TRL, 2002:36)
Man in alienation to others has created man’s relationship out of humanity. Working
for getting profit as the priority structured perfectly by capitalism through industry makes
people in the end unable to compare between the right benefit and the wrong one for himself
and others as this can been seen in the saying below. The dialog between Rana and Morey
took place on phone. Morey just got a call from a company offering them to continue
corporation again with high income; for that reason, he insisted Rana to receive the offer.
I see I’ve finally got your attention. I didn’t say we’d accept four hundred. I’ll counter
with six hundred and I think we’ll get an even half a million. How does that sound?
Ridiculous
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He chuckled, Not so ridiculous. I could use the bread (TRL, 2002:47)
Morey actually treated her step daughter like his own daughter, but in the other side he also
craved to get profit offered by the company. For that reason, he got Rana to agree with the
cooperation without realizing her that Rana was tired of it. That Morey did not realize how
Rana felt after he informed the corporation first agreed by him is the evidence which signifies
that man considers that both kinds of benefit mentioned above are the similar things because
of the structure prioritizing profit for human life in surviving. From the quotation just
attached, it really proves that eager based on material profit will cover humanity from his
Ramsey and Rana. She commoditized her daughter whom she sold to somebody else in order
that she became rich by forcing Rana to marry an old but rich man, a businessman of famous
cosmetic product, who Rana should have considered him as her grandfather.
“All I’m asking is that you be nice to him, Rana. You’re such a strange girl,” Susan
Ramsey had said in exasperation. “Any other girl would be beside herself if Mr.
Alexander paid some attention to her”
“I know you, Mother. You wouldn’t be foisting Mr. Alexander off on me if matrimony
hadn’t entered your mind. And it doesn’t have anything to do with morality. You’re
just too good a bargain hunter to settle for less”
“Would marriage to the owner of one of the largest cosmetics empires in the world be
so terrible?” she asked sarcastically. “Think of what such an alliance would mean to
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your future”
“I’ll take none of your sass! Now, Mr. Alexander called, and his car is picking you up
at eight. He sent this lovely diamond bracelet for you to wear tonight. Please go get
dressed” (TRL, 2002:46)
The dialogs above clearly show that the relationship of man to others is created for his
personal interest. Susan Ramsey did expect to be successful in career. In order to get the
success, she tried to create relationship to others, one of whom is Mr. Alexander giving a lot
of advantages for her. She never gave up using various kinds of attempt to make good
relationship to Mr. Alexander by compelling her daughter to approach him. Susan Ramsey,
because of her material obsession, could not see Rana as her daughter anymore but as
commodity which had to be worth a lot of profit for her. It infuriated Rana by emphasizing
“I’m not a prostitute,” Rana had informed her mother calmly, but coldly. “Mr.
Alexander can keep his diamond bracelet and I’ll keep my self-respect” (TRL,
2002:47)
The emphasizing “I’m not a prostitute” is the top of Rana’s anger caused by Susan’s
ambition. She tried to realize her mother that such harshness by her mother had been treated
to her own daughter. But, the attempt to realize her mother did not get good respond from her.
From the quotation above, it is clearly seen that it was an emphasizing describing that
Rana was in the inner level of alienation which she felt so far. In her very early age, she had
to marry a man getting much older than her. She definitely had been suffered from a loss of
her freedom to go through her life as most women of her age did. That’s why, as told in the
novel, Rana could not spend her time making many friends because she was too busy with
60
her occupation; moreover, she was not allowed to have love relationship to man of her choice
because Susan Ramsey was too regularly to interfere her personal life, and she always
rejected every Rana’s decision. Rana had to do anything demanded by her mother.
As mentioned above, that she in her personal life actually had less friends but at work
she had more friends, colleagues, and other people admiring her so much. In fact, she realized
that people approaching her had particular purpose. This is because there is the showing
which narrated that Rana was crying happily because Trent had given her a small bouquet of
humble daisies.
Tears filled her eyes as she stared wordlessly into the cluster of daisies. She lowered
her face, nestling her nose among the dewy petals. She had been sent flowers often.
Extravagant arrangements of roses and orchids had come from counts and corporate
presidents. None had ever meant anything to her. This small, unpretentious bouquet of
humble daisies was the most precious gift she had ever received. (TRL, 2002:65)
That such unpretentious flower given by Trent as his apology to her made Rana cry happily
establishes that happiness even comes from simplicity. Rana saw the simple flower from
Trent as his sincerity. She often received bouquet of various flowers, but those flowers meant
nothing for her because she concerned that flowers were not given to her as Rana but as
commodity. By giving expensive and luxurious flowers, they expected Rana beauty
physically to be theirs. They wanted to use Rana’s beauty in order that all their products could
be sold in market. In opposite to Trent, he really gave the flower for Rana. He did not
consider the flower for Rana’s beauty as known that Rana in her new stay, where she met
Alienation of consumption discusses about the separated state of man from the need of things
he bought. For that problem, this alienation refers to the dependence of man on buying a lot
61
of products pushed by something out of his need. In cultural industry, life style has the most
important role in the process of consumption, and it does determine their image as the
workers of cultural industry. Most well-known entertainers absolutely will get increase of
finance and life style. According to Celia Lury (Christina, 2005), life style refers to the action
of consumption meant as the way renewed by most people in the attempt of showing their
individuality and taste through the selection of particular products and the personality of
products; and the way renewed by most people in using those products actively. While, life
style by workers shows the way they use products indeed separated from the use. Entertainers
with their popularity commonly try to prove their success through their ability in buying
products which other people cannot afford to get. That is why it is very often found with their
The novel also narrates that entertainers are able to buy luxurious things to show that
they are successful in their career. In the novel, Rana was supposed to look graceful in front
of public by wearing nice clothes with the accessories as the evidence of her success.
Furthermore, Susan Ramsey emphasized the success by staying in a luxurious house in order
that people considered that she still could enjoy her life without husband. From that case, it
can be more shown that the eager of getting things for life style alienates man because
The dependence of man on buying products is not always for the ownership. Man also
buys a thing for his need. But, the term ‘need’ itself should be more elaborated by the
goal and the desire. In industrial society, the first kind of consumption is more common than
the second. Hedonic consumption as just discussed above is matched with Fromm’s idea in
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chapter 2. People have been spoiled by industry in giving various kinds of need which make
In similar to cultural industry, it is very often found various kinds of media trying to
manipulate consumers through celebrities with nice look. By using cultural industry,
advertisement for example, consumers are manipulated as if they really need the product.
(Thornham, 2010), tries to avoid the real problems in society and takes apart of building
ideological structures based on ‘false differences’. To take the point of the quotation above,
advertisement which should have a role in sharing information does not really inform real
solution of problems reflected to people’s need, but it tries to creates problems as it they were
That is more emphasized by Van Zoneen (Sarwono, 2013) mentions one of three ritual
functions by most media; what is shared by media is actually satisfaction and need in falsity,
for example, female teenagers ensure that they have to take care of their look; for that reason,
they always do several body treatments by consuming beauty products, they then think that
white-skin, slim body, long hair are fulfilled. It is considered as false need because, Van
Zoneen continues, female character in real is not determined from appearance but
Those topaz-green eyes that had lured hundreds of thousands of women into buying
eye-shadow collections with names such as Sahara Sands and Forest Gems stared
back at her. Artfully made up, they were spectacular. Even without makeup, their
slanting almond shape was distinctive and arresting. Too arresting not to be
camouflaged by tinted glasses if she wanted her identity to remain a secret. (TRL,
2002:13)
This shows that consumers have been laid by false need provided by industry. They think that
63
they really need the product for their look considered as the important requirement in order
that other people like them. Advertisement, an important tool for media in promoting
products, actually shares false information through natural beauty of Rana’s used for a picture
illustrating the result after using the product. From the illustration, consumers then believe
that the product is really working, for that reason they think that they really need it.
Manipulation by media with the false need causes people become objects of
consumption alienating them to things they consume. It is because people (Liestyasari, 2005)
have been persuaded and brought into the exploitation circle of global capitalism. Then with
the skill at manipulating consumers by giving needs unnecessarily to get, they believe that
The dependence on purchase will take people into consumptive society, and it has
Maesaraturrijal’s writing quoted from his web, cannot avoid any kinds of information related
to the process of consumption in their full bustle; cultural industry never stops serving
easy to access so that this can increase welfare for social life, but this also can decrease
society’s rationality because will cause the lack of people’s criticism toward vital things for
To ensure whether someone has a problem of mental health, people in modern in find out
through the way he can adapt himself in social life well. In this case, Rana, normatively, can
be diagnosed that she was healthy because she could run her social life well. At work, she
was professionally able to adapt herself to others and do her duty as a model. And, it can be
64
shown that Rana was successful in career; she often existed in various famous magazines and
became an icon of products. For her fame, many people admired her. But, a problem of
mental health is found out through concepts of mental health by Sullivan, security, intimacy,
The desire of being safe by following majority to avoid anxiety will make self-
understanding disappear. It can be proven that Rana had been alienated for long years exactly
since childhood, but her decision she to escape from alienation took long time. She tried to
comply with her mother’s wishes which she never expected. It took very long time for her to
leave her work which most people dreamt. And, that was an action which she needed to get
security.
personal interest. The dependence of man on collaboration to others is very necessary for
them to run their social life well, but it will cause alienated man if the essence of intimacy is
misunderstood by egoism. In the recent case, it is often discovered that people egoistically
create collaboration to others. It can be established that Susan Ramsey, to get achievement,
ignored her daughter’s feeling. In this case, her ambition is a part of egoistic which will
alienate others.
from the relationship of man to others like two abstractions which people have particular
purpose in making good relationship to others as described in the novel which has been
discussed in the dehumanization of work. And, that people commoditize others is also a part
The last concept is happiness. Of course, all people want happiness, and that is
something normal. But, if the mean of happiness is similarly meant by pleasure, it only
creates consumptive pleasure. The desire of consumptive pleasure will take people into
65
passiveness, and that is a desire alienating people. Through luxurious life style, entertainers
commonly enjoy their pleasure. Life style is not a part of happiness but pleasure.
When they cannot enjoy any pleasure anymore, they will be depressed. Most workers
Even though from the diagnosis, it said that he forgot to take his daily medicine, it was
because he was depressed. In opposite to Rana, she could avoid depression by leaving
pleasures and finding the real happiness. And, she had got the happiness through pure love
from Ruby, a landlady which she never got from her mother and Trent who did not see her
physical beauty. She found the real happiness even from simplicity.
CHAPTER V
5.1 Conclusion
In brief, the process of work in capitalistic society has changed the essence of work from
consumptiveness. The activeness turned into passiveness is because people work in the
command of their master’s. Passiveness then will bring people to laziness; they cannot
express their idea to do any kind of activity since they do not get their freedom to think.
Furthermore, they never become productive, for the way they work depends on how their
master commands them; for that reason, they keep being consumers. Consumptive enjoyment
and pleasure given by cultural industry are not meant by the real happiness. Such enjoyment
and pleasure even make people do irrational things out of their humanity as the casts in the
novel The Rana Look did like Susan Ramsey and Morey. In fact, the real happiness comes
66
from simplicity as described by the novel when Rana earned a simple life as a painter, one of
5.2 Suggestion
From the phenomenon of alienation caused by work, it reminds us that we, at least, have
to do any kinds of activity based on our passion. Because of passion, we cannot be directed to
sophistication by industry does not mean that it should be left and gone back to
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