ii
POSTMODERN SUPERHERO AS A VIGILANTE IN THE CONTEXT OF MICHAEL FOUCAULT’S SUBJECT AND POWER RELATIONS FROM
JON FAVREAU‘S IRON MAN 2
THESIS
Submitted as a Partial Fulfilment of Requirement
for the Sarjana Sastra Degree of the English Department
Faculty of Cultural Sciences Sebelas Maret University
by
Jadi Arif Dermawan C0313028
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF CULTURAL SCIENCES SEBELAS MARET UNIVERSITY
iii
POSTMODERN SUPERHERO AS A VIGILANTE IN THE CONTEXT OF MICHAEL FOUCAULT’S SUBJECT AND POWER RELATIONS FROM
JON FAVREAU‘S IRON MAN 2
THESIS by
Jadi Arif Dermawan C0313028
Approved to be examined before the Board of Examiners Faculty of Cultural Sciences
Sebelas Maret University
Thesis Consultant
Drs. Hendarto Rahardjo, M.A. NIP 196303281992011001
Head of English Department
iv
POSTMODERN SUPERHERO AS A VIGILANTE IN THE CONTEXT OF MICHAEL FOUCAULT’S SUBJECT AND POWER RELATIONS FROM
JON FAVREAU‘S IRON MAN 2 THESIS
by
Jadi Arif Dermawan C0313028
Accepted and Approved by the Board of Examiners On ………, 2017
Faculty of Cultural Sciences Sebelas Maret University
The Board of Examiners
Position Name Signature
Chairman Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari, M. Hum., Ph.D
NIP 196703231995122001 ( )
Secretary Karunia Purna Kusciati, S.S., M.Si.
NIP 198211242009122002 ( )
First Examiner Drs. Hendarto Rahardjo, M.A.
NIP 195207211979031004 ( )
Second Examiner Muh. Taufiq Al Makmun, S.S., M.A.
NIP 197806272005011003 ( )
Surakarta, ………, 2017
Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences Sebelas Maret University
v
PRONOUNCEMENT
Name : Jadi Arif Dermawan
NIM : C0313028
I certify that the thesis entitled “Postmodern Superhero as a Vigilante in the
Context of Michael Foucault’s Subject and Power Relations from Jon Favreau’s Iron Man 2” is neither plagiarism nor written by others. All theories and materials taken from other sources are written in direct quotation or in paraphrase. I am fully responsible for the pronouncement. If it is proven to be wrong, I am willing to take any responsible actions given by the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Sebelas Maret University, including the withdrawal of the degree.
Surakarta, ………., 2017
The researcher
vi
MOTTOES
“Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health
before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your work, and your life before your death”
(Prophet Muhammad)
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness trust
upon them”
vii
DEDICATION
To my Mom, Suyamti,
My beloved family,
My best friends,
viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe, Allah SWT, for the peace, mercy, and blessings. Greet for the Prophet of Muhammad SAW. May Allah SWT bless him, his family, and his companions.
I would like to say Alhamdulillahirrobil‟alamin to express my feeling. I
was so grateful for my thesis accomplishment. And, I would like give special thank for them who have supported me for my thesis.
I would like to say thank you very much for Prof. Riyadi Santosa, M.Ed, Ph.D, Dean of Faculty of Cultural Sciences, for approving my thesis. For Drs. Agus Hari Wibowo, M.A, Ph.D, Head of the English Department, I say thank you for the approval and support. And, for all the lectures of the English Department, I would like to thank for all knowledge, advices, and experiences during my study.
My special thank would be for Dra. Rara Sugiarti, M. Tourism, my Academic Advisor. Your advices were so helpful during my study. For Drs. Hendarto Rahardjo, M.A, my Thesis Consultant, I say thank you for helping me finish my thesis. And, for Dra. Sri Kusumo Habsari, M.Hum, Ph.D, I would like to say thank you for your help and your advice for the development of my thesis.
ix
of paper, I would like to say thank for your support. I am so grateful to have you all.
Surakarta, ………., 2017
Jadi Arif Dermawan
x
COVER ... i
APPROVAL OF THESIS CONSULTANT ... iii
APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS ... iv
PRONOUNCEMENT ... v
MOTTOES ... vi
DEDICATION ... vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... x
ABSTRACT ... xiii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ... 1
A. Research Background... 1
B. Scope of Research ... 9
C. Research Question ... 9
D. Research Objective... 9
E. Research Benefits ... 10
F. Research Methodology... 11
G. Theoretical Approaches ... 13
H. Thesis Organization ... 19
CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW ... 20
A. Postmodern Superhero ... 20
1. Postmodern ... 20
xi
B. Vigilante ... 27
C. Discourse, Subject and Power Relations ... 30
1. Discourse ... 30
2. Subject and Power Relations ... 35
D. Semiotic for Movie ... 41
CHAPTER III: ANALYSIS ... 54
A. Discourses in Iron Man 2 Movie ... 54
1. Government Management for The Common Good ... 56
2. The World Peace Privatization... 58
3. Public Interest over Individual Liberty ... 63
4. Tony Stark’s Individual Liberty ... 67
B. The Postmodern Superhero ... 70
1. Iron Man’s Open Identity ... 71
2. Superhero with No Mask ... 74
3. An Inconsistent Superhero ... 76
C. The Vigilante ... 80
1. An Ambiguous Vigilante ... 80
D. Iron Man’s Status in relation to the Discourses ... 84
CHAPTER IV: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ... 92
1. Conclusion ... 92
2. Recommendation... 94
xii
“POSTMODERN SUPERHERO AS A VIGILANTE IN THE CONTEXT OF MICHAEL FOUCAULT’S SUBJECT AND POWER RELATIONS
FROM JON FAVREAU‘S IRON MAN 2”
Jadi Arif Dermawan1
ABSTRACT
Superhero has become an important consideration about concepts of heroism in American society. As a popular culture product, the superhero has spread beyond comic books and appeared in movies. It also becomes interesting discussions academic study. One of the discussions among the scholars is about vigilantism. To move the discussion further, this research examines examine a postmodern
superhero as a vigilante in the context of Michael Foucault’s subject and power
relations. By taking into account what Foucault advocates in his theory of the subject and power relations, the status of Iron Mas as a superhero or a vigilante is revealed by examining the discourse. As a result, Iron Man who presents an
ambiguous status – whether he is a superhero or a vigilante – is a superhero from
the discourse perspective. He can be considered as a superhero due to following the discourse of superhero that is promoted by the society.
Keywords: postmodern, superhero, American society, vigilante, subject and power relations
1
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