WESTERN STEREOTYPING OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN MORGAN’S MUTANT MESSAGE DOWN UNDER: AN ORIENTALISM ANALYSIS

Dwi Sri Wahyu A, English Literature Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Yogyakarta State University, Indonesia

Abstract


Abstract

This research aims to analyse the stereotyping of Aboriginal tribe in Morgan’s novel, Mutant Message  Down  Under,  by the  Western. The  objectives  of the  study are to identify the  Aboriginal stereotypes and to analyse how it is constructed based on Said’s theory of Orientalism.

This  research  applied  a  descriptive  qualitative  method  to  analyse  the  data. The  prima ry data instrument was the researcher and the secondary data instrument was data sheet. The data was in the form of sentences, phrases, or words in the novel. The data were analysed using content analysis technique employing Orientalism theory by Edward Said.

The findings of this research showed that there are two main stereotyping of Aboriginal tribe in the novel. The first stereotype is uncivilized. This stereotype is constructed as the distinction of Western civilization. The Western civilization is maintained through the delineation of Aboriginal people as uncivilized, being primitive or traditional, and having bad personalities or manner. The second stereotype is inferior. The inferiority is constructed through the characteristics of Aboriginal people who are seen as uneducated, poor, and having worse language than English. The findings implicate that Western stereotyping of the Aboriginal people are maintained well through the literary work.

 

Keywords: Orientalism, stereotype, stereotyping, Aboriginal people, Edward Said.

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References


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