THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BATMAN IN AMERICAN SOCIETY:
A SOCIO-HISTORICAL STUDY OF DAVID S. GOYER’S
BATMAN BEGINS
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirementsfor the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO Student Number: 034214041
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA 2008
Why do we fall?
So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up.
(Alfred Pennyworth)
WHAT DOESN’T KILL US
ONLY MAKES US STRONGER
I
t’s not who I am underneath.
But what I do that defines me.
(Batman)
This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:
-
my beloved parents
-
my little brother
-
my red_diva
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I would like to thank Allah SWT for His blessing and grace He give me every time. He is the One who could make all of this happens.
My deep gratitude is for my advisor, Drs. Hirmawan Wijanarka, M.Hum., for his time and guidance in helping me finish this undergraduate thesis. My gratitude is also for Dra. Theresia Enny Anggraini, M.A., my co-advisor, in helping me by giving me some corrections and advises to complete my thesis writing. This thesis will not be complete without her suggestions.
My deepest gratitude is especially for my parents for all love, time, patience, support, and prayer all the time. Thank you for always loving me. Of the superheroes I know, they are my real superheroes. I also thank my brother for the support he gives. Keep on fighting, bro....
I would like to thank my lovely Red_Diva, for the love we share. She’s always been there in my happy and hard time.
For Anto, thank you for your support and motivation. Let’s rock the world, bro..!! And show who the boss is. Thanks to Anggie, for your help and kindness. I could not make it without you.
I like to thank F2 Community, especially Guspay, Jambrong, Soejab, Simbah, Bemby, Andy, Budi, Iqbal and late Emon. Let’s prove we are harder than the rock. Hail the pain, guys....
I like to thank to the people who underestimate me, to the people who see me as a small stone among the rock. I have proven you are wrong.
I like to thank to Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, limpbizkit, koRn, Story of the Year, and Captain Jack for the music they made that accompany me finishing this thesis. They are my sucking fhit. I am a big fan of you, guys...
Thank you for all the people who I cannot mention one by one who have helped me in writing this thesis. God bless you all.
Last but not least, to 2003 English Letters: Dodi, Wedhuz, Yerri, Bendhol, Sushit, Boim, Nitnot, Bayu, Cosmas, Kosep, thank you for all the memories.
Setio Putro Mardiko
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS………... vii
ABSTRACT………... viii
ABSTRAK………. ix
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION………...…. 1
A. Background of the Study………... 1
B. Problem Formulation………... 6
C. Objectives of the Study……… 7
D. Definition Terms……….. 7
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW………...… 9
A. Review of Related Studies……….... 9
B. Review of Related Theories………. 12
1. Theory on Character and Characterization………... 12
2. Theory of Symbolism………... 14
3. Theory of American Dream……….. 16
C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s – 1930s……... 19
D. Theoretical Framework………. 22
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………... 24
A. Object of the Study……….. 24
B. Approach of the Study………….……… 26
C. Method of the Study……….………… 26
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS……… 28
A. The Characteristics of Batman………. 28
B. The Significance of Batman in American Society………... 39
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION………..……. 51
BIBLIOGRAPHY………. 56
APPENDIX: Summary of Batman Begins……….…. 59
ABSTRACT
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society: A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2008.
Batman Begins is the 5th Batman movie since 1989. The character of Batman is based on its comics strips. The story of Batman Begins was written on its movie script tells about a man who turns himself to be a crime fighter named Batman after he witnesses the murder of his parents which takes place in front of him when he was a child.
In this thesis, which analyzes Batman Begins movie script, there are two questions formulated as the guidelines in the research. The first question is to explore the characteristics of Batman. The second is to find out the significance of Batman in American Society.
The writer applies the socio-historical approach in analyzing Batman Begins movie script as the object of the study. This library research is supported by the books, articles, and other related sources.
The analysis shows that the characteristics of Batman are built from his childhood memory of the murder of his parents that took place in front of him. This incident makes Bruce Wayne has a will to fight the crimes and injustice in Gotham City. Bruce turns himself to be a crime fighter named Batman as the symbol of his will. Talking about the representation of Batman in American society is also talking about Bruce Wayne as Batman’s alter ego. The significance of Batman in American Society is the representation of hopes and dream of the Americans which is well known as the American Dream and we can see them through Batman and Bruce Wayne. In this thesis, American Dream is described as a successful and satisfying life which is translated as economic prosperity, having the technology and gadgets, and automobiles.
ABSTRAK
SETIO PUTRO MARDIKO. The Significance of Batman in American Society: A Socio-Historical Study of David S. Goyer’s Batman Begins. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2008.
Batman Begins adalah film Batman kelima sejak 1989. Karakter Batman berdasarkan komik tentang Batman. Cerita dalam Batman Begins yang tertulis pada naskah filmnya bercerita tentang seseorang yang berubah menjadi seorang pembasmi kejahatan setelah dia menyaksikan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya yang terjadi di depan matanya saat dia masih kecil.
Di dalam skripsi ini, yang menganalisa naskah film Batman Begins, ada dua pertanyaan yang dirumuskan sebagai panduan dalam penelitian. Pertanyaan pertama adalah untuk menggali karakteristik Batman. Pertanyaan kedua adalah untuk menemukan arti dari keberadaan Batman di dalam masyarakat Amerika.
Penulis menggunakan pendekatan sosio-historikal dalam menganalisa naskah film Batman Begins sebagai obyek studi. Studi pustaka ini didukung dengan buku – buku dan artikel – artikel sebagai sumber kedua.
Analisis menunjukan bahwa karakteristik Batman terbentuk dari kenangan masa kecilnya akan pembunuhan kedua orang tuanya yang terjadi di depan matanya. Peristiwa ini membuat Bruce Wayne mempunyai keinginan untuk membasmi kejahatan dan ketidakadilan di kota Gotham. Bruce mengubah dirinya menjadi seorang pembasmi kejahatan bernama Batman sebagai sebuah simbol dari keinginannya tersebut. Berbicara tentang keberadaan Batman juga berbicara tentang Bruce Wayne sebagai alter ego dari Batman. Arti dari keberadaan Batman di dalam masyarakat Amerika adalah sebagai sebuah simbol dari harapan dan impian dari mayarakat Amerika yang dikenal dengan American Dream dan kita dapat melihat hal tersebut melalui Batman dan Bruce Wayne. Di dalam skripsi ini, American Dream dijabarkan sebagai sebuah kehidupan yang nyaman dan sukses yang diartikan sebagai kesuksesan di bidang ekonomi, memiliki teknologi dan peralatan yang berguna, dan kendaraan bermotor.
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature cannot be separated from the life of human beings. Generally, literature describes the reality of human life. In other words, literature is an imitation of human life. Literary works usually tell about politics, economy, social life, and culture which are happened in the era when those works are written. Literary works contain many things which can be analyzed or studied. There must be some things which we can learn about in them. Literature itself is any kind of writing that, for certain reasons certain people value highly. Literature also can be said as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. Or imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value. <http://www.answers.com/topic/literature>
The kind of literary works themselves are poem, play or drama, novel, short story. In much, if not all of the world, texts can be oral as well, and include such genres as epic, legend, myth, ballad, plus other forms of oral poetry, and the folktale.
At this time, there is a new “form” of literature becoming a part of popular culture in society which is called comics, although there are still so many debates on the problem whether comics can be regarded as literary works or not. Comics is a kind of popular culture which can easily be found in our society.
In www.arroweducation.org, popular culture or pop culture is defined as a shared set of practices and beliefs that have attained global acceptance and which can be normally characterized by: being associated with commercial products; developing from local to national to global acceptance; allowing consumers to have widespread access and are constantly changing and evolving.
<http://www.arroweducation.org/Glossary.htm>
Pop culture is one of the matters which are in the cultural studies. In his book, The Cultural Studies Reader, Simon During states that cultural studies is, of course, the study of culture, or, more particularly, the study of contemporary culture. But this does not take us very far. Even assuming that we know precisely what “contemporary culture” is, it can be analyzed in many ways- sociologically, for instance, by “objectively” describing its institutions and functions as if they belong to a large, regulated system; or economically, by describing the effects of investment and marketing on cultural production. (During, 1993: 1)
What are contained in pop culture are like comics, fashion, music, sport, film, and video game. The world of pop culture had a particular influence on art from the early 1960s, through Pop art. It is characterized by themes and techniques drawn from popular mass culture, such as advertising and comics books.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_culture>
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collecting. Comics can also inspire to do the great things, like make a movie based on the story of a comics or just the characters contained in it.
There are so many movies making based on comics, like Superman,
Batman, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Punisher,
Daredevil, Catwoman, X-Men, and Hellboy.
Besides based on other works exist before which inspire a scriptwriter or a director to make a movie, sometimes the story of a movie is closely related to the social reality. It is often used by the scriptwriters and the directors to give the description about the social phenomena and often bound up with the history when the stories made and it can also be analyzed through cultural studies.
The definition of film is a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/film>
In making a movie, there are many things to be prepared well to result a good movie. One of them is movie script to make a movie flows like what its director wants.
often include only brief suggestions for planned shots, but by the date of production a screenplay may evolve into a detailed shooting script, in which action and gestures are explicitly stated.
<http://www.answers.com/topic/screenplay>
A movie script becomes one of the most important things which is really needed to be made as good as possible to make the story in it flows well.
A movie script or a screenplay actually is same with the drama or play: all of them made to be performed. A movie script has the similar structure with a drama script. The difference is, the movie script is performed in form of movie which is produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects, than play or drama is performed on the stage and watched live.
Sometimes, a movie script is made based on the history, a social and or society phenomena. For that reason there are so many movies which are made based on the true story or real event.
History and social and society phenomena can also inspire someone to create something which reflects the idea of someone, like what Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer did for their movie, Batman Begins (although most of people regard David S. Goyer who wrote the movie script).
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power like the other superheroes) in form of comics in 1939. Although, only Bob Kane who has the official credit of Batman and known as Batman’s creator.
Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer wrote Batman Begins movie based on and inspired by the social phenomena happened in American society. It is not first movie which is made based on what the phenomena happened in society.
There are several movies based on Batman character, such as in the animated series of DC universe, like in Batman: The Animated Series. Batman also appears in the silver screen movies, like Batman and Batman Returns which were directed by Tim Burton and Batman Forever and Batman and Robin were directed by Joel Schumacher. For the last movie, Batman Begins, it was directed by Christopher Nolan and the movie script was written by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan. <http://www.comicvine.com/batman/1699/>
Although it is the 5th live-action Batman movie since 1989, the movie is neither a prequel nor a sequel to either the previous Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher movies, the previous directors of Batman movies, but rather a reboot into its own movie franchise. The film was both a critical and financial success.
The character of Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, though Kane often receives credit as the sole creator. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (1939) and later became popular enough to spawn his own books. <http://www.comicvine.com/batman/1699/>
his human abilities, learned the martial arts, acrobatics, strength, and escape artistry which later will be his “weapons” in fighting the crimes.
Batman has provided many of the core story arcs for the DC brand since his creation. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no super powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money, inventiveness and detective skills to beat his opponents. A regular member of the Justice League, though not a founder, he makes up for his lack of super powers with a library of information and weaknesses of numerous villains and his team mates should they ever go rogue.
<http://www.comicvine.com/batman/1699/>
From quotation above, we can conclude that Batman is more suitable to be called as a crime fighter. Batman is also the result from what has been experienced by his persona (Bruce Wayne) in the past and the result of his feeling about life in Gotham City. Batman becomes the symbol used by Bruce Wayne to realize what he wants to do toward Gotham City.
Batman Begins movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S.
Goyer becomes the object of this thesis which discusses about the character of Bruce Wayne as the main character in Batman Begins movie and the use of “bat” as his crime fighter’s symbol. This thesis also discusses about representation of Batman in American life, like how Batman reflects the American Dream and Batman as the myth in American life.
B. Problem Formulation
These are the problems or questions which are formulated on this undergraduate thesis:
1. How is Batman characterized in Batman Begins?
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C. Objectives of the Study
From this thesis we can know about the intrinsic elements contained in Batman Begins, like how Batman is characterized in Batman Begins and the
significance of the symbol “bat” for him. This thesis also discuses about the extrinsic element in this movie: what the significance of Batman in American Society is.
D. Definition of Terms
1. Crime fighter
Crime fighter is a commonly used to refer to the superheroes without such powers who have many other common traits of superheroes.
<www.answer.com/topic/superhero>
Batman is a unique superhero, therefore he is called a crime fighter. A crime fighter can also be regarded as a superhero with no superhuman powers or abilities. Batman is the example. He is unique for the simple reason that he has no super powers and is an ordinary human relying on intelligence, money, inventiveness and detective skills to fight the crimes and the injustice.
<http://www.comicvine.com/batman/1699/>
2. American Dream
According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, American Dream is the U.S. ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success (2002: 45). We can say that American Dream is about the equality of opportunity had by every single American to gain a successful life.
In his The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams states that American Dream is a dream of land in which life should be better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement. American Dream is not a dram of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position. <http://memory.loc.gov/ammen/ndlpedu/lessons/97/dream/thedream/html>
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are many people discuss is about Batman and the other super heroes (actually we can not say that Batman is a super hero because he has no super power). A super hero is a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also: an exceptionally skillful or successful person.
<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superhero>
For that reason, in this thesis Batman will be called as a crime fighter, not a superhero.
Like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Green Lantern, Flash, Fantastic Four, Captain America, Hawkman, Power Girl, Wolverine,
X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel, and another super heroes and crimes
fighters comics-based also discussed by people like in www.dccomics.com, www.kafegaul.com, www.comicvine.com, or the other sites which discuss those
objects which actually based on characters from the comics, which most of them are from Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Batman is one of the most discussed super hero characters by many people who like this character. They like to discuss him because they think Batman is a character with mysterious background and history. They think that Batman’s character is so “dark”. It can be seen from Batman’s name given by DC Comics, “The Dark Knight”.
Batman Begins is also discussed by critics around the world. They criticize
the movie script written by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer.
Srinivas Kanchibhotla, in her article titled “Some Ramblings on Batman Begins” posted in www.idlebrain.com says “Batman, is none of the above chose to become a super hero. The powers that came with the territory came naturally to them, either congenitally or accidentally. Nobody has worked for them and nobody has wished upon them. This fundamental difference separates Batman from the rest. The only thing that ties him with the rest of the group is his mystic outfit during the hour of duty. He is as human as the one next to him.”
She tells that Batman is just a human who has no super power like the other heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Hulk, Daredevil, X-Men, and Fantastic 4. He gains his “power” from training his physical abilities, learning
martial arts, technologies supports in fighting crimes in Gotham City.
11
Kanchibhotla wants to say that Batman is result of what is happening in his society and finds the way to fight the injustice around him. Although at the first time he is confused to choose the legal way or the illegal one to fight it.
The movie itself repeatedly stresses the human side of Batman, reminding us that he has no super powers, just skill, wits and an ability to manipulate fear, which is one of the film's themes. A lot of attention is also paid to the accoutrements of the legend and how the suit, the cape, the car, the cave came to be.
Clint Morris has his own idea in criticizing the script in his article titled “Script Review: Batman Begins” posted in www.moviehole.net.
“…a good back-story is what will always keep an audience glued to the screen (Most of us remember the De Niro flashback scenes from ‘Godfather Part II’ as being the guts of the flick) and Goyer’s fleshed this one out better than a butcher would edible chook….the script immediately seems more interested in telling us about the man behind the cowl rather than the well-attired Caped Crusader himself.” <http://www.moviehole.net/news/3738.html>
Morris wants to tell that Batman Begins is a movie based on Batman comics (in this article he says that Batman Begins is based on Frank Miller's Batman: Year One). Batman Begins tells about a person witnesses the murder of
B. Review of Related Theories
In analyzing Batman Begins movie script, the writer applies three theories. They are theory on character and characterization, theory of symbol, and theory of American Dream.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
Character is an important element in the literary work. It has a big role to make a literary work alive and interesting. Character in fiction is indeed imaginary person. However, Rohrberger states that characters must be credible; that is, readers must accept them as believable person (1971: 20). Imaginary or fictional characters have physical appearance as real human being, have feeling, carry out actions, and experience problems, conflicts, and even development. Thereby, readers can accept them as believable people.
In his A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines character as a person in dramatic or narrative work endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say, i.e., the dialogue, and what they do, i.e., the action. The grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and actions constitute his motivation (1981: 20).
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is other characters attitude, even the minor ones, to the person in a story. Obviously, their attitudes toward a major character are important. Not so obviously, their similarities to or differences from him help to define most significant traits. The last and the most important way is known through the dialogue and behavior from the person himself (1965: 17-18).
M. J. Murphy, in his An Understanding Unseen (1972: 161-173), states that to present characters in a narrative or dramatic works, an author may use the ways a character portrayal which is often known as characterization.
According Baldick, characterization is the representation of persons in narrative or dramatic works which may include direct methods like the attributions of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect (or ‘dramatic’) methods inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech, or appearance (1991).
Murphy mentions nine ways to establish a character understandable and lively for the readers.
a. Personal description. The author gives detailed description of the physical appearance to the person’s character. This will help the reader to have a visualization of the person’s characters as well.
c. Speech. Through this way, other’s opinion n and conversation can reveal what kind of character he/ she has. So the reader can get some clues which are related to the character.
d. Past life. A description of someone’s past life more or less can help to shape his character. The author can give this life’s description through his direct comment, he person’s conversation and thought, or uses the other person or medium.
e. Conversation of others. Through the conversation of others, the reader can get some clues which are related to the person they speak about.
f. Reactions. Through the reaction in facing various situations and events, the reader can get some clues to understand the person’s character.
g. Direct comment. Through his own statement, the author can directly give descriptions or comments on a person’s character.
h. Thoughts. Through other person’s thoughts, the author gives the readers knowledge of the person’s character.
i. Mannerism. The reader can understand the person’s character by the author’s description of the person’s manners, habits, behaviors, etc.
2. Theory of Symbolism
Webster’s Encyclopedia Unbridged Dictionary of the English Literary
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character or mark or a combination of the letters or the like used to represent something (1989: 1440)
In Hugh C. Holman and William Harmon’s A Book to Literature, a symbol is something that is itself and yet stands for or suggest or means something else, a symbol is like an image that evokes and objective reality and has a meaning that suggests another level of meaning (1988: 494). Furthermore, Rohrberger in Reading and Writing about Literature states that symbol by definition stands for
something beyond and itself and often for many things (1971: 15).
According to Robert Stanton in his An Introduction to Fiction, symbol may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting, a single object, a physical, type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a sound, a fragrance, and so forth. They may represent a face of a human personality, futile ambitious, the romanticism of youth and so on (1965: 31).
Symbol, in fiction according to Stanton’s theory, has three usual effects depending upon how it is used. First, a symbol appears during an important moment of the story underlines the significant of the moment. Second, a symbol repeated several times to remind us. Third, a symbol that recurs in varying context to define or clarify the theme (1965: 32).
endowed with a meaning beyond themselves so that ideas and feeling as intangible things can be a concrete reality and meaning can be visible 1971: 15).
3. Theory of American Dream
There was an inhabitant land that was still virgin and fertile. The virgin land was known as the New World, the start of a new good era and a new beginning for the new people. They, the new people, who came from faraway places, had longed for a better world where their family could live comfortably. Finally, those people had found a place that they called New World as a new paradise for them to realize their dreams. The New World seemed to promise them a chance to get a better life.
In his An Early American Reader, Leo Lemay states that the very name calls the New World an idyllic myth, the start of a new golden age, a new beginning for a new Adam. The name conspired with the idea of nature to ensure that the prevailing myth of the New World would be that of a new Garden of Eden. The New World seemed to promise that mankind could recapture the innocence, joys and eternal life, as well as the freedom from cares and labor that had existed in the Garden of Eden (Lemay, 1989: 1).
Those immigrants affected people who lived in that time and the culture in that society. It also affected their dreams as a new comer in the land which later would be called as America.
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and freedom for all citizens to achieve their goals and become rich and famous if only they work hard enough.
<http://www.ego4u.com/en/read-on/countries/usa/american-dream>
In American Studies Today: An Introduction to Methods and Perspectives, Amritjit Singh, Max J. Skidmore, and Isaac Sequeira states that Americans have long been dedicated to the creation of the good society, and they have come close to fulfillment in the postwar era. They have achieved a remarkable state of material quantity that is more than enough – good food, comfortable clothes, convenient homes, fast cars, excellent medical care; to a considerable they have been relieved from the constant fatigue, the pain, hunger, sickness and misery which have been mankind’s lot through history. It is a striking fact that with so much leisure and abundance there has been a little idleness or even relaxation. In general, Americans show a great fear of wasting time, and furiously pursue new experiences and higher levels of performance as if they are determined to make the most of each day and each hour. (1995: 224-225)
First, being materialistic relates to the tendency to be more concerned with material than with spiritual or intellectual goals or values. In short, the only or highest goals or values are comfort, pleasure, and wealth. Whereas, being practical concerns with the application of knowledge in actual practice, rather than with theory. Second, being optimistic has the tendency to take the most hopeful and cheerful view of matters. In other words, it is the practical of looking on the bright side of things or of thinking positively. Third, being impatient deals with the feeling or showing a lack of patience, annoyance, or of not willing to bear or tolerate. The worst result of it is having involved in violence. Next, having idealistic goals has something to do with following one’s own ideals to the point of impracticality. For addition, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, an idealist is similar to a dreamer (1996: 669). The fifth or last trait
supporting the analysis is having equality of opportunity. It is the same as having, or perhaps demanding, the same chance or possibility as what other people do. These traits are chosen because they reflect the characteristics of most of Americans who lived in the twenties. The traits are appropriate for the analysis to show that most of the Americans have those kinds of characteristics to get what they want in their lives. In other word, these traits support them to achieve a better life in personal fulfillment or even in material success.
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C. Review on the Life of American Society in 1920s and 1930s
The character of Batman was created by Bob Kane and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939 issued by National and All-American which
later known as DC Comics. Bob Kane was in collaboration with Bill Finger in creating that character. Batman Begins script itself was made in 2004 by David S. Goyer and Christian Nolan, but this review discusses about the American Society in 1930s when character of Batman was made.
American society life in 1930s was closely related with the life in 1920s when 1920s and 1930s were called as the period of Post – World War I. In history of American Society, Post – World War I brought a quite significant influence in the development of American civilization. Some of the influences can be seen in the form of new values and life goals of most American society. 1920s was the period of prosperity or commonly called as The Golden Prosperity of Industry in American civilization that was set up with the development of mechanization in industrialization. Industrialization was the focus of the government under W. Harding presidency at the time as the answer for the economics needs caused by the World War I expenditures. (Current, 1976: 274)
unprecedented license in speech and behavior, the age of “flaming youth” and unrestrained dances like the “bunny hug and Charleston”
(Current, 1976: 274)
In the development of a mass national culture, Americans live with a emphasis on leisure, consumption, and amusement that had characterized the modern era. Its benefits were more accessible to the middle class than to minorities and other disadvantages groups. (Henretta, 1993: 734)
1920s was a critical decade in the development of the Americans Economy and it came to its highest peak. The prosperity and economic innovation of the 1920s gave Americans the highest standard of living in the world, although not every American was lucky enough to benefit from this new way of life. Most farmers, urban blacks, and recent immigrants could not afford the new mass-produced consumer goods and sampled them only selectively, adapting them to their traditional lifestyle. (Henretta, 1993: 727)
The country had reached a “permanent plateau” of prosperity and need never worry again about the possibility of a serious slump. Nevertheless, prosperity, like “normalcy” proved to be only temporary. Eventually the country fell into much worst economic depression it had ever known. (Current, 1976: 274)
The period of 1930s was the period that absolutely contrasts with the conditions n the 1920s.the collapse in the stock market in October 1929, The Great Depression, which resulted from the tensions in capitalism economy,
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sail. However, it was unable or unwilling to meet the problem confronted the nation. (Thorp, 1941: 77)
In 1932, millions of Americans were out of work and many of them lived in squalid shack on the edge of the cities and got their food from charity. Even those who still employed frequently earned less from farm, job, or investments than in the previous decade. Psychologically, they were in fear because no one could anticipate more problem laid ahead. (Youngs, 1981: 160)
The impact of The Great Depression on individual Americans was not sudden, but gradual. Although most people remained employed day after day, thousands men and women received severance slips at the beginning. (Norton, 1982: 706)
Million of Americans were not only hungry and ill, they were cold unable to afford fuel, some huddled in unheated tenements and shacks, families doubled up in crowded apartments, but some who were unable to pay that rent were evicted, furniture packing boxes and other debris usually carted away as junk. Several hundred women took to sleeping in Chicago’s Lincoln and Grant Parks; in Oakland, California, hundreds of people live in leftover concrete waste ducts f sewer – pipe city. (Norton, 1982: 709)
The Great Depression left an “invisible scar” on many Americans who lived through the 1930s, especially on white middle class. (Henretta, 1993: 783)
the late 1930s, the “invisible scar” of The Great Depression in some individual Americans still resists.
D. Theoretical Framework
In analyzing the Batman Begins movie script, the writer uses some theories. They are divided into two parts. One, they are the theories to reveal the elements inside the story. They are theory of Character and Characterization and theory of Symbolism. The other is the theory to reveal the extrinsic elements of the story. It is theory of American Dream.
The first theory is Theory on Character and Characterization. This theory is used to reveal the character of Bruce Wayne, as Batman’s alter ego, as the major character on Batman Begins. It is also needed to know about Batman’s character.
The second one is Theory of Symbolism. This theory is used to reveal the symbolism of the bat as symbol of a crime fighter who fights the crimes in Gotham City. It is also used to know why Bruce Wayne uses the symbol as a crime fighter.
Both theory of Character and Characterization and theory of Symbolism are used by the writer to answer the first question which is stated in problem formulation.
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society. It is to find out whether Batman is the representation of the American Dream. It is to answer the second problem formulation.
The review of review of American Society in 1920s and 1930s is for the comparison for what happened in those eras with what happens in Batman Begins. It is also useful to see the life in American society in 1920s and 1930s through Batman/ Bruce Wayne.
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
Batman Begins is the 5th movie based on Batman’s character created by Bob Kane. Batman is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. He has become one of the world's most recognized superheroes, along with Superman and Spiderman.
What becomes the object of the study in this thesis is Batman Begins movie script. The script itself tells about a man named Bruce Wayne who witnesses the murder of his parents in front of him in a robbery. Then, trained himself, Bruce turns to a crime fighter named Batman. He makes use of intellect, detective skills, technology, and physical prowess in his war on crime.
The script was written by co-writer Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, although there are many people only regard Goyer as the writer of the script. This script was taken from www.imsdb.com.
Batman Begins is directed by Christopher Nolan and it was released in
2005 by Warner Brothers Pictures. Christian Bale casts as Bruce Wayne/ Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred, Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
Batman Begins won some awards in some movie festivals, like in 2005
Hollywood Film Festival. Batman Begins won Sound of the Year from David
Evans. In 2006 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA, it won some awards for some categories, like Christian Bale for Best Actor.
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Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer won for Best Writing, and as Best Fantasy Film. In 2006 MTV Movie Awards, Christian Bale won Best Hero.
<http://imdb.com/title/tt0372784/awards>
Batman Begins tells about Bruce Wayne who turns into a crime fighter
named Batman who fights the crimes in his city, Gotham. Bruce Wayne has a trauma with bats. It is caused when he was a child. He fell to the deep hole with so many of bats inside it. Bruce felt so scared when those bats were flying outside the hole and crossing him. His trauma is haunting him until he learns to face and conquer it with help from Ducard and Ra’s Al Ghul.
After he has learned and experienced so many things, trained his physical abilities, learned the martial arts, and supported by technologies and gadgets, Bruce Wayne decides to get back to his city, Gotham, and becomes a crime fighter and uses the bat as his symbol. His symbol is known as Batman.
Batman is Bruce Wayne’s alter ego. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual perfection, don a costume, and fight crime.
B. Approach of the Study
Wellek and Warren state that a work may be the result of author understanding about social problems around him (1956: 95), in other words a literary work may represent social problems. Concerning that reason, the writer believes that it will be very suitable to analyze the movie script from the socio-historical point of view.
Rohrberger states that socio-historical approach inserts the real condition of social and history that influences the author in making a literary work, because the work itself cannot be separated from the social milieu and historical when the play is created (1971: 9-10). It is important because literary works are not made without any purpose; it usually conveys a significant idea, values, or rules of the society in which it occurs.
The approaches which are used in this thesis is socio-historical approach
because it is the most appropriate one to answer the question in the problem questions which is related with society and history. Using this approach, the writer wants to figure out the condition in America through the movie script which becomes the object of study of this thesis. Moreover, the writer also wants to compare the story with real fact and condition of America in that time. It will give us a description of real society.
C. Method of the Study
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with some books and articles to provide the supporting evidences as the secondary data sources. It also uses the sources from the articles on internet.
There were some steps used by the writer in analyzing the object of the study. First step was to read the object of the study the movie script. It was done in order to understand the story. The movie script was regarded as the primary data. Second was, to collect the data related to the movie script, including the theories that would be used. Theory of character and characteristic is used to analyze Batman’s character and his characteristic in the movie script. The writer analyzes about what Batman does, says, and thinks. He also does the same to Bruce Wayne because they are the same person. Theory of symbolism is used to know the meaning of symbol of bat used by Batman/ Bruce Wayne as a crime fighter. The writer analyzes the symbol which is used to fight the crimes and the symbol to hide his identity. Then the theory of American Dream is used to analyze the representation of Batman in America and his representation for the Americans. The writer analyzes Batman/ Bruce Wayne’s life to find the dream and hopes of Americans from him.
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this chapter the writer will discuss the Batman Begins movie script to answer the problems or questions stated in problem formulation. At first, the writer will discuss the characteristics of Batman in order to answer the first question. Including his reason why Bruce uses symbol in fighting the crimes and why he uses bats as a crime fighter or vigilante. Then, the writer will discuss the significance of Batman in American society.
A. The Characteristics of Batman
Batman is a unique character. It is like that he has a double life. One side he is a vigilante or crime fighter who fights the crimes in Gotham City and on the other side he is a normal or ordinary person who has his own social life as a billionaire named Bruce Wayne. Both of them cannot be separated into two persons because actually they are the same person.
What we should know is who the real character inside that body is. Actually, they are one person who is like to have two personalities which can support each other. It is called an alter ego.
According to Dictionary of Behavioral Science, alter ego or Alteregoism is a very intimate friend that is considered by the individual as a second or other self. Alteregoism is as close feeling about another person in the same situation as oneself (Wolman, 1973).
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In the analysis of the first problem formulation, the writer applies M. J. Murphy’s theory of Character and Characterization. The writer applies five of nine ways to analyze a character: characters as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, and thought.
The character as a crime fighter named Batman and the character as a billionaire named Bruce Wayne are found in one body. But those two characters cannot appear in the same time. Bruce Wayne is the real personality of that person and Batman is the other personality who becomes a cover for his real personality. We can conclude that Bruce Wayne is regarded as the first personality than Batman is the second. That crime fighter is the translation of the real personality which chooses Batman as his symbol.
When that character is being Batman, he cannot show Bruce Wayne’s character and vice versa. Bruce tries to do so although he wants to tell the persons he trusts like Rachel Dodson.
WAYNE: Rachel, all that... that's not me, inside I'm... different. I'm- RACHEL: The same great little kid you used to be? Bruce, deep down,
your friends out there are great, too. It's not who you are underneath...[pokes his chest] But what you do that defines you. [Rachel moves past him. Wayne stands there, eyes burning].
(Goyer, 2004: scene 72)
As a person who has double life, Bruce also has some kind of double personalities. Once Bruce Wayne is as a billionaire and the other side Batman is as a vigilante or crime fighter. As Bruce Wayne, he has to be a billionaire who likes to have some funs.
WAYNE: What does someone like me do?
stands straight, feet together- FALLS FORWARD to the floor- into his dizzyingly fast push-ups. Alfred watches. Concerned].
ALFRED (CONT'D): Who knows, Master Wayne- if you start pretending to have fun, you might even have a little by accident. (Goyer, 2004: scene 66)
These are done in order to cover the injuries which Bruce may get from his action as crime fighter. So, the people around him will not have a question about why Bruce often gets some injuries.
As the main character, Bruce Wayne does not have a dream becoming a crime fighter in his city. When he is a child, Bruce loses his parents, murdered in a robbery done by a criminal named Joe Chill. Bruce watches the murder happened in front of his eyes. This incident makes him so sad.
When he is grown up, Bruce tries to kill the criminal who kills his parents, Joe Chill as the revenge for his parents’ death. Bruce tries to kill him after the hearing.
Chill notices Wayne's cold eyes. Has to look away. Bruce RISES, walks out, all eyes on him. Including Rachel's.
EXT. PARKING LOT, COURTHOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER Bruce MOVES to Rachel's car. Picks up his GUN, stuffs it up the sleeve of his overcoat. Waits.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 23)
But what Bruce plans to kill Joe cannot be done because he is killed by a woman sent by Carmine Falcone, a mafia in Gotham City.
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Rachel gestures at the filthy streets. Down dark alleys-shadowy figures conduct business.
RACHEL (CONT'D): This city is rotting. Chill is not the cause, he's the effect. Corruption is killing Gotham and Chill being dead doesn't help that-it makes it worse because Falcone walks. He carries on flooding our city with crime and drugs... creating new Joe Chills... Falcone may not have killed your parents, Bruce, but he's destroying everything they stood for...
(Goyer, 2004: scene 25)
There, Bruce realizes that Gotham City needs helps. Bruce's will to fight the crimes at first is shown when he meets Falcone at basement club where he is used to be and beats some bouncers who guard him.
BOUNCER: 'Night, Mr.Falcone.
The three men move towards a waiting limo- WHAM- one Thug takes a kick to the head, goes down- Bruce steps from the shadows- the Second Thug goes for his gun-Bruce GRABS his arm- CHOPS his throat- JUDO FLIPS the thug...Bruce turns to Falcone who looks at him, curious.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 27)
FALCONE (CONT'D): You shoulda just sent me a thank-you note... [Bruce looks up at Falcone. Spits blood].
BRUCE: I didn't come here to thank-you. I came to show you that not everyone in Gotham is afraid of you.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 27)
That means that Bruce is not afraid with Falcone’s power. He is a mafia in Gotham City. His will to meet Falcone and beats his guards can symbolize his will to fight the crimes. And we can conclude that Bruce has courage to fight the crimes, although he is not success to do it in that time. Then, this makes Bruce leaving Gotham City. He travels to some places.
Later, Bruce meets Ducard. He trains Bruce to be a warrior of The League of Shadow. Bruce is asked about his reason to leave Gotham City. And what
DUCARD (O.S.): And when you left Gotham... [And we are-] EXT. HIMALAYAN MONASTERY -- DAY
DUCARD:...what were you seeking?
[Ducard LEAPS up onto a STONE WALL. GRABBING ON using pikes on his palms and on his feet. Wayne watches].
WAYNE: To lose myself. I couldn't do anything as Bruce Wayne. I felt useless.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 29)
Bruce reasons that he cannot fight the injustice as an ordinary man. Bruce also tells about his reasons in committing does the crimes when he travels to some places.
DUCARD (CONT'D): On your journey... you sought knowledge of the criminal world?
WAYNE:(nods) I needed to understand the thoughts and feelings of those who stand in the shadows...
(Goyer, 2004: scene 30)
WAYNE (V.O.): I needed to feel the fear before a crime...
[The Elderly Man SPOTS a BUSINESSMAN hurrying along- STEPS into his path, engineering a COLLISION, tumbling to the pavement. The Businessman and Bruce both CROUCH to help].
WAYNE (V.O.) (CONT'D): And the thrill of success...
[Bruce SLIPS the Businessman's wallet out of his pocket. The businessman moves off. Bruce shows the Elderly Man the wallet for APPROVAL. Then HURRIES after the Businessman].
WAYNE (V.O.) (CONT'D): ...without becoming one of them. (Goyer, 2004: scene 30)
Bruce tries to understand the people’s thought who do the crimes and he does it without a will to be a criminal. He just wants to feel about their feeling when they are doing their actions and the feeling when they get the result of what they have done in crimes and why they do them.
WAYNE (V.O.): I thought I would find something...
INT. SMOKE-FILLED BACKROOM, SHANGHAI -- NIGHT
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WAYNE (V.O.): I thought I would learn what I needed to do with my skills and my anger...
(Goyer, 2004: scene 31)
By understanding the criminals’ thought, Bruce wants to develop his skills and abilities in order to fight the crimes one day. So, he can use his anger to avenge his parents’ death and fight the crimes.
Ducard asks Bruce if he still feels responsible about his parents’ death. And Bruce answers that he feels his anger than his responsibility.
DUCARD (V.O.): And do you still feel responsible? INT. PASSAGEWAY, MONASTERY -- DAY
Ducard leads Wayne along a screened passage overlooking extraordinary mountains.
WAYNE: My anger outweighs my guilt. (Goyer, 2004: 15)
At first, Bruce feels that it is his responsibility that makes his parents and him leave the opera earlier and makes his parents get shot by Joe Chill. But his anger toward the crime which causes his parents’ death, rises higher then his feeling of that responsibility.
From that answer, Ducard realizes that Bruce is angry with his parents’ death. Then, Ducard trains Bruce to be a great warrior with Ninjitsu techniques. One of them is that he trains Bruce to use theatrical and deception in fighting.
DUCARD: Advanced techniques of Ninjitsu employ explosive powders. WAYNE: As weapons?
DUCARD: Or distractions. Theatricality and deception are powerful agents.
[Ducard hands Wayne a pinch of the powder].
DUCARD (CONT'D): To be a great warrior is not enough. Flesh and blood, however skilled, can be destroyed... you must be more than just a man in the minds of your opponents.
Ducard also tells an idea of Ninjitsu that will be one of Bruce’s reasons to fight the crimes as Batman.
[Ducard puts on his ninja mask. Motions Wayne to do the same. Wayne STRUGGLES to think through the effects of the smoke...]
WAYNE: Why The masks?
[As if in reply, DOZENS of NINJAS step forward from the shadows: the hall is filled with identical Ninjas. Ducard has melted into the crowd. Wayne raises his guard...]
DUCARD: To conquer fear, you must become fear... you must bask in the fear of other men... and men fear most what they cannot see-
[Ducard STRIKES at Wayne- Wayne SPINS, PARRIES- but Ducard has gone. The Ninjas movie in unison, forming WALLS...] DUCARD (CONT'D): It is not enough to be a man... you have to become
an idea... a terrible thought... a wraith- (Goter, 2004: scene 33)
Ducard tells Bruce that to be a great warrior, he must loose his own fear then use the others’ fear to loose them. And people are afraid to something which they do not see. It is like to use the psychological side of the people about fear of what they can not see. So, the theatrical and deception trained by Ducard can be useful for Bruce in fighting.
The thought that someone should be an idea in front of the opponents more than just be a man inspires Bruce Wayne to find a symbol for his purpose, fighting the crimes and injustice in Gotham City. A symbol which can be used as an idea which will be the terror for the criminals.
35
The symbol Bruce needs in fighting the crimes is inspired from his childhood accident, when he falls into old deep well. There he meets with many bats which are in that well. The bats which fly toward Bruce because they are attracted with the light from the hole where young Bruce falls from scares him and that accident gives him a trauma and fear of bats. Bruce’s fear of bats is taken out from him by the training of Ninjitsu done by Ducard.
When Bruce decides to find a symbol to fight the crimes in Gotham City, he sees a bat in his house. Then he tries to find out its nest after Alfred, a Waynes’ servant, tells him that the bats nest somewhere on the grounds. Then, Bruce checks it by himself. He uses the old well where he falls into it in his childhood and he finds a dark vast cavern. There, he finds something he needs as his symbol.
An underground RIVER, a JAGGED ceiling, far above, which, as Wayne PEERS, starts to MOVE- BATS EXPLODE from the ceiling. THOUSANDS DESCEND, SCREECHING, attracted to the light- Wayne instinctively CROUCHES. But as they SWARM around him terrifyingly...Wayne RISES to his feet amidst a CYCLONE of bats, watching the fluttering blackness with a profound CALM. And he knows the symbol he must use.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 40)
On that cavern, Bruce meets with the bats again which fly over him because they are attracted the light from the hole where he comes in. At first, he tries to avoid them by crouching. Then, he realizes that he has no fear of bats anymore because it has been taken out from him with Ninjitsu training done by Ducard. Ducard trains him to face his own fear.
experience in his childhood when young Bruce falls to a deep well which gives him a trauma and fear of bats.
ALFRED: Why the design, Master Wayne?
[Alfred indicates the steel carved into a BAT'S WING].
WAYNE: A man, however strong, however skilled, is just flesh and blood. I need to be more than a man. I need to be a symbol.
ALFRED: And why the symbol of the bat?
WAYNE: Bats frighten me. [slight smile] And it's time my enemies shared my dread.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 56)
His reason using bats as his symbol is, Bruce, in his childhood when he has fear of bats until it is taken out by Ducard through Ninjitsu training, had a fear of bats and he wants that his feeling about that fear is also experienced by the criminals in Gotham City. Bruce wants the criminals are scared with the bats like he was. So, he wants the symbol he uses, bats, can do frighten the criminals, like the real bats which frightened him.
There are common believes in some places in the world about bats. And they can also be one of the reasons of Bruce Wayne in using bats as his symbol. Throughout Europe and Africa, it is associated with dark powers and the Devil. They are frequently found in graveyards and crypts, so they also carry an association with death.In modern culture, the bat is an icon of all things dark and spooky, including Halloween, the Goth subculture. (www.ancientspiral.com)
It means that a bat represents the bad and dark thing. And Bruce Wayne use bats as a symbol that can spread something that frighten the criminals and let them think that they will always face Batman when they do their crimes.
37
power whose abilities are more powerful beyond the ordinary human. Batman only has the abilities from the physical trainings he does and the advanced and modern gadgets to support his action.
In his action, Batman is like a ghost. He can come and go without being detected by anyone. He does it in order to frighten the criminals. Batman uses theatrical and deception he got from his Ninjitsu trainings in fighting the crimes. And these can give the great effect to the criminals.
SECOND THUG: The things they say about him... Can he really fly? EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM -- CONTINUOUS
[Batman's cape FLUTTERS as he SWINGS down two stories, LANDING at the high windows of the derelict corridor].
INT. ABANDONED REFECTORY -- CONTINUOUS THIRD THUG: I heard he can disappear-
(Goyer, 2004: scene 88)
It can prove that the methods Batman uses in his action, using the deception and the theatricality, works properly and does make the criminals frightened, because they think that Batman really can fly and disappear. And those methods can make the criminals think that Batman really has the dark power.
Bruce chooses bat because it is an animal which always comes out at the night. Its skin which is dark makes it difficult to see in the night when it comes out from where it hides from the light. And its coming is like something that cannot be predicted. It is suitable with Batman’s characteristic that uses his ability in using deception and manipulate the criminals’ fear.
WAYNE: If he's so benevolent why does he hide his face?
FEMALE GUEST: Maybe he's protecting the people he cares about from reprisals.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 71)
A mask, means symbol, which is used by Batman is also to hide his Bruce Wayne character and personality and Bruce Wayne is the cover for Batman, although batman is the real personality of that man, not Bruce Wayne.
The characteristics of Batman can be seen from his way of thinking in order to fight the crimes in Gotham City, that he will need a symbol to do it. It means that he is a smart man. He does not want show his social life character personality as Bruce Wayne in front of the criminals. Besides to hide his social life identity, it is also useful to protect his beloved persons. It means that Batman is a person who loves the people around him and does not want them to be in danger because of his action as a crime fighter.
As a smart man, Batman uses his knowledge about the people’s fear of what they cannot see. He learns this from Ducard/ Ra’s Al Ghul. He uses theatrical and deception to fear the criminals and makes an idea among the criminals that he can fly and disappear.
Batman is also characterized as a person who is fulfilled with the anger because of the death of his parents. Batman uses tat anger to fight the crimes in order to avenge his parents’ death.
39
transportation system, and fulfill the military supplies. The writer analyzes it more in the analysis of second problem formulation.
B. The Significance of Batman in American Society
One of Batman’s characteristics is rich. Bruce Wayne, as Batman’s real personality, is a billionaire industrialist. With his wealth, Bruce Wayne can get whatever he wants. From his wealth, Bruce can also get the things he needs in his action as a crime fighter. The existence of Batman has its own meaning for the people who admire him, especially for Americans and American society, where this iconic character was created.
Batman was created by Robert Kahn a.k.a. Bob Kane and Bill Finger, although only Bob Kane who has the official credit of Batman and known as Batman’s creator. The creation of Batman was influenced by actor Douglas Fairbanks' movie, The Mark of Zorro, Leonardo Da Vinci's diagram of the ornithopter, a flying machine with huge bat-like wings; and the 1930 film The Bat
Whispers, based on Mary Rinehart's mystery novel The Circular Staircase.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_kane>
Economic prosperity in American Dream is also about having a lot of money as one’s wealthy, having good houses, automobiles, technology and gadgets which all of them have part of American culture. And Batman has the perception had by the Americans about their American Dream.
First, we have to be sure that Batman is the representation of American Dream by answering the question: in his stories, does Batman live in America? We can know the answer by analyzing the script to find the evidences which can prove that whether he really exists in America.
In Batman Begins movie script, there is no exact statement which tells that the story takes place in America. But we can analyze it to find the evidences to answer the question above.
First, Batman/ Bruce Wayne is described as the person who lives in Gotham City and there is no direct statement that Gotham is one of the cities in America. Actually, Gotham is an old nickname for New York City which was popularized by Washington Irving in Salmagundi Papers.
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE0D61431F936A3575AC 0A96F948260>
Washington Irving was an American author of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". He is best known, however, as the first American to make a living solely
from writing. Initially, he wrote under pen names; one was "Diedrich Knickerbocker."
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Then, on the movie script itself there is conversation between Ducard (the real Ra’s Al Ghul) and Bruce Wayne which can be a next evidence about the existence of Gotham City.
RA'S AL GHUL: No. Billions of lives. Gotham is just the beginning. The world will watch in terror as the greatest city falls. Anarchy and chaos will spread... mankind will ravage itself, the species will be culled and the balance of nature restored. The planet will be saved for all species.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 108)
Ra’s Al Ghul says about the greatest city. In that conversation, it refers to Gotham City. In the real world, New York City is the biggest city in the world which is located in America. Then, we can conclude that Gotham City is the representation of New York City in the real world. And we also can conclude that Batman lives in America.
There are some “theories” about the existence of Gotham City in America which can support statement above. This is one of them.
Gotham City, a home for Batman and high crime, is modelled after New York City, Boston, Chicago and Pittsburgh. To further emphasize the crime, it's known to be dark, with many shadows and corrupt cops. It also makes a connection to New York City, because of their high crime rates in the past. A recurring and emphasized theme for Gotham City is the corruption with the authorities, especially the Gotham City Police Department.
<http://www.comicvine.com/gotham-city/23611/>
Flass, Jim Gordon’s partner, is one of the characters that represent the policemen who are corrupt. Jim Gordon is the good policeman who is not corrupt. And he becomes Batman’s “partner” in fighting the crimes and injustices.
BATMAN: It's a start. Your partner was at the docks with Falcone. GORDON: He moonlights as a low-level enforcer.
Flass works to Carmine Falcone, a drug dealer and mafia in Gotham City. It is an irony that Flass is the policeman and Falcone is a criminal. What Flass does is to protect what Falcone does with his drug dealing. He should protect the people from the crimes and drugs like what Jim Gordon does.
Flass does not do his job as a policeman well. He often does the things that he does not do as a policeman. We can see on these statements.
INT. UNMARKED POLICE SEDAN -- EVENING
Gordon, now 46 and a Detective, in the passenger seat. Worn eyes watching his partner, FLASS, 42, glad-hand the owner of the liquor store they are parked outside. Flass squeezes into the driving seat holding a wad of CASH.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 46)
EXT. FALAFEL STAND, SURFACE STREET – NIGHT
Raining. Flass stuffs falafel into his mouth. Grabs a banknote from the VENDOR. Flass walks down a dark street...
(Goyer,2004: scene 76)
They state that Flass often asks some money from the store owners or food sellers. They prove that what Flass does is the representation from the statement about the corruption in Gotham City Police Department.
Based on the facts that Gotham City is the old nickname for New York City, Ra’s al Ghul’s conversation which indicates that Gotham City is the greatest city in the world, which means Gotham City is the representation of New York City, and a “theory” about Gotham City, we can conclude that Gotham City is the representation or symbol of New York City and it means Batman lives in America and he is an American.
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The idea of American Dream is a subjective term usually implying a successful and satisfying life. Here, the idea of American Dream can be concluded as the hopes and or the dreams of the Americans. The hopes and the dreams of the Americans about a successful and satisfying life. In this thesis, the writer translates a successful and satisfying life as economic prosperity, having technology and gadgets, and automobiles, like what America had in 1920s. We will find out whether Batman is the representation of American Dream.
First, economic prosperity. Bruce Wayne is the person who inherits the wealth from his parents. It makes him a billionaire. His father, Thomas Wayne, is the owner of Wayne Industries. After, his death, Wayne Industries is owned by Bruce Wayne, but at the time his parents die Bruce is eight years old. He is allowed to run it when he is thirty years old. Actually, that fact does not make mean Bruce loses his family’s company. He is still the owner of it. It just delays him to run it himself.
EARLE: You think you have authority to decide who runs this company, Bruce?
WAYNE: It is my company. (Goyer, 2004: scene 124)
Wayne Industries is a company whose projects are to serve public needs, like water and power utilities, public transportation system.
WAYNE: You knew my father?
FOX: Sure. Helped him build his train. Beautiful project- routed right into Wayne Tower, along with the water and power utilities. Made Wayne Tower the unofficial heart of Gotham.
It builds many public facilities in Gotham City. So, it makes sense if there some public facilities named with Wayne family, like Wayne Station, Wayne Plaza, and Wayne Tower.
Wayne Industries also works some things for military technology in its applied sciences division, where Bruce Wayne gets some gadgets for supporting his action as a crime fighter, like kevlar bodysuit, and the tumbler for his ride.
By inheriting the wealthy from his parents and having Wayne Industries, we can say that Bruce Wayne is a rich person.
There is other fact that tells us that Bruce Wayne is rich. It is from Alfred, the Waynes’ servant.
WAYNE: [groggy] Bats are nocturnal.
ALFRED: Bats, maybe... but even for billionaire playboys, 3 o'clock is pushing it. The price of leading a double life, I fear.
(Goyer, 2004: scene 65)
It states that Alfred says directly to Bruce Wayne that he is a billionaire. This characterization is what is called as characters as seen by another by M. J. Murphy in his An Understanding Unseen.
