RACISM OPPRESSION BY NAZI TOWARD JEWISH IN
POLAND BASED ON THE PIANIST MOVIE
A THESIS
Submitted as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
By:
MUHAMMAD RIDHO WIBOWO
Registration Number : 2123220021
ENGLISH AND LITERATURE DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LANGUAGES AND ARTS
DECLARATION
I have familiarized myself with the university’s policy on academic
integrity. Except where appropriately acknowledged, this thesis is my own
word, has been expressed in my own words and has not previously been
submitted for assessment.
I understand that this paper may be screened electronically or otherwise
for plagiarism.
Medan, August 2016
i
ABSTRACT
Wibowo, Muhammad Ridho. 2123220021. Racism Oppression by Nazi Toward Jewish in Poland Based on The Pianist Movie. A Thesis. Faculty of Languages and Arts. State University of Medan. 2016.
The title of this thesis is Racism Oppression By Nazi Toward Jewish in Poland
Based on The Pianist Movie. This study is aimed to analyzing what kinds of
Nazi’s oppressions occured in the movie, and what are Jewish’s resistance toward those oppressions in the movie. The writer applies the theories from Iris Marion Young about oppression in black America society (1990) and James C. Scott about Resistance of the peasant. Based on its form, Young was divided oppression into 5 types, they are (1) exploitation, (2) marginalization, (3) powerlessness, (4) culture imperialism, and (5) violence, and Scott divided resistance into two types, they are (1) open resistance and (2) hidden resistance. Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement. Oppression is when a person or group in a position of power controls the powerless in cruel and unfair ways, while resistance is any act of the minorities against the majorities’ unfair attitudes. The writer focuses on the analysis of oppression and resistance based on The Pianist script, and finally oppression is found as the most dominant thing that the depict racism in the movie.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bismillah, first of all the writer would like to thanks to Allah SWT and the
Prophet Muhammad SAW for the blessings during his academic years at English
and Literature Department Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) State University
of Medan in completing the thesis. The writer is also very grateful to the Secretary of English and Literature Department for their encouragement
and motivation during the writing of the thesis. Syamsul Bahri, S.S, M.Hum the Head of English Literature study program, his Consultant, and Academic Advisor and Nora Ronita, S.Pd, S.S, M.Hum, the Head of English Education Program for their encouragement to complete the
thesis.
Prof. Dr. Sri Minda Murni, M.S, his consultant, and Drs. Lidiman Sahat Matua Sinaga, M.Hum, his Thesis Examiners who had already motivated him to finish the thesis by giving advices, supervising, giving
comments and corrections during completing this thesis.
All the Lecturers of English and Literature Department during his
academic years at State University of Medan, who have taught and given
knowledges to his encouragement and invaluable advices to complete this
thesis.
iii
His beloved parents, Susanto and Wirawati, who have patiently given his
encouragement, financial support, their endless love and their prayers, as
well as his beloved sister and brothers, Dian Lestari, Dimas Prasetyo, and Muhammad Ikhsan Utomo, who have been good siblings all the time.
His mate Mukhrizal Effendi, M.SP, who have gave great motivations and inspirations to him.
His beloved friends since senior high school, Marina, Shandy, Nopi, Agung, and Fahmil, who have given support and spirit since the first time they met and build a friendship.
His beloved friends the Galaxy girls, Via Johansen and Tebi Swift, who
have given spirit and consolation for him whether in a good time or
viceversa.
His beloved friends Syaiful, Rio, Tyo, Valdy, Juli, Mutia, Ika, and Kak Tasya, for the four years and still counting friendship and the support in the very sad and happy situations.
His all beloved friends and classmates in English Literature B 2012 for the support and time in motivated and accompanied him during the
academic years.
Medan, August 2016
The writer
iv
H. Jewish Resistance Toward Oppression ... 29
I. Introduction to Movie ... 30
v
L. Conceptual Framework... 40
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHOD ... 42
A. Research Design ... 42
B. The Source of Data ... 42
C. The Techniques of Collecting Data ... 43
D. The Techniques of Analyzing Data ... 43
CHAPTER IV. DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS ... 44
vi
D. Discussion ... 60
CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION ... 63
A. Conclusion ... 63
B. Suggestion ... 64
vii
LIST OF APPENDICES
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. The Background of Study
Racism is one of big problems in world today. It is a product of the
complex interaction in a given society of a race-based world view with
prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Racism can occur in social actions,
practices, or political system that supports the expression of prejudice or
aversion in discriminatory practices. It may make negative and fearful attitudes
which result in the violation of basic human rights because people belong to
the inferior race are considered as less than human.
Racism is categorized as serious social problem that may take place
wherever since it is related to life. Life has many elements and differences in
terms of biological concept. Life also cannot be separated from human and
human rights, which are the right for having prosperity, living as what other
people do, and being admitted as the same of God‟s creation. Genocide which
is related to racism does not only occur in abroad but also in Indonesia. When
President Soeharto came as a new president, his regime created many
anti-Chinese legislations in Indonesia. One of them was 127/U/Kep/12/1966 which
mandated that Chinese who lived in Indonesia were being forced to adopt
Indonesian sounding names instead of the standard three-word or two-word
Chinese names. The government also modified a person's name without
consent from time to time, such as adding a corresponding Chinese surname to
2
be more accurate on describing someone's ethnic origin. For example, Junedi
Santoso may be changed to Junedi Santoso Liem, Junedi Liem, or Liem Junedi.
People whose modified names like this way may have different names in their
official documentations. Today, the prefixed or suffixed names by a Chinese
surname as Tan Meliana Puspita, or Lena Angelina Liem are more common.
However, if the surname is a suffix, such as Oen Jayadi Susilo, it is almost
certain that the surname is forced to be there by the government. In the past,
people were not be able to discern a successful athlete's ethnicity as the media
would not mention their Chinese name. However, if the Chinese person were
doing something harmful, his or her name would not be mentioned.
In racism there is racist, it is a situation where the majorities fully press the
minorities. In this situation, the minorities have no free for living in their life.
According to Eduardo (2006:15), racist is the sport of choice of those who
practice the „„clinical approach‟‟ to race relations—the careful separation of
good and bad tolerant and intolerant. One of the most appalling racist in the
world was Holocaust which happened in Europe in World War II era.
Holocaust was one of genocides which ever existed in world. It was used
by Nazi to erase Jewish in Europe. As noted by Montreal Holocaust Memorial
Centre (2012:1), Holocaust is the systematic persecution and murder of
approximately six million Jews by Nazi and their collaborators between 1933
and 1945. Individuals, organizations and governments made choices that
promoted and permitted discrimination, prejudice, hatred and ultimately, mass
3
Back to the history, When Adolf Hitler was living in Vienna in his youth,
he began to form his Semitic ideas (although arguably he had been
anti-Semitic since much earlier). He observed that many of the large, successfull
department stores were run by Jewish businessmen. He also thought that these
large stores were squeezing smaller, more „traditional‟, „German‟ stores out of
business. Therefore Hitler began to resent intensely the wealth, and therefore,
commercial power, taht many Jewish firms had built up. He thought he saw
this all over the world, or at least all over Germany and Austria, and so he
decided that Jewish people must be inherently greedy. Related to this was
Hitler‟s opinion that Jewish people were „corrupting‟ German culture with
Jewish culture.
However, this was only one of his two major reasons to hate the Jews. He
had also built up an extensive pseudo-racial theory relating to the racial
„inferiority‟ of the Jewish „race‟. Hitler though that the greateset race in the
world was the „Aryan‟ race, which included basically Western and Northern
European peoples — the Germanic/Saxon peoples (Germany, Austria and
Britain) and the Scandinavian peoples (Norway, Sweden, Denmark and
Finland), and to a lesser extent France and the other countries neighboring
Germany to the West. Of these, Hitler felt that the Germans (Germany and
Austria) were the most „perfect‟ of the Aryans and were destined to rule the
world. The two „races‟ that Hitler believed to be the most inferior were the
Slavs (Eastern Europe and Russia) and the Jews. In fact, Hitler began to
4
philosophy) together as some sort of vast, international,
Jewish-Slav-Communist conspiracy that was trying to overthrow Aryan superiority.
Undoubtedly Europe especially German has many histories and timelines
which showed how actually a revolution appeared from the dark era into the
brighter one. One of the major issues which developed in Europe was
Holocaust which related to racism. It was obviously known that genocide and
racism had become the major issues in Europe in World War II era. Genocide
was the impact of social injustice which spread because of race differences.
Holocaust, Nazi‟s genocide toward Jewish in Europe especially Poland was
happened. It‟s important to be discussed because Holocaust was seized human
right, that is right for life.
Nowadays, there are some movies published which tell about genocide of
Holocaust and racism, one of them was The Pianist. it is a 2002 historical
drama film co-produced and directed by Roman Polanski, scripted by Ronald
Harwood, and starring Adrien Brody. It is based on the autobiographical book
“Śmierćmiasta”, a World War II memoir by the Polish-Jewish pianist and
composer Władysław Szpilman.
Wladyslaw Szpilman was born in Warsaw December 5, 1911. His family
and he were art workers and lived in well life. In 1939 when German Empire
(Nazi) seized Poland, his family‟s life was totally changed. By the time of
experiences being a victim of Holocaust, in 1946 Szpilman wrote his life
experiences in a book and finally was published with the title “Śmierćmiasta”
5
German deportations of Jews to extermination camps, the 1943 destruction of
the Warsaw Ghetto, and the 1944 Warsaw Uprising during World War II.
The Pianist met with significant critical praise and received multiple
awards and nominations. It was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes
Film Festival. At the 75th Academy Awards, The Pianist won Oscars for Best
Director (Polanski), Best Adapted Screenplay (Ronald Harwood), and Best
Actor (Brody), and was also nominated for four other awards, including the
Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
and BAFTA Award for Best Direction in 2003 and seven French Césars
including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Brody.
Therefore, those explanations above became the reason why the writer
chose The Pianist movie and topic of racism (oppression and resistance)
became the center of this analysis. Showing the readers about how actually the
Holocaust happened, what kinds of oppression the Jewish got and how they
keep footing themselves toward Holocaust.
B. The Problems of Study
The problems of this thesis were focused on oppression as manifested in
The Pianist movie especially on the main character. The problems were
analyzed based on Young‟s theory (1990). The problems of this study were
formulated as followed:
1. What kind oppression that Nazi done to Jewish in Poland in World
6
2. What kinds of resistance that Jewish done to resisted Nazi according to
The Pianist Movie?
C. The Objectives of Study
The objectives of the study were described as follow:
1. To describe what kind of oppression that Nazi done to Jewish in
Poland in World War II era based on The Pianist movie.
2. To find out Jewish‟s vindication to keep footing themselves toward
Nazi‟s genocide.
D. The Scope of Study
In conducting this research, the writer limited the discussion on the
oppressions which are faced by Jewish and their vindications shown by some
characters toward those oppressions which happened in The Pianist movie. The
writer focused on some characters (Wladyslaw Szpilman and people around
him) and their statements, dialogues, or actions toward Holocaust.
E. The Significance of Study
The writer did this research in order to know what kinds of oppression
faced by Jewish and what kinds of resistance they did toward Nazi‟s genocide.
After collecting the data, the writer was spread and explain them into their
7
In theoretically beside to know what kinds of oppression and resistance
that Jewish faced, the writer expected to dig more information about Holocaust
which happened in Europe during world war II. The writer expected the result
of this research would be useful for him and the readers generally in order to
know more information about racist itself and how foul it is for human being.
In addition, the writer expected that this research could give more
contributions for everyone especially for the whole members of English and
Literature Department State University of Medan. Many things could be found
in this research like oppression towards Jewish that was one of social problems
ever existed. Last, the writer also expected that the result trigger the readers to
63
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusions
After analyzing the movie, finally writer went to the conclusions that
presented as follows:
1. The five types of oppression were occurred in The Pianist movie.
They are exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, culture
imperialism, and violence.
2. The Jewish also fought for resisting. There were two types which
shown by Jewish toward oppressions. They were open resistance and
hidden resistance.
B. Suggestions
There are several suggestions that writer could offer to readers towards
racism, they are:
1. Racism is real, it’s not only happened in the past but also in present
day and very possible to be exist in future. Learn from the history, we
can be more aware that racist would give bad impact, not only for
individualism, but for one group of society as well.
2. Racism issue was quite important to study since it would enlarge
someone’s mind about being racist and judge someone upon it.
Everybody should be aware to this global issue.
64
3. Those who ever experienced racism should not let the oppressor ruin
their mind, they should be brave to open their mind, keep their head up
against those oppression. They should believe that there is a light to
get them free.
4. Indonesia is one of multiethnic countries. Many cultures, races, and
religions live in the name of Unity in Diversity. Even though mostly
Indonesia citizens already accept each other, racist remains exist in this
unique society. As a good and modern people, we have to be more
appreciate each other. Admiring other’s religion, culture and also
rights.
5. Social norms are unclear rule and people could break it as much as
they want. Racist has existed, but many of us just keep silent and don’t
care in behalf of individual business. Those who have a throne should
have a clear rule about racist in order to make the minorities save.
6. Not about what, but who. Race, culture, and religion would not be a
big wall between us to know each other, but precisely it would be a
656
REFERENCES
Anonymous.62012.6Brief History of The Holocaust.6Montreal:6Montreal6Holocaust6 Memorial6Centre.6
Barker,6 R.L.6 200M.The Social Work Dictionary 5th Edition. Washington6 DC:6 NASW6Press66
Bartov,6O.62002.6The Holocaust Origins, Implementation, Aftermath. New6York:6 Library6of6Congress.6
Bonilla-Silva,6 E.6 2005.6Racism Without Racist 2nd Edition.6 Lanham:6 Rowman&6 Littlefield6Publishers,6Inc.66
Charlton,6 J.I.6 1998.6Nothing About US Without Us Disability Oppression and
Empowerment. Berkeley:6University6of6California6Press6
Dadrian6N.6V.61990.6Towards a Theory of Genocide Incorporating The Instance
of Holocaust: Comments, Criticism and Suggestion. Vol.56No.26
Gilbert,6M.61987.6The Holocaust The Dewish Tragedy. Fontana.6
Hancock,6 B.6 2007.6 An Introduction of Qualitative Research. Birmingham:6 University6of6Birmingham.6
Hollander6A.6J.62004.6Conceptualizing Resistance.6Vol.6196No.46
Hyot,6 C.6 Jr.6 2012.6The Pedagogy of The Meaning of Racism: Reconcling a
Discordant Discourse. Social6Work6Journal,6Vol.576No.M6
Iwuchukwu,6 O.6 2008.6 An Introduction to Literature and Literary Criticism. Lagos:6National6Open6University6of6Nigeria6
Klarer,6M.62004.6An Introduction to Literary Studies.6London:6Routledge.6 Meyer,6J.61997.6What is Literature? A definition Based on Prototypes.Vol.416 Rothberg,6M.62011.6Criticism Fall. Vol.5M6No.46
Scott,6J.6C.61985.6Weapons of the Weak. London:6Yale6University6Press6
Young,6I.6M.61990.6Dustice and the Politics of Differences.6Princeton:6Princeton6 University6Press.6
