READING OSCAR HIJUELOS’ THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE THROUGH EXISTENTIALISM POINT OF VIEW
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
BY
RETNO ASTUTININGSIH Student Number : 994214143
Student Registration Number : 99005112010612143
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
READING OSCAR HIJUELOS’ THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE THROUGH EXISTENTIALISM POINT OF VIEW
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
BY
RETNO ASTUTININGSIH Student Number : 994214143
Student Registration Number : 99005112010612143
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to
to
to
to
v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Praise to Allah SWT for His blessing and guidance, at last I could finish
my thesis which means the end of my very long study.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dewi Widyastuti, S.Pd.,
M.Hum. for being so kind as my advisor.
Also I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my family, my
mother in particular, for your love and support when I am so downhearted and
desperate during the writing of my thesis. I truly express my regret for not
finishing my study as you expect me for and for wasting my time for something,
which at the end I realize, is of no importance.
I am deeply indebted to my aunt and my cousins for always cheering me
up, and also for your tips.
I do owe a great thank to Drs. P. Yatiman, M.Sc. for his precious advice.
Thanks God for having him as a neighbor.
Finally, I owe many thanks to 99-ers, and everybody whom I cannot point
out one by one for their helps. I do feel fortunate to have them as friends.
I do expect that my thesis may be useful for readers.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA... ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS ... viii
1. Theory of Characterization ... 10
2. The Relation Between Literature and Philosophy ... 12
vii
PERNYATAAN KEASLIAN KARYA
Saya menyatakan dengan sesungguhnya bahwa skripsi yang saya tulis ini tidak
memuat karya atau bagian karya orang lain, kecuali yang telah disebutkan dalam
kutipan dan daftar pustaka sebagaimana layaknya karya ilmiah.
Yogyakarta, 28 September 2007 Penulis
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma :
Nama : Retno Astutiningsih Nomor Mahasiswa : 994214143
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
Reading Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love Through Existentialism Point of View
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, me-ngalihkan dalam bentuk media 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 : 28 September 2007 Yang menyatakan
ix
ABSTRACT
RETNO ASTUTININGSIH (2007). Reading Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love through Existentialism Point of View. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
The novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love written by Oscar Hijuelos narrates the lives of two mambo musicians from Cuba in New York City, America. Moreover, the novel portrays the ways of the two main characters in leading their lives in their own choice. As a literary work, the novel tries to communicate “knowledge” that widens our understanding of human beings. To find the meaning and the message conveyed in the novel, the writer tries to discuss it through the existentialism point of view which concerns much with the existence of human beings in the world.
There are two objectives to achieve in this study. First, it is to find out the lives of the two main characters in the novel. Second, it is to find out the issues of existentialism through the main characters which are related to their existence in America. As a consequence, the writer then reveals the meaning conveyed in the novel.
The Moral-Philosophical approach is considered to be appropriate to apply because of the philosophical teaching which is related to the issues of existentialism existing in the novel. By applying the approach the writer is able to find out the issues that are parts of human’s existence in the world, thus, the writer is able to obtain the total meaning of the work.
ABSTRAK
RETNO ASTUTININGSIH (2007). Reading Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love through Existentialism Point of View. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love yang ditulis oleh Oscar Hijuelos mengisahkan tentang kehidupan dua orang musisi mambo dari Kuba di kota New York, Amerika Serikat. Lebih jauh novel ini menekankan pada bagaimana kedua tokoh tersebut menentukan dan menjalani kehidupannya sesuai dengan pilihannya, termasuk menghadapi segala halangan yang muncul karenanya. Sebagai sebuah karya sastra, novel ini hendak menyampaikan suatu “pengetahuan” yang dapat memperluas pemahaman kita tentang manusia. Untuk menemukan makna atau substansi dan pesan yang terkandung dalam novel ini, penulis hendak mengulasnya lewat sudut pandang filsafat existensialisme yang menekankan pada eksistensi manusia di muka bumi.
Ada dua tujuan yang hendak dicapai dalam studi ini. Pertama, untuk meneliti penggambaran kehidupan kedua tokoh utama tersebut dalam novel. Kedua, untuk mengetahui permasalahan eksistensialisme yang coba dipaparkan oleh pengarang melalui kedua tokoh utamanya yang dihubungkan dengan eksistensi kedua tokoh tersebut sehingga dapat mengungkapkan makna yang terkandung dalam novel tersebut.
Pendekatan yang dipakai adalah pendekatan Moral-Filosofi karena dalam karya ini terdapat permasalahan filosofi yaitu tentang eksistensialisme. Dengan pendekatan ini penulis mampu menemukan permasalahan-permasalahan yang merupakan bagian dari eksistensi manusia di bumi sehingga dapat mengungkapkan makna yang terkandung dalam novel ini secara keseluruhan.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
The presence of literature in the middle of its readers’ society is not
without any purpose. Literature has its own special purpose that makes it valuable
for human life. The purpose of literature in the life of its readers is to help them to
be better persons. Literature aims at enhancing human being’s dignity as a social,
cultural, and devout being. Literature help people to be a better person and to
enhance his dignity by providing a chance to learn and to comprehend problems
of life that are intentionally presented by authors in their works.
Often it is said that literature is created as result from the reflection of its
author about life. Even though it is a reflection, however, literature does not
imitate real life. A literary work is used to reflect what an author comprehends
about life around him fully. An author expresses his comprehension about life in
the form of fiction, in this case a novel. An author can create, manipulate, and
approach any problems dealing with the life of human being, and make them as an
essential and universal truth in his fiction. Literature portrays experiences of life
to enable us taking lessons from the experiences it is depicted. In other words,
literature conveys an understanding a life with its own unique way. Thus, through
literature we are given a chance to learn and comprehend problems of life that an
values and respects in human’s life since it provides “solutions” for problems of
life through its aesthetic point of view.
By reading and understanding literature, it is expected that people are able
to get lessons from what they read from a literary work. These lessons of course
deal much with the “knowledge” of understanding other people. These lessons
will enlarge their human mind. Literary works serve to provide a chance to
understand and to comprehend the issues that may rise in human life which
intentionally revealed by the author.
The writer believes that this is the essence of literature. People will know
how to understand people in every part of the world by reading literary works.
Readers of literature may understand the suffering, difficulties, wishes, and
characters of other people. It obviously widens people’s mind. If people are able
to understand each others, there will be no fight, war, prejudice, or intention to
destroy others. Peace can be possible to achieve and realize in every part of the
world. Human being will be more human by reading and understanding literary
works. In addition, the writer assumes that there is no mistake to read and
understand literary works from any countries, or from all social, political,
economical, and cultural backgrounds.
Apart from the discussion of the essence of literature, novels in presenting
issues of human life differ into four categorizations. To know in what category a
novel is will enable readers to grasp the kind of issue that a writer says in his
work. In other words, by knowing to which category a novel belongs readers can
knowledge” from a literary work they read. Roger. B. Henkle in his book Reading
the Novel: An Introduction to the Interpreting Fiction makes four categorization
of literary works. These four categorizations are social novels, psychological
novels, novels of symbolic action, and the last one, modern romantic novels.
These categorizations have different emphasis on the aspects of issues it is
presented. Despite the fact that this inclusion of novels’ categorization may seem
awkward, yet it is in accordance with the present study.
The writer will not explain each category of the novel; in what way a
novel can be categorized a social novel, a psychological novel, a novel of
symbolic action, or a novel of modern romance. The writer thinks that there is no
significant with the study to explaining such. What the writer is interested in is the
novel psychological mode since it is the form of which the novel used in the
present study is. Roger. B. Henkle says that this each category has a different
historical significance, so armed with this knowledge, the writer will be able to
find out the sort of issues being revealed in the story. And the issues make a study
possible to exist.
Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love can be included in
category of psychological novel. As the writer learn that “the psychological novel,
on the other hand, may create a greater tolerance for disorder, or at least for the
primacy of individual order. It reflects the Western yearning for personal freedom,
and for the power to shape reality to one’s own design (Henkle, 1977:34).” If one
reads the novel, he or she may find that the novel has the disorder arrangement.
beginning to end by the thought and memory of his main character Cesar Castillo.
Since the novel is psychological novel, which is often considered to convey
philosophical thought, and relates the existence of human beings, it is inevitably
to discuss the existentialism ideas.
It is mentioned in the book Reading the Novel that such factor reflects the
tendency of writers in the nineteenth century to turn to the mode of the
psychological novel. “One must say that, of course, that the novel has always been
an art form of individual. The Puritan emphasis on self-examination as a means of
proving one’s stage of grace and one’s spiritual worthiness influenced the rise to
prominence of literary form, the novel, which reflects the dynamic of the process
(Henkle, 1977:34). The new philosophical view may arise as the result of the
weakening of the puritan’s view in the people’s mind. And the novels of such
mode may reflects such philosophical thinking (Henkle, 1977:34).
Based on the statement above, the writer presupposes that the novel The
Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love may convey a philosophical thought. Literary
works are often regarded to reflect philosophical ideas as they portray issues
which human face during their life. These issues often become the issues of
philosophical also.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love narrates the two brothers Cesar
Castillo and Nestor Castillo. The brothers are from Las Pinas, Oriente province of
Cuba. They immigrates to America in 1949 to achieve a better chance of life in
music that they think it is difficult to get back in their homeland, Cuba. The novel
York, America. In other words the novel portrays the particular life of the brothers
as immigrants in America, their way of life far away from his homeland. In other
words the novel portrays the particular life of the brothers as immigrants in
America, their way of life far away from his homeland.
The previous discussion triggers the writer to discuss about the novel in its
relation with the philosophical idea that is the philosophical idea of existentialism.
B. Problem Formulation
Concerning with the discussion above, the writer has set up two problem
formulations. The composition of the questions reveals the order of the
presentation of the analysis part of the study.
1. How are characters depicted in the novel?
2. How can the issues of existentialism be revealed in the novel?
C. Objectives of the Study
Based on the problem formulations previously presented, this study is
conducted to reveal how a character is presented by the author in the novel
through the first question. In this matter, the first question is proposed to reveal
their existence as immigrants. The second question attempts to find out the
D. Definition of Term
There is one term that the writer needs to clarify in her thesis:
existentialism. In order to avoid some misunderstandings which might happen
later in the future, it sounds wise if the writer explains those terms in a simple and
understandable way.
Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophical movement which claims that individuals
can create the meanings of their own lives. The term applied to a group of attitude
current in philosophical, religious, and artistic thought during and after the Second
World War, which emphasizes existence rather than essence and sees the
inadequacy of the human reason to explain the enigma of the universe as the basic
7
CHAPTER II
THEORITICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Criticism and opinion of others toward a literary work obviously act as a
bridge for readers to attain a better understanding of the work of which the
analysis is to be aimed. Thus, the criticisms and opinions either toward its author
or the work itself should not be concealed in the study of a literary work. In this
part, the writer would like to present some evaluations by some experts toward
Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love that is being analyzed in
this thesis.
Even though Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love takes
its milieu in the one of big cities in the United States of America, New York city,
but it is entirely a Cuban Latin novel in the soul. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of
Love narrates the experience of life of two musicians from Cuba in the powerful
country America. They immigrate to New York in 1949, the beginning of
television era in the United States. The novel richly describes the culture of Cuba;
the people way of life, the food, the fashion, and particularly important, the music
that although only a little, yet significantly has contributed its color to the
American culture of the time. The novel also skillfully draws the contrasts
between the Cuban and the American life
Christina Marie Tourino, the professor of English, United States ethnic
minority writing, Latin American literature, and feminist theory at St. John’s
University in Minnesota, has Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of
Love as the object of her paper which is in comparison with another Latin writer
novel El asalto by Reinaldo Arena. In summary, in her paper entitled “Anxieties
of Impotence: Cuban Americas in New York City’, Tourino does a comparative
study that aims to seeks a basis for comparison between Latin American literature
and Latino literature of the United States. Both groups, Latin American literature
and Latino literature, have rarely been compared in the past because they are
considered part of the same literary “family”. However, Tourini argues that owing
to the flows of capital driven by global pressure, literature between and among
Latin Americans and Latinos haiedl from such culturally heterogeneous sites and
are made over by so many relocations that they do call for comparative projects.
Instead of comparing text across national or ethnic lines, then Tourino’s projects
attends to the text that spring from related but different sorts of departure,
dislocations, languages, and constructions of race, gender, sexuality, and class,
then seeks what “family” resemblance still obtains. As a test case, Tourino looks
at two texts that descent directly from Cuba and are produced in New York. What
Tourino discovers is that, despite radical differences in the class, politics,
sexuality, language, and political disenfranchisement of the texts’ protagonists
(and even their author), both of these texts posit a fantasy of excessive masculinity
as the source of all-made family that reproduces itself without women- a fantasy
emptiness that seems to be performed in related ways in much Latino and Latin
American literature (http://clcwebjournal.lib.purdue.edu/clcweb02-2/tourino,
May, 2003).
Other opinions come from Thomas Mallon and Michiko Kakutani of the
New York Times. Thomas Mallon describes the novel as “a propulsive ballad of
Cuban-American fraternal machismo.” Meanwhile, Michiko Kakutani found the
novel to be “street-smart and lyrical, impassioned and reflective.” There is also
another who praised the novel as a warm and vibrant depiction of the family’s
experiences in America and noted that the work reflected a departure from other
Cuban writers who often focused on the political struggles in Cuba or life in exile
(http://www.galegroup.com/freeresouces/chh/bio/hijuelos0.htm, May, 2003).
Margo Jefferson, a critic who teaches journalism at New York University,
wrote an article about the novel in the New York Times, August 27, 1989.
Jefferson describes that The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love follows a family
and a culture from one world to the next in the form of several generations of
Latin music. The habanera, the rumba, the son-all made their way from Cuba to
America, to be translated, truncated and elaborated for Yankee and Latin
immigrant ears and feet. Where the music went the musicians followed, and so in
1949 Cesar and Nestor Castillo (just two of them) came to New York City, on the
heels and the beat of the rumba’s intricate, exuberant successor, the mambo”.
(http://www.princeton.edu/howarth/557/mambo7, May, 2003).
Moreover, Margo Jefferson added that “ … one of the best things about
into the American Dream; it leads us across the dream instead.” Also Jefferson
stated that Hijuelos in his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is engaged
in literary archeology, sifting through the remains of vanished musical and ethnic
heritage traced back to Oriente province in Cuba, from which his parents
emigrated (http://www.princeton.edu/howarth/557/mambo7, May, 2003).
The writer sees that the story of immigrants as in the novel is always
interesting to discuss. In her opinion, being an immigrant who has to live away
from his native land and has to adjust himself with a new culture and society is
not a matter of duty, instead, it is more or less a matter of individual choice.
Starting from this, the writer is interested to discuss about it and to relate it with
the philosophy of existentialism that the writer sees it is conveyed in the novel.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Characterization
Characterization is the creation of these imaginary persons so that they
exist for the reader as lifelike (Holman & Harmon, 1965: 81). Characterization is
the process of how authors attempt to make their characters understandable to, and
come alive for, the readers. This process of portraying people in fiction aims at
making readers get to know and understand what sort of people they are
(Murphy, 1943: 161)
Richard M. Eastman in his A Guide to Novel mentioned that a novelist
makes a similar choice as a painter in creating people in fiction. He may choose to
and to work still other into a background mass (Eastman, 1965: 61). And this
choice leads toward what is called “flat character” and “round character”.
Flat character and round character differ in the level of complexity by
which they are depicted. The need to create whether a character is flat or round
depends much on their function in the plot. Flat character is often defined as who
has only one outstanding trait or feature or at most a distinguishing mark. The
such character is often presented as a type rather than an individual. Round
characters, however, present us with many facets since their author portray them
in greater depth and in a more generous detai. Round character reveals an
individual rather than a type (Kennedy & Gioia, 1999:65). Flatness is used by an
author to turn the readers’ attention away from character toward some other
narrative value such as idea or plot. While the roundness serves to bring the
readers close to character.
In real life we first get to know with people by their appearance, by the
way they dress and so on. We can know something about his opinion, his manner
or his voice if we are able to talk to them. If we know a person for some length of
time and through personal contacts we can get to know about his past life, how he
behaves toward others, and how he reacts to events or situations. Just like the way
we get to know people in real life, characterization makes us able to know people
in fiction. In Undersatnding Unseen M.J. Murphy proposes a few ways to make
readers understand people in fiction. We can get to know a fictional people
through personal description, the eyes and opinions of others, what the person
reaction towards situation and events, the author’s comment, his thoughts, and his
manner. It is just to note that an author does not employ all the ways that have
been mentioned before (Murphy, 1943: 161-167).
An author may present the devices in two ways; telling and showing
(Abrams, 1935: 21). With this knowledge of characterization, it is expected that
the readers are able to understand characters in fiction. To understand the
character means to understand his or her life. To characterize a fictional people
can mean to relate about a fictional people’s life.
2. The Relation Between Literature and Philosophy
There are diverse ways to conceive the relation between literature and
philosophy. Frequently literature is thought of as a form of philosophy, as ‘ideas’
wrapped in form; and it is analyzed to yield ‘leading ideas.’ Meanwhile, the
opposite view denies any philosophical relevance to literature. As most of literary
works that are well-known for their philosophical thought frequently concern with
commonplaces as man’s mortality or the uncertainty of fate (Wellek & Warren,
1956: 110 ).
To be sure, literature can be treated as a document in the history of ideas
and philosophy, for literary history parallels and reflects intellectual history.
Frequently either explicit statements or allusions show the allegiance of a poet to a
specific philosophy, or established that he has had some direct acquaintance with
philosophies once well known or at least that he is aware of their general
The value for the exegesis of a poetic text of a knowledge of the history of
philosophy and of general thought can scarcely be overrated. Besides, literary
history has constantly to treat problems of intellectual history. Hence, literary
works are often used to elucidate ideas of philosophy. English literature can also
be shown to reflect the history of philosophy. In Shakespeare, for example, there
are many traces of Renaissance Platonism (Wellek & Warren, 1956: 112).
Even though literary works intentionally or unintentionally reflect
philosophical thought, yet how far do mere echoes of philosophers’ thought in the
poet’s work define the view of an author, whether poetry is better because it is
more philosophical, is judged according to the value of the philosophy which it
adopts or by criteria of philosophical originality, by the degree with which it
modified traditional thought, or are philosophical standards of this sort criteria of
literary criticism reflect the intellectualist misunderstanding, a confusion of
philosophy and art, and a misunderstanding of the way ideas actually enter into
literature have never been answered properly. These questions are very significant
in revealing the relation between literary work and philosophy (Wellek & Warren,
1956: 114-115). These questions can avoid such prior of misunderstanding of
literary work that will result in the violation of their artistry and uniqueness.
Rudolf Unger rightly argues that literature is not philosophical knowledge
translated into imagery and verse, but that literature expresses a general attitude
towards life, that poets usually answer, unsystematically, questions which are also
themes of philosophy but that the poetic mode of answering differs in different
between attitude of fiction writer and ideas which does not take its clear and
obvious formulation offers and aid to elude the assumption that intellectually
literary works state ideas of philosophy.
Instead of speculating on such large – scale problems as the philosophy of
history and the ultimate integral of civilization, the literary student should turn his
attention to the concrete problem not yet solved or even adequately discussed: the
question of how ideas actually enter into literature. The question arises only when
and if these ideas are actually incorporated into the very texture of the work of art,
when they become ‘constitutive’, in short when they cease to be ideas in the
ordinary sense of concepts and become symbols, or even myths (Wellek &
Warren, 1956: 122).
Sometimes in the history of literature however there are cases, confessedly
rare, when ideas incandesce, when figures and scenes not merely represent but
actually embody ideas, when some identification of philosophy and art seems to
take place. Image becomes concept and concept becomes image (Wellek &
Warren, 1956: 123). Poetry is not substitute-philosophy; it has its own
justification and aim. Poetry of ideas is like other poetry, not to be judged by the
value of the material but by its degree of integration and artistic intensity (Wellek
& Warren, 1956: 12).
3. Theory of Existentialism
Existentialism is a philosophical movement which claims that individual
traditional philosophies, such as rationalism and empiricism, which sought to
discover an ultimate order in metaphysical principles or in the structure of the
observed world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism#Literature, July
2007).
Existentialism is a term applied to a group of attitudes current in
philosophical religious, and artistic thought during and after the Second World
War, which emphasizes existence rather than essence and sees the inadequacy of
the human reason to explain the enigma of the universe as the basic philosophical
question. The term is so broadly and loosely that an exact definition of
existentialism may not possible (Holman & Harmon, 1986:192). In short,
existentialism challenges the Western thought which says that rational is as the
supreme guide to conduct and takes “existence precedes essence” as its central
idea.
a. Background of Existentialism Thought
The theses of existentialism found a particular relevance during the
Second World War, when Europe found itself threatened by material and spiritual
destruction. Consequently, the situation brought an impact within existentialism
that to think romantically about the condition is useless. In the point of view of
existentialism, people have to face the facts about the condition. Thus, a kind of
romantic inspiration can not defended in existentialism (Abbaganano, 1983: 74).
Western ethical tradition has generally assumed that the rational individual
pursuing the rational life is the essence of “the good life,” while existentialism
argument that Western thought has been occupied by the idea of regulating the life
of the world by reason. The tragic and absurd aspects of life or it may called as the
negative aspect of existence (such as pain, frustration, sickness, and death)
become the essential features of human reality (Rentz, 1992: 294).
The existentialism thought get the source from some thinkers who attempt
to interpret the existence of human beings as Soren Kierkegaard, Frederich
Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Abbagnano, and
many others. Each of them has different emphasis about existentialism, yet
basically they have common ground. The common ground seems to be their
assumptions that existence precedes essence, that the significant fact is that we
and things in general exist, but these things have no meaning through acting upon
them (Holman & Harmon, 1986: 193).
b. Some Common Existentialism Themes
Existentialists generally regard freedom, responsibility, suffering, and
commitment as the highest of human values. Consequently, they tend to have a
pessimistic or despairing view of the human condition. The existential movement
emphasizes the freedom and responsibility of the individual as the wellspring of
all considerations. It also states that as the consequence people are free to choose
how they will live, no system can guide them; the highest is in the struggle to be
one’s authentic self (Rentz, 1995: 294).
c. Existentialist Knowledge
Existentialist writers believe that what is essential about ethics is not that
authentically. It means that ethics cannot merely theoretical discipline; it is also a
moral and actual activity. Therefore, existential ethics attempts to turn to reality
itself, to actual life. One’s identity and values emerge from one’s choices, not
from some essence of human nature that was given to one at birth. It is also
implied from the previous statement that actually people do not have some
“given” morality that will serve to guide their choices (Rentz, 1992: 295).
d. Existentialism View on Pleasure
According to the existentialists, actually a hedonistic individual, who
believes that pleasure is the chief goal, is bound to fear for his or her happiness
and the happiness of others. Thus, they agree to give up pleasure or happiness as a
criterion of action. This renunciation needs courage to make a decision (Rentz,
1995: 296).
e. Existentialist View of Human
Probably, the next statement will be confusing because it says that even
though humans are endowed with reason, they are irrational beings. Irrational
according to them is that actually human being is a wounded creature who is
afraid of emptiness which makes him filled false and illusions. At the same time,
each person is sick being divided within and influenced by a dark subconscious.
Human are irrational beings who may long for suffering rather than happiness
f. Existentialist View of Suffering
Anguish is an emotion common to all men as they confront the problem of
life (Bridgewater & Sherwood, 1950: 646). Kierkegaard notes two kinds of
suffering: the redeeming suffering which leads to life and the dark suffering which
leads to death. An individual may go through life suffering and as a result of it he
may be born into a new life. All the suffering, such as the death of the dearest,
illness, poverty, humiliation, and disappointments, may purify and regenerate an
individual. Nevertheless, it depends on the attitude that the individual faces them.
Victor Frankl, an existentialist, says that the individual can go through suffering if
he or she sees the meaning in it. In other words it can be said that the attempts to
avoid suffering only create more suffering, therefore such an escape is one of the
mistaken belief of life (Rentz, 1995: 296). In brief we can say that we may find
two contrasts opinion here: suffering which is believed to be a way to light and
renewal can be seen also as the tie to alienation and despair.
g. Existentialist View toward Society and Individual
Existentialists say that man always acts individually, and everyone must
act differently. It means that human behavior should be original from itself, not
determined by social influences (Rentz, 1995: 296).
The power of society over individual has been found everywhere in
history. The existentialists have been outspoken, according to them the society’s
have some reasons such as a person is a value and that a living human being is
higher value than any abstract idea even the idea of the good (Rentz, 1995: 296).
h. Existentialists View toward Death
Existentialists, whether atheistic or theistic, agree that one’s attitude will
be more authentic if one regards all people as though they were dying and decides
his relationship with them in the light of death; both their death and his death
(Rentz, 1995: 226).
In other words, one realizes that death is one of the possibilities which
belongs to man. To understand this possibility means to decide for it, man has to
be ready to live for death (Abbagnano, 1983: 77). Heidegger argued that human
being can never hope to understand why they are here; instead, each individual
must choose a goal and follow it, aware of the certainty death and the meaningless
of his life (http://members.aol.com/Caz...ate/Philo/existentialism/zKdaexist).
i. Existentialist View toward Freedom
As it is implied in the previous explanation about existentialism, we may
find that actually existentialism, we may find that actually existentialism suggests
one major theme that is a stress on individual existence and as the consequence it
also stresses on individual freedom and choice. Freedom of choice is a way
through which each human being creates his own nature. Because individual is
of this action (http://members.aol.com/Caz...ate/Philo/existentialism/zKdaexist,
July, 2007).
Existentialism protests against intellectual and social forces which are
destroying freedom. It drives us back to the most basic, inner problems: what it
means to be a self, how we can find courage to face death, and how we ought to
use our freedom (Roberts, 1956: 4).
j. Existentialism and Religious Belief
The stress upon freedom can lead toward either faith in God or atheism.
That is why existentialism is divided roughly into two camps. The atheistic
existentialists are trying to make an atheistic acceptance of freedom and despair
serves as the only possible answer. The religious existentialists see the
implications of human responsibility lead to a return to God (Roberts, 1959: pp
10, 11).
Nietzche, the militant atheistic existentialists, proclaimed that “God is
dead!” God who was the basic for all ethical and moral values, the guidance, has
become no longer existed. According to Nietzsche that this strange and awful
event of God’s death, which seems so terrible, is actually a great gift for now
human is truly free to create his own values (Rentz, 1995: 295).
C.Theoretical Framework
An analysis of a work of literature will gain its accuracy and its reliability
enables the writer to explain facts found in the novel. So, for the importance of the
existence of theories in the analysis, the writer has decided to use three theories in
an attempt to analyze the two problems already stated in the preceding chapter.
Theory of characterization is chose to be utilized in the analysis. The
theory is utilized to support the analysis and to make it reliable. Theory of
characterization allows the writer to reveal what kind of character is presented in
the novel. It helps the writer to see character as individual representative of real
person.
The writer adopts the theory between literature and philosophy by Reene
Wellek and Austin Warren to know how to answer the problem number two. The
purpose of conducting this study is to reveal the philosophical thought of
existentialism in Oscar Hijuelos’ novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
Yet, to find out the thought of existentialism in the novel, firstly the writer must
understand the relation between work of literature with philosophical thought. In
this matter, the relation is between Hijuelos’ novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs
of Love with philosophy. Through this theory, the writer understands that literary
works often reflect, are influenced by, or adopt philosophical idea. The writer
also learns through the theory that philosophical idea does not stand apart with
other elements in a story but also it blends with the element. In other words, the
philosophical idea is reflected in elements of a story such as character or plot. The
theory between literature and philosophy functions as a help to understand the
reflect a philosophical thought, the theory helps the writer to grasp such
embodiment or reflection in the novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
The knowledge about the theory of existentialism enables the writer to
reveal the philosophical idea of existentialism that the novel conveys. However,
the writer will use only the existentialism view toward suffering, pleasure,
religious belief, and freedom to be used in the analysis. The knowledge of
existentialism thought enables the writer to signify the condition occurs to the
character that depicts the idea. This theory along with the theory between
literature and philosophy is employed to analyze the second problem formulation.
Finally, the theory of moral and philosophical approach taken from
Guerin’s A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature is employed to orient
23
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A.Object of the Study
Oscar Hijuelos is an American writer with Cuban blood in origin. Hijuelos
skillfully writes stories about Cuban immigrants in America without leaving their
cultural backgrounds and meanings. His works: Our House in the Last World
written in 1983, Fourteen Sisters of Emilio Montez O’Brien (1993), Mr. Ives’
Christmas (1995), Empress of the Splendid Season written in 1999, and The
Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love (1990) show his skill.
In this study, the writer uses Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play
Songs of Love as her object for her thesis. The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love
is the second novel by Hijuelos. The novel consists of four thousands and five
pages. Its content purposely is made into four sections. They are one epilogue
section, and three main sections, which are given titles. In the Hotel Splendour
1980 for its first main part and Sometime later in the hotel Splendour for his
second, and Toward the end … , title for its third main part. Particularly this
undergraduate study uses the edition of 1992 published by Harper Perennial
United States of America. Originally The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love was
published in 1989 by the same publisher.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love derives many praises from its
Oscar Hijuelos, to win a prestigious award the Pulitzer Prize in 1990. The prize
crowned him as the first Latino to receive the award in literature.
In addition, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love was transformed into a
motion picture in 1991. The movie entitled “The Mambo Kings”. The movie has
Armand Cassante as the star who acts as Cesar Castillo. While his younger
brother, Nestor Castillo is acted by the actor, Antonio Banderas, a Latin-American
actor. In November 19, 2004, Hijuelos adapted his novel The Mambo Kings Play
Songs of Love as stage musical which opened in New York in July, 2005.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love narrates about two brothers of
musicians from Cuba, Cesar Castillo and Nestor Castillo. They came to New
York, America, with the intention of finding a fortune for their musical career in
1949. The two musicians form an orchestra, write the music that brings them the
title of Mambo Kings. Luckily they catch a chance to appear with Desi Arnaz on
the hugely successful American television show, I Love Lucy. Their appearance
on the national television show is underscored by the tragedy that occurs soon
after. Their success as musicians finally ends when death comes to Nestor in an
fatal automobile accident after their playing for a birthday party in New Jersey.
Although tragic, the accident somehow seems fitting. The death of Nestor affects
Cesar’s life and brings him into his downfall.
B.Approach of the Study
The main objective of the present study is to reveal existentialism idea in
there is no more suitable approach to attain the objective of the study than a
moral-philosophical point of view.
The moral-philosophical approach is as old as the thought of classical
Greek and Roman critics (Guerin, 1999: 25). The basic position of this approach
is that the larger function of literature is to teach morality and to probe
philosophical issues. The approach would interpret literature within a context of
the philosophical thought of a period or a group (Guerin, 1999: 25). The approach
considers that a literary work suggests a moral teaching and a philosophical
thought. It is moral issues and philosophical ideas that one should find out in the
literary works. So, in interpreting a literary work one needs to understand about a
philosophical view, since this view that makes a work profitable for human life.
Matthew Arnold, the Victorian critic who is in the same path with other
moral-philosophical critics, says that the moral-philosophical approach takes the
moral and philosophical teaching as the important element in a literary work,
while form, figurative language, and other aesthetic things as the secondary
element. Further he insists that all great literature teaches (Guerin, 1999: 26).
Even though the moral-philosophical approach is assumed to be deficient
in imagination and does not take other disciplines into consideration, yet it is
suggested that while employing the moral-philosophical approach, one may use
any knowledge or insight in reference to history, philosophy, theology, sociology,
art, music, and other disciplines that can help to explain or clarify a literary work
The writer uses this moral-philosophical approach because the present
study aims at finding out what existentialism ideas are conveyed in the novel.
There is no other approach that proves more suitable to the present study than the
moral-philosophical approach.
C.Method of the Study
The novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, would not be
sufficiently and totally understood alone without including some information
outside the work itself. We would lack our understanding about the characters, for
example, unless we knew something about characterization. Or we would never
grasp the meaning of the work unless we know, for instance, any philosophical,
social, historical, biographical information in relevance to the work.
Based on the above-noted argument, the writer would not attain the main
objective of the study if she did not have any understanding about what
existentialism is. Therefore, the writer tried to collect information as much as
possible that was related and significant to the study, data which support the
study. The writer gained the information from many sources; books, articles in
encyclopedias or internet sites. Some of these data were derived from Oscar
Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, as the main source, Murphy’s
Understanding Unseen, Guerin’s A Handbook of Critical Approaches to
Literature, Stanton’s An Introduction to Fiction, The Encyclopedias of Ethics, The
people usually called library research method. So, in conducting the study the
writer applied library research method.
There were some steps that the writer done in conducting the study. The
first step done in analysis was to read and reread the novel intensively in order to
attain an understanding about the work. The writer tried to figure out what the
story is about. From reading the work the writer learnt that the characters are in
the struggle for life as immigrants in America.
The second step done by the writer was to correlate the work with the idea
of philosophy, that is the philosophy of existentialism. The writer used data from
the theory between literature and philosophy, and the theory of existentialism as
the basic to get some aspects within the work about characters and their existence
as immigrants in America. Afterwards, the writer attempted to relate the aspects
with the issues of existentialism.
The third and the final step of the present study was to draw a conclusion.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this present analysis part the writer will answer the two problem
formulations that are mentioned in the first chapter. There are two questions this
study deals with. First, it is the analysis of how character in the novel is depicted,
and second, it is the analysis that try to find out the philosophical ideas that is
suggested in the novel, in this term, the existentialism ideas. Thus, the questions
will orient the writer to present the analysis according to the order of the
questions.
A. The Characters in the Novel
Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love is distinguished as
psychological novel in relevance to its disorder in presenting the story. The story
in this novel is told through the thoughts and memories of the main character,
Cesar Castillo. We can get to know about some places and time through the
thoughts of the character.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love has Cesar Castillo and Nestor
Castillo as its main characters. It is quite difficult to get the understanding about
them since the writer should probe into Cesar Castillo’s thought that is revealed in
a disorder way. The writer will analyze how Cesar Castillo and Nestor Castillo the
characterization that the writer has cited before in chapter two of the present
study.
In this novel Oscar Hijuelos depicts the way his two main characters lead
lives as they choose, and the way they struggle to exist in their own way.
1. Cesar Castillo
The story opens with Eugenio, the son of Nestor Castillo, revealing his
memory one day when he was still a kid being called by his landlord about the
coming of I Love Lucy television show on the TV. The very show in which his
dead-father and his uncle Cesar Castillo appear as musicians from Cuba on the
show.
This memory is significant since from this comes out the other memory
about Cesar Castillo and Nestor Castillo. This is for the first time readers get
acquainted with the characters Cesar Castillo and Nestor Castillo.
This was close enough to the truth about their real lives –they were musicians and songwriters who had left Havana for New York in 1949, the year they formed the Mambo Kings, an orchestra that packed clubs, dance halls, and theaters around the East Coast –and, excitement of excitements, they even made a fabled journey in flamingo-pink bus out to Sweet’s Ballroom in San Fransisco, playing on all-star mambo night, a beautiful night of glory, beyond death, beyond pain, beyond all stillness (p.5).
From what Eugenio’s memory, we know a little bit about the characters, about
their identities, and where they come from. The two brothers Cesar Castillo and
Nestor Castillo are musicians. They are from Cuba. They immigrate to New York
It is still from Eugenio’s memory, he tells readers about the condition of
Cesar Castillo.
With my heart racing, I turned on the big black-and white television set in his living room and tried to wake him. My uncle had fallen asleep in the kitchen-having worked really night before, some job in a Bronx social club, singing and playing the horn with a pickup group of musicians. He was snoring, his shirt was open, a few button had popped out on his belly. Between the delicate-looking index and middle fingers of his roght hand, a Chesterfield cigarette burning down to the filter, that hand still holding a half glass of rye whiskey, which he used to drink like crazy because in recent years he had been suffering from bad dreams, saw apparitions, felt cursed, and despite all the women he took to bed, found his life of bachelorhood solitary and wearisome (p.5).
It is from the quotation, the writer can infer that Cesar Castillo leads a
painful life. He suffers from bad dreams, saw apparition of his little dead brother
Nestor Castillo, felt cursed, lonely, and weary. His musician’s life takes him into a
hard life, working until really night. He tries to overcome this unhappiness by
having lots of drink and sexual intercourses with women. Obviously the writer
sees Cesar in such condition after the death of his brother who he loves so much.
As the writer has previously said that The Mambo Kings Play Songs of
Love is obviously identified as the psychological novel, so the order of the way
the story is presented is not in a neat order. However, the writer will not attempt to
analyze how the characters not only Cesar Castillo but also Nestor Castillo are
characterized by tracing it in order way.
In a moment when Cesar Castillo meets Desi Arnaz for the first time in
1955, when he plays with his band in the Mambo Nine Club, the writer find out
that Cesar and Nestor come from Las Pinas, Oriente province of Cuba. The writer
But soon enough she slid into the background, allowing the men to smoke their panatelas from Havana, make their toasts and conversation. As this was a time when every Cuban in New York knew every other Cuban, the question was inevitable: “And what part of Cuba are you fellows from?”
“From a town called Las Pinas, surely you must know it, a sugar-mill town in Oriente.” pages of newsprint scraps with additions and subtractions, because he use an odd, contrary logic when it came to numbers –for example, writing 3+3 = 8, simply because the numbers were round-bottomed like an 8 (p.345).
Cesar Castillo is one of the five brothers of Castillo. He has a mother
named Maria, and a father named Pedro Castillo. His mother is a loving woman,
while his father is a foul-tempered man. It is from his father’s treatment, Cesar
find his childhood sad and suffering. His father often beat him for no specific
reason. This fact is revealed through his thought about his childhood. However,
though he gets beatings so many, Cesar is strong enough to bear it.
When he would think about his early childhood, he’d remember cringing like a frightened animal when he was near his father. He would see red and black and silver birds streaking across space in swiftly forming arcs, and his face, his ribs, his back, his legs would sting from beatings with fists and a stick.
But he never understood why the man beat him. He used to cry out, cringing in a corner, “What have I done to you? Why are you doing this?” He felt like a happy little dog that only wanted a little kindness from that man. But he got beat and beat and beat.
your eyes? Why is it that you turn away from me when I walk into this house, what is it that you are hiding from me?” And if I told him that I was hiding nothing from him, his hold would get harder and no one could pull him off, nor would he stop-I refused to cry, the Mambo King has never cried over a man- and he would hold me until my arm turned black-and blue or until my mother had pleaded long enough with him not to start something with me (p.268).
Since he was a child Cesar wants to be a musician. Because his father is
against him, he never gets a chance to feel formal education in music. His first
teacher is Eusebio Stevenson, a local musician in Cuba at that time. His music
career in music is with musician Julian Garcia.
At the time he was looking for a new crooner and wrote a letter simply addressed “ Cesar Castillo, Las Pinas, Oriente.” Cesar was nineteen then, and not yet jaded. He took the invitation to heart and make the journey down to Santiago the week after he’d received it (p.76).
He began to sing with Julian’s outfit, a twenty-piece orchestra, in 1937.
Cesar ever get married. Through Julian he makes the acquaintance of his
niece, Louisa Garcia, the woman to whom he married in 1943. His marriage does
end in a short time. Though he has a wife and a child, it does not provide
contempt for him. For no apparent reason, he still likes to have a date with women
and has fun with them. The only reason he can give is that his action is natural,
nothing wrong with it, he just do it because he is being a man.
Finally, he gets divorced with Luisa. His marriage with Luisa, he thinks,
hinder him for achieving happiness that he believes is there in the exciting
external life. Divorce with his wife is possible since there seems no solution.
Cesar Castillo comes to America with his brother Nestor Castillo in 1949.
The situation in Cuba does not allow him to find a good job as a musician. His
beginning time in America, he works in a meat-packing plant. Finding the job to
be oppressing he spends his nights in clubs or orchestra. There he makes friends
with so many musicians. It does not take a long time since his coming in America
for him to make a Latin orchestra The Mambo Kings with his brother and friends
he meets in his night life.
The career for his band proves to have a good prospect. The Mambo Kings
is one of the more popular bands in New York. Nevertheless, they cannot earn lots
of money. Until one night in 1955 Desi Arnas, a Cuban descent famous television
actor in America, catches the Mambo Kings performance. Cesar is a good singer
and dancer, for this reason Desi Arnaz invites him to his show in Hollywood.
Their appearance in the TV passes good impact for their musical carrier. They
reclaim fame and money. Even they get chance to popularize mambo music
around the west part of America. A successful recording happens to be achieve.
The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, the title of their record, signifies his
existence in America.
Unfortunately, this happiness seems to come to an end when his brother,
Nestor, die in his DeSoto car accident. His brother death brings sadness in his
what he ever get with his brother before. Playing music reminds him of his
brother. He adopts a new way of life as a superintendent. Cesar is a man who tries
to look for happiness through continuous seduction to women, drinking booze,
consuming food, and playing music.
The author tells that fearing of becoming loneliness, Cesar tries to spend
his time teaching music. Cesar himself never learns to read note, thus, he teaches
children only how to play music. Teaching music makes him a little better, for at
least he does not feel alone in his life.
Later in the last part of his life, Cesar who becomes so sad after his brother
dies, begins to put habit of consuming alcohol which sometimes helps him to
forget about his sadness. But this way of escaping from sadness by drinking booze
finally put him into another sadness and suffering. Booze has made his body
wrecked. This sickness makes him more sad and humiliated. Cesar prefers to end
his life as a man he keeps consuming booze until death takes him away.
2. Nestor Castillo
If we talk about Nestor, it means that we talk about a man who suffers in
his life, a man whose internal side puts him into suffering. This suffering does not
come from his body weakness but from his memories of someone, a woman,
whom he loves so much. He wishes to release from pain, a freedom from pain that
never he achieves in his short life, he dies young in a car accident in returning
from playing in a birthday party in New Jersey.
To find out how Nestor’s existence depicted in the story, the writer will
a character an author applies some ways. Here in the analysis the writer uses some
of the ways.
Nestor Castillo comes to America in 1949 with his brother Cesar Castillo
with the hope of finding a good job. He is a musician, playing trumpet is his
specialty. From the character’s past life the writer knows that he does not have a
happy childhood. When he was a kid he suffers from intense illness that he feels
like to die. He remembers during his illness a priest performs last rites over him;
he rubbed candles and oils on his forehead. This suffering makes a great influence
in his external sites, he becomes weak inside.
Yet, the most painful things in his life is when memories of Maria come to
him. He knows Marie accidentally when he takes a walk around the city of
Havana. He likes Maria because she is a very beautiful woman. They start to have
dates and Nestor really enjoys the relationship. He loves Maria, even he wants to
marry her. But one day Maria leaves him for a reason that he does not understand.
Even though she says that she loves Nestor but she marries to a man she has
known before in the past. This leaves him in confusion and despair. Not a minute
in his life he passed without thinking about her and hoping someday she will be
back to him. Nestor expresses his pain over Maria in a song called “Beautiful
Maria of My Soul”, a song that gives him and his brother a fame.
In America he meets a woman and marries her. From his marriage he was
endowed two children. For most of people marriage gives them happiness.
However, it does not happen to Nestor. The responsibility of being a married man
and children. For the rest of his life he struggle to achieve happiness and wants his
pain to be released. He keeps thinking of Marie, his lost key of happiness and
wants his pain to be released. He keeps thinking of Marie, his lost key of
happiness, and suffers for it. Finally, death takes his life away by which it seems
to end his sadness and suffering. Death also takes his life, his existence in the
world away.
The depiction of the characters as men who are in struggle for their life
seems to serve well the ideas of existentialism which concerns to the human’s
existence.
B.Existentialism Ideas in the Novel
Philosophy is the one way to obtain truth. The philosophy of existentialism
seeks to find truth about the existence of human being in the world with its view
that human is condemned to freedom. And things that may hinder freedom from
human being should be avoided. From Oscar Hijuelos’ The Mambo Kings Play
Songs of Love the writer infers there are four ideas of existentialism philosophy
expressed through the two characters of Cesar Castillo and Nestor Castillo. The
depiction of the characters, their attitude of facing those issues reveals the idea of
freedom of choice. Here the freedom of choice is revealed through their ways of
seeking happiness.
1. Freedom
In common existentialists hold view that human beings differ from other
or other inanimate things that exist in the world. Jean-Paul Sartre says that human
are condemned to freedom. Human must be free to lead their life.
Men are free to choose how they will lead their life. Men are free to
choose any morality. Men are free to choose what they want to be. We know that
there are many different professions in this world; teachers, businessman, doctors,
farmers, politicians, and many more. People are free to choose the profession they
want to be him. No one can force him to choose one than another because he is a
free one. By means of freedom to choose what they want to be, what value or
values they believe to be true for themselves, they can create their own selves.
Human life contains of possibilities, there seems no certainty. Human have
to make decision among the possibilities. And they are free in making the
decision. The authority of making a choice is their supreme right, because they are
condemned to be free. Life itself requires men to choose. People whose country is
in political upheaval, for instance, have to make decision when they face
difficulties whether to stay or to go abroad immigrating to other countries in
which peace may be offered.
Freedom means to be free from any kinds of slavery that is the condition
that make human being not possible to reach his or her freedom. The slavery itself
may differ in two; slavery to the external world and slavery to one’s self (internal
side).
Dealing with the characters of Hijuelos’ novel The Mambo Kings Play
Songs of Love, the slavery that becomes the obstacles for their freedom mostly
