AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YOHANES JIMMY OY WEA Student Number: 054214054
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
YOHANES JIMMY OY WEA Student Number: 054214054
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
iv
finally vanities. Having passed from the
first,
it
degenerates
in
the
second
and
dies in the third.
v
Dedicated for:
My Lord, Jesus Christ
My Father, Ambrosius B. Wea
My Mother, Hilaria M. Lengga
My sister, Yoan
My brother, Mapes
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Christ for His blessing and guidance. I can finish writing this thesis because of Him. God is good all the time.
I would like to thank my father, Ambrosius B Wea and my mother Hilaria M Lengga, for their prayers and struggle to finance my study..Both of you have been my motivation in finishing this thesis writing. I thank my sister too: Yoan and my brother Mapes. I love you all.
I would like to give my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S, M.Hum. for her precious time and guidance in this thesis writing. I would like also to give my gratitude to my co-advisor Maria Ananta, S.S, M.Ed for her time and willingness to correct my thesis. I thank all the lecturers and all staffs in the secretariat of English Letters Department too.
Furthermore, I thank my closest friends in campus:Fajar, Agung, Budi,Trimbil,Nani, Priska Niawati, Tetty Florentina Simbolon, Weny Natalia, Pipy, Lita, Cita, and Deby. I thank all 2005 English Letters Department’s students and all family of The Importance of Being Earnest: Fajar, Estu, Putri, Orie, Herni, Bayu, Surya, Yusi, Rizki, Irene, Troy, etc. Thank you for the good time we have been through together. All of you mean friendship.
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and encouragement. You make my days colorful. I do not know what will happen to my life without you. I cannot finish this thesis without your hands, thank you my love.
Last but not least, I thank everyone whose name I cannot mention one by one for helping and supporting me during the completion of my thesis. May God bless you all. Thank you so much.
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ACCEPTANCE PAGE ... iii
MOTTO PAGE ... iv
DEDICATION PAGE ... v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ... vi
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ... viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ... ix
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ... 6
A. Review of Related Studies ... 6
B. Review of Related Theories ... 8
1. Theory of Character ... 8
2. Theory of Characterization ... 10
3. Theory of Social class ... 11
A. The Major Characterizations that are Described in Strindberg’s Miss Julie ... 25
1. Miss Julie ... 27
a. Stubborn ... 27
b. Full of pride ... 28
x
B. The Class Stratification Presented in the Play ... 43
1. Upper-class ... 44
a. Title ... 44
b. Power ... 46
c. Hausing ... 47
d. Lifestyle ... 49
e. Marriage ... 50
2. Lower-class ... 51
a. Title ... 51
b. Housing ... 52
c. Lifestyle ... 53
d. Marriage ... 54
C. The Criticism toward the European Upper-Class Way of Life in 1800’s As Revealed through the Major Characters’ Characterizations ... 55
1. Miss Julie ... 56
a. Stubborn ... 56
b. Full of pride ... 59
c. Desperate of love ... 61
d. Confuse of herself ... 63
2. Jean ... 65
a. Ambitious ... 65
b. Upper-class like ... 66
c. Conceited ... 69
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ... 71
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Characterizations in August Strindberg’ Miss Julie. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2009.
One of the functions of literature is to criticize the society. In 1800’s, social revolutions has spread out in Europe. People start to erase the barriers between the classes. The upper-class was expected to be more open and realize that the era of their exclusiveness is no longer needed. But many of them refuse to accept these changes and continue their way of life. This is the social problem discussed in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. He tries to criticize the European upper-class in 1800’s. Since it is very important, I decided to analyze the criticism toward the European upper-class way of life in 1800’s as revealed through the major characters’ characterizations in Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
There are three questions that have to be answered in this thesis. The questions are (1) How are the major characters described in Strindberg’s Miss Julie? (2)How are the class stratification presented in the play? (3) What are the criticisms toward the European upper class way of life in 1800’s revealed through the major characters characterizations in the play?
This study is a library research. The primary source is August Strindberg’s
Miss Julie, while the secondary resources are some books of literature, and sociology. In this thesis, sociocultural-historical approach is used because it talks about the social condition in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects. Therefore this approach is the most suitable to be used in analyzing the criticism toward the European upper-class way of life in 1800’s.
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Characterization in August Strindberg’ Miss Julie.Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2009.
Salah satu fungsi karya sastra adalah mengkritisi masyarakat.Pada revolusi sosial tahun 1800an, masyarakat mulai menghapus batasan-batasan antarkelas sosial. Kalangan atas diharapkan untuk lebih terbuka dan menyadari bahwa keistimewaan mereka tidak lagi dibutuhkan .Inilah masalah sosial yang dibahas dalam drama Miss Julie karya August Strindberg.Penulis mencoba mengkritisi kalangan atas Eropa pada tahun 1800an.Karena hal tersebut sangat penting, saya memutuskan menganalisa kritik terhadap gaya hidup kalangan atas eropa pada tahun 1800an yang terlihat melalui karakterisasi tokokh utama dalam Miss Julie
karya August Strindberg.
Ada tiga pertanyaan harus dijawab dalam tesis ini,yaitu (1) Bagaimana tokoh-tokoh utama digambarkan dalam Miss Julie?(2)Bagaimana stratifikasi sosial ditampilkan dalam drama?(3)Kritik apa terhadap gaya hidup kalangan atas di Eropa pada masa 1800san yang terungkap dalam karakterisasi tokoh-tokoh utama Miss Julie?
Skripsi ini adalah studi pustaka. Sumbernya adalah drama Miss Julie karya August Strindberg dan buku-buku sastra serta buku kemasyarakatan. Pendekatan yang paling sesuai adalah sosiokultural historikal sebab membahas kondisi sosial saat karya sastra diciptakan..
1 A. Background of the study
Literary work is one of the tools which are used by human beings to express their experiences of life. By reading literature, human beings can understand every single part of human’s life. People’s problems of life such as: love, discrimination, social class, conflict, religion, hated, brotherhood, friendship, or beauty can be found in literary works. It can be stated that literary work is “an illustration of human life because the literary works present the literary of human situation, problems, feelings, and relationship” (Welleck and Warren, 1956: 96). In brief, literary works can describe the portrait of human life.
However, to have a good understanding about literary works or literature, what literature should be known first. In Approach to Literature, Graham Little tries to define literature as:
The principle element of a culture. It contains the record of values, thoughts problem, and conflict, that are transmitted either through written or spoken words. With such acknowledgment literature stats as a tool to pass the experience from one generation to the next. Literature, then, functions as a representation of the situation time and place (1963: 1).
reading literature, the readers can learn about social condition is a certain area and in a certain time because literature is the imitation of the reality.
One of the social problems which are imitated by literature is the problem of social class. According to Speneer, “social class is large group of people who share similar income, life-style, education, occupation, or some other standards.” (1994: 205). Since the very beginning of human kind history, the problems that grow inside the social class have been known as one of the greatest problem of human being’s civilization. In this situation, literature stands as the media which is used to criticize problems that appear inside the social class. For years, literature has been used as the guardian of social class. The Importance of Being
Earnest is used by Oscar Wilde to criticize the hypocrisy of the English upper class or Arms and the Men by Bernard Shaw which was written to criticize the society in Victorian Era.
lower-class way of life, Jean acts like he is an upper-class person. It is not normal since there is a very strict line that separated lower-class from the upper-class.
By using Miss Julie, August Strindberg actually tries to criticize the European upper class and its way of life in 1800’s. At that time, the upper class had very strict rules in order to manage the behavior of its members’ life and the life of the class itself. The member of the upper class had to follow the way of life and if they refused to do so, they would not be considered as members anymore.
Miss Julie then was written to break this point of view. It can be stated that the criticism toward the European upper class way of life is revealed through Miss
Julie.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the explanation above, there are three questions that appear: 1. How are the major characters described in Strindberg’s Miss Julie? 2. How are the class stratification presented in the play?
3. What are the criticisms toward the European upper class way of life in 1800’s revealed through the major characters’ characterizations in Strindberg’s Miss Julie?
C. Objectives of the Study
The research mainly aims to answer the three problems stated in the problem formulation. The first aim is to describe the major characters in Strindberg’s Miss Julie. The second aim is to find out how are the class stratification presented in the play. The third aim is to find out what is the criticism toward the European upper class way of life in 1800’s that revealed through the major characters’ characterizations in Miss Julie.
D. Definition of Terms
Social class, according to Speneer, in her book Foundations of Modern
6 A. Review of Related Studies
Johan August Strindberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden and well known as one of the Sweden greatest writers. He had written so many qualified plays such as Master Olof (1872), The Stronger (1889), and many more. The world admits his ability in writing play.He even states as the only writer that can portray the savagery of the human heart with such utter honesty and agony.
There is no other playwright in the world who portrays the savagery of the human heart with such utter honesty and agony as does August Strindberg. When it comes to people acting from motives they themselves do not understand, people who lie to themselves and others, people who want one thing, and want the exact opposite of that thing, at one and the same time; people who suffer from the profound and inevitable ambiguity of the human soul--Strindberg is the master.(Bethune, 2005)
One of his masterpieces is Miss Julie which was published in 1888. This is one of his very popular plays that has been analyzed and criticized by many critics and experts. Some of the critics are:
Filand Indrawati Prayogo in her thesis A Study of Julie’s Tragic Life as Seen in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie explores Julie’s tragic life. She states that Julie can be considered as a character who fails in life, there are many factors that influence her. She analyzed what factors cause Julie to her tragic life, and how the factors lead her to her tragic life (2001: 6).
A paper entitled The De-Centering of Power through Discourse in August
In August Strindberg’s one act play, Miss Julie, the title character, Miss Julie, a noblewoman, and Jean, a valet (footman), alternate pursuing each other in a flirtatious game of “cat and mouse,” with the expectation of conquering and using the other to their advantage. Miss Julie pursues Jean, using “threatening” discourse influenced by her social status as employer and aristocracy to intimidate Jean into becoming her “playfellow” (Strindberg 300). Similarly, Jean seduces Miss Julie with romantic narratives that are meant to gain Miss Julie’s confidence and compassion <www.villagevoice.com>
Both of them try to influence each other because they believe what they do will give advantages for each of them. Miss Julie believes that by pursuing Jean, she can get peace. It is apparent that Miss Julie was not in love with Jean, but rather his status. Miss Julie longs to fall from her pillar to peace; Jean’s social status represents Miss Julie’s peace. Jean’s power shows Miss Julie that he is a suitable challenge for her feminist dominance, but her desire for peace is what causes her to become intimate with him. Meanwhile, Jean seduced Miss Julie because he knows that she was his way out of the proletariat and into the bourgeois.
Emma Goldman in her essay Miss Julie: An Analysis of the Play by August Strindberg which was published in The Social Significance of the Modern Drama
explores the relationship between August Strindberg’s life and the play itself. She states that:
It is obvious that Emma Goldman believes that August Strindberg’s experience of life inspired him in writing his masterpiece drama, Miss Julie.
This undergraduate thesis tries to develop the study that has been done before. They only concerns with the main character’s tragic life, the de-centering power of Miss Julie and Jean, and the relationship between Strindberg’s life with the play. This research is different from the above studies because this research concerns on the criticism toward the European upper-class way of life in 1800s that revealed through the major characters ‘actions as seen in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
B. Review of Related Theories
The theories used to support this study are the theory of character, the theory of characterization, and the theory of social class. The explanations of the theories are as follows:
1. Theory of Character
There are some conceptions about the term of character. According to Stanton, the term character generally has two meanings (1965: 17). The first meaning is the individual who appear in the story and the second one is the mixture of interest, desires, emotions and moral principles that shape each of these individuals. While from the book A Handbook to Literature, the term character is used to indicate the individual’s speech and action. Thus, the character can represent human actions, behaviors and attitude (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81).
are presented to explain and to help the other characters, especially the major character (Stanton, 1965:17-18).
Furthermore, a character may be either static or dynamic. A static character is one who changes little or not at all. Things happen to such a character without things happening within. A dynamic character, on the other hand, is one who is modified by actions and experiences, and objective of the work in which the character appears is to reveal the consequences of these actions (Holman, 1986:83).
Forster (1974: 46-51) states that character is divided into two kinds. They are flat character and round character. A flat character is built around a single idea or quality and presented in outline and without much individualizing details, and it can fairly be described in a single word or a sentence. He is characterized by one or two traits. There are two advantages of flat character. First, he can be easy recognized not only by the visual eye but also by the reader’s emotional eye. It means that by seeing a part of person’s character, the readers can get the descriptions of the whole character. Second, the readers can easily remember him. It is because the character does not change from the beginning of the story until the end.
is difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like most people he is also capable of surprising us.
2. Theory of Characterization
The existence of characters in a literary work is also very important. The authors usually reveal their real life through the novel so that the reader will be interested. Therefore, they have to describe all of the characters as realistic as possible. The creation of these imaginary persons so that they exist for the reader as lifelike is called characterization (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81).
According to Stanton, there are four ways of characterization. First, character’s name. It is the way to interpret the character through his or her name. Second, personal description. It may give a description and any comment about the character. Third, provided by the other characters. It is how the other characters can support the major character through the expression of thought, attitudes and behaviors. Forth, character’s own dialogue and behavior. It makes the reader easily to recognize the character through his or her words (speech) and action (1965: 17-18).
3. Theory of Social Class
Many different schemes have been used to identify social classes or division of rank and wealth within societies. Some schemes have used broad distinctions and some others have used narrow ones in deciding which people occupy similar position in a stratification system. In order to understand better about social class, it is better to discuss about social stratification first.
According to Roucek and Warren in Sociology: An Introduction, social stratification is the vertical division of society into different social status levels. These status levels may be social classes or castes (1959: 61). It means on the basic of membership in a social class or castes, the individuals of society have access to different groups within the society and to different sets of rights and responsibilities. In other words, society in the world is classified into some classes according to their statuses. Social stratification is found in all complex societies, and in many primitive societies.
Social class can be defined as an unorganized group of people who become members by birth, or by later entry into the groups, who treat each other as approximate equals, who associate with each other more intimately than other persons from other groups within the society (1959: 61). In other words, social classes have no formal organization, but each member of the class is tied to his/her class.In the play, it can be seen that the major characters are placed in the different social classes.
investment and managerial activities at the top through the various of categories to unskilled laborer or “relief” recipients. Second, amount of income. It varies from millions of dollars per year to practically nothing.Third, type and amount of formal education. It varies all the way from postgraduate work at a university of great prestige, through similar work of or a diploma from other universities, to high school or even elementary school. The number of years of schooling is not the only important thing. Also important is the nature of the institution, whether a college of high or low prestige, whether a public high school or an exclusive prep school, etc.Forth, type of residence. It varies from the exclusive old family district of an older community to the slum area. Fifth, type of recreational activity. It varies from active participation in the planning of charity balls or exclusive theater party benefits to playing pinball machine in the local tavern. Sixth, membership in associations. It varies from exclusive country clubs or literary societies or board membership in philanthropic associations to membership in associations of little prestige (Roucek and Warren, 1959: 61-62).
Class determinants are conditions that classify someone into particular class.In the play, it can be seen that Miss Julie has the conditions to be put in Upper-class and Jean in Lower-class.
Class Consciousness. Class consciousness is the awareness by the members of a particular social class of themselves as an in-group. This awareness seems to vary with the mutuality of interests among the members of each particular social class. The more they have in common, in addition to their common social status, the more class conscious will the members of a class become. However, many interests cut across class lines, uniting some people from different classes, and separating some people in the same social class. But social class barriers are so strong, it prevents vertical social mobility, people come to identify their lot with that of others in the social class in which they are born and will remain (Roucek and Warren, 1959: 64).
In the play, it can be seen that both of the major characters have lost their class consciousness. Both of them try to identify themselves in the social class in which they are not born.
4. European Upper-Class Way of Life
The upper class is a concept in sociology that refers to the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. In their daily life, there are some ways of life obtained by the upper-class members. These ways of life differentiate them from the other classes and also function as life guidance. The ways of life are:
a. Title
. Earlier, in feudal continental Europe, every member of a noble family was considered nobility and all were entitled to bear coats of arms. This practice among the hereditary aristocracy resulted in an enormous number of European titled families whose descendants tended to marry only members of other titled families. In Europe an aristocracy of birth, wealth or legal status was able to exercise a disproportionate influence over the lives of their follow men, either as governors and magistrates, as manorial lords, as monopolists of high office in army, church, and state, or merely in their way of life or their opportunities for culture attainment and foreign travel (Rude 1972:35)
b. Education
considered to be more important than the level of education attained. Traditionally, upper class children will be brought up—at home—by a Nanny for the first few years of life, until old enough to attend a well-established prep school or pre-preparatory school
(www.lonympics.co.uk.htm) c. Sport
The upper class seems to enjoy sport which involves a horse. Equestrian activities are popular—with both sexes. There is a long-standing tradition of the upper class having close links to horses. Hunting and shooting, too, are favored pastimes. Some upper class families with large estates will run their own shoots (typically they would need 1,000 acres (4 km2), or more, though some shoots do operate on about half that), but many will know someone who keeps pheasants, or other game, and may instead shoot with them. Much as with horses, there is a particular affinity for dogs (especially Labradors and Spaniels) amongst the upper class - and, equally, sporting pursuits that involve them (www.lonympics.co.uk.htm) d. Power and Money
technological development, and development of professions such as law and medicine. As their economic power grew ever greater, they mobilized and sought increased political rights to shield them from capricious royal rulers (www.gallery.sjsu.edu.htm).
e. Housing
The upper classes tend to live in large old mansions, with large well maintained gardens, with a stable. These houses often have many employees a butler, maid, gardener etc to maintain these houses. Often the houses will be of such beauty it will be called a stately home (www.lonympics.co.uk.htm).
The inside of a house, however grand the façade, is equally indicative of class. Upper class homes (if privately owned, and not staffed) tend to be comparatively untidy composites of grand furniture—having been inherited— which may have become frayed and threadbare over time and vast piles of ancient books, papers and other old reading material for which there is now no home.
Many upper class families will be in possession of works of art by old masters, valuable sculpture or period furniture, having had said pieces handed down through several generations. Indeed, inheriting the vast majority of one's possessions is the traditional form in upper class families. (www.gallery.sjsu.edu.htm)
f. Food
as upper class meal now. Caviar, champagne, and wine are still regarded as upper class items (www.lonympics.co.uk.htm).
g. Marriage
In the noble’s point of view of themselves, familial arrangements carried heavy burdens. For the nobles, marriage is expected to provide political power, status, and cash. As the result, through the eighteenth century, personal choices played little role in most aristocratic marriage decisions. Ideally marriage was intended to secure for a family distinguished connections, connecting the family with in-laws who could bring it new luster and powerful political connections. For more important, marriage had to serve economic needs. Through most of the eighteenth century, all nobles married for money, in the sense that all girls in this milieu had to bring properties to marriages: either cash, in the form of dowry, of expectations or a substantial inheritance from parents or other relatives (Dewald, 1996:168)
h. Dancing
Ladies were taught to dance with easy, becoming and graceful movements to be more pleasing to the gentlemen, but were also instructed to refuse to dance with any gentleman with whom they were not already acquainted without a proper introduction or a man from a different classes (www.gallery.sjsu.edu.htm).
i. Lifestyles of the Rich and Upper Class
oppressive and unpleasant, upper class families took journeys into the countryside, as their aristocratic ancestors had. They luxuriated at their vast inherited or purchased country chateaus while lower class servants, tenant farmers, and sharecropping laborers worked to produce income for them and maintain their grand lifestyle. Upper class families living in cities generally bathed at least once a week; they were most likely to own large tubs in which the entire body could be immersed. Their upper class lifestyle included theatre, opera, entertaining, feasting, and dancing, and required the constant acquisition and consumption of luxury goods; a family could spend the equivalent of at least $10,000 a year on meat alone. Exclusive, specialized, high quality purveyors provided foodstuffs for the upper class. They were the most envied and admired members of society; from the 17th to 19th centuries, leading theatre characters were almost exclusively individuals of wealth and social position (www.gallery.sjsu.edu.htm).
C. Review on Europe in 1800s
The revolutions made people had a new paradigm about their social condition of the society itself.
The European revolutions in 1800s started in Paris, France. It happened when Louis Philippe was the king of France and Guizot as his chief minister. People who disappointed with the government policies organized an opposition movement in Paris. Lead by the middle-class, the France lower-class formed group to against the government. In February 23, 1845 the group made a movement that can force Louis Philippe to sign a note of abdication and fled to England. The movement finally created a new government which led by people outside the royal family. The class division in France became meaningless because the upper-class lost their special rights and the lower-class realized that they also could do something (Craig, 1962: 129-132).
The second revolution happened in the Austrian Empire. This revolution was influenced by the France revolution. When the people of Austrian Empire heard about the France revolution, criticism toward the government became vocal. Middle-class and lower-class people started to question their position in the society. They were inspired by France middle and lower-class to break through the wall of class division.
That is why they created a movement that forced Emperor Ferdinand to agree to make a reformation in his Empire (Craig, 1962: 132-136).
country demonstrate demand of reformation. These movements of middle and lower- class succeed to force the king to call liberal business and professional man to office, and to promise speedy convocation of a national Prussian.
All of these revolutions influenced the paradigm of the Swedish about their country, society, and the problems that appeared inside their society especially about the class stratification. At that time, Sweden was a country whose government was aristocratic and feudal whose rulers showed a stubborn attachment to royal prerogatives. They were particularly insistent on their rights to dictate the foreign, military, and social policy (Craig, 1962: 334).
After those revolutions, the Swedish especially from the lower-class started to understand that it was not impossible for them to break through the class stratification’s wall. For many years, they did not do anything to fight for their condition because they believed that it was supposed to happen like that. The upper-class ruled the society and they served the upper-class. But now their lower-class brothers in France, Austria, and Prussia inspired them to make a movement in order to change the situation.
Since the lower-class fought for their right, the upper-class began to lose their exclusive rights. They no longer became the untouchable class. They also started to undergo some degradation in their values. Things that for years only refer to the upper-class now could be referred to everyone. Some of them were frustrated because of these changes, and they became less respected from the lower-class.
D. Theoretical Framework
In order to obtain the objectives of the study, there are some theories applied in the analysis. The theories are useful in helping the writer to analyze the problems formulation.
Firstly, I used the theory of character and characterization to analyze the characters that appeared in August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. The characters that are going to be analyzed are the major characters, Miss Julie and Jean.
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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the study
The object of this study is Miss Julie, a play written by August Strindberg.
Miss Julie—one of Strindberg’s most popular plays—exists in at least twenty English translations and it has been made into a film, an opera, and a ballet. It has been staged countless time throughout the world, not only in Europe and the United States but also in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
Miss Julie had its world premiere in Copenhagen in 1889, performed by the Scandinavian experimental theater, a small group that Strindberg had organized under the influence of Andre Antoine’s Theater Libre. This performance then followed by Paris (1893), and many others places such as German (1979), Gothenburg (1982), English (1983), and Tokyo (1984) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Strindberg).
upper-class man. He has abilities and acts like the upper-class. Jean tries to say that the way of life of the upper-class is not exclusively for the upper-class only anymore. While for Miss Julie, it becomes a scandal because a woman from “her kind” should not sleep with a servant. Finally, when both of them realized the effect of what they had done, they got panic. Getting confused to solve her affair, Miss Julie decided to commit suicide.
B. Approach of The Study
In the process of the analysis, I decide to use the sociocultural-historical approach. Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature stated that critics whose major interest is the sociocultural-historical approach insist that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it (1971: 9). It means that it is necessary for the critics to investigate the social condition in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects. The reasons are: first, literature is not created in a vacuum. Second, literature embodies ideas significant to the culture that produced it.
The sociocultural-historical approach is more interested in finding the meaning of a literary work in its own time and situation, than the meaning of the work might have today. Finding sources is the main step that has to be taken. Historical documents, such as notes of history, and information about the condition of the society at the published time are important here.
aspect and the social situation of the class stratification of European society when the play was written, the readers can have a good understanding about the play itself.
C. Method of the study
This study is a library research since the sources used in this study is the written sources. The primary source is a one-act play entitled Miss Julie by August Strindberg. The secondary sources that are used are Roucek and Warren’s
Sociology: An Introduction, David Thomson’s Europe Since Napoleon, Gordon A. Craig’s Europe Since 1815, and Stanton’s An Introduction to Fiction.
25 CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
In this chapter, I would like to answer the questions formulated in chapter
I. There are three parts in this chapter. The first part concerns the answer of the
first question: the major characters characterizations in Strindberg’s Miss Julie.
The second part concerns the answer of the second question: the class
stratification which are revealed through the major characters in the play. Last but
not least, the third part will concern the answer of the third question: the criticism
toward the European upper class way of life in 1800’s which is revealed through
the major characters’ characterizations in the play.
A. The Major Characters’ Characterizations in Strindberg’s Miss Julie
Character is an important intrinsic element in a literary work. Character
draws the reader’s interest in the story of a play. There are two kinds of
characters, the major character and the minor character. According to Stanton,
“the major character is categorized as the most important character and become
the centre of the story. Minor character is less important character than major
character. They are presented to explain and to help the other characters,
especially the major character” (1965:17-18). Miss Julie and Jean are the major
characters because their characters are complex and important. In order to analyze
and Jean. While Kristine and the Count are minor characters because they are less
important and presented to support the major characters.
Miss Julie and Jean also can be considered as dynamic characters.
According to Holman (1986: 83), “a dynamic character is one who is modified by
actions and experiences, and objective of the work in which the character appears
is to reveal the consequences of these actions.” The characters experience changes
in the story. Therefore, Miss Julie and Jean are a dynamic character because they
are modified by full actions and experiences. In the other hand, Kristine and the
Count are considered as static characters because they do not change at all in the
story.
Besides that, Miss Julie and Jean are also included as round characters
because a round character is complex in temperament and motivation. On the
other hand, Kristine and the Count are flat characters. Their characters are built
around a single idea or quality and presented without much individualizing
details, and it can be fairly described in a single word or a sentence.
In order to analyze the major characters in Strindberg’s Miss Julie, I used
Stanton and Holman and Harmon’s theory of characterization. I used the action
presentation, and character presentation. I analyzed the personal description,
information provided by the other characters and character’s own dialogue and
behavior.
As it is stated before, there are four characters in the play. The characters
major characters in the play. The following explanation is the analysis of the
major characters’ characterizations that appear in Strindberg’s Miss Julie:
1. Miss Julie
She is a twenty-five-years old woman. She is an upper-class lady. Her
father is a Count and it makes her family has a title and coat of arms. The
following is Julie’s characterizations.
a. Stubborn
Miss Julie is a stubborn woman. It is very hard to change her mind if she
has already wanted something. If she wants something, then it has to be fulfilled.
In some scenes, it can be seen from Miss Julie’s refusal on all considerations or
advices from people around her.
JEAN. To be honest, and no offense intended, I wonder whether it’s wise for you to dance twice running with the same partner, especially since these people are quick to jump to conclusion…
JULIE. (Flaring up) What’s that? What sort of conclusion? What do you mean?
JEAN. (Submissively) If you don’t understand, ma’am, I must speak more plainly. It does not look good to play favorites with your servant… JULIE. Play favorites? What an idea! I’m astonished! As mistress of the
house, I honor you dance with my presence. And when I dance, I want to dance with someone who can lead, so I won’t look ridiculous (Strindberg, 2001: 593).
From this quotation, it can be seen how Miss Julie refuses to listen to
Jean’s consideration and advices. Jean is Miss Julie’s servant who works for her
father as a boot man. Miss Julie wants to dance with Jean without considering that
Jean is not an equal dance partner for her. Jean tries to make her understand about
even uses the power that she has, as the mistress of the house, to force Jean to
follow her will.
JULIE. Will you sit still!—there! Now it’s gone! Kiss my hand and thank me.
JEAN. (Rising) Miss Julie, listen to me!—Kristine has gone to bed!—will you listen me!
JULIE. Kiss my hand first! JEAN. Listen to me! JULIE. Kiss my hand first!
JEAN. Alright, but you’ve only yourself to blame! (Strindberg, 2001: 595)
Miss Julie has a strong will. She would not stop insisting until she gets
what she wants. Miss Julie keeps pushing Jean although he already shows his
refusal. But Miss Julie seems to ignore that. She wants Jean to kiss her hand; in
fact it is not polite for a servant to do that. That is the reason why Jean tries to
refuse Miss Julie’s demand. Jean even tries to bring Kristine inside the situation,
in order to make Miss Julie aware of the risk from her demand if someone else
sees that. But once again Miss Julie shows her stubbornness, and she refuses to
stop pushing Jean until he does what she wants.
b.Full of Pride
Miss Julie is a woman that has a very high self-pride. She is aware of her
power that she gets from her status and she uses it to present herself as a powerful
woman.
JEAN. … But why you should have to cook for that damn mutt on Midsummer Eve? Is she sick?
KRISTINE. Yes, she is sick! She sneaked out with the gate-keeper’s dog—and now there’s hell to pay. Miss Julie won’t have it! (Strindberg, 2002: 592)
It is common for the upper-class to have a dog as pet in their house.
Miss Julie’s dog sneaked out with the gatekeeper’s dog. It makes Miss Julie
angry. She thinks that it is inappropriate. Her pride as an upper-class lady forbids
her to understand that it is very common for a dog to sneak out with other dogs
without considering the class of the owner of the dog. Even Diana, Miss Julie’s
dog, has to play with other upper-class dog.
JEAN. Think of Kristine in there. Don’t you think she has feeling too? JULIE. I thought so awhile ago, but not anymore. No, a servant is a servant
(Strindberg, 2001: 598).
Her pride as an upper-class lady makes her think that her willing is the
most important one, while others are not. She believes that her feeling or
everything about her has to be the priority. Here, it can be seen how Miss Julie
neglects Kristine’s feelings clearly just because she is only her servant. She asks
Jean to run away with her while she also knows exactly that Kristine is Jean’s
fiancé.
JULIE. Come and dance schottische with me Jean…
JEAN. (hesitating) I don’t want to be impolite to anyone, and I’ve already promised this dance to Kristine…
JULIE. Oh, she can have another one--can’t you Kristine? Won’t you lend me Jean? (Strindberg, 2002, 593)
Someone who is full of pride does not like to be refused. It happens also to
Miss Julie. She does not want to accept Jean’s refusal although he has explained
that he has already promised to dance with Kristine. But once again Miss Julie’s
pride makes her feel that Kristine is not deserved to compete with her. She forces
Kristen to step aside for her willing.
Here from the quotation, it can be seen that Miss Julie is full of pride. She
does not want to accept any advice or order from Jean because she feels that she is
the one who supposes to give orders. Jean is a lower-class man, and it means that
he has no right to command a lady like Miss Julie. His class puts him in a position
of taking command and not giving one. That is the reason why Miss Julie does not
want to obey Jean. Jean’s order hurts Miss Julie’s pride. Miss Julie does not want
her dog to play with a gatekeepers’ dog, but she wants to have a relationship with
Jean. Actually, this refers to the upper-class attitude toward the condition of
European’s society at that time.
c. Desperate for Love
Miss Julie is desperate for love. She desperately needs some affection
from people. It happens because of her family background. Her mother who died
because of illness did not give enough love and affection to Miss Julie. It can be
seen from Miss Julie’s statement: “I came to the world—against my mother
wishes, as far as I can understand” (Strindberg, 2002: 599). Her mother who was
brought up believing in social equality saw her marriage as a mistake and
therefore Miss Julie’s birth did not please her. While her father, the Count, does
not have a warm relationship with Miss Julie either. He is busy and traveling out
of the house a lot. “His life was restricted to taking care of the estates, which
couldn’t satisfy him” (Strindberg, 2002: 599). And when he is at home, he spends
much of his time in his room and only communicates with his servant by bell. It
is not mentioned in the play any evidence that the Count and Miss Julie ever talk
JULIE. … Tell me you love me! Put your arms around me!
JEAN. I want to—but I don’t dare. Not in this house, not again. I love you—never doubt that—don’t doubt it, do you Miss Julie?
JULIE. But I don’t care about that—that’s what I am putting behind me! Show me your love, otherwise—otherwise, what am I?
JEAN. I’ll show you a thousand times—afterwards! Not here! And whatever you do, no emotional outburst, or we’ll both be lost! We must think this through coolly, like sensible people. (he takes out a cigar, snips the end, and lights it) You sit there, and I’ll sit here. We’ll talk as if nothing happened.
JULIE. (desperately) Oh my God, have you no feelings? (Strindberg, 2002: 597)
Miss Julie seems does not have enough love and affection from her
parents. It drives her to look for other people who can love her. And when she
finds Jean, she begs for Jean’s love. She even does not care about the fact that
Jean is her servant, and also about the consequences that follow her action. As
long as she can feel being loved by someone, it is enough. From the quotation, it
can be seen Miss Julie’s desperation toward Jean’s love. She asks him to put his
arms around her inside the house. Another proof is seen when Miss Julie starts to
realize the consequences of her affair with Jean. “This is what I get for opening
my heart to someone unworthy, for giving my family’s honor… Oh how I regret
it!—Oh how I regret it!—If you at least loved me (Strindberg, 2002: 600). Even in
her regret, Miss Julie still begs for Jean’s love.
JULIE. It’s only my greenfinch. I couldn’t leave her behind.
JEAN. What? Bring a bird cage with us? You are out of your head! Put it down!
JULIE. It’s the only thing I’m taking from my home—the only living being that loves me, since Diana was unfaithful. Don’t be cruel! Let me take her! (Strindberg, 2002: 600)
This quotation shows how Miss Julie’s life is lack of love. She states that
no one loves her. She says that it is her pets that give her more love than her
parents. She describes her greenfinch as the only living being that loves her.
d. Confused of herself
Miss Julie is constantly bewildered of herself. She is confused about how
to think, how to act, and behave because everything inside her is influenced by her
parents.
JULIE. You see, my mother was a commoner—very humble background. She was brought up believing in social equality, women’s rights, and all that. She wanted to bring me up as a child of nature, and, what’s more, to learn everything a boy had to learn, so that I might be an example of how a woman can be as good as a man. I had to wear boy’s cloth and learn to takes cares of horses, but I was never allowed in the cowshed. I had to groom and harness the horses and go hunting—and even had to watch them slaughter animals—that’s was disgusting! (Strindberg, 2002: 599)
Miss Julie’s mother, the Countess, came from an ordinary people. She does not
come from a noble family, and therefore she is not an upper-class woman. As a
result, her mother is more open toward the idea of social equality and women’s
rights. Common people usually become the victims of the class discrimination.
They are oppressed by the society because they do not have title, power, money,
and status. This fact make the ordinary people become more open-minded toward
the social equality and women’s right. Social equality and women’s right are the
dreams of those people. This influences her in bringing up Miss Julie. She wants
Miss Julie to grow up like an ordinary child. A child does not need title, power,
everything a boy has to learn. The Countess wants to make Miss Julie as an
example of a woman who can be equal to man.
It is from her mother that Miss Julie learns to hate men. “I learned from
her to hate men—you’ve heard how she hated the whole male sex—and I swore to
her I’d never be a slave to any man” (Strindberg, 2002: 600). Her mother hates the
Count for forcing her to marry him. This fact influenced Miss Julie’s character
which is making her hate man also. She promised to herself that she would never
be a slave to any man.
But in the other hand, Miss Julie is also desperate for love from parents
and people around her. Therefore, although she hates man, she cannot stop herself
to give herself to Jean. Kristine said that “She was so proud, so arrogant with men,
you wouldn’t believed she could just go and give herself—and to someone like
you!” (Strindberg, 2002: 602) Here it can be seen the inconsistent characteristic of
Miss Julie. At a moment she hates men and promises that she does not want to be
men’s slave. But in the other moment she gives herself and her respect to man like
Jean for begging his love. First, she says that she is not a man’s slave. But later,
she gives herself, her respect and begs a man’s love like a slave.
Miss Julie also learns from her mother that people are equal. Miss Julie
shows a strong desire to be regarded as equal person to the others. In one
occasion, Miss Julie dances with a gamekeeper.
Here Jean clarifies that Miss Julie wants to be regarded as part of ordinary people.
She dances with a gamekeeper who is not at the same level as her. Another proof
is when Miss Julie asks Jean to dance with her. She pronounces her willingness to
be treated as common people by saying:
JEAN. As you order, ma’am! I’m at your service!
JULIE. (gently) Don’t take it as an order! On a night like this we’re all just ordinary people having fun, so we’ll forget about rank. Now take my arm!—don’t worry Kristine! I won’t steal your sweetheart. (Jean offers his arm and leads Miss Julie out) (Strindberg, 2002: 593)
Miss Julie also ever stated that she wants to be Jean’s friend—something
which is unusual, because upper-class people do not make friends with below
classes. She even states it quite frankly by saying “But if I ask you as an equal, as
a—friend!” (Strindberg, 2002: 595) Miss Julie also ever asks Jean to call her by
name. “Miss!—call me Julie! There are no barriers between us anymore. Call me
Julie!” (Strindberg, 2002: 597).
But in other occasion, Miss Julie shows a contrast attitude. Those attitudes
against her previous willing which is want to be regarded as common people.
JEAN. (in mock romantic fashion, he kneels and raises his glass) Skal to my mistress!
JULIE. Bravo!—now kiss my shoe to finish it properly. (Jean hesitates, then boldly seizes her foot and kisses it lightly) Perfect! (Strindberg, 2002: 594)
From the quotation, we see how Miss Julie enjoys the honor that is given by Jean.
She even asks more, she asks Jean to kiss her shoe. As an upper-class lady, she
believes that she deserves to get it. She does not feel guilty either because Jean is
her servant; therefore she can command Jean to do everything she wants. The
take on the blame, the way Kristine does?—no, I’m too proud to do that and too
sensible—thanks to my father’s teaching” (Strindberg, 2002: 604).
JULIE. Play favorites? What an idea! I’m astonished! As mistress of the house, I honor you dance with my presence. And when I dance, I want to dance with someone who can lead, so I won’t look ridiculous (Strindberg, 2001: 593).
This quotation shows how Miss Julie uses her power and status as a
mistress of the house to persuade or to force someone else to fulfill her willing.
Jean refuses to dance with her and also explain the reasons why. But Miss Julie
does not want to understand. Then she uses the power that differentiates her from
Jean to force her willing. This bewilderment of herself about how to behave, act,
and think makes Miss Julie unhappy. She feels that she constantly confused about
herself. This is proved by Jean’s statement, “Miss Julie! I see that you are
unhappy. I know you’re suffering, but I can’t understand you. I think you’re sick,
really sick. Your mother was crazy, and her ideas has poisoned your life”
(Strindberg, 2001: 601). From her mother Miss Julie got idea about equality, in
the other hand her father thought about upper-class pride. This difference point of
views from her parents confused her.
2. Jean
Jean is the Count’s valet. He is thirty years old. He is a lower-class person
who works as the Count’s boot man. The following are Jean’s characterizations.
a. Ambitious
Jean is an ambitious man. He is actively seeking success, wealthy, and
status in his life. Jean comes from a lower-class family. His father was “a
describes his childhood as “grew up in a shack with seven brothers and sisters and
a pig, in the middle of wasteland, where there wasn’t a single tree” (Strindberg,
2001: 595). This poor condition of life makes Jean has a big dream for a better
life.
He believes that the only way to change his life is by climbing up to the higher
class. Jean’s desire is represented by his dream.
JEAN. No. I dream that I’m lying under a high tree in a dark forest. I want to get up, up on top, and look out over the bright landscape, where the sun is shining, and plunder the bird’s nest up there, where the golden eggs lies there. And I climb and climb, but the trunk’s so thick and smooth, and it’s so far to the first branch. But I know if I just reached the first branch, I’d go right to the top, like a ladder. I haven’t reached it yet, but I will, even if it’s only in a dream (Strindberg, 2001: 594).
Jean’s dream explains his expectation of life. He is not satisfied with his
‘inborn’ situation and his ambition of life is to change it. He knows it will not be
easy to make it real, but he will try and he will not stop until it happens. In this
quotation, Jean describes his social class situation as “under a high tree in a dark
forest.” Dark forest is associated with a place which is unpleasant, and uncertain.
This is the situation that has to be faced by Jean as a lower-class person.
Therefore, he wants to leave his place and get up, up on top. Meanwhile he
describes the upper-class situation as the peak of the tree where he can look over
the bright landscape, where the sun is shining, and plunder the bird’s nest up
there, where the golden eggs lies there. From here, it can be seen that Jean
believes that to have a better life, he has to reach the upper-class position. The
upper-class position offers a lot of opportunities and pleasant things. Jean’s
right to the top, like a ladder. I haven’t reached it yet, but I will, even if it’s only in
a dream” (Strindberg, 2001: 594). This shows Jean’s strong will to get what he
wants. He will not stop until he is on the top.
In real world, Jean’s desire to move up to the higher class can be seen
from his plan to open a hotel and buy a title.
JEAN. If I can just get to another country, a republic, people will bow and scrape when they see my livery—they’ll bow and scrape, you hear, not me! I wasn’t born to cringe. I’ve got stuff in me, I’ve got character, and if I can only grab onto that first branch, you watch me climb! I’m a servant today, but next year I’ll own my own hotel. In ten years, I’ll have enough to retire. Then I’ll go to Rumania and be
decorated. I could—mind you I said could—and end up a count!
(Strindberg, 2001: 594)
It is clear that Jean has ambition to change his life. He believes that he has the
ability for he says that “I’ve got stuff in me, I’ve got character, and if I can only
grab onto that first branch, you watch me climb!” He also shows his ambition
when he states that he will not be a servant for his whole life. In other words, he
desires to be someone higher, someone that is respected by other people, someone
full with honor and title.
Someone who is ambitious usually will do everything in order to reach his
goal. Even if he has to use someone else as his stepping-stone, he will take that
opportunity without any doubt. Jean also has this characteristic. Jean says that he
loves Miss Julie, in fact he only uses Miss Julie to be his stepping stone to realize
his dream.
JEAN. What do you think about plans for the future? Do you approve? JULIE. They sound reasonable enough. I’ve only one question: for such a
JEAN. (chewing on the cigar) Me? Certainly! I have my professional expertise, my wide experience and my knowledge of languages. That’s capital enough, I should think!
JULIE. But all that won’t even buy a train ticket.
JEAN. That’s true. That’s why I’m looking for a partner to advance me the money (Strindberg, 2001: 597-598).
From this quotation, it can be seen how Jean tries to persuade Miss Julie in order
to support him in financial to realize his plan to open a hotel. He knows that he
has no enough money as capital to open a hotel, so he uses Miss Julie to get her
money. He also wants to use Miss Julie to attract people to come to his
future-planning-hotel.
JULIE. Yes, it sounds wonderful. But what’ll I do?
JEAN. You’ll be mistress of the house: the jewel in our crown! With your looks… and your manner—oh—success is guaranteed! It’ll be wonderful! You’ll sit in your office like a queen and push an electric button to set your slaves in motion. The guest will file pass your throne and timidly lay their treasures before you.—you have no idea how people tremble when they get their bills.—I’ll salt the bills and you’ll sweeten them with your prettiest smile. (Strindberg, 2001: 597)
It is clear that Jean has planned his future well and detailed. He even has already
thought about what rule will be played by Miss Julie Miss in his future plan. He
uses Miss Julie to support his future plan which is to attract guests for his future-
hotel. Jean knows exactly that Miss Julie’s beauty, manner, and background can
be used as a guarantee to succeed. Finally Miss Julie also realizes that she is only
being used as a stepping-stone by Jean for she says “And I was to be the first
branch… I was to be the sign on the hotel…” (Strindberg, 2001: 598).
Another characteristic of an ambitious man is that he always puts his goal
in the first place. Jean always focuses on himself and thinks about his own safety.
open a hotel. Jean hopes that Miss Julie will support his plan in financial, meaning
she will give him the capital. When Miss Julie says that “but, I can’t; I have no
money of my own” (Strindberg, 2001: 598), Jean releases his dream of opening a
hotel and start to think about how to save himself.
JEAN. (frightened) Why didn’t I think about that? Yes, there is only one thing to do—get away from here! Right away! I can’t come with you, then we would be finished, so you have to go alone—away— anywhere!
JULIE. Alone?—where?—I can’t do that!
JEAN. You must! And before the Count gets back! If you stay, you know what’ll happen. Once you make a mistake like this, you want to continue because the damage has already been done… then you get bolder and bolder—until finally you’re caught! So leave! Later you can write to the Count and confess everything—except that it was me! He’ll never guess who it was, and he’s not going to be eager to find out, anyway (Strindberg, 2001: 601).
Here Jean asks Miss Julie to run away alone, meanwhile he stays still at
home and continues his life like usual. He has the heart to do it to Miss Julie. He
states “once you make mistake like this” to emphasize that it was Miss Julie’s
own fault. Jean’s effort to save himself can be seen also when he says “Later you
can write to the Count and confess everything—except that it was me!” It was
both of them mistake but Jean does not want his name being mentioned and avoid
to be responsible.
b.Upper-class Like
Jean was born in lower-class family. His poor situation forces him to have
an ambition to change his life. Since he desires to have a kind of an upper-class
life, he tries to act and behave like upper-class people. In the play, Jean many
KRISTINE. (serving him from pan) Oh, it’s only a piece of kidney I got from the veal roast.
JEAN. (smelling the food) Beautiful! That’s my favorite delice! (feeling the plate) But you could have warmed the plate.
KRISTINE. You’re fussier than the Count himself, once you start! (she pulls his hair affectionately) (Strindberg, 2001: 591).
Jean is a servant, but he acts like the Count himself. Kristine even says that Jean is
fussier than the Count. He acts like an upper-class person. He feels the plate and
complains when the plate is not warm. It is not a common behavior for a servant.
Complaining is a master’s right.
KRISTINE. Now, now, it’s only love, you know that. (Jean eats. Kristine opens a bottle of beer)
JEAN. Beer? On Midsummer Eve? No thank you! I can do better than that. (opens a drawer on the table and takes out a bottle of red wine with yellow sealing wax) See that? Yellow seal! Give me a glass! A wine glass! I’m drinking this pur (Strindberg, 2001: 591).
Wine is an expensive drink. Usually, only upper-class people who can
afford to drink it. That is why wine is associated with expensive lifestyle of the
upper-class. Lower-class people almost never taste wine because of the cost, they
prefer to drink beer which is cheaper. But here Jean shows contrasting behavior.
He prefers wine to beer. The wine he drinks is not an ordinary wine. It is a red
wine with a yellow sealing wax which costs four francs a liter, not counting the
cost of the bottle and it is bought in Dijon. Jane’s taste is like upper-class taste.
Furthermore Jean does not want to drink the wine in ordinary glass, he asks for a
wine glass. And he drinks it pure without water just like the upper-class does.
c. Conceited
There are several occasions in the play when Jean shows excessive pride
has done with Jean, she feels desperate because she will lose her status. She says
“I’m falling, I’m falling!” (Strindberg, 2001: 598). But Jean responses calmly, by
saying “Fall down to my level, and I’ll lift you up again” (Strindberg, 2001: 598).
Here Jean’s conceit can be seen quite clearly. He believes that he is capable to lift
up Miss Julie’s status. He is so sure of his own ability to handle the problem that
appears.
JULIE. You talk as if you were already above me.
JEAN. I am. You see, I could make you a Countess, but you could never make me a Count.
JULIE. But I’m the child of a Count—something you could never be! JEAN. That’s true. But I could be the father of counts— (Strindberg,
2001: 599).
From the quotation, Jean once again shows his conceit toward Miss Julie. He
believes that he is above Miss Julie. It can be seen from his statement that he is
the one who can make Miss Julie becomes a Countess, but Miss Julie cannot
make him a Count. It means that it is Jean who can lift up Miss Julie’s status. Jean
believes that if he has the opportunity, then he can be a Count too. He also
believes that now after the affair, he is the one who have the power and control
toward the situation.
JEAN. To be honest, I’m tired of all this and I’m going to bed.
JULIE. Are you? And do you think I can let it go at that? A man owes something to the woman he’s shamed.
JEAN. (taking out his purse and throwing a silver coin on the table) Here! I don’t like owing anything to anybody (Strindberg, 2001: 600).
Jean’s action shows how conceited he is. In the middle of a chaos and panic
situation, he chooses to go to bed. He underestimates the problem whereas it
involves Miss Julie’s life. He even states that he is tired of the situation as if it is
Julie forces him by saying that he owes something to her, Jean insulted her. He
throws a silver coin on the table as if he has paid his owing. His conceit makes
him unable to accept Miss Julie’s words that he owes something to her.
B. The Class Stratification Presented in Strindberg’s Miss Julie
According to Roucek and Warren in Sociology: An Introduction, social
stratification is the vertical division of society into different social status levels.
These status levels may be social classes or castes (1959: 61). It means on the
basic of membership in a social class or castes, the individuals of society have
access to different groups within the society and to different sets of rights and
responsibilities. In other words, society in the world is classified into some classes
according to their statuses. Social stratification is found in all complex societies,
and in many primitive societies.
The play Miss Julie written by August Strindberg is a play which also
portrayed the social or class stratification in society. It is important to talk about
the class stratifications in the play in order to understand the reason that leads to
the criticism. The criticism toward the European Upper-class’ way of life in
1800’s happens because of a very huge gap that is created by the class
stratifications. The class stratifications and the gap between the classes are clearly
represented by the major characters in Miss Julie. In order to see how the major
characters represented the class stratification, I have to analyze the dialogue and
1. Upper-Class
The upper-class is represented by the characters Miss Julie in the play.
Some facts that signed the upper-class are:
First, the Title. In feudal continental Europe, every member of a noble family was considered nobility and all were entitled to bear coats of arms. This
practice among the hereditary aristocracy resulted in an enormous number of
European titled families whose descendants tended to marry only members of
other titled families. Miss Julie obviously has a title since her father is a Count.
Count is a nobleman in European countries; his wife is a Countess. The title of
Count was also often conferred by the monarch as an honorific title for special
services rendered, without an actual feudal estates (countship, county), just a title,
with or without a domain name attached to it. (www.europeheraldry.com)
JEAN. … But I’ve read about your family. Do you know who the founder was? He was a miller who let the king sleep with his wife one night during the Danish War. I don’t have any noble ancestor like that (Strindberg, 2001: 600).
Here Jean explains the ancestor of Miss Julie. The ancestor of Miss Julie
had done something which considered as giving the highest honor to the king.
That is the reason why Miss Julie’s families get Count Title. As a noble family,
Miss Julie’s family was also entitled to bear coat of arms. It can be seen from
Miss Julie’s statement, “And then our coat of arms will be broken against his
coffin—the family title extinct—” (Strindberg, 2001: 603). This statement
strengthens the fact that Miss Julie’s family has coat of arms and family title.
From Jean’s statement above, it can be seen that title is very important,
honor, and power of the family. It also symbolizes the historical background of
the family and their contribution to the royal family.
JULIE. … You think I want to carry your spawn under my heart and nourish it with my blood?—bear your child and take your name! By the way, what is your family name? I’ve never heard it—do you have one? I was to be Mrs. Bootblack—or Madame Pigsty.—you dog, who wears my collar, you lackey, who bears my coat of arms on your button—do I have to share you with my cook, compete with my own servant? (Strindberg, 2001: 603)
It is the title which differentiates the upper-class from the other classes.
Here it can be seen that Miss Julie feels very conceited and exclusive because of
her family name. Miss Julie even insults Jean because he does not have any
honorable family name. Miss Julie’s pride as an upper-class can be seen when she
said “What is your family name? I’ve never heard it. Do you have one?” Here
Miss Julie tries to emphasize that she is in the higher level than Jean because she
has a title. Her family name creates a clear barrier between Miss Julie as an
upper-class and Jean as a lower-upper-class. Because of the family name also, Miss Julie feels
that she deserves to insults Jean as she like and considers Jean as lower than her
since she said that Jean is a dog and lackey.
Second, the power. The upper-class is obviously has power. It is
something that considered to be stick to the upper-class. Everybody respects the
class because of the power that it holds. Jean admits the power of the
upper-class when he says:
