IN A
A
AUGUST
ANTO
AND THEI
STRINDB
ONIA RAHA Student N
ii
IR SIGNIF
BERG’S
T
By AYU ROSA Number: 074
FICANCE
THE GHO
ARIA WIBO 4214014
E
OST SONA
OWO
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Nama : Antonia Rahayu Rosaria Wibowo Nomor Mahasiswa : 074214014
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
REVEALING THE THEME THROUGH THE SYMBOLS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN AUGUST STRINDBERG’S THE GHOST SONATA
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 29 April 2011
Yang menyatakan
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would say my deepest thanks to my savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for blessing me, so I can finish my study and this thesis on time. Thank you for arranging the way of my life like what I am now and giving the right people in the right time to fulfill my life.
I would like to thank my advisor, Tatang Iskarna, S.S., M.Hum., for giving me his time, thought, and suggestion to help me to finish this thesis. I also would like to thank my co-advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M. Hum., for reading, correcting, and giving suggestion to make this thesis better.
I would like to thank the staff of the English Letters Department and the staff of the library of Sanata Dharma University for helping me when I study in this university and giving me facilities to type this thesis and find the sources for it.
I would like to thank my father, Bowo Wurjanto and my mother, Precila Endang Widyastusti Hardani for their everlasting love to me, for their prayer, support, and hope that I can be a successful person. I am sorry because I am not a good daughter and I often make them angry. I also would like to thank my little brother, Yohanes Dimas Nugrahanto Wibowo, for helping me with the technical problem in this thesis writing process.
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who has a big dream like me. I thank him for his friendship, kindness, loyalty, and trust. I thank him for listening to me and for giving me the chance to see many scholarship exhibitions. I am a lucky person for being his friend who can fight for our dream together with him. I thank him for his support, suggestion, and prayer in doing this thesis and in fulfilling our dream to go abroad. I thank him for struggling for our thesis together. Let us fight for our dream.
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Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011.
Symbol is one of the elements in a literary work that can be analyzed. In this research, a play The Ghost Sonata is chosen as the object of the study because it contains some symbols. The symbols and their significance are used to find the theme of the play.
There are three problems that must be answered in this research. The problems are: (1) what are the symbols found in August Strindberg’s The Ghost Sonata and how can they be called symbols?, (2) what do the symbols signify?, (3) how can the symbols and their significance reveal the theme of the play?
This research is a library research. It means this research only uses written sources. The data are collected from some books and internet sources. This research uses formalist criticism because it only pays attention to the intrinsic element of the play. The intrinsic element that is used in this research is symbol. The symbol of the play is used to find the theme of the play.
ix ABSTRAK
ANTONIA RAHAYU ROSARIA WIBOWO. REVEALING THE THEME THROUGH THE SYMBOLS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE IN AUGUST STRINDBERG THE GHOST SONATA. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra
Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.
Simbol adalah salah satu elemen dalam karya sastra yang dapat dianalisis. Penelitian ini menggunakan naskah drama The Ghost Sonata sebab naskah drama ini memiliki beberapa simbol. Simbol dan representasinya digunakan untuk menemukan tema dalam naskah drama.
Terdapat tiga rumusan masalah yang harus dijawab dalam penelitian ini. Ketiga rumusan masalah tersebut yaitu: (1) simbol apa saja yang terdapat dalam The Ghost Sonata karya August Strindberg dan mengapa mereka dapat disebut simbol?, (2) apa representasi dari simbol tersebut?, (3) bagaimana simbol-simbol dan representasinya menyatakan tema naskah drama ini?
Penelitian ini adalah sebuah studi pustaka. Studi pustaka berarti penelitian ini hanya menggunakan sumber tertulis. Data-data dalam penelitian ini diperoleh dari beberapa buku dan internet. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan formalistik sebab penelitian ini hanya menggunakan unsur intrinsik dalam naskah drama. Unsur intrinsik yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah simbol. Simbol digunakan untuk menemukan tema dalam naskah drama.
1 A. Background of the Study
There are some components in a literary work that can be analyzed. One of them is symbol. Symbol is anything that signifies something else (Abrams, 1993: 206). Moreover, in An Introduction to Fiction (1965:31) Robert Stanton also said that symbols may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting like a single object, a repeated type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a gesture, a color, a sound, a fragrance. It means symbol can be anything inside the literary work. The definitions also explain that symbol carries two meanings. The first meaning is the literal meaning and the second meaning is the implied meaning, outside the literal meaning. For example, a rose can become a symbol. When the rose becomes a symbol, it will have two meanings. The first meaning is the literal meaning which is the rose itself, and the second meaning is the implied meaning behind the rose. In the book Seventh Edition Literature Reading and Writing the Human Experience (1998: 12-13) Richard Abcarian, et. al said that there are two
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Both public symbols and contextual symbols carry certain meaning. The first symbol is public symbol. The example of public symbol is a cross. The cross is a religious symbol for Christian. The cross symbolizes Jesus’ sacrificing to pay for human sins. By using the cross, Christians can learn many things. They can learn about Jesus’ life and His choice to die in the cross to pay for human sins. By using this symbol, Christians can learn from Jesus’ experience. Christians learn how to love their fellows and how to thank God for the sacrificing. The second symbol is contextual symbol. Since the contextual symbol is created by the author, there is no exact meaning behind the contextual symbol. The meaning behind certain contextual symbol depends on the context that is created by the writer of the literary work.
The Ghost Sonata by August Strindberg is one of literary works which
The story of The Ghost Sonata focuses on the lies that happen before the play happens. From the beginning of the play until the end of the play, the revelation process of the lies happens. It is the process of finding the truth among the characters in this play. Most of the characters of the play lied in the past and they cover it until now. They have their own way of life while covering their lies. The revelation process brings it consequences. The consequences of the covered lies are the revelation process and the death itself. Two characters die at the end of the play as the consequences after the revelation process of the lies. In telling the revelation process of the lies, Strindberg uses some symbols. Every symbol signifies different things from the play related to the lies and the truth. It also can be stated that every symbol signifies different thing related with the battle between the lies versus the truth in the revelation process.
The importance of this research is to find the theme from the play. One element in the play, the symbols, is used to find the theme. The theme will be found by relating and uniting the significance of some symbols in the play.
B. Problem Formulation
After seeing the background above, the problems of this research should be formulated. The problems will be used to do the analysis on this research. There are three problems in this research:
1. What are the symbols found in August Strindberg’s The Ghost Sonata and how can they be called symbols?
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3. How can the symbols and their significance reveal the theme of the play?
C. Objectives of the Study
This research will focus on the significance of the symbols to reveal the theme in the play The Ghost Sonata by August Strindberg. After finding the symbols and their significance in the play, this research will continue to find the theme of the play. The first objective of this research is to identify the symbols on this play and the reason why they can be called symbols. There are many objects that can be called symbol in this play. However, this research will not discuss all of them. This research only chooses some major symbols. They are called major because they are appeared in some parts of the play. Moreover, they also carry important meaning inside the play.
Next, the second objective of this research is to probe the significance of the symbols which are found before. This is an important part of this research because by finding the significance of the symbols, the meaning behind the symbols can be revealed.
D. Definition of Terms
There are two things that need to be clarified in this research. They are symbol and theme. First, in A Handbook to Literature Fifth Edition (1986: 494), Holman, et. al. said that symbol is something that is itself and yet stands for or suggest or means something else. Second, in A Handbook to Literature Fifth Edition (1986: 502), Holman, et. al. said that theme is a central or dominant idea
6 CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Egil Törnqvist stated in http://www.questia.com (March 2, 2010) “The fundamental idea of the play, then, is that life on earth is painful and illusory and that when we die we are saved, returning from this pseudo-existence to the original one.” The quotation shows the main theme of The Ghost Sonata. This play mainly talks about the journey from the real life in this world into the other life after people die. He also states that the life in this world is painful and full of illusion. He states that the real life is actually the life after people die. The similar comment about The Ghost Sonata is also stated by Paulanne Simmons. She says in http://www.brooklynpaper.com (March 2, 2010) ”In "The Ghost Sonata," Strindberg evokes the horrors of the subconscious world, a world populated by lost souls and surreal characters.” The quotation by Paulanne Simmons gives an idea that The Ghost Sonata talks about the bad world. The world can be called bad because it is full of lost souls and surreal characters.
As such they may also symbolize some painful aspect of the past that has never been dealt with, yet still haunts the soul.” The quotation gives the common meaning of ghost. The quotation also shows that the word “ghost” has certain meaning in this world. The quotation shows what is symbolized by the word “ghost”.
Besides the word “ghost”, the symbol inside the play can be seen also from some objects. One of the objects is the hyacinth flower. It is stated in http://www.teleflora.com (October 22, 2009) “hyacinth represent constancy, while blue hyacinth expresses sincerity.” The quotation shows the meaning of the hyacinth flower. The quotation shows what is symbolized by the hyacinth flower.
Finally, after reading some comments and studies above, the researcher can get deeper idea about The Ghost Sonata. The researcher also can use the comments and the studies above to strengthen this research. The comments and studies above can make this research stronger because the comments and studies above can give proof on this research. The comments and the studies above help the researcher to find the significance of the symbols in this play. Moreover, this research can develop the previous studies because this research will see the significance of some symbols in the context of the play.
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object and relates the common meaning with the context in the play. It will develop the previous studies about the meaning of some objects. The difference of this research to the previous studies also can be seen from the relation of some symbols and their significance to reveal the theme of the play. The finding of the theme of the play also develops the previous studies.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory on Symbols
Symbol is something that signifies something else (Abrams, 1993: 206). Based on the basic meaning, symbol can be anything in a literary work. Because symbol can be anything in a literary work, it is important to find the correct symbol inside a literary work. It is important also to differentiate between the symbol and something which is not a symbol. In An Introduction to Fiction (1965:31) Robert Stanton said that symbols may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting like a single object, a repeated type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a gesture, a color, a sound, a fragrance. He also said that symbols might represent human personality, the indifference of nature to man’s suffering, futile ambition, human responsibility, and the romanticism of youth.
Public symbols are those objects or events that history has invested with rich meanings and associations, for example, national flags or religious objects such as the cross. Contextual symbols are objects or events that are symbolic by virtue of the poet’s handling of them in a particular work. (Abcarian, et. al., 1998:12-13)
Based on the theory above, there are two kinds of symbol in a literary work. The first kind is public symbols. Public symbols are all symbols that the meaning is commonly accepted in this world because history has invested it. Moreover, based on the theory the researcher also knows that public symbols are becoming symbols in a literary work. The second kind is contextual symbols. Contextual symbols are all symbols that are created by the writer. It means certain object is used as a symbol in a literary work because the writer makes it. Because the writer makes it, the meaning behind the contextual symbols also depends on the context of the story. The context of the story limits the meaning of the contextual symbols. However, finding symbol is more complicated. Finding symbol not only based on the knowledge of some public symbols in the world but also need deeper interpretation. Another theory is needed to help the researcher to find the correct symbol in the play. The next quotation shows the way to find the symbol in a literary work.
If writers use symbols, they want readers to perceive… How do writers help us to perceive these things? By emphasizing them—for instance, by describing them at some length, or by introducing them at times when they might not seem strictly necessary, or by calling attention to them repeatedly.
(Barnet, et. al., 2005:231)
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some ways like by describing them at some length, by introducing them at times when they might not seem necessary, and by calling attention to them repeatedly.
Besides the theories above, there is another theory which talks about the effect of symbol. The next quotation shows some effects of a symbol.
First, a symbol that appears during an important moment of the story underlines the significance of that moment. Second, a symbol repeated several times reminds us of some constant element in the story’s world. Third, a symbol that recurs in varying contexts helps to define or clarity the theme.
(Stanton, 1965: 31-32)
2. Theory on Theme
Theme in a fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. (Arp and Johnson, 2009: 191) Based on the definition above, theme is an important part of a literary work. It is the controlling idea of a literary work. The controlling idea means the main topic in the literary work. It also can be stated that the theme of a literary work is something to limit the story. The theme controls the whole story so the story will not tell something which has no relation with the topic. The definition above also mentions that a theme is a central insight of a story. It means the theme is the center of the whole story.
After knowing the definition of the theme, the next step is to find the theme of a literary work. Finding the theme in a piece of literary work might be difficult. In their book Perrine’s Literature Structure, Sound, and Sense Tenth
Edition (2009: 195-197), Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson mention some
principles in finding the theme of a literary work. In the next are the principles: 1. Theme should be expressible in the form of statement with a subject and
a predicate.
2. The theme should be stated as a generalization about life.
3. We must be careful not to make generalization larger than is justified by the terms of the story.
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5. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story.
6. We should avoid any statement that reduces the theme to some familiar saying that we have heard all our lives.
Those principles above are important to find the theme of a literary work. Those principles give a guide to find the theme in a literary work. By memorizing those principles, the formulation of the theme will not be wrong.
Besides those principles above, in their book Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Seventh Edition (1998: 176-177), X. J. Kennedy and
Dana Giola mention some points to consider in finding the theme. Below are the points to be considered:
1. Look back once more at the title of the story.
2. Does the main character in any way change in the story? Does this character arrive at any eventual realization or understanding?
3. Does the author make any general observations about life or human nature? Do the characters make any?
4. Does the story contain any especially curious objects, mysterious flat characters, significant animals, repeated names, song titles, or whatever, that hint toward meanings larger than such things ordinarily have? In literary stories, such symbols may point to central themes.
5. When you have worded your statement of theme, have you cast your statement into general language, not just given a plot summary?
Those points above give some parts in a story which will help the researcher to find the theme. From the points above, it can be known that symbol is one element in a literary work that can be used to find the theme.
C. Theoretical Framework
The theories and studies that are mentioned above will be used to answer the problem formulation in this research. Besides, the comments and the studies above will be used to strengthen this research. All comments and studies above give proof about the symbol in the play and the meaning of the symbol. Moreover, this research can develop the previous studies because this research also talks about the symbols and their significance in the play The Ghost Sonata. The next development in this research is this research will find the theme of the play by using the symbols and their significance.
Next, the theory on symbols will be used to answer problem formulation number one and problem formulation number two. The definition of symbol, the theory of public symbols and contextual symbols, and the theory on how to find the symbol will be used to answer problem formulation number one. After finding the symbols in the play, the next step is to find the significance of those symbols. The theory by Robert Stanton on how to find what is symbolized behind certain symbol will be used to answer problem number two. By using this theory, the researcher can find the significance of the symbols in the play The Ghost Sonata.
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15 A. Object of the Study
The object of this research is the play The Ghost Sonata. This play was written by August Strindberg in 1907. It is one of the Strindberg’s chamber plays. The name chamber play comes from the name of chamber music. Chamber music means the form of musical performance which consists of small number of players and it is performed in the certain place for certain group of people. The chamber music was performed in the hall of a kingdom for the king’s family. Similar with that, chamber play is a series of short simple drama which was written for Strindberg 161-seat Intimate Theater in Stockholm in 21 January 1908. This play was inspired by the music of Beethoven’s Geistertrio Opus 70 No.1 in D Major.
After the first performance in 1908, some directors have staged this play. They are Max Reinhardt, Olof Molander, Roger Blin, and Ingmar Bergman. Ingmar Bergman directed it four times in 1941, 1954, 1973, and 2000. Once more, in April 2008 Open Circle Theater celebrated 100th anniversary of the first production of this play by producing this play at All Pilgrims Church in Seattle.
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mistakes until the present time in the play. Their mistakes are revealed one by one while the setting of this play moves from the outside part of the apartment house until the inside part of the apartment house. The revelation process of the characters’ mistakes in the past shows the conflict between good and bad. In here, the reader can see the fight between lie and truth. This is the main issue in the play
The Ghost Sonata.
B. Approach of the Study
Formalist criticism is used in this research. “Formalist criticism regards literature as a unique form of human knowledge that needs to be examined on its own terms.” (Kennedy and Giola, 1998: 1932) The quotation shows that formalist criticism only pays attention to the intrinsic elements of a literary work. Based on that definition, this criticism is suitable to be used in this research because this research only used the intrinsic element of the play The Ghost Sonata. In this research, symbol is the intrinsic element that is used to the study. Moreover, according to Rene Welleck and Austin Warren in Kennedy and Giola Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama Seventh Edition (1998: 1932),
In this research, symbol is the intrinsic element that is used to study. Symbol is used to study because symbol has certain meaning inside the literary work. It is stated by Guerin, et. al. in A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature Fifth Edition (2005: 106) that “Symbol is a way of using something
integral to the work to reach beyond the work and engage the world of value outside the work.” The quotation shows that symbol can be a bridge to connect the literary work and the world outside the literary work. The connection happens because of the meaning behind the symbol. Every symbol has certain meaning in a literary work. The meaning also relates with the real world outside the literary work. The next quotation proves that statement.
It might be the conventional object or device—a crucifix, a color, a tree— that becomes symbolic of meanings within and without the poem, story, or play. When that happens, the formalist approach must study such symbols as aspects of form, as exponents of meaning both within and without the work.
(Guerin, et. al., 2005: 106)
The quotation shows how symbol can help the reader to relate the intrinsic element in the world of a literary text and the real world outside a literary text. In this research, some symbols of the play The Ghost Sonata also relate the world inside the play and the world outside the play. It happens because the meaning behind the symbols in The Ghost Sonata also relates with the real world. The relation also happens because some of the objects that become symbols in The Ghost Sonata also have common meaning that is understood by people in the real
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C. Method of the Study
Library research was used in this research. It was called library research because all data in this research were collected from written sources only. There was no field research in this study. The primary data of this research was the play from August Strindberg entitled The Ghost Sonata. The secondary data was some written sources from books and internet related with the topic of this research.
The first step that the writer did was reading and rereading the play entitled The Ghost Sonata to understand the story. The next step was finding some objects that might be the symbols inside the play. After that, the writer collected some comments, studies, and theories related to the play and the symbol inside it. All comments, studies, and theories were used to analyze the symbols inside the play.
After finding the suitable comments, studies, and theories, the writer matched the objects inside the play that were found before with the theories. This step was conducted to find the correct object that became the symbol inside the play. After that, the writer found the reason why certain object could be called as symbol. The next step was finding the significance of the symbol in the play The Ghost Sonata.
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There are three parts of the analysis in this research. The first part is the analysis about the symbols in the play and the reason why they can be called as symbols. The second part is the analysis about the significance of those symbols. The third part is the analysis about the theme of the play from the symbols and their significance which are found before.
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A. Symbols in the Play and why They can be Called Symbols
This part of the analysis contains some symbols inside the play. This part consists of the list of the symbols and the reason why they can be called as symbols.
1. The Apartment House
House is important in human life. House is a place where people live in. In a house, people can live alone or together with family. People also need a house to take a rest, eat, meet and gather with family, and so on. The type of a house can be different. It can be an apartment, row houses, duplex, and so on. Although there are some types of house, they have the same function. The function is giving a place to live in for human. The house in the play The Ghost Sonata is an apartment house. This apartment house is a place to live in. Moreover, this apartment house is the main setting where the play happens. The apartment house is “a building containing more than one dwelling unit, each designed for housekeeping.” (The New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume I, 1983: 439)
Volume I, 1983: 440) Those quotations show that the apartment is important in the play because this object is also important for people who lived around 18th -19th centuries. Actually, the apartment house is not only a place to live in but also a symbol.
The apartment house becomes a symbol because it appears in the play several times. The next quotations proof it. “The outside of a modern apartment house…” (stage direction scene I)
Old Man. Do you see that house? Student. Yes,…
(Scene I)
Old Man. …That’s why I’ve come to this house:… (Scene II)
Those three quotations show that the apartment house appears few times in the play. That fact shows that the writer wants to emphasize the apartment house is important in the play. By making the apartment house appears few times, the writer wants to call the readers’ attention toward this house. It has other meaning besides the basic meaning, a place to live in. It symbolizes something.
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stage direction of scene II and scene III, the writer once again describes the inner part of the apartment house. The writer describes the inner part of the house in some paragraphs. The next two quotations are the beginning of the description. “The Round Room. Against the rear wall is a white porcelain stove; there also a mirror, a pendulum clock, and candelabra….” (Scene II) “The Hyacinth Room. The room is exotically furnished in Oriental style. Hyacinths of various colors are everywhere…” (Scene III) This fact also shows the importance of the house. It shows that the apartment house has other meaning besides the basic meaning. Based on the theory on symbols, an object can be a symbol when it appears continuously, the writer calls the reader attention to the object repeatedly, and the writer describes it in some length. This theory is suitable for the apartment house.
After proofing that the elegant apartment house is one of the symbols inside the play, the next step is explaining the implied meaning of the house. In the play, the apartment house is described as a modern house. It also becomes a dream house. The next quotation shows that the house is a dream house.
Student. Yes, I often stop and look at it I passed it yesterday when the sun was shining on the window panes, and I imagined all the beauty and luxury in there. I said to my friend, “Just imagine living up there on the fourth floor, with a beautiful young wife, two pretty little children, and an income of twenty thousand a year.
(Scene I)
Old Man. Oh, yes, so it is, inside and out, and yet the house looks so ordinary.
(Scene I)
The quotation shows that the modern apartment house is like the usual house. It is an ordinary house. It stills a modern apartment house physically, but it covers many secrets and lies from the past period. The next quotation shows that the apartment house keeps many secrets.
Student. You have so many secrets in this house… (Scene III)
Besides secrets, the house also keeps many lies which are done by some characters in this play who live in the modern apartment. In the middle of this play, the lies are revealed on by one. The next conversation shows the first lie which is revealed in the play.
Mummy. …Jacob, what are you looking for here? Old Man. My child! Our child…
Mummy. She’s sitting in there Old Man. Where?
Mummy. In there. In the Hyacinth Room!
Old Man. (Looking at the YOUNG LADY). Yes, there she is! (Pause) And what does her father know about her? I mean the Colonel--your husband?
(Scene II)
The conversation above begins the process of revealing the lie in the play. In the next part more lies are revealed. The conversation above gives example of the lies which are covered by the elegant apartment house.
2. The Pendulum Clock
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pendulum clock has a function as the usual clock and it is one of the furniture in the apartment house. Besides the basic meaning of the pendulum clock, it has other meaning. It symbolizes something inside the play. The pendulum clock becomes a symbol because it appears few times. The next quotations prove that the pendulum clock appears few times in the play. “Against the rear wall is a white porcelain stove; there are also a mirror, a pendulum clock, and candelabra.” (Stage direction scene II)
(Silence. The MUMMY goes to the clock and stops the pendulum.) (Stage direction in the middle of scene II)
Mummy. Can the clock strike? (Scene II)
Those three quotations show that the pendulum clock appears few times. Besides, the pendulum clock becomes symbol because the writer describes it in some length. The next quotation shows the writer’s description about the pendulum clock.
Old Man. Listen to the clock ticking on the wall like a deathwatch beetle! Do you hear what it says? “It’s time! It’s time!” It will strike in a few minutes, and your time will be up. Then you may go but not before. But the clock raises its arm before it strikes. Listen! It’s warning you: “Clocks can strike.”
(Scene II)
helps the reader to find the symbol by making the symbol appears few times and describes them in some length.
In this play the pendulum clock not only shows the time every day but also shows the time when the liars inside the apartment house should pay for their sins in the past. The next quotation proves that the pendulum clock symbolizes the time when the liars pay for their lies.
Old Man. And now I give you leave to withdraw, each of you in his time and turn. If anyone stays, I’ll have him arrested! (Another long pause.) Listen to the clock ticking on the wall like a deathwatch beetle! Do you hear what it says? “It’s time! It’s time!” It will strike in a few minutes, and your time will be up. Then you may go but not before.
(Scene II)
The utterance above shows that the Old Man wants all inhabitants of the house pay for their lies in the past. He wants all of them to leave the house. The Old Man waits until the clock strikes in a few minutes. It means when the clock strikes, all of the liars should leave the house and if anyone stays, the Old Man will arrest him. The Old Man says that this is the time to pay for the lies and everybody has his turn. It shows that the pendulum clock has more meaning in the play. It is not just the ordinary pendulum clock that shows the time every day. It also symbolizes the time when the liars in the house pay for their lies.
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The quotation above shows that the period for each complete swing in the pendulum clock is made constant to show the time accurately. Because it shows the time accurately, it makes the writer’s choice to use the pendulum clock in the play stronger. The writer used the fact about pendulum clock to show the right time when the liars pay for their lies.
3. The Hyacinth Flower
Hyacinth in this play is the name of one room in the apartment house. The room is called the Hyacinth Room because there are many hyacinth flowers growing in the window of the room. It is clearly stated in the stage direction scene I “To the left of the Round Room is the Hyacinth Room, its windows filled with pots of hyacinths, blue, white, and pink.” Besides the literal meaning of the flower, this flower also symbolizes something inside the play. Before talking about what is symbolized by the hyacinth flower, it is important to know the reason why the hyacinth flower can be called as symbol.
The Hyacinth flower can be called symbol because this object appears in the play few times and the writer describes it in some length. The hyacinth flower appears for the first time in the stage direction of scene I like what have been mentioned above. After that, the writer also describes about the Hyacinth room in the stage direction of scene III “The Hyacinth Room. The room is exotically furnished in Oriental style. Hyacinth of various colors are everywhere. On top of the porcelain stove is a large seated Buddha,…” Next, the description of the hyacinth flower appears at the beginning of scene III.
roots down into the crystalline stream. And I love it for its colors: the snow-white of purity and innocence, the sweetness of honey-yellow, the pink flush of youth, the red ripeness of maturity, but best of all the blue, like deepset, dewy eyes full of trust and faith.
(Scene III)
The above quotation shows the writer’s description about the hyacinth flower. The description above is stated by the Student. In that quotation, the Student tells about the meaning of the hyacinth flower. Based on the Student’s explanation, the readers can know the common meaning of the hyacinth flower. From that quotation also the reader can know that the hyacinth flower is a symbol. Based on the theory on symbols, the hyacinth flower can be called symbol because it appears few times in the play and the writer describes it in some length. The writer does it because he wants to call the readers’ attention toward this object. The writer wants to say that the hyacinth flower in this play is not only a flower but also a symbol of something else. Moreover, the Hyacinth flower has the exact meaning in the real world. The next quotation states that the hyacinth flower has certain meaning in the real world. In http://www.teleflora.com (October 22, 2010) “Symbolizing sport or play in the language of flowers, hyacinth represent constancy, while blue hyacinth expresses sincerity.” The quotation gives proof that the hyacinth flower is not only a symbol inside the play but also a symbol in the real world. The meaning behind the hyacinth flower is accepted by people in the real world.
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Old Man. There’s my little girl. Just look at her, look! She’s talking to the flower. Isn’t she like a blue hyacinth herself? She’s giving them a drink—it’s only water but they turn it into color and perfume.
(Scene I)
The quotation above shows that the hyacinth flower represents the Young Lady in this play. In this play, the Young Lady is the only one inhabitant who does not lie in the past. She does not have any lies but she must live together with the liars. In the explanation above, the Student explains about the meaning of different color of hyacinth flower “… the snow-white of purity and innocence, the sweetness of honey-yellow, the pink flush of youth, the red ripeness of maturity,… the blue, like deepset, dewy eyes full of trust and faith.” (Scene III) Some characteristics are mentioned in the explanation above pure, innocent, sweet, youth, mature, and full of trust and faith. Those characteristics represent the Young Lady.
4. The Ghost
Ghost is a common object in human life. Ghost is an object that makes people afraid. Ghost usually is a spirit of a dead person. It makes people afraid because usually the spirit of the dead people appear in front of the people who still alive. Ghost also associated with an evil, dark places, hell, and other bad things. Because ghost is associated with something bad and evil, ghost usually makes people afraid. Ghost brings something terrible to people life. In the play The Ghost Sonata, ghost seems an important object. It becomes an important object
because the writer mentions it in the title. Because the complete title of the play is The Ghost Sonata, it is important to discuss the word “sonata” before discussing
the reason why the word “ghost” can be called symbol.
Sonata comes from an Italian word sonare which means to sound. The term sonata is used to refer a composition played on instruments. Sonata consists of three parts: exposition, development, and recapitulation. The musical subject matter is stated in the exposition part, explored or expanded in the development part, and restated in the recapitulation part. (The New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume 17, 1983: 4-5)
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characters’ lies are mentioned and revealed. After the revelation process, the liars pay the consequences of their lies. It is similar with the function of the development part of sonata which is exploring or expanding the musical subject matter. In the third scene, after the liars pay for their lies, two characters in the play talk about lie and its consequences again. It is similar with the function of the recapitulation part of sonata which is restating the musical subject matter. This explanation shows the similarity between sonata and the form of the play The Ghost Sonata. The word “sonata” refers to the form of the play.
the title of the play. After that, the writer mentions it again in the beginning of scene II. The writer also describes the ghost at some length. The next quotation is taken from one part of the conversation in the play.
Bengtsson. Just the usual ghost supper, as we call it. They drink tea...don’t say a word...or the Colonel does all the talking. And they munchon their biscuits, all at the same time, so it sounds like rats in an attic.
Johansson. Why do you call it a ghost supper?
Bengtsson. Well, they look like a bunch of ghosts. And they’ve been doing this for twenty years, the same crowd saying the same things, or saying nothing at all for fear of giving themselves away.
(Scene II)
The quotation above shows the writer’s description about the ghost in the play. In the play, the ghost is not only used in the title but also used in the content of the play. In the content of the play, the ghost is used to describe a regular event that is held by the inhabitants of the elegant apartment house. The name of the regular event is the Ghost Supper. Because the Ghost Supper is the name of an event in the play, the writer needs to explain it in some length. The writer explains it by using certain part of the conversation in the play like what is quoted in the quotation above.
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5. The Wheelchair
The wheelchair is a kind of chair which has two wheels. This chair is used to help a cripple person to walk and move around. By using this chair, the cripple person can move from one place to another place. The cripple person just sits on the chair and moves around the wheelchair when he or she needs to move to another place. In the play, the wheelchair is used by a character, the Old Man. It is told in the play that the Old Man is a cripple person. He needs the wheelchair to move around. He also needs his servant to move around the wheelchair sometimes.
The wheelchair becomes a symbol because the writer mentions it more than one times. The writer mentions it more than one time to call the reader’s attention toward this object. The next quotations give the proof that the writer mentions the wheelchair more than one time. “The Old Man, sitting in a wheelchair near the pillar, is reading a newspaper.” (stage direction scene I)
Old Man. ... You see that I’m a cripple. (Scene I)
Old Man. (Appears standing up in his wheelchair, which is drawn by a beggar and followed by others).
(Stage direction at the end of scene I)
In the real world, the cripple person is a person who has some limitations. He or she cannot do everything he or she wants because of his or her physical condition. He or she needs the wheelchair to help him or her move around. Sometimes, he or she also needs other people’s help to do what they want. In the play, the same situation is faced by the Old Man. He has certain desire but he cannot fulfill it without some helps from other characters. For example, he needs his servant, Johansson, to move around his wheelchair. He also needs the Student to get into the apartment house. Actually, the Old Man has many desires. He wants all of his desires can be fulfilled. However, since he is a cripple person he cannot do everything by himself. He has a power to do everything but his physical condition limits him. He just uses his brain to make other people help him to fulfill his desires. The next quotations show that the Old Man needs other’s help to fulfill his desire.
Old Man. You see that I’m a cripple. Some say it’s my own fault, others blame my parents. Personally I blame life itself with all its traps; if you avoid one, you fall head first into another. Anyway, I can’t climb stairs or ring door-bells, and that’s why I’m asking you to help me.
Student. What can I do?
Old Man. First of all, push my chair over there so I can read the posters. I want to see what’s playing at the theaters tonight.
(Scene I)
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B. The Significance of the Symbols
This is the second part of the analysis in this research. This part of analysis contains the significance of the symbols that are found above. The significance of the symbols are related with the context of the play. Some of the symbols that are found above are public symbols. However, in this analysis the public symbols will be related with the context of the play.
1. The Elegant Apartment House
The elegant apartment house is the setting of the play. It is a place where the play happens. Besides, the elegant apartment house is an important symbol in this play. It is important because it does not only become the setting of the play, but also signifies something good that covers many bad things. It means that the elegant apartment house covers many bad things inside it. The bad things are the lies which are done by the inhabitants of the apartment house. The elegant apartment house covers so many lies from the past period. The next quotation proves that statement.
Student. You have so many secrets in this house.
Young Lady. As in all houses. Allow us to keep ours! (Pause) (Scene III)
It has been explained in the first part of the analysis that the apartment house is a modern, beautiful apartment. It also becomes a dream house. However, it also covers many lies that were done by the apartment’s inhabitants in the past. The covered lies in the past still bring effect until the present time. It is also stated in the play that the covered lies in the past bring effects until the present time.
Mummy. Our crimes, our secrets, and our guilt bind us together! We’ve split up and gone our separate ways many times, but we are always drawn back together again…
(Scene II)
The quotation shows that the crimes and secrets in the past always bring the consequences until the present time. They always bind the doers together until the present time.
The apartment house signifies a good thing which covers many lies inside. However, the lies cannot be covered for the whole time. One day, the lies will be revealed. Moreover, the lies will bring their consequences.
2. The Pendulum Clock
In this play, the pendulum clock shows the time when the inhabitants of the house should pay for their lies. One of the characters in the play that pay for her lies is the Mummy. Moreover, the Mummy has paid for her lies since long time ago. It is shown in the next utterance.
Mummy. But I can stop time in its course. I can wipe out the past, and undo what is done. Not with bribes, not threats, but with suffering and repentance.
(Scene II)
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is another example. It also states in the play that the Old Man is forced to hang himself to pay for his lie.
Mummy. Now the clock has struck! Stand up and go into the closet where I have sat for twenty years bemoaning our sin. You’ll find a rope hanging in there—it will remind you of the one with which you strangled the consul, and planned to strangle your benefactor. Go! (Scene II)
The quotation above shows that the Old Man pays for his lie at the right time. It is shown in the sentence “Now the clock has struck!” (Scene II)
The pendulum clock signifies the right time when people must pay for their lies. It relates with the first symbol. The first symbol, the elegant apartment house, signifies the good thing which covers many lies. However, the lies cannot be covered for the long time. It will be revealed and bring the consequences at the right time. The right time when the lies are revealed and when the doers must pay the consequences of their lies is signified by the pendulum clock. Every person has different sin. Every sin brings different consequences. The consequences must be paid by the doer of the sins at the right time.
Besides, the pendulum clock has a characteristic that its period can be made constant to show the time accurately. It also shows the importance of the pendulum clock. The pendulum clock shows the time accurately. It means the right time when the liars pay for their lies is shown accurately.
3. The Hyacinth Flower
symbolized by the hyacinth flower in the real world. In the context of the play, the hyacinth flower represents the Young Lady. It has been explained above that the hyacinth flower has certain meaning in this world. The meanings represent the Young Lady in the play. The next two quotations prove it.
Old Man. There’s my little girl. Just look at her, look! She’s talking to the flower. Isn’t she like a blue hyacinth herself? She’s giving them a drink—it’s only water but they turn it into color and perfume.
(Scene I)
Student. … the stem rises like a young girl, straight and slender, out of the bulb, which rests on the surface of the water, and sends its pure, white roots down into the crystalline stream. And I love it for its colors: the snow-white of purity and innocence, the sweetness of honey-yellow, the pink flush of youth, the red ripeness of maturity, but best of all the blue, like deepset, dewy eyes full of trust and faith.
(Scene III)
Those two quotations above directly mention that the Young Lady is like the hyacinth flower. From the first quotation, the reader can get the information that the Young Lady is like the blue hyacinth. It means the Young Lady represents sincerity. From the second quotation, the reader can get the information that the Young Lady is like the stem of the hyacinth flower. In the second quotation also the writer mentions some meanings of some different colors of the hyacinth flowers. In the last sentence, the writer says that he likes most the blue hyacinth. The blue hyacinth shows the truth and faith. Once again, it shows the characteristic of the blue hyacinth. This quotation supports the first quotation that mentions the Young Lady is like the hyacinth flower, especially the blue one.
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the different color of the hyacinth flower. Moreover, the Young Lady is the only one inhabitant of the apartment house who does not have lies in the past. The next quotation shows that the Young Lady is the only one good character in the apartment house.
Student. Now sleep, you lovely, innocent, unhappy creature, suffering for no fault of your own.
(Scene III)
That quotation is said by the Student when the Young Lady dies at the end of the play. That quotation shows that the Young Lady is the innocent person in the apartment house. She also suffers for no fault of her own. She must live together with liars in the apartment house for very long time until the lies are revealed. She feels unhappy because she is surrounded by liars and bad characters. The next quotation shows that the Young Lady feels unhappy because she is surrounded by liars and crimes.
Old Man. She had lost the desire to live, without knowing why. She was withering away because the air in this house was polluted with crime, deceit, and falsehood of every kind.
(Scene II)
Besides, she feels unhappy because her cook always suck energy from the food that she makes and the maid never does her job. The next quotations prove it. Young Lady. She cooks up a lot of dishes, but there is no nourishment in them. After she boils the meat, she drinks the stock and gives us the fibers and water. And when there’s a roast, she cooks the marrow out of it, and drinks the gravy and broth herself. Everything she touchesloses its flavor, as if she had sucked it dry with her eyes. She drinks the coffee and gives us the grounds, she guzzles the wine and fills the bottles with water.
(Scene III)
(Scene III) 4. The Ghost
The ghost is something that makes people afraid. It also can be stated that ghost is related with fear. In the context of the play The Ghost Sonata, something that makes people afraid is their lies in the past. The inhabitants of the apartment house are afraid of their lies in the past. They are always haunted by their lies in the past. The next quotation proves that they are always haunted by their lies.
Bengtsson. Well, they look like a bunch of ghosts. And they’ve been doing this for twenty years, the same crowd saying the same things, or saying nothing at all for fear of giving themselves away.
(Scene II)
The above quotation describes about what the inhabitants of the apartment house do in the Ghost Supper. In the last sentence of the quotation above, Bengtsson explains that the people who make the Ghost Supper for twenty years are afraid of something. They are afraid of going themselves away from the Ghost Supper because they all have lies in the past. Their lies make them always come together and do the same Ghost Supper for twenty years. The next quotation proves that their lies in the past make they always come together to the same Ghost Supper.
Mummy. Our crimes, our secrets, and our guilt bind us together! We’ve split up and gone our separate ways many times, but we are always drawn back together again...
(Scene II)
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together until the present time. The usual event that is called the Ghost Supper is the time when they meet together. This event shows the inhabitants binding. 5. The Wheelchair
The wheelchair represents the limitations in human life. In the context of the play, the limitation must be faced by the Old Man. He cannot do all what he wants since he is a cripple person. His physhical condition limits him to do anything he wants. He even cannot do a simple thing like climbing the stairs, ringing doorbells, and moving to another place without someone’s help. He needs someone’s help to move his wheelchair and move him to another place. The next quotation proves it.
Old Man. Anyway, I can’t climb stairs or ring doorbells, and that’s why I’m asking you to help me.
Student. What can I do?
Old Man. First of all, push my chair over there so I can read the posters. (Scene I)
The quotation above shows the limitation that must be faced by the Old Man since he is a cripple person. Actually, the Old Man had a power to do anything if he were a normal person. The next quotation says that he is a rich man. “I am rich, very rich,...” (Scene I) Although he is very rich, he still needs other’s help to get what he wants. He even cheats to other people to get what he wants. The next two quotations show it.
Student. What does he want? Money?
Johansson. He wants power. All day long he rides around his chariot like the great god Thor. He looks at houses, pulls them down, opens up new streets, builds public squares...
But he breaks into houses, too, sneaks in through the windows, tampers with people’s lives, kills his enemies...and never forgives anyone or anything.
Johansson. Well, he’s tricky, you see; he makes the women leave him when he gets tired of them. Now he’s more like a horse thief, only he steals human beings instead of horses. He controls people in all sorts of ways. He literally stole me out of the hands of the law. I made a little mistake, you understand, and he was the only one who knew about it; so instead of sending me to jail, he made me his slave. And all he gives me is my food, and that’s far from the best...
(Scene I)
Those two quotations above show the characteristics of the Old Man. It is stated in the quotation that the Old Man wants power and he is tricky. He can cheat other people and even kills them to get what he wants. Those quotations prove that the Old Man need to do anything even the bad thing to fulfill his desires. For example, he cheats the law and releases Johansson from the jail to make Johansson as his slave. In this case, the Old Man needs a slave to help him and he cheats the law to get it. Johansson cannot refuse the Old Man, because if Johansson does not want to be the Old Man’s slave, the Old Man will send him to the jail. Johansson must buy his freedom by becoming the Old Man’s slave. This is the trick that is done by the Old Man because of his limitation. He needs a slave because he is a cripple man.
C. The Theme of the Play
This part of the analysis consists of the theme of the play, The Ghost Sonata. The theme can be found by relating all symbols and their significance that
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story. Based on those two theories, the symbols and their significance which are found before must be united to find the complete idea about the story. Finally, the complete idea of the story will help the researcher to find the theme of the play. The first symbol in the play is the elegant apartment house. The elegant apartment house signifies something good which covers many bad things inside it. The bad things in the context of the play are the lies which are done by the inhabitants of the apartment house in the past period. The second symbol in the play is the pendulum clock. The pendulum clock signifies the right time when the lies are revealed. After the lies are revealed, all the liars must pay for their sin at the right time.
The third symbol in the play is the hyacinth flower. The hyacinth flower means sincerity in the real world. In the context of the play, the hyacinth flower signifies the Young Lady. The hyacinth flower signifies the good characteristics belong to the Young Lady. The fourth symbol in the play is the ghost. The ghost signifies something that makes people afraid in the real world. In the context of the play, something that makes people afraid is their lies in the past. The inhabitants of the apartment house are afraid of their lies in the past. Their lies in the past are haunted them until the present time.
kind of tricks to fulfill his desires. For example, he needs a slave to help him. He needs a slave because he is a cripple man and he cannot do everything without someone’s help. He makes certain trick to make someone becomes his slave.
Every significance of every symbol above must be united to form a theme of the play. After uniting all the significances above, a theme can be formulated. The theme is people sometimes try to hide their lies, but their lies will be revealed at the right time and they must pay the consequences of their lies. The theme above is suitable for the play because that theme is formulated in a form of sentence. It contains subject and predicate. Moreover, it is a generalization of human life and that theme does not go out of the context of the play, lies. The theme is the controlling idea of the whole story of the play. It is the controlling idea because it is the formulation of what is happening in the whole play.
Moreover, it is also the topic of the play. It can be the topic of the play because the play tells about the revelation process of some lies from the past period and how the doers pay for their lies. It is told in the play that all lies from the past period are revealed one by one. For example, the Colonel is forced to confess that his title is not the real title and the Young Lady is the daughter of the Old Man and the Mummy. The Young Lady is not the daughter of the Mummy and her husband, the Colonel. After all lies are revealed, the doers must pay the consequences.
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Every symbol signifies different thing in the play The Ghost Sonata. The main symbol is the apartment house. It signifies a good thing which covers many bad things, in this case lies from the past period. It is the main symbol because the story of the play focuses on the hidden lies. However, all lies which are covered for the long time will be revealed at the right time. Moreover, after the lies are revealed, the liars will pay for their lies. They will pay the consequences of their lies.
The next symbol is the pendulum clock. This symbol has a relation with the elegant apartment house. This symbol signifies the right time when people must pay for their sins. In the context of the play, the pendulum clock signifies the right time when all the lies are revealed. After all lies are revealed, the liars must face the consequences of their lies in the past.
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hyacinth flower signifies the Young Lady. The hyacinth flower can signifies the Young Lady because the Young Lady has good characteristics which are symbolized by the hyacinth flower.
The fourth symbol is the ghost. The ghost also has common meaning in the real world. In the real world, the ghost represents something haunted. The ghost can make people afraid. In the context of the play, the ghost represents the lies itself. In the story of the play, it is told that the inhabitants of the apartment house have lie in the past. Their lies haunt them until the present time, the time when the play happens. Their lies in the past are the ghost in their life.
The last symbol from the play is the wheelchair. In the context of the play, the wheelchair signifies human limitation. In the play, the Old Man is the character who has the limitation. He has the limitation because he is a cripple person. He cannot do what he wants because of his physical condition. He needs other people help to fulfill his desires.
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Törnqvist, Egil. Between Stage and Screen: Ingmar Bergman Directs. http://www.questia.com/read/37426575?title=Between%20Stage%20and %20Screen%3a%20Ingmar%20Bergman%20Directs, 1995. (March 2, 2010).
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The play began with the Student conversation with the Milkmaid in front of the elegant apartment house. The Old Man saw this conversation but he could not see the Milkmaid. After that, the Old Man came closer and talked to the Student. The Old Man found that the Student was a person who was helping the collapse house last night. He also found that the Student was Sunday Child. Sunday Child means a child who has a power to see everything that normal people cannot see. Actually, the Student was a child of the Old Man’s friend, Mr. Arkenholz.
Next, the Old Man asked the Student to see the Valkyrie and bought a ticket beside the Colonel and his daughter, the Young Lady. The Old Man introduced all people who lived in that apartment: the Fiancee who engaged with the Old Man 60years ago, the Colonel and the Mummy parents of the Young Lady, Bengtsson (the Colonel’s servant), the Janitress who married the Dead Man (the Consul before died), Lady in Black who engaged with Baron. Lady in Black was the daughter of the Dead Man and the Janitress. After that, the Old Man’s servant, Johansson, came and he talked to the Student while the Old Man talked to the police. This is the end of scene one.
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