CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL REVIEW

2.1 Definition of Literature

According to Arnheim (1957), literature uses words for description; film,

pictures. In both media the guiding ideas are not given in abstract form but
clothed in concrete episodes. The objection may be raised that literature uses
all the senses—sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste—liberally mixed and just as
inseparably fused as we experience them in everyday life. Literature itself
could be defined as the discourse of the uncanny: literature is the kind of
writing which most provocatively engages with the uncanny aspects of
experience, thought and feeling (Bennet and Royle, 2005 in An Introduction to
Literature Criticism and Theory: Third Edition.)

Literature is stories, poems and plays. But, if the questioner is a literary

theorist, its harder to know how to take the query. Culler (1997), mentions that
literature comes in all shapes and sizes and most of them seem to have more in
common with works that aren’t usually called literature than they do with some
other works recognized as literature.

2.2 Definition of Film

Hornby (2000), stated that film or movie is a series of moving pictures

recorded with sound that tells a story shown on the television or at the cinema
movie theatre. A film consists of moving pictures and tells a story or shows a
real situation that have been recorded so that people will understand,
sympathize and have empathy. According to Lauretis (2008), All that a film
can do is to document the historical moment of its production, the history of its
own time and the history of its present. Andrew (1984), says that we see what
has been named, and what we see in a film is meaningful to the extent that it
supports our semantic universe. This becomes all the clearer at the level of

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representation when the perceived objects of a film are built into a particular
picture of a state of affairs, a story, or an argument. Film is regularly discussed
in courses in aesthetics; and books examining film from the standpoint of
philosophical aesthetics have begun to multiply.

Film is simply a very different sort of thing than literature. Even though
texts go into the making of the most films, films themselves are not linguistics
texts. Many films address ethical questions and morally loaded situations, and
this is part of the reason why we find them interesting. Films occasionally also
prompt moral criticism. Some of such criticism focuses on events in the
creation of films. The film is often praised for its cinematic mastery and for its
stunning scenes and powerful images and symbols. The majority view today is
that film is an art form and, hence, many cinematic works and artworks. The
relevant art form in the case of film is not painting but drama (Livingstone and
Plantinga, 2009).

2.3 Semiotics

According to North (1990:13), Charles Sanders Peirce describes

semiotics as the analytic study of the essential conditions to which all signs are
subject; it aims to discern what must be the character of all signs, and what
would be true of sign in all cases. Semiotic (or logic) as a formal science, would
be concerned, in part to determine the condition for counting anything as true.
In other word, Pierce defines Semiotic as the analysis of relation between the
signs, the real form of the signs and the true meaning of the sign.

A sign is something which stands to somebody for something in some

respect or capacity. It addresses somebody, that is, creates in the mind of that
person an equivalent sign, or perhaps a more developed sign. That sign which
creates to interpret of the first sign. The sign stands for something, an object. It
stands for that object, like a representation. Barthes (1986:9) stated that images,
gesture, musical sound, or anything can be a sign, whatever their substance
because semiotics aims to take in any system of signs.
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According to Umberto Eco (1986:7), semiotics is concerned with

everything that can be taken as a sign. So, we can conclude that anything can
be a sign as long as someone interprets it as signifying, something-referring to
or standing for something other than itself. It means, every existing thing in our
life is looked as a sign, that is something that we should give them meaning.
Ferdinand de Saussure (1995:18) also defines about Semiotics it is the concept
of a sign consist of a signifier (sound-image) and what is signified (concept,
idea, and meaning), for example the word “d o g” refers to the animal with a
long snout, an acute sense of smell, and a barking, howling, or whining voice,
furthermore Charles W. Morris (1995:12) stated that semiotic is the study of
signs that has a very wide scope, ranging from language to animal.

In conclusion, the writer concludes that semiotic is the science in

understanding a sign, through words and brains to resulting the meaning of the
sign. Through semiotic, the writer learns to understand each sign that appears
in the movie. Semiotics means the study of signs, semiotics studied a sign and
symbol as a part of meaningful communication. Semiotics represents a range
of studies in art, literature, anthropology and the mass media rather than an
independent academic discipline. It is not only concerned with intentional
communication but also with our ascription of significance to anything in the
world. Chandler (2002:15) stated that semiotics has changed over time since
semioticians have sought to remedy weaknesses in early semiotic approaches.

Semiotics warned linguistics not to take ‘reality’ for granted and

seriously as something that has a purely objective existence which is
independent of human interpretation. Through the study of semiotics, people
can be aware of the sign and codes which are not transparent. That means,
semiotics is a meaning to considering anything as a sign and sign system which
has everything as it is an object but that has no object at all. Second is the
definition of the method as semiotics is an application of the linguistic method
to objects other than natural language. Just like what Barthes (as cited in
Chandler, 2002:86) said, semiotics can be used to examine various kinds of
text, such as news, advertisement, fashion, film, fiction, poem, and song lyrics
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Thus, the method of semiotics is a consideration of anything as a

metaphor of language or to put it another way, a metaphorical description of
anything as language. The third is the definitions by subject as semiotics is that
which called semiotics by the people who call themselves a semiotician. The
token of the semiotic orientation of given word is the used of conventional
semiotic terminology (sign, code, signification, semiosis, etc.) together with
references to other semiotic works.

2.4 Charles Sanders Peirce Theory

According to T. L Short (2007:16), Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914)

is the American philosopher and the mathematician. He grew up with the high
intellectuality; his theory was adopting from Aristotle. He stated in the tradition
of philosophy, Aristotle described the words as a sign, but if thought was verbal
and the words are sign, then the thought is a sign. The signs are continue to
define themselves. Peirce introduced his philosophy in semiotic as the
triangular relationship or trichotomies between a signs (representament), a
refrence sign (object), and meaning of the sign (interpretant). Peirce called the
action that involves of the three subject as semiosis.

Representament (R)

Object (O) Interpretant (I)

Figure. 1 Thricotomy Style of Peirce

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Peirce uses this trichotomies to identify the sign. Representament serves

as something represent the sign, while the object as the reference of
representament. Interpretant is the meaning of the sign that resulting from the
mind. If this element interconnected in one's mind, then the meaning of the sign
will appears, as represented by the sign. The triangel above is the concept of
Peirce philosophy in semiotics. Each of these concepts has three types:

1. A Representament: is the form which the sign is taken

2. An Object: is to refer the sign

3. An Interpretant: is the sense made of the sign

Peirce uses each of the three levels to understand the representament,

object and interpretant. In other words, the process in getting the meaning of
the sign may not necessarily be directly granted but through systematic
reasoning. In the view of Peirce, sign is something unlimited consist of what it
is represent, how the sign represent and how it is interpret.

Based on theory semotics of Peirce, sign is something the writer

concludes that in the search for the meaning of a sign. Peirce uses this theory
with his mind and reason. In addition, he also testing his own theory that he
creates including the evidence around him so in the end it accepted by society.
Peirce was analyzed the sign based on his thoughts, focusing on what
represented the sign. After that proceed again by looking for facts that exist
about the sign and then look for its shape based on the sign. After the search
for a representative of the sign and its form, then Pierce draws conclusions on
the meaning of the sign based on the hypothesis and the evidence that is around
it and based on legal agreement.

Peirce's theory is based on Aristotle, this is because a sign of ancient

times was used as a messenger. Peirce studied carefully the way that Aristotle
interpreted a sign. It so complicated and difficult for people to undestand . Then
from the difficulties of Aristotle science makes Peirce to develop the theory of
aristotle by making it simple. For Peirce, the sign is something infinite, in other
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words, the sign is something that is not visible but has a lot of meaning consists
with the existing reason, facts and rules.

Peirce introduces the sign as a representament because it shows

something to describes. These signs are still a possibility and have not
recognized their validity, then proceed into facts and ultimately recognized by
law that the sign is true. The object here used by Peirce as a form referring to
the representament. Object also have the same thing as representament, the
form is still a possibility and then processed again with the facts and finally
recognized as the object of the sign. The last one is interpretant; Peirce calls it
the meaning of the sign. The meaning of the sign here also has the same process
with the object and the representament, the meaning is still a possibility, and
becoming a fact, then the meaning of the sign becomes acceptable things in
society, rules, and law.

2.4.1 Representament

Peirce writes the representament as a sign which stands to somebody

for respects and capacity. Peirce classifies the representament into three
types :

1. Qualisign: It is the quality of the sign, it cannot act as a sign until

the sign represent itself and the represent cannot do
anything with the sign. Qualisign is still possibilities.

Example: The quality of red is a qualisign, it could be mean

danger, ban, bold, and so on.

2. Sinsign: The word refers to singular which means something

or event that appears only once and refers to the
realities.

Example: Scream is the sinsign of the individual. It means

happy, or hurt
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3. Legisign: It is a sign that consists of law. This sign has been

made by men and approve with significant.

Example: all language is legisign, because languange is a code,

every legisigns consist of sinsign. It has the common
law.

It is clear that these signs are the sign and it can be of all categories
but qualisign and sinsign are difficult to understands. When he says “The
representament has nothing to do with the sign” and these sinsigns is kind
of a very strange and it just forms a sign through the real shape. The latter
are so difficult to understand that they are not qualisigns at all, as the term
was defined by Peirce. Peirce must be saying, rather that a sinsign must
have qualitiy but that its significance is not for the qualities of the sign.

In the legisign is not all rules or laws become the signs, a law that is
meant here is the recognition of the listener; in addition, the listener must
imply those rules in certain circumstances, the actual meaning directly
from the speech.

2.4.2 Object

Object as it describes, and object as itself. It means the real form of

signs that has been referenced from the representament. There are three
types of object:

1. Icon : Icon is a sign that have its own character which

significant even though the object has no existance;
in other words, between the sign and the object has a
resemblance (similar).

Example: the similarity of a map with geographical area as they

area as they describes, photo, picture, paint and so on.

2. Index: Index is a sign that has a connection with the

character, Peirce used to call it as a secondness.
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Secondness is the mode of being that is in relation to

something else.

Example: Whenever there is smoke, there is fire. The fire was

caused by electrical object. Smoke is an Index of fire.

3. Symbol: Symbol is a representation of the object that consists

of norm or rules that reveals to its meaning and
generally accepted by society.

Example: an assosiation of the word “red” with the color red.

(Taken from T.L Short: Theory Pierce of Sign,
(2007:221))

This object from all three respectively have in common with each
other, in other words, between Icon and Index both have a real form of
the sign. Just its mention being different. The Symbol is a combination
of Icon and Index and it became accepted by the general public (the
convention).

It can be concluded that the signs are never more than one category
from trichotomy except if analyzed as different sign. This is Evidence of
the powerful Peirce view; as combination of different trichotomy, not as
a combination of the trichotomy category.

2.4.3 Interpretant

A sign that consist of rheme, a dicent, and argument. Interpretant

is a sign in Itself. It is a sign of the first sign that creates in the mind of
interpreter. (2007:178)

1. Rheme: interpretant of the possibilities or something that

might happen. Its meaning still in progress.

Example: someone who is red eyes may indicate that the person
has been crying, mad, or waking up.
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2. Decisign: interpretant of facts and truth that happens.

Example: When on one road accident occurs frequently, then

the way will be installed traffic signs which indicate
that there is an accident.

3. Argument: the interpretant is generaly accepted in society (rational).

It is so difficult to determine the influence that distinguishes

rheme, decisign, argument. Argument are similar to the decisign. Peirce
says, of course, a great deal about arguments and their category, and
types of decisigns, on the logical forms of the validity arguments turn.

2.5 Women’s Empowerment

Women’s Empowerment is one of the issues in feminism. Women’s
Empowerment is a movement to take more control of their lives and demanding
the nation to support their movement. Women’s Empowerment means help
each other in order to fulfil their main agenda; control their own lives over
family, community, and society. Empowerment is to empower people to make
their own destiny, choices, and voices. Rather be a passive person that not able
to say no to everything.
Feminism is a movement that advocates for gender equality. The goal of
feminism is for all people to be treated equally. This movement appears
because women want to change their lives to have a free life that not strict by
their genders and wanted an equality between men and women by having the
opportunities that men received. And according to Hawkesworth (2006:25),
Feminism is a movement that includes political movements, ideologies, and
social movements that have the same goal: to secure, establish and achieving
personal, economic, political, and social rights for women.
In other words, Women’s Empowerment can be concluded as a process
of awareness and building capacity of life to greater participations, greater
decision making power, controlling, be active, and have the ability to make a
change for the world to be better. Mayoux (2000) defines Women’s
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Empowerment as an effort of individuals for acquiring the power to think and

act freely, exercise choice, and to fulfil their potential to members of society.
Therefore, women empowerment made women able to do these efforts because
men are dominant for doing the efforts previously.
Scott (1989) explains that Women’s Empowerment is both social and
political, embedded in discursive constructions, operating in four interrelated
configurations: culturally available symbols (such as what it means to be a
woman); normative concepts that usually operate in binary ways (such as being
empowered and powerless); the political struggles over these concepts (such as
participating or emulating these cultural symbols and myths); and a process of
identification (such as who is empowered and who is not for political
purposes).
Indeed, Women’s Empowerment through education has become an
important symbol of power and the kinds of change process that must be dealt
with for women to overcome their “powerlessness” needs to be explored in
more complex ways than scholars are willing to do (Swai, 2010: 176).
According to Alsop et al. (2006:125), Women’s Empowerment often
measures by representatives such as employment, education, knowledge, art,
and much more. The measure of Women’s Empowerment is difficult since it is
a process, multidimensional, and the concept operates at various levels.

2.6 Women’s Empowerment Dimensions

Malhotra et al. (2002) stated that Women’s Empowerment is divided into
six dimensions, which are; Legal Dimension, Socio-Cultural Dimension,
Familial/Interpersonal Dimension, Economic Dimension, Political Dimension,
and Physiological Dimension. Each dimension of Women’s Empowerment is
divided into three indicators, which are: Household, Community, and Broader
Arena. Each indicator has a different meaning to each dimension.
Meanwhile, the dimensions that proposed by Anju Malhotra (2002) will
be used by the writer since this research suggests that Women’s Empowerment
can be examined in six dimensions. Moreover, these dimensions can be
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examined at the Household, Community, and Broader Arena by a series of

indicators within each dimension.

2.6.1 Legal Dimension

Malhotra et al. (2002) stated that the household indicators in Legal
Dimension are the knowledge of legal rights for women, domestic
support from the society, and achieving legal rights. Community
indicators are community mobilization for rights awareness. Broader
arena indicators are laws supporting women rights, access to work, study,
and options of advocacy for rights and legalization.
Legal Dimension is the most effective tools to improve people
daily lives, to be more productive. Also, legal empowerment can help
strengthen another dimension of Women’s Empowerment.

2.6.2 Socio Cultural Dimension

According to Malhotra et al. (2002), the household indicator in
Socio Cultural Dimension are women freedom of movement, less
discrimination against a child, and a commitment to educating a child
until college. Community indicator is women visibility in access of social
event and spaces, access to modern transportation, participation in the
social event, and social networks. Shifting patriarchy norms such as the
symbolic representation of women in myth and rituals. Broader arena
indicator is women access to an education, positive image of women,
women’s role, and contributions.
There are some things that socio cultural and factors that influence
on Women’s Empowerment. Which are: women’s education, women’s
age, women’s wages, family type, social network, and women’s
awareness of their rights. Including political rights, economic rights, and
social rights.
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2.6.3 Familial/Interpersonal Dimension

Malhotra et al. (2002) stated that the household indicator in
Familial/Interpersonal Dimensions is women’s participation in decisions
making, controlling sexual relations, the ability to make a child-caring
decision, controlling who to marry, and an access to abortion.
Community indicator is shifted in marriage and system indicating a
greater value of autonomy for women and a local campaign against
domestic violence. Broader arena indicator is regional or national trends
in timing of marriage, and options for divorce, political, legal, and
religious support the women.
Familial/Interpersonal Dimension in Women’s Empowerment
Dimension is more complex than the other dimension and it can be
included in a decision making, control over sexual relations, marriage,
health, contraception, and a changed attitude towards violence.

2.6.4 Economic Dimension

Malhotra et al. (2002) defined that the household indicator in
Economic Dimension is women’s power to control over their income,
women’s contribution to support their family, and an access to control of
their family resources. Community indicator is women access to credit,
involve in local trade event or associations, and an access to the market.
The broader arena is women representation in high paying jobs,
representation of women economic interest in economic policies, state,
and federal.
The Economic Dimension is to represent a process of awareness
and organized a struggle for social change and gender equality.
Economic Dimension enables women to have a control over their own
finances and having fair wages when they go to work to support their
family finances. By empowering through the Economic Dimension,
women will have a confidence and happiness to get their own fair money
to buy everything they want.
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2.6.5 Political Dimension

Malhotra et al. (2002) stated that the household indicator in
Political Dimension is a knowledge of their political rights, system and
an access to their political rights. Community indicator in Political
Dimension is women’s involvement in the local political campaigns,
supporting specific candidates or legislation. The broader arena is
women’s representation in the regional and national system of
government, representation of women’s interests of effective groups.
Political dimension means that women take more control of their
lives, have their own agenda, can organize, and help each other to make
demands to the state to support their movement. When political change
it system by women, it will help them feel empowered and feel confident
in their capabilities.

2.6.6 Psychological Dimension

The household indicator in Psychological Dimension is defined as
self-esteem, self-efficacy and psychological well-being. Community
indicator is awareness of injustice, potential interest. Broader arena
indicator is women’s sense of inclusion, systematic acceptance of
women’s inclusion (Malhotra et al, 2002).
This dimension is very important to the other dimension, without
Psychological Dimension, to achieve all the five dimensions seems
impossible. Because when people are psychologically empowered, there
will be a change of an attitude, and behaviour, towards something. Which
mostly will lead to a positive change in a value of orientation, increased
patriotic actions, improving self-esteem, and will be more speak up
towards the issue.