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A SOCIAL CRITICISM ANALYSIS ON EMINEM’S SONG LYRIC
“MOSH”
A Thesis
Submitted to English Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The degree of Strata One (S1)
By:
MOHAMMAD QUSHOY
106026001008
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF
HIDAYATULLAH” JAKARTA
2010
ABSTRACT
Mohammad Qushoy, A Social Criticism on Eminem’s Song Lyric “Mosh”. Thesis: English Letters Department. Letters and Humanities Faculty, UIN Syarif
Hidayatullah Jakarta, March 2010.
This research discusses Eminem’s song lyric entitle “Mosh” in which
analyzes the social criticism toward social problems occur in society by using the
sociology of literature approach and analyzes the language use which is used to
criticize the social problems according to kinds of figurative language.
The objective of this research is to know the social criticism revealed in a
literary work like song lyric, then, to find out how the author criticizes the
problems. This research uses descriptive qualitative method which analyzes the
lyric that contains of social aspects and criticism toward social condition. Then,
elaborating the collected data to find out the kind of language that author applied
in his lyric. The writer found two social problems occur in society; War and
Terrorism and ten kinds of figurative language; apostrophe, metaphor, simile,
personification, symbol, allegory, situational irony, metonymy, synecdoche, and
sarcasm.
Eminem’s song lyric “Mosh” can be concluded as a literary work made to reflect a true story or life experiences of the author, and it agrees with sociology
of literature that the form of literary works—fantastic or mystical in content, it must have most concern toward social phenomena. According sociology of
literature the research reveals literary works as the mirror of author’s society. It is the social criticism toward social problem in America. This song lyric, which is as
literary work, must use figurative language—extraordinary language or something can not be taken literally to express author thoughts and to attract reader’s
attention.
APPROVEMENT
A SOCIAL CRITICISM ANALYSIS ON EMINEM’S SONG LYRIC
“MOSH”
A Thesis
Submitted to Letters and Humanities Faculty
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for
The Degree of Strata 1
Mohammad Qushoy
106026001008
Approved by:
Moh. Supardi, M.Hum
Supervisor
ENGLISH LETTERS DEPARTMENT
LETTERS AND HUMANITIES FACULTY
STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY “SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH”
JAKARTA
2010
LEGALIZATION
The thesis entitled “A Social Criticism Analysis on Eminem’s Song
Lyric ‘Mosh’ ” has been defended before the Letter and Humanities Faculty’s
Examination Committee on March 04, 2010. The thesis has already been accepted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of strata 1.
Jakarta, March 04, 2010
Examination Committee
Signature Date
1. Dr. H. Muhammad Farkhan, M.Pd (Chair Person) __________
19650919 200003 1 002
2. Drs. Asep Saefuddin, M.Pd (Secretary) __________
19640710 199303 1 006
3. Moh. Supardi, M. Hum (Supervisor) __________
4. Inayatul Chusna, M.Hum (Examiner I) __________
19780126 200312 2 002
5. Abdul Hamid, M.pd (Examiner II) _________
__________ 150 181 922
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by
another person nor material which to a substantial extent has been accepted for the
award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher
learning, except where due acknowledgment has been made in the text.
Jakarta, March 04, 2010
Mohammad Qushoy
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All praise and thanks are to be Allah, the lord of the Lord of
“Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists) and peace be upon the
Master of the Messenger, Muhammad S.A.W.
The thesis is submitted in partial accomplishment of the requirements for
the Strata 1 Degree to the Faculty of Adab and Humanities, English Letters
Department State Islamic Unversity Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
In the terms of completion his study, the writer would like to express his
deepest gratitude to the Dean of Adab and Humaties Faculty, Dr.H. Abdul Chair,
MA, the Head of English Letters Department, Dr. M. Farkhan, M.Pd., the
Secretary of English Letters, Drs. A. Saefuddin, M.Pd., Mr. Zaenal Arifin Toy,
M.Lis, Mrs. Inayatul Chusna, M Hum, Mrs. Elve Octaviany, M.Hum and to all
my lecturers who have taught him a lot of things during my study.
The writer’s family deserves his deepest esteem more than whoever (H.
Hasanuddin, SAg, Aan Moh. Burhanuddin MA., Tety Fatimah, Ade Mumun, and
Ahmad Kinani), since they who always support the writer; financially, morally
and spiritually. This is the only his initial step to the future.
Additionally, the writer is heartily thankful to the individuals too
numerous to mention who have given suggestions, corrections, and criticisms,
especially, Moh. Supardi, M.Hum., as the writer’s thesis advisor, whose guidance,
patience, support and encouragement from the initial to the final level enabled him
to develop an understanding of the subject.
The writer is indebted to his many of his colleagues to support him: the
student of class A 2005 for being his classmates – the writer really enjoyed the
four – year - friendship with all you guys, Kasmir, Hisbi, Aden, Mashuri, Ali
Basmalah, Iqbal, Yousef, Dewirini and Indra for being the immortal fellows.
Special thanks for Yennie who always gives him the best, Eni Sumarni for the
helps and supports, then, his junior mates Jay, Ayunk, Galih, Ulfa, Mira, Anggi,
Aryo and whom he can voice, by their memories, their laughs, their activities,
their suppotrs, their spirit, and their love conveyed him into life-mature.
Lastly, he offers his regards and blessings to all of those who supported
him in any respect—his friends; Nanank and Lucky, H. Ahmad Zaedi and family
for being kinds and for the treatments since four years, vendors, typing, internet,
and librarians of UIN and Adab and Humanities Faculty for being kind during the
completion this thesis.
Jakarta, March 04, 2010
The writer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT .................................................................................................. i
APPROVEMENT .......................................................................................... ii
LEGALIZATION .......................................................................................... iii
DECLARATION ........................................................................................... iv
ACKNOWLEDMENT................................................................................... v
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................... vii
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1
A. Background of the Research ............................................................ 1
B. Focus of the Research ...................................................................... 6
C. Question of the Research ................................................................. 6
D. Objective of the Research ................................................................ 6
E. Significance of the Research ............................................................ 7
F. Research Methodology..................................................................... 7
1. Method of the Research ........................................................ 7
2. Data Analysis Technique ...................................................... 7
3. Research Instrument.............................................................. 8
4. Unit of Analysis .................................................................... 8
CHAPTER II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................... 9
A. Sociology of Literature ................................................................... 9
1. Definition of Sociology of Literature................................... 9
2. Rene Wellek and Austin Warren’s Sociology of
Literature……………………………………………………11
B. Sociological Aspect ........................................................................ 14
a. Power and Authority ........................................................... 14
b. War and Peace .................................................................... 16
c. Terrorism............................................................................ 17
C. Figure of Speech…………………………………………………….19
a. Metaphor....................................................................... 20
b. Simile............................................................................ 20
c. Personification .............................................................. 21
d. Apostrophe.................................................................... 21
e. Symbol ......................................................................... 21
f. Allegory........................................................................ 22
g. Paradox ......................................................................... 22
h. Overstatement .............................................................. 23
i. Understatement ............................................................. 24
j. Irony ............................................................................. 24
k. Allusion ........................................................................ 26
l. Synecdoche and Metonymy........................................... 26
m. Sarcasm and Satire ........................................................ 27
CHAPTER III. RESEARCH FINDINGS
A. Data Description............................................................................. 28
B. Data Analysis ................................................................................. 32
B.1. Social Criticism Aspects on Eminem’s Song Lyric “Mosh”…..32
B.2. Eminem’s Song Lyrics ‘Mosh’ which contain Figures of Speech
Criticize Social Problems in America………………………….42
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION................................. 52
BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................... 54
APPENDICES................................................................................................ 56
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Research
Literature is an abroad media to express people’s feeling. People can
express their feelings, thoughts, experiences and also to share each other by using
literature. Moreover, with Literature they express their thoughts not only use
ordinary language but also they can use extraordinary language, because literature
is the art of language. It uses languages as a mean to communicate their
understanding of life or experiences. Literature has two aspects, its type or form
and its content. The type or form is the things related with objects and essence of
literature, such as someone’s life experiences in social and culture, art,
characteristic of society and so on. Semi said that the essence of literature or
literary work is a form and creation of the creative art with people and their real
life as the object, then language is the medium.1
Literary works convey the author’s thoughts as his/her reflection from real
life that it has been seen, read, heard, and experienced. Literary also can be
viewed as something which has any correlation with identity of nation or a group
of society. Literary is unique language which is used in systematic pattern to
express the complex feeling and ideas of the author. One of the easiest kind of
1 Kinayati Djojosuroto, Analisis Teks Sastra dan Pengajarannya, (Yogyakarta: Penerbit
Pustaka, 2006) p. 17
literary work people make is lyric or song lyric which convey feelings, thoughts,
life or real life experiences related with social life.
Today, song lyric can be said as a literary work offers a model of real life
as well as the literary work, it also a part of poetry, because it is constructed by
intrinsic elements, such as plot, theme, character, setting, point of view, and
consist of messages. Moreover, the extrinsic elements include the author’s
background, the environment conditions, social life, and politics ideology and so
on. Therefore, those elements make song lyric more factual to audiences. They as
if had faced trouble of life chronology with plot so that they get the whole
meaning and sense of the song lyric. Lyric can be defined as subjective poems,
often brief, that express the feelings and thoughts of a single speaker (who may or
may not represent the poet). The lyric is more a poetic manner than a form.2 Lyric
is called poetry because it is conducted to express joy, sadness, doubt, wonder,
decision, and surprise. Thus, lyric is a simplest poem of language.
Poems which are commonly called lyrics have been written to express joy,
sadness, doubt, decision, ennui, wonder, disappointment, and surprise.
The lyric is the most common of all poetic forms. When people think of
poetry, that which comes most readily to mind is a lyric poem. Lyric are
among simplest poems of the language3.
Lyric is taken from French “Lyrique” that firstly taken from old French of
a lyre, also taken from Latin “Lyricus”, and from Greek “Lurikos” from word
2 Robert DiYanni, Literature; Reading fiction, Poetry, and Drama, (New York: McGraw
Hill,2002) p. 684.
3 P. Albert Duhamel and Richard E. Hugest, Literature Form an Function, (New Jersey:
Englewood Cliffs, 1965), p.214.
“Lura”, “Lyre”. The word lyric was used for the words of a popular song about
1876 for the first time.4
Song lyric is as well as lyric in poetry is a creation including author’s
subjective feelings and expressions. It originally designed to be sung to a musical
accompaniment. For some people, music is considered as a reaction of art which
is made to entertain the human in the happy and sad situation. Music becomes one
of the entertainment media for them.
For song writers, music is one of the media to communicate their
restiveness, anger, disappointment and hopefulness to something that has
happened or will be happened around them. It usually has implicit and explicit
meaning even it can be the abstract as to be completely unintelligible. It consists
of words written as well as music going together or as the additional in music
itself. Having different characteristic, song lyric differs from a message and it
needed special approach to interpret its meaning and essence a song lyric. As the
result, it is not easy to see when someone likes and hears a song lyric we could not
say that he or she gets the meaning and messages that have within the lyric.
As literary works, song lyric has proportion as the art that having rich
meaning and relatively to understand by everyone. It containing of composition
of words that is delivered by rhythm and convey messages contain problems of
human life, such as: social condition, politics, history of wars, family, social
status, etc. It is an expression of author’s feeling; nerves, anger, disappointment,
and expectation to everything has happened around him or her. The author
4. Song and Lyric, Wikipedia, free encyclopedia. Accessed on Mei 5, 2009.
http:simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/song&lyric,
conveys his/her thoughts and feeling within stanzas so as to audiences get the
messages of the lyrics. It can be a real life condition and the environment, society,
sadness and disappointment to the leader and government, and refusing protest
toward politics policy.
The authors represent every troubles and deviation that occur in real life
through the lyric. So, lyric is one of the media to communicate their ideas or
feeling. In short, lyric cannot be separated with literary and it can be analyzed by
using one of approaches of literary criticism like sociology of literature.
An author is also the member of society, who has to establish a
communication between the author and the reader. Through the communication,
the literary work can distribute to the reader as the devotee of literature. In the
communication process, the author has been sending a message to the reader. The
author rests on extrinsic elements that includes social and cultural aspects, and
completed by intrinsic elements such as plot, character and characterization,
setting, point of view and so on as the object of their works.
Eminem is one of authors or songwriters often conducts lyrics containing
of his life experiences, his social environment, and his family troubles and also he
makes politic as his objects to put it on his lyrics. Eminem (born Marshall Bruce
Mathers III on October 17, 1972) is an American rapper, and both a Grammy and
Oscar-winner. He is of mostly Scottish-American descent, and lives in suburban
Detroit. Eminem is known as one of the most skillful and controversial rappers in
the industry, becoming a crossover sensation.
Eminem often writes lyrics consist of his life experiences, such as his
environment, his childhood, and his family, even; his lyrics concern with society
and political problems occur in the society. Among his lyrics that consisting of
social phenomena are “Mosh”. While generally avoiding overtly political tones
previously (or if they were mentioned it was in passing), in late 2004 before the
presidential election, Eminem released the song "Mosh" which harshly criticizes
President George W. Bush. He protests toward Bush’s politics policy about
aggression and war, especially in Iraq. He also raps about terrorisms and terrorists
that have attack on September 2001. This lyric included on album Encore,
Mathers' fourth major-label album, was released later that year. Eminem considers
himself neither a militant nor a political artist; he did have his own Hip Hop
Political Convention as a parody of the national political conventions held in
2004.5
Moreover, the lyric shows that he as citizen of the nation could not get the
proper life as human life. He is the representation of all people who lives in
poverty and unhealthy life tries to speak up and express his voice to against
government that could not give the good quality life for the people especially poor
people.
For Eminem, the song lyrics are reflection of social life phenomena. He
tries to represent the social phenomena in his lyrics. Expressing music through
lyric, it is same that he communicated his language on lyrics, or described the
social life in the language of lyrics, so that, language is a symbol which influences
5 Eminem Biography. Accessed on October 15, 2009
http://www.eminemlab.com/eminembiography.html.
social behavior. This is can be related with sociology of literature which sees that
literary work as the mirror of human life and society conditions. Therefore, the
writer interested to conduct a research of lyric related with sociology of literature
that is one of the approaches of literary criticism.
Based on explanation above, hence, the writer interested in Eminem’s
song lyric ‘Mosh’ in ‘Encore’ album to be analyzed. According to the writer, the
song lyric tells so much about social problems so it becomes interesting to choose
it as the unit of analysis in this research. He decides to use the approach his
research—sociology of literature that concern on social problems related with the
author.
B. Focus of the Research
As explained above, the research will be focused on social criticism of
Eminem’s song lyrics “Mosh”.
C. Question of the Research
Based on background of research, there are some questions to be
discussed:
1. What types of social aspects are criticized by Eminem in ‘Mosh’ song
lyric?
2. How do Eminem’s song lyrics that use figures of speech criticize
social problems in America?
D. Objective of the Research
1. This research aims to gain information about the social aspects
criticized in Mosh lyrics, thus, it will get the whole meaning and
messages of the lyrics.
2. To get information about what kind of figures of speech that Eminem
use in his lyrics to criticize social problems occur in America.
E. Significance of the Research
This research is intended to get a comprehension toward a literary work
especially in understanding of a song lyric. Through the research, the writer hopes
the readers will get a chance to learn to understand and experience the issues of
social problems that covered in the song lyric. Moreover, the research encourages
the readers to read literary works and try to understand the kinds of language used
by author to criticize social conditions.
F. Research Methodology
The research methodology involves some important aspects of the research
that cover:
1. Method of the Research
The research uses descriptive qualitative method which analyzes the
lyric that contains of social aspects in America. In this method the writer will
describe the social problems and criticism in Eminem’s song lyric ‘Mosh’. The
writer describes some facts implied in the song lyric. While, the answers of the
research questions had been revealed by analyzing all the data found about social
criticism and figures of speech that used in the lyrics.
2. Data Analysis Technique
Based on the method above, the data of the research will be analyzed
through sociology of literature approach by using descriptive analysis technique.
The writer analyzes the collected data, then he reads the lyrics repeatedly, and gets
data from all reading into small unit. He analyzes the social problems and
criticism occur in them with a table, so that he explains the meaning of the text
until he gets some information of the social problems and criticism that is implied
in the song lyric. Finally, the verbal data collected from those lyrics will be
analyzed based on related theories or approaches to find out how those lyrics
criticize the social problems and criticism in America. Figures of speech are also
used to get further analysis.
3. Research Instrument
In this research, the writer uses himself as the instrument of the
research. He reads and studies deeply about the lyrics. Finally, he identifies the
social problems and the figures of speech used in the song lyrics to do analysis.
4. Unit of Analysis
The unit of analysis of this research is Eminem’s song lyrics entitled
‘Mosh’.
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Sociology of Literature
1. Definition of Sociology of Literature
To get the whole meaning and message and knowing things related with
literary work – especially song lyric, so, it is needed an effort called literary
criticism. According to Andre Hardjana, literary criticism is contributions given
by researchers for literature development. It has correlation with literature
development.6 One of literary criticism could be used in analyzing literary works
is sociology of literature.
Among sub-disciplines of sociology and common literature, sociology of literature is the most ignored sub-discipline by both the sociologist and the
man of letters. However, the sociology of literature, especially cultural sociology containing sociology of literature has begun to get more
attention and it exhibit the importance understanding about human’s social life.7
There are many definitions of Sociology literature as the approach of
literary criticism. In this case the writer would like to take several definitions from
several experts.
In his book ‘The Sociology of Literature’, Swingewood defined that
sociology is an objective and scientific study about human life in the society,
study about its institutions and the social process. He said that sociology is an
6 Gunoto Safarie, Luasnya Wilayah Sisiologi Sastra. Accessed on December 20, 2008.
http://www.suarakarya-online.com/news.html?id =16888.
7 Dr Faruk, Pengantar Sosiologi Sastra, ( Yogyakarta: Pustaka Pelajar, 1994), p. V.
effort to observe about how society is established, how they work, and why they
should survive their life.8 There should be so many complexities in the society, so
the complexities which occur make sociology of literature to be conducted to
observe them. According to Wolff, sociology of literature is a discipline without
any forms, no definition as well, consisting of empirical studies and several
experimental theories which is more general. They all are similar in the case that
everything has related between the art and the society.9
According to Goldmann, he called his theory as a genetic structuralism. It
means that he believe literary works is formed from a structure. One of his
theories which become most significant is the category about the fact of humanity.
This theory is about every activity or social behavior, either it is verbal or
physical, is comprehended by science. The fact can be a certain activity, political
activity, as well as cultural creation like philosophy, art, music, sculpture, and
literature.10
Object of sociology of literature is real life condition; however, the author
does not take it randomly. He or she chooses and arranges materials by orientating
the principles and certain aims. Henry James said, the author analyzing the
sources of social reality, then he or she comprehends and tries to decide signs
essentially so as it changes to literary work. Literature not only gets its influences
from reality but also it can influence the society. It is true that character of
literature is language, but the form and content come from social phenomenon.
8 Ibid. p. 1.
9 Ibid. p.3. 10 Ibid. p. 12.
Song lyric which is a literary work of author’s feelings and thoughts, also
as poetry that commonly organized as short and conducted from expression of
someone’s feelings. Moreover, it brings themes or ideas, and expresses its beauty
until people interested to analyze it especially by using sociology of literature
approach. Hence, in this study, the writer uses sociology of literature approach
from Rene Wellek and Austin Warren.
2. Rene Wellek and Austin Warren’s Sociology of Literature.
In their book of ‘Theory of Literature’, Rene Wellek and Austin Warren
stated that Literature is a social institution, using as its medium language, a social
creation. Literature represents life; and life is, in large measure, social reality,
eventhough, the natural world and the inner of the individual have also been
objects of literary works. The relation between literature and society is usually
discussed by starting with phrase from De Bonald that literature is and expression
of society, but it could not be said that a writer expresses his experience and total
conception of life. They stated:
It is a specific evaluative criterion to say that an author should express the
life of his own time fully, that he should be ‘representative’ of his age and
society. Besides, of course, the terms ‘fully’ and ‘representative’ require
much interpretation: in most social criticism they seem to mean that an
author should be aware of specific social situations, e.g. of the plight of the
proletariat, or even that should share a specific attitude and ideology of the
critic.11
Rene Wellek and Austin Warren divide the sociological approach into
three classifications. First, sociology of author, it contains of social status, politics
ideology, and things related with the author itself. It means the sociology of the
11
Rene Wellek and Austin Warren, Theory of Literature, (Harmondsworth: Penguin
Books, 1956), p. 95.
writer and profession and institutions of literature, the whole of economic basis of
literary production, the social provenance and status of the writer, his social
ideology, which may find expression in extra-literary pronouncements and
activities. It is included some social factors which can influence the author as
individual and influence content of his literary work.
Second, sociology of literary work, that talks about literary work itself;
thus, the main point of this class is what implied in a literary work and the aim
that it will extend. Third, sociology talks about the reader and its social influences
to society.12
Hence, in this study, the writer uses the second classification of
sociological approach. That is the sociology of literary work.
The question how far literature is actually determined by or dependent on
its social setting, on social change and development, is one which, in way or
another, will enter into all three divisions of problem; the sociology of the writer,
the social content of the works themselves, and influence of literature on society.13
Thus, it can be said that literary sociology studies about the stimulus relation
between, author or literary man, literature, and society.
The sociology of literary work means the problem of social content, the
implications and social purpose of the works of literature themselves. Since every
writer is a member of society, he can be studied as a social being. According to R.
Wellek and A. Warren, the social origins of a writer play only a minor part in
questions raised by his social status, allegiance, and ideology. The author has been
12
Sapardi Djoko Damono, Sosiologi Sastra sebuah Pengantar Ringkas, (Jakarta: Pusat
Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa, 1978), p. 3.
13 Rene Wellek and Austin Warren (1956) op .cit, p. 96.
a citizen, has pronounced on questions of social and political importance, and has
taken part in the issue of his time. Much works has been done upon political and
social views of individual author, and in recent times more and more attention has
been devoted to the economic implications of these views.14
In studying the sociology of literary work, the common approach to the
relations of literature and society is the study of works of literature as social
documents, as assumed pictures of social reality. Used as social document,
literature can be made to yield the outlines of social history. For instance, Chaucer
and Langland preserve two views of fourteenth-century society. The prologue to
the Canterbury Tales was early seen to offer an almost complete survey of social
types. But such studies seem of little value so long as they take it for granted that
literature is simply a mirror of life, a reproduction, and thus, obviously, a social
document. In and admirably clear-headed study of Aristocracy and the Middle
Classes in Germany, Kohn-Bramstedt (Rene Wellek and Austin Warren,
1956:104) rightly cautions:
Only a person who has a knowledge of the structure of a society from
other sources that purely literary ones is able to find out it, and how far,
certain social types and their behavior are reproduced in the novel… What
is pure fancy, what realistic observation, and what only expression of the
desires of author must be separated in each case in a subtle manner.
From quotation above, it is can be considered that study of sociology of
literary works make sense only if a person know the structure of society itself, and
how the society produce a literary work, whether it is a fantasy, a realistic
observation or only expression of the author.
14 Ibid. p. 97.
B. Sociological Aspect
Since R. Wellek and A. Warren’s second classification that sociology of
literary work which concerns about social content and social purpose of the
literary work. Thus, in this study, the writer analyzes song lyric Mosh. Mosh has
been released in 2004 which is intended to criticize the current President of
U.S.A, George W. Bush who has don some hypocrisy in hi administration. Many
people have criticized his terms and policies. Thus, some aspects are often
criticized by people are:
a. Power and Authority
In any society, someone or some group makes important decisions about
how to use resources and how to allocate goods, whether it be a tribal chief of
parliament or dictator. A cultural universal common to all societies, then, is the
exercise of power and authority. Inevitably, the struggle for power and authority
involves politics. In their study of politics and government, sociologists are
concerned with social interactions among individuals and groups and their impact
on larger political and economic order.
Power lies at the heart of a political system. According to Max Weber,
power is the ability to exercise one’s will over others. Weber developed his
conceptualization of power in the early 1900’s; he focused primarily on the
nation-state and its sphere of influence.15
Power as the ability to exercise one’s
will over others is now exercised on a global as well as national stage, as countries
15 Richard T. Schaefer, Sociology: A Brief Introduction, 6th edition (New York:
McGrawhill, 2006), p. 367.
and multinational corporation vie to control access to resources and manage the
distribution of capital.
Many of treated power as a scarce object, like any material good, so that
there is a total sum of power, and more power for one group means less power for
another. This view, often an assumption rather than an explicit definition is
frequently associated with a definition of power as control over the behavior of
others. According to James B. McKee, one older approach to the concept of
power is that of power elite, a small group that controls the positions of authority
and monopolizes the processes of decision making.
Power, thus, is never to be conceptualized apart from authority, which is
the right to make a decision. For example, when a president vetoes a bill, he
exercises the authority of his office, as does the legislature when it votes on a
bill.16
The term authority refers to institutionalized power that is recognized by
the people over whom it is exercised. Sociologists commonly use the term in
connection with those who hold legitimate power through elected or publicly
acknowledged positions. A person’s authority is often limited. Thus, a referee has
the authority to decide whether a penalty should be called during a football game,
but has no authority over the price of tickets to the game.
Max Weber saw authority as the legitimate form of domination (there were
illegitimate forms as well), which he defined as the “probability that certain
16 James B. McKee, Introduction to Sociology, (New York: Holt, Renehart & Winston,
inc, 1969), p. 457.
specific commands (or all commands) will be obeyed by a given group of
persons”.17
b. War and Peace
Conflict is a central aspect of social relations. Too often it becomes
ongoing and violent, engulfing, innocent bystanders as well as intentional
participants. Sociologists Theodore Caplow and Louis Hicks have defined war as
conflict between organizations that possess trained combat forces equipped with
deadly weapons. This meaning is broader that legal definition, which typically
requires a formal declaration of hostilities.18
i. War
Perhaps the most critical issue is war, armed conflict among the people of
various countries, directly by their government.19
Sociologists approach war in
three different ways. Those who take a global view study how and why two or
more nations become engaged in military conflict. Those who take a nation-state
view stress the interaction of internal political, socioeconomic, and cultural forces.
And those who take a micro view focus on the social impact of war on individuals
and groups they belong to. The internal decision-making process that leads to war
have been much studied. From a micro point of view, war can bring out the worst
as well as the best in people.
17 George Ritzer, Encyclopedia of Social Theory, (California: Sage Publication, 2005),
p.19.
18 Richard T. Schaefer (2006), Op. cit. p.374.
19 John J. Macionis, Society the Basics, (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996), p. 289.
ii. Peace
Sociologists have considered peace both as the absence of war and as a
proactive effort to develop cooperative relations among nations.20 While we focus
here on international relations, we should note that in the 1900s, 90 percent of the
world’s armed conflicts occurred within rather than between states. Often, outside
powers are involved in these internal conflicts, either as supporters of particular
actions or in an attempt to broker a peace accord.
Sociologists and other social scientists who draw on sociological theory
and research have tried to identify conditions that deter war. One of their findings
is that international trade acts as a deterrent to armed conflict. As countries
exchange goods, people, and then cultures, they become more integrated and less
likely to threaten each other’s security.
Another means of fostering peace is activity of international charities and
activists group called non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Finally, many
analysts stress that nations cannot maintain their security by threatening violence.
Peace, they contend, can best be maintained by developing strong mutual security
agreements between potential adversaries.
c. Terrorism
Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence employed by an individual
or group as a political strategy. Paul Johnson offers three insights about terrorism.
First, terrorism tries to paint violence as a legitimate political tactic, ignoring the
fact that such acts are condemned by virtually by every society. Second, terrorism
20 Richard T. Schaefer (2006), Op. cit. p.376.
is employed not jut by groups but also by governments against their own people.
Third, although democratic principles oppose state terrorism, democracies are
especially vulnerable to terrorism because these governments afford extensive
civil liberties to their people and have limited police networks.21
Acts of terror, whether perpetrated by a few or by many people, can be a
powerful political force. Formally defined, terrorism is the use or threat of
violence against random or symbolic targets in pursuit of political aims. For
terrorists, the end justifies the means. They believe the status quo is oppressive,
and desperate measures are essential to end the suffering of the deprived.
Convinced that working through the formal political process will not effect the
desired political change, terrorists insist that illegal actions often directed against
innocent people are needed. Ultimately, they hope to intimidated society and
thereby bring about a new political order.22
The terrorists may wish to keep secret their individual identities, but they
want their political messages and goals to receive as much publicity as possible.
Since September 11, 2001, governments around the world have renewed their
efforts to fight terrorism. Though the public has generally regarded increased
surveillance and social control as a necessary evil, these measures have
nonetheless raised governance issues. For example, some citizens in United States
and elsewhere have questioned whether measures such as the USA patriot Act of
2001 threaten civil liberties. Citizens also can complain about the heightened
21 John J. Macionis (1996), op. cit, p. 288.
22
Richard T. Schaefer (2006), op. cit, p. 376.
anxiety created by the vague alerts issued by the federal government from time to
time.
C. Figure of Speech
Language can be classified as either literal or figurative. When we speak
literally, we mean exactly what each words conveys; when we use figurative
language we mean something other than the actual meaning of words.23
Let us
assume that someone has just said: “well, you’re a pretty sight! Got slightly wet,
didn’t you?” Then another replies, “Wet? I’m drowned! Its raining cats and dogs,
and my raincoat’s like a sieve!”
They probably understand each other well enough: yet, if we examine this
conversation literally, that is to say unimaginatively, we will find that they have
been speaking nonsense. Actually, they have been speaking figuratively. They
have been saying less than what they mean or more than what they mean or the
opposite of what they mean or something other than what they mean.
Broadly defined, a figure of speech is any way of saying something other
than the ordinary way, and some rhetorician have classified as many as 250
separate figures. Figurative language—language using figure of speech—is
language that cannot be taken literally (or should not be taken literally only).24
23
Robert DiYanni, Literatre: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 2002), p. 709.
24
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP, Sound and Sense 8th
edition, (New York:
Harcourt Brace, 1992), p. 61.
1. Metaphor
Metaphor is comparison—the making connections between normally
unrelated things. Aristotle defines metaphor as “an intuitive perception of the
similarity in dissimilars”. Metaphor employs no such explicit verbal clue. The
comparison is implied in such a way that figurative term is substituted for or
identified with the literal one.25 Metaphor may take one of four forms, depending
on whether the literal an figurative terms are respectively named or implied. First,
both the literal and figurative terms are named. Second, the literal term is named
and the figurative term is implied. Third, the literal term is implied and the
figurative term is named. Forth, both the literal and the figurative terms are
implied.
2. Simile
Simile establishes the comparison explicitly with he words like or as. The
simile is more restricted in its comparative suggestion than is metaphor.26 In
simile the comparison is expressed by the use of some word or phrase, such as
like, as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems. Eventhough similes are same as
metaphors, they are both forms of comparison. Similes allow the two ideas to
remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas metaphors compare two
things without using "like" or "as".27
For instance, a simile that compares a person
25 Robert DiYanni (2002), op. cit. p. 709.
26
Ibid. p. 709.
27
Simile, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Accessed on November 6, 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simile,
with a bullet would go as follows: "John was a record-setting runner and as fast as
a speeding bullet."
3. Personification
According to Perrine, personification consists in giving the attributes of
human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. It is really a subtype
comparison is always human being.28 Personification is a type of metaphor in
which distinctive human characteristics, e.g., honesty, emotion, volition, etc., are
attributed to an animal, object or idea, as "The haughty lion surveyed his realm"
or "My car was happy to be washed" or "'Fate frowned on his endeavors."
Personification is commonly used in allegory.29
4. Apostrophe
Apostrophe consists in addressing someone absent or dead or something
nonhuman as if that person or thing were present and alive and could reply to
what is being said.30 In other word, according to Judith A Stanford, apostrophe
means someone speaks directly to inanimate object or place.31 Barnet defines
apostrophe as an address to a person or thing not literary listening.
5. Symbol
A symbol may be roughly defined as something that is means more than
what it is. A symbol is any object or action that represents something beyond
28
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP (1992), op. cit. p. 64.
29 http://www.angelfire.com/ct2/evenski/poetry/figuresofspeech.html, (accessed on November 6, 2009)
30
Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP (1992), op. cit. p. 65.
31 Judith A. Stanford, Responding to Literature: Stories, Poems, Plays, and Essays 5th
edition, (New York: McGraw-Hil, 2006), p.50.
itself. A rose, for example, can represent beauty or love or transience. A tree may
represent a family’s root or branches. Light may symbolize hope or knowledge or
life. These are familiar symbols may represent different, event opposite things,
depending on how they are deployed in particular poem. Thus, the meaning of any
symbol, whether an object, an action, or a gesture, is controlled by its context.32
6. Allegory
Allegory is a form of narrative in which people, places, and happenings
have hidden or symbolic meaning.33
Allegory is narrative or description that a
second meaning beneath the surface. Allegory has defined sometimes as an
extended metaphor and sometimes as a series of related symbols. But it is usually
distinguishable from both of these. In allegory there is usually a one-to-one
correspondence between the details may have more than one meaning, but these
meanings tend to be definite. Meaning do not ray out from allegory as they do
from a symbol.34
7. Paradox
Paradox is apparently true statements or group of statements that leads to a
contradiction or a situation which defies intuition. Typically, the statements in
question do not really imply the contradiction, the puzzling result is not really a
contradiction, or the premises themselves are not all really true or can not all be
true together.
32 Robert DiYanni (2002), op. cit. p. 715.
33 Ibid. p. 717.
34 Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP (1992), op. cit. p. 88.
A paradox is an apparent contradiction that is nevertheless somehow true.
When Alexander Pope wrote that a literary critic of his time would “damn with
faint praise,” he was using a verbal paradox, for how can a man damn by praising?
The value of paradox is its shock value. It seeming impossibly startles the reader
into attention and, by the fact of its apparent absurdity, underscores the truth of
what is being said.35
8. Overstatement or Hyperbole
Overstatement, or hyperbole, is simply exaggeration, but exaggeration in
the service of truth. Like all figure of speech, overstatement may be used with
variety of effects. It may be humorous or grave, fanciful or restrained, convincing
or unconvincing.36
If we say, I’m starved!” or “I’ll die if I don’t pass this course!”
we do not expect to be taken literally; we are merely adding emphasis to what we
really mean.
Hyperbole is used to create emphasis. It is a literary device often used in
poetry, and is frequently encountered in casual speech. It is also a visual technique
in which a deliberate exaggeration of a particular part of an image is employed.
An example is the exaggeration of a person's facial feature in a political cartoon.37
9. Understatement or Litotes
35 Ibid. p. 100.
36 Ibid. p. 101.
37 Hyperbole, Wikipedia, free Encyclopedia. Accessed on November 9,
2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole.
Understatement, or litotes, or saying less than one means, may exist in
what one says or merely in how one says it. If, for instance, upon sitting down to a
loaded dinner plate, we say, “This looks like a nice snack,” we are actually stating
less than the truth; but if we say, with Artemus Ward, that a man who holds hand
for half an hour in a lighted fire will experience “a sensation of experience and,
disagreeable warmth;” we are stating what is literally true but with a good deal
less force than the situation warrants.38
10. Irony
Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is a gap or
incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says and what is generally
understood (either at the time, or in the later context of history).39
Irony has
meaning that extended beyond its use merely as a figure of speech. There are three
kind of irony: verbal irony, dramatic irony, irony of situation.
Verbal irony, according to Perrine, saying the opposite of what one means,
is often confused with sarcasm and with satire, and for that reason it may be well
to look at the meanings of al three terms. In the other hand, verbal irony always
implies the opposite of what is said, it has many gradations, and only in its
simplest forms doest it mean only the opposite of what is said.40
For instance,
when someone says, “here’s some bad news for you: you all got A’s and B’s!” in
verbal irony the discrepancy is between what is said and is meant.
38
Ibid. p. 102.
39
Irony, Wikipedia, Free Encyclopedia. Accessed on November 6, 2009.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/irony,
40 Laurence Perrine and Thomas R. ARP (1992), op. cit. p. 104.
Dramatic irony often connotes something more specific and perhaps a
little different from what is developed. It describes a speech or action in a story
that has mush great significance to the audience than to the character who speaks
or performs it, because the audience possesses knowledge the character does not
have. In dramatic irony the discrepancy is not between what the speaker says and
what the speaker means but between what the speaker says and what the poem
means. The speaker’s words may be perfectly straightforward, but author, by
putting these words in a particular speaker’s mouth may be indicating to the
reader ideas or attitudes quite opposed to those the speaker is voicing.41
A third type of irony, irony of situation, occurs when a discrepancy exists
between the actual circumstances and those that would seem appropriate or
between what one anticipates and what actually comes to pass. For example, if a
man and his second wife, on the first night of their honeymoon, are accidentally
seated at the theater next to the man’s first wife, we should call the situation
ironic. When King Midas, in the famous fable, is granted his fondest wish, that
anything he touch turn to gold, and then he finds that he cannot eat because even
his foods turns to gold, we call the situation ironic.42
11. Allusion
41 Ibid. p. 106.
42
Ibid. p. 107-108.
A literary allusion is a brief reference to a person, place, phrase, or event
drawn from history or literature. In other word, an allusion—a reference to
something in history or previous literature—is, like a richly connotative word or a
symbol, a means of suggesting far more than it says.43 For example, Robert frost
in “out, out—makes his meaning entirely clear even for the reader who does not
recognize the allusion contained in the poem’s title. It is an allusion to one of the
most famous passages in all English literature. The passage is that in Macbeth in
which Macbeth has just been informed of his wife’s death.
12. Synecdoche and Metonymy
Synecdoche is the use of part for the whole and metonymy is the use of
something closely related for the thing actually meant. Both are alike in that both
substitute some significant detail or aspect of an experience for the experience
itself.44 Synecdoche is figurative locution whereby the part is made to stand for
the whole, the whole for a part, the species for the genus, and vice versa. It can be
said that synecdoche using a part to signify the whole (lend me a hand). Whereas,
metonymy or substituting and attribute of a thing for the thing itself. For example,
Shakespeare uses synecdoche when he says that the cuckoo’s song is unpleasant
to a “married ear”, for the means a married man. On the other hand, when Terence
advises “fellows whom it hurts to think” to “Look into the pewter pot / To see the
world as the world’s not,” e using metonymy, for by “pewter pot” he means the
43 Ibid. p. 120.
44
Ibid. pp. 65-66.
ale in the pot, not the pot itself, and by “world” he means human life and the
condition under which it is lived.
13. Sarcasm and Satire
Sarcasm is imply bitter or cutting speech, intended to wound the feelings.
Satire is a more formal term, usually applied to written literature rather than to
speech and ordinarily implying a higher motive: it is ridicule (either bitter or
gentle) of human folly and vice, with the bringing about reform or at least of
keeping other people from falling into similar folly or vice.45
For instance, one of
the members of the class raises his hand on the discussion of this point and says,
“I don’t understand,” and the instructor replies, with a tone of heavy disgust in his
voice, “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to,” so, he is being sarcastic: he means
exactly what he says.
45 Ibid. p. 104.
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH FINDING
In this chapter, the writer describes two main descriptions, they are; data
description and data analysis.
A. Data Description
In the data description, the writer will present the song lyrics and the table
of social criticism aspects and figurative language used in the song. The
followings are presentation of the data description:
1. Mosh
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all...
It feels so good to be back… 5
I scrutinize every word, memorize every line
I spit it once, refuel and re-energize and rewind
I give sight to the blind, my insight through the mind
I exercise my right to express when I feel it's time
It's just all in your mind, what you interpret it as 10
I say to fight, you take it as I'mma whip someone's ass
If you don't understand, don't even bother to ask
A father who has grown up with a fatherless past
Who has blown up now to rap phenomenon that has
Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task 15
And in juggling both perhaps mastered his craft
Slash entrepreneur who has held onto few more rap acts
Who's had a few obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his career typical manure moving past that
Mr. kisses ass crack, he's a class act 20
Rubber band man, yea he just snaps back
[Chorus:]
Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong 25
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we gonna stomp, we gonna march
Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the marsh
Take us right through the doors (c'mon) 30
All the people up top on the side and the middle
Come together lets all bomb and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build from the front to the back
All you can see is a sea of people some white and some black
Don't matter what color, all that matters we gathered together 35
To celebrate for the same cause don't matter the weather
If it rains let it rain, yea the wetter the better
They ain't gonna stop us they can't, we stronger now more than ever
They tell us no we say yea, they tell us stop we say go
Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em know 40
Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our troops home (c'mon)
[Chorus]
Imagine it pouring, it's raining down on us
Mosh pits outside the oval office
Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible 45
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
How could we allow something like this without pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour 50
Let me be the voice in your strength and your choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six...
Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech 55
Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero
Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
If I get sniped tonight you know why, 65
Cause I told you to fight.
[Chorus]
And as we proceed,
To Mosh through this desert storm,
In these closing statements, if they should argue
Let us beg to differ 70
As we set aside our differences
And assemble our own army
To disarm this Weapon of Mass Destruction
That we call our President, for the present
And Mosh for the future of our next generation 75
To speak and be heard
Mr. President, Mr. Senator
Do you guy's hear us...hear us...[laughing] (Hailie) 78
TABLE I
The Social Criticism Aspect in Mosh lyric
No. Social Criticism
Aspect Corpus Data Line
Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they
bring our troops home (c'mon)
41 1.
Anti war
To disarm this weapon of mass destruction that
we call our president
And Mosh for the future of our next generation
73
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
45-48 2. Anti terrorism
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to
fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to
thinking that we ain't loyal
59-60
TABLE II
Eminem’s song lyric “Mosh” criticizes Social Problem using kinds of
Figurative Language
No.
Kinds Of
Figurative
Language
Corpus Data Line
1. Apostrophe
The lyric -
2. Simile Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
44-
48
3. Metaphor And as we proceed,
To Mosh through this desert storm,
67-
68
4. Personification Mosh pits outside the oval office 43
5. Symbol I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states
of America And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all...
1-4
6. Allegory Come along follow me as I lead through the
darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to
proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us
through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
22-
27
7. Situational Irony No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to
fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to
thinking that we ain't loyal
59-
60
8. Metonymy Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped,
washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
62-
64
9. Synecdoche How could we allow something like this without
pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour
Let me be the voice in your strength and your
choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the
noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six... Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
49-
55
Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em
know Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they
bring our troops home (c'mon)
40-
41 10. Sarcasm
For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
46-
48
From the data description above, it can be analyzed as follows:
B. Data Analysis
B.1 Social Criticism Aspect in Eminem’s Song Lyric “Mosh”
As it has been explained in the previous chapter, the song lyric analyzed
using sociology of literature approach of R. Wellek and A. Warren’s two
classification: sociology of author and sociology of literary work. Both
concerning about social criticism toward social problem occurs on the society.
The analysis will draw social criticism and social problems that included in the
lyric. From this study, the writer found some social criticisms or social problems
that the author revealed in the lyric.
According to sociology of speaker, that means the sociology of the writer
and profession and institutions of literature, the whole of economic basis of
literary production, the social provenance and status of the writer, his social
ideology, which may find expression in extra-literary pronouncements and
activities. It is included some social factors which can influence the speaker as
individual and influence content of his literary works.
Thus, in the first verse, the writer found that speaker introduces himself,
the social provenience and social status of speaker. The man who once grew up in
a fatherless home and who used to be constantly broke has become an amazing
entertainer, a responsible father, and a cunning entrepreneur. Those words are
huge encouragement for single parenting homes who are so often underprivileged
in one of the richest countries of the world. The speaker, Eminem, is a living
example for that situation. Eminem is a self made man; his overwhelming success
and his fortune have increased his power within a few years to being a rap singer
who often has controversy with the others. It is simply stated in:
“A father who has grown up with a fatherless past
Who has blown up now to rap phenomenon that has
Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task
And in juggling both perhaps mastered his craft
Slash entrepreneur who has held onto few more rap acts
Who's had a few obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his career typical manure moving past that…”
Those lyrics show the social status of the author as an artist. He is a hip
hop singer or rapper who has become amazing entertainer. His social provenience
is fatherless home because his father had left him with his mother, then he also
became a single parent as he divorced his wife and got his custody to his daughter.
Through these song lyrics, Eminem is indeed a political power in America. He has
the courage of his opinions and strongly expresses against President Bush's policy.
Although he has often been viewed as anti patriotic, Eminem has showed only
love for America. He just dislikes its policy, which is totally different.
Then, based on the second classification—the sociology of literary work,
that means the problem of social content, the implications and social purpose of
the works of literature themselves and the approach to the relations of literature
and society is the study of works of literature as social documents, as assumed
picture of social reality. The writer found two types of social aspect criticized in
song lyrics ‘Mosh, they are:
1) Anti War Protest
‘Mosh’ is a meaningful and powerful song lyric. Reading to it increased
the huge respect from the readers who already have for Eminem, including the
speaker and the speaker of the lyric. Literally, based on Oxford Advanced
Leaner’s Dictionary, ‘Mosh’ defined as:‘to dance and jump up and down violently
or without control at a concert where Rock music is played’. Then, in Eminem’s
song lyric ‘Mosh’, the word ‘Mosh‘ refers to a slam dance as a huge protest
against Bush. The word is much more than a huge wake up call in front of
American citizens who keep supporting Bush despite his hypocrisy. The lyric
starts with a pledging allegiance to the American flag. In the next stanza, the
speaker is addressing to the crowd as the powerful personality he actually is with
the terrific background of the September 11th
attacks of the World Trade Center. It
is as if speaker’s voice imposes respect from his audience: “you going to listen
and be ready to start this collective slam dance as a huge form of protest against
Bush”.
The speaker is like the leader of a huge movement that rallies millions
people from different nations, ages, backgrounds and races. He calls people to
follow him and trust him in his rightful rebellious mission. He knows how to
guide them with sincerity and will let them see the end of bad condition in society,
as he expresses it very well:
"Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough sparks that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we gonna stomp, we gonna march
Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the marsh
Take us right through the doors (c'mon)
All the people up top on the side and the middle
Come together lets all bomb and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build from the front to the back
From those lyrics the writer supposes that what people have to do is trust
him and fight along with him. He promises that he won't guide them wrong and
promises an end to the nightmare people owe President Bush. A sea of people is
united from different ages, races, and nations for the same goal with a strong call:
carry the US troops home! It is surely as an action to criticize the president so as
to stop the war because war just brings suffering, destroying and dying. “All you
can see is a sea of people some white and some black //Don't matter what color,
all that matters we gathered together //To celebrate for the same cause don't
matter the weather”. Those sentences show as an effort to protest upon the
President with his unwise policy and his hypocrisy.
‘Mosh’ is an anti war and an anti-Bush anarchist song lyric. The speaker is
speaking to the whole nation and telling people that they need to do something
about that case because they're responsible for it. He tries to criticize social
problem that occurs in society caused by an injustice and unwise policy of U.S
president. He just comes out and says it is right in the song lyric:
a) Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our
troops home (c'mon)"
Brief of lyrics above show an anti war protest. The speaker tells people to
fight against Bush and his war in Iraq saying that they should protest the war and
bring the troops home. The line shows the social problem occurs in the society,
war and a criticism to stop the war by applying line ‘bring our troops home’. His
lyric is here to open people consciences and make them realize how much
America needs to get rid of Bush in order to be ready for a new start—new live
without injustice and hypocrisy. It is enough civilian victims from a worthless
Iraqi war on both sides and enough blood has been spilled for nothing on both
sides.
Many people agree that no one in this world wants to be in war situation.
However, when the brutal desires of human being have talked and decelerated war
and then forced the troops trapped in one situation that actually they do not want.
Everybody should be aware of the consequences of Bush's actions on the world's
nation’s destiny. Fatal errors can lead to a domino effect in no time. Not only had
the drama of the September 11th tragically consequences for America, but it also
weakened Europe economically and increased unemployment. Another corpus is
sated in:
b) To disarm this Weapon of Mass Destruction
That we call our president
And Mosh for the future of our next generation
Through this song lyric Eminem criticizes the president’s policy about
conducting war. The part of the lyrics conveys a criticism that the president
should stop the war by disarming the weapons. Eminem also wants to stop the
government claimed that Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) posed a threat to their security and that of their coalition or regional allies
for the reason of war, because the Weapons of Mass Destruction does not exist.
Then, //That we call our president// //And Mosh for the future of our next
generation// express that he is ready to show his opposition to a government that
fully disgusts him. Those words have the power to open some bricks in the wall of
incomprehension left by the American government and to give people some hope
for a new generation of a brighter future without Bush, of course.
This lyric is as representation of thousands people around the world to
criticize and protest against Bush’s policy about war especially Iraqi war. It agrees
with an article from www.washingtonpost.com in January 2007. “Antiwar
protesters flooded Washington yesterday for a series of rallies and a march on the
Capitol against U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq. Some longtime activists
lamented the continued need for such demonstrations. Above, protesters march in
two different directions on Constitution Avenue”.46
From description above, it is clearly conveyed by the speaker of the lyric
that he disagrees with anything related with war and terror acts. War is a policy
46
Thousands Protest Bush’s Policy. Accessed on December 29, 2009.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/27/AR2007012700629.html.
that does not help people for the better. Perhaps the most critical issue is war,
armed conflict among the people of various countries, directly by their
government. Sociologists approach war in three different ways. Those who take a
global view study how and why two or more nations become engaged in military
conflict. Those who take a nation-state view stress the interaction of internal
political, socioeconomic, and cultural forces. And those who take a micro view
focus on the social impact of war on individuals and groups they belong to.
The internal decision-making process that leads to war have been much
studied. From a micro point of view, war can bring out the worst as well as the
best in people. So, Eminem conducted the lyric as an effort for avoiding the worst
effects of war for people. The speaker regrets president’s anti terror policy that
will lead to many young innocent soldiers' death to gain his individual businesses
like to get his hegemony will, he make decision to conduct war to get the oil and
soil without concern about people security and people rights to life.
2) Anti terrorism
Terrorism is violence or the threat of violence employed by an individual
or group as a political strategy. Paul Johnson offers three insights about terrorism.
First, terrorism tries to paint violence as a legitimate political tactic, ignoring the
fact that such acts are condemned by virtually by every society. Second, terrorism
is employed not jut by groups but also by governments against their own people.
Third, although democratic principles oppose state terrorism, democracies are
especially vulnerable to terrorism because these governments afford extensive
civil liberties to their people and have limited police networks.
‘Mosh’ is also about anti terror protest. The speaker tries to convince
people about the bad effects of the terrorism, he clearly protests everything related
with terrorism acts because it grabs human right to life in tranquility and peaceful.
It can be seen in line:
a) Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible
For this monster, this coward, That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
Also can bee seen in question:
b) No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own
soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we
ain't loyal
Through a monster like Osama Bin Laden, God is trying to send a
message: Americans are responsible of the situation. They allowed Bush to take
power and to commerce with Osama which lead to the tragically situation they
already now. It is high time for anybody, no matter where we come from to stand
up and to fight for our rights. It is more than a duty for American citizens to vote
against the worst American president in history and it is very important for people
from other countries to show their opposition even in words. Speaker thought that
people as the citizen have the power, the obligation and the duty to refuse a
president who endangers the whole world for his own selfish commercial interest.
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more blood for oil, no more blood just to get Bush some more cash.
No need to feel guilty when you don't want to lose your young life in a bloody
war in order to satisfy a dictator's madness. It can be assumed that there is implicit
criticism delivered by the speaker in the lyric upon terror acts or terrorism that
happened in his circumstance. It is clearly stated in:
"Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero”
They show the will of an engaged speaker to strengthen their own voice in
this world. The speaker tells people to fight and he empowers people through his
insightful speech. They have no reason to feel week and to accept to be the
prisoner of Bush's psychological manipulations. ‘Mosh’ has been written for
America and the world's sake. It offers us a new definition of American
patriotism and makes people understand that it is not necessary be a victim of
Bush's military policy to be a good citizen.
Bush’s policy is as strong as a terror act that makes only suffering and
destroying for people. Eminem is taking power against Bush and his words will
tear the current Mr. President in people's mind like the teeth of an alligator. The
government policy is including terrorism because it makes citizen life in fear and
insecurity and war is just left destruction, afflictions, and tears. Their policies are
equal with a terrorism organization, Alqueda that clearly stated in line “Maybe we
can reach alqueda through my speech”. This line means by his voice the speaker
can find the Alqueda and stop their action to threat society; even he wishes he
could eliminate the organization.
After those explanations, the writer sums up the song lyric ‘Mosh’ could
be considered as social control. The function of criticism is as social control
toward social system. In its position, social criticisms placed an important role to
keep social system going well.
For Eminem, the speaker and the speaker of his song lyric, expressing a
criticism in his song lyric is one of ways to take part in one of those normative
functions as social control. Criticism is one of media in conveying social
aspirations, restiveness, and even conveying anger. A criticism will always face
the aspect of state power and government. The power is defined as an institution
that has tendentious of excessive, repressive,, corruptive, collusive, and so on.
Hence, it must be controlled and criticized. The writer found some Eminem’s
criticisms in his song lyric ‘Mosh’, which the writer considers it as a part of
Eminem’s control to Bush administration.
First, Eminem takes more attention about war, especially Iraqi war. Mosh
has given signalmen to Bush’s administration to recycle the administration and
stop the war. Most of American citizen protest against bush Administration about
policy of war. Eminem as the representation of most people in the country even in
the world asks the government returning the troops home from Iraq and stop the
war.
Second, Eminem disagrees with terrorism and anything coo-related to it.
He speaks to ambush all terrorism and terror act. The most tragically event that he
regretted is September 11th
. Eminem condemned everything about terror acts so
that he conduct lyric to express his feelings and his disappointment about that.
However, he does not only curse the terrorists for all their deeds but also curse the
president’s terror policy as it seems like legalize murder. He assumes that Bush’s
policy is as well as terrorism because his policy becomes something frightening
and threatening people.
Through song lyric ‘Mosh’ Eminem plays roles as the control social
toward terror act that makes people live in suffering and destroying and he gaining
social system that going well according to peace concept. Thus, this significantly
can be considered that Eminem’s song lyric has its function as the social control.
B.2 Eminem’s Song Lyrics ‘Mosh’ which contain Figures of Speech
Criticize Social Problems in America.
The next research finding is analysis how Eminem’s song lyric criticizes
the social problems happened in America caused by Bush’s Policies. As literary
work Eminem’s song lyric ‘Mosh’ is not only use ordinary language but also use
extraordinary language in say every detail of criticism as we known figurative
language or figure of speech. Figure of speech which is any way of saying
something other than the ordinary way or Figurative language—language using
figure of speech—is language that cannot be taken literally.
The writer analyzes the lyric so as to get language use that applied in
whole lyrics to criticize social problems. In this step, the figures of speech are
listed in the table in the previous discussion thoroughly analyzed. The types of
figures of speech are determined here. Next, the figures of speech analyzed for the
meaning in common sense and with the context of the lyric. The following section
exposes the data analysis from ‘Mosh’ song lyric performed by the writer. The
writer found ten kinds of figures of speech in the lyric in criticizing the social
problems. They are apostrophe, metaphor, Simile, personification, symbol,
allegory, situational irony, metonymy, synecdoche, and sarcasm. The analysis is
arranged per line:
1) Apostrophe is used as criticism of social problem
a) The lyric
The ‘Mosh’ lyric as a whole are apostrophe. Apostrophe consists in
addressing someone absent or dead or something nonhuman as if that person or
thing were present and alive and could reply to what is being said. The use of
apostrophe negates the necessity of the person of whom the message is intended to
be actually present to reply or respond the questions.
In his lyric, Eminem is in addressing people or citizen of America to come
together as unity against their dictator president and his unwise policies that
would not help them for the better life. The song lyric is an anti Bush Protest. The
speaker simply stated how Bush fed people as much as he can to give people
incentive to support the war, even lies, but does not give them the whole truth. He
says people need to get together and voice opinions that most people see how the
war or Bush does not help them. He is absolutely a business man, not a leader or a
man of smarts other than to a monetary advantage. He's simply asks Americans to
form an army and vote Bush out of office on election. Hence, the lyrics clearly
called apostrophe because speaker addressed the absence of people as they
directly could respond him. He calls people to be awake and to protest the
president’s policy.
2) Simile is used as criticism of social problem
a) Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is god just sayin' we're responsible For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
The speaker used simile in line 46-48: “For this monster, this coward”.
The speaker used for this coward this monster refers to a terrorist. The speaker
compared implicitly monster to Osama Bin Laden. Monster is commonly a
frightening creature that can destroy anything easily. Hence, Osama is absolutely
same as a monster that destroys and frightens people with his terror. Those words
are clearly as criticism toward the terrorists especially Osama bin Laden as the
one who are responsible for September the 11th attack. Through those lyrics,
speaker also criticism Americans that allowed Bush to take power and to
commerce with Osama which lead to the tragically situation and they are
responsible for the situation. It clearly stated; “Maybe this is god just sayin' we're
responsible”… “For this monster, this coward”, and “That we have empowered”
3) Metaphor is used as criticism of social problem
b) As we proceed
To mosh through this desert storm
Metaphor is comparison—the making connections between normally
unrelated things. The comparison is implied in such a way that figurative term is
substituted for or identified with the literal one. The speaker used metaphor in line
68: ‘to mosh through this desert storm”. The speaker compared the condition or
situation in society that resulted by war and terror to the desert storm. Desert
storm is an natural process always bring people in destroying and suffering, and it
agrees with social condition in US that is not as good as people dream caused by
war.
4) Personification is used as criticism of social problem
a) Mosh pits outside the oval office
Personification consists in giving the attributes of human being to an
animal, an object, or a concept. It is really a subtype comparison is always human
being. Personification is a type of metaphor in which distinctive human
characteristics. On “Mosh pits outside the oval office”, speaker personified the
word mosh as noun that able to pit. Mosh is a concept of moshing or slamming
refers to the activity in which audience members at live music performances
aggressively push or slam into each other. Thus, word ‘pit’ is just can be used for
human expression.
From those explanations, the writer concludes that the words mosh pits
outside the oval office used to criticize president’s policy to conduct war. It is a
personification of people who come together outside the oval office—the
president’s office, to pit the social situation resulted by war and to protest the
government policy to conduct war.
5) Symbol is used as criticism of social problem
a) I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all...
A symbol may be roughly defined as something that is means more than
what it is. A symbol is any object or action that represents something beyond
itself. A rose, for example, can represent beauty or love or transience. A tree may
represent a family’s root or branches. Light may symbolize hope or knowledge or
life. These are familiar symbols may represent different, event opposite things,
depending on how they are deployed in particular poem. In this line, word ‘flag’
symbolize a freedom.
In the song lyric context, the word ‘flag’ represents and symbolizes of a
freedom in a country with no war and terror. Through those lyrics, the speaker
criticizes the real condition of society. The words described that the speaker
disappointed to the president’s policy about war because it just left society in
worse situation. The Speaker criticized Bush who supposed to make society for
the better situation, it appropriates with the word flag that means freedom. Yet, in
fact he even made an opposite situation—war.
6) Allegory is used as criticism of social problem
a) Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
Allegory is a form of narrative in which people, places, and happenings
have hidden or symbolic meaning. Allegory is narrative or description that a
second meaning beneath the surface. In allegory there is usually a one-to-one
correspondence between the details may have more than one meaning, but these
meanings tend to be definite.
Eminem used allegory in line 22-27.”Come along follow me as I lead
through the darkness’ and ‘Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the
fog’ do not directly mean that the speaker or the speaker asks people to become
the leader pass the darkness and guiding people to pass through the fog, but it has
its allegorical meaning that the word ‘darkness’ does not mean anyplace without
light and fully filled by ‘fog’, but they are symbolize experiences of life that
people got because of government policies. The words darkness and fog are
intended to criticize the result of war that lead people to the suffering, dying, and
destroying. The speaker, as the leader, described to lead people pass the bad
condition of life and ask people to put their faith to him.
Then, in line 27: ‘to the light at the end of the tunnel’ has its allegorical
meaning that speaker will bring people from sad life to the new life for the better.
From the context the writer found that the tunnel itself is as a sad life that people
have been experiencing and the light as allegory of the better life.
From those explanations, the writer concludes that allegory used as
criticism toward social conditions happen in society like the sadness life that
resulted by government’s policies. It is worse condition of society caused war.
7) Situational Irony is used as criticism of social problem
a) No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own
soil
No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't
loyal
Situational irony or irony of situation occurs when a discrepancy or
incongruity exists between the actual circumstances and those that would seem
appropriate or between what one anticipates and what actually comes to pass. In
the lyric, the speaker applies “No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to
fight on our own soil” conveying the discrepancy between actual circumstance
with the speaker hopes in his society.
In this context, the speaker must get his war against his own president in
his own country because of the president’s terror policy to decide war in Iraq.
War, which same as terrorism act is known just left dying and need blood of the
troops and is something does not expected by the speaker. The sentence ironically
says that it is no need to feel guilty when you don't want to lose your young life in
a bloody war in order to satisfy a dictator's madness.
In line 60:”No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we
ain't loyal” conveys to the reader that war has been conducted for nothing and just
a president’s hypocrisy to gain his own interest. The discrepancy is between
speaker’s expectation and the reality. The speaker whishes live in peaceful and
appropriate rights without any terror or war action, even psychological warfare.
However, ironically his critique leads the speaker as person does not have loyalty
to the state because he criticizes the president’s policy. The speaker as the
representation of American citizen dislikes President Bush should face the reality
that people live in inappropriate condition of social system.
8) Metonymy is used as criticism of social problem
a) Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped
And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
Metonymy is the use of something closely related for the thing actually
meant. It is used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own
name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or
concept. Metonymy is substituting and attributing of a thing for the thing itself.
In criticizing the social problems, the song lyric “Mosh” using metonymy
in line 63: “the stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped”, the
speaker using metonymy, by ‘the stars and stripes’ he means the flag of the USA.
The speaker used the stars and the strips to substituting and attributing the flag
which is something closely related for the thing actually meant. Moreover, by
using metonymy, the speaker criticized the Bush’s policies that lead society to the
worse. His hypocrisy as if he would to replace the image of stars and strips in the
flag with his own face. It can bee seen in the next line: “And replaced with his
own face, Mosh now or die”. Hence, the lyric intended to criticism the president’s
policy that made society run disorder.
9) Synecdoche is used as criticism of social problem
a) How could we allow something like this without pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour
Let me be the voice in your strength and your choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six...
Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
In the lyric, he writer found one kind of figures of speech when the
speaker uses synecdoche in “How could we allow something like this without
pumping our fists”. The speaker used ‘our fist’ as synecdoche as it did not mean
only by pumping fists of their hands to protest against president’s policies but it
meant the whole of their efforts to avoid more victims caused by war. The part of
the lyrics above shows that the speaker expressed his feeling about social problem
happened in his society. He called people to do some efforts to protest against
Bush and even their attempt to find the terrorist organization like Alqueda. The
lyric used synecdoche to simplify the way of referring to the whole acts or effort
to protest against Bush without using the word or phrase.
10) Sarcasm is used as criticism of social problem
a) Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em know
Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our troops
home (c'mon)
Sarcasm is imply bitter or cutting speech, intended to wound the feelings.
Satire is a more formal term, usually applied to written literature rather than to
speech and ordinarily implying a higher motive: it is ridicule (either bitter or
gentle) of human folly and vice, with the bringing about reform or at least of
keeping other people from falling into similar folly or vice. Eminem used sarcasm
in line 41: “Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush, until they bring our troops
home”. He used the word ‘fuck’ in this line intended to wind the feeling of the
addressee who is in this case is the president with the purpose of bringing about
reform. In this context, sarcasm here means the expression of anger of the speaker
as the representative of American citizen toward president’s policy. The speaker
demands reform to stop the war and bring the troops back so as to get the new life
in peace, happiness, and rights from the government by eliminating Bush.
b) For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
In line 46: “for this monster, this coward” the speaker used sarcastic words
monster and coward to hurt the feeling of addressee that is Osama Bin Laden. He
is the person who has responsibility for the social condition which is in threat and
fears caused his terror act and the war, especially September 11th tragedy. The
word monster and coward absolutely has negative meaning which could wind
someone’s feeling, thus, the speaker stated the word in the lyrics to criticize the
terror action toward society.
CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
As it has been mentioned in the chapter I that the purpose of the study is to
find out social criticism concerning about social problems which appears in
society, revealed in a song lyric and to find out the figures of speech used, the
author chooses to criticize the social problems and deliver the messages in his
lyric. Based upon the analysis process in the chapter III, the writer comes up with
the following conclusion.
In Eminem’s song lyric ‘Mosh’, the writer concludes the lyric containing
criticism toward social problems happened in society: anti war and anti terrorism
protest. Eminem criticizes the situation and condition in society caused by
President who had done some hypocrisy in his administration. Moreover, he also
criticizes the terrorism act, especially the September 11th tragedy that caused by
Osama Bin Laden and his Organization, Al Qaeda. Through this Song lyric,
Eminem demands the new generation of the better and have people realize how
much they were manipulated by the government.
Then, in criticizing the social problems Eminem does not only use
ordinary language to convey his feelings and thoughts in his lyric but also use
kinds of figurative language. Figurative language can help the author to deliver his
expressions to the readers or the listeners of the song, and then they can feel and
imagine how the real condition in society is. Moreover, it also can help the readers
or the listeners of the song to understand and get the whole meaning and message
of the lyric correctly.
The writer reveals the occurrences of figurative language in the song lyric
that consisting of some kinds of figure of speech. The writer found ten kinds of
figures of speech, they are apostrophe, metaphor, simile, personification, symbol,
allegory, situational irony, metonymy, synecdoche, and sarcasm.
B. Suggestion
The only suggestion from this research is, for student especially and for
people who do not have adequate knowledge about the literary criticism and
language usage in a literary works generally, to be vigilant and alert to the literary
work like song lyric. Every song has its meaning behind the surface. Thus, people
need to appreciate literary work generally and lyric especially every detail from
the elements, either the intrinsic or extrinsic elements, to find out what actually
the literary work wants to tell and what the author’s message of it. Moreover, one
approach of literary criticisms that is an exciting way to appreciate a literary work
like song lyric is sociology of literature as it considers that a literary work can
reflect real condition in a society at a certain time.
In addition, to understand song lyric more deeply, the readers have to
analyze supporting elements of the song lyric as well as a poem. The readers
appreciate not only the kinds of language use like figurative but also can
appreciate the extrinsic elements like background of the author, social
environment, and politics, and even social problems happened in the society.
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APPENDICES
MOSH LYRIC
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation under God
Indivisible with liberty and justice for all...
It feels so good to be back...
I scrutinize every word, memorize every line
I spit it once, refuel and re-energize and rewind
I give sight to the blind, my insight through the mind
I exercise my right to express when I feel it's time
It's just all in your mind, what you interpret it as I say to fight, you take it as I'mma whip someone's ass
If you don't understand, don't even bother to ask A father who has grown up with a fatherless past
Who has blown up now to rap phenomenon that has Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task
And in juggling both perhaps mastered his craft Slash entrepreneur who has helped launch a few more rap acts
Who's had a few obstacles thrown his way through the last half
Of his career typical manure moving past that
Mr. kisses ass crack, he's a class act
Rubber band man, yea he just snaps back
[Chorus:]Come along follow me as I lead through the darkness
As I provide just enough spark that we need to proceed
Carry on, give me hope, give me strength
Come with me and I won't steer you wrong
Put your faith and your trust as I guide us through the fog
To the light at the end of the tunnel
We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we gonna stomp, we gonna march
Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the marsh Take us right through the doors (c'mon)
All the people up top on the side and the middle Come together lets all bomb and swamp just a little
Just let it gradually build from the front to the back All you can see is a sea of people some white and some black
Don't matter what color, all that matters we gathered together To celebrate for the same cause don't matter the weather
If it rains let it rain, yea the wetter the better
They ain't gonna stop us they can't, we stronger now more than ever
They tell us no we say yea, they tell us stop we say go
Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we gonna let em know
Stomp, push, shove, mush, F*ck Bush, until they bring our troops home (c'mon)
[Chorus]
Imagine it pouring, it's raining down on us
Mosh pits outside the oval office Someone's tryina tell us something,
Maybe this is God just sayin' we're responsible For this monster, this coward,
That we have empowered
This is Bin Laden, look at his head noddin'
How could we allow something like this without pumping our fists
Now this is our final hour
Let me be the voice in your strength and your choice
Let me simplify the rhyme just to amplify the noise
Try to amplify the times it, and multiply by six...
Teen million people, Are equal at this high pitch
Maybe we can reach alqueda through my speech
Let the president answer a higher anarchy
Strap him with an Ak-47, let him go, fight his own war
Let him impress daddy that way
No more blood for oil, we got our own battles to fight on our own soil No more psychological warfare, to trick us to thinking that we ain't loyal
If we don't serve our own country, we're patronizing a hero Look in his eyes its all lies
The stars and stripes, they've been swiped, washed out and wiped And replaced with his own face, Mosh now or die
If I get sniped tonight you know why, Cause I told you to fight.
[Chorus]
And as we proceed,
To Mosh through this desert storm,
In these closing statements, if they should argue
Let us beg to differ
As we set aside our differences
And assemble our own army
To disarm this Weapon of Mass Destruction
That we call our President, for the present
And Mosh for the future of our next generation
To speak and be heard
Mr. President, Mr. Senator Do you guy's hear us...hear us...[laughing] (Hailie)
EMINEM'S BIOGRAPHY
Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972) is an American rapper, and both a Grammy and
Oscar-winner. He is of mostly Scottish-American descent, and currently lives in suburban Detroit.
Discovered by rapper/producer Dr. Dre, Eminem is known as one of the most skillful and controversial
rappers in the industry, becoming a crossover sensation with his debut single "My Name Is" while
simultaneously earning respect from the hip-hop community for his lyrical talent.
He is noted for his ability to change his own verbal pace
(flow) and style multiple times within one song without
losing the beat, and has been praised for his skill in alliteration and assonance.
He is infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With
the enormous success of his sophomore album The Marshall Mathers LP
following its release in May 2000, and its subsequent nomination for four
Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as GLAAD denounced
his lyrics as homophobic, while others complained that it was also extremely
misogynistic and violent. However, he has received a great deal of praise within
the hip-hop community for his lyrical ability. He is the second-highest selling
rapper of all time, behind Tupac Shakur, though the latter has had several posthumous albums released.
While generally avoiding overtly political tones previously (or if they were mentioned it was in passing), in late 2004 before the presidential election,
Eminem released the song "Mosh," which harshly criticizes President George W. Bush. Encore, Mathers' fourth major-label album, was released later that year, but
was considered by many to be a disappointment in comparison to his previous three albums and sold half of what The Eminem Show had. Though Eminem
considers himself neither a militant nor a political artist, he did have his own Hip Hop Political Convention as a parody of the national political conventions held in
2004. His latest release is Curtain Call: The Hits, a compilation which covers
many of his past hit songs, and includes three new tracks.
EMINEM'S PERSONAL LIFE
Marshall Mather's early childhood
Marshall was born in St. Joseph, Missouri (near Kansas City) to parents Deborah "Debbie" Mathers-Briggs and Marshall Bruce Mathers II, and spent most
of his childhood moving back and forth between Kansas City, and suburban Detroit, including Warren. His father had abandoned the family before Marshall
turned two years old, and the two have not had contact since, save some rejected attempts by Marshall's father to contact Marshall after his rise to fame.
Constantly moving from home to home, he frequently changed schools, often finding himself to be an outcast in the new communities, and frequently fell
victim to bullying. An assault by schoolmate De Angelo Bailey that left Marshall
hospitalized was the most notable such incident, which Marshall would later
recount in greatly exaggerated form on the track "Brain Damage" (The Slim
Shady LP, 1999). The song prompted legal action by the assailant, with
accusations of libel and privacy infringement, which were eventually dismissed in
court.
His childhood was further marred by his family's meager financial status,
which was the primary reason for the continuous moving, during which Marshall
and his mother Debbie would often find themselves living in public housing,
mobile homes, and under the care of relatives, such as Marshall's great-aunt Edna,
whom he mentions in "Evil Deeds" (''Encore''). During this time, Debbie was
legally taking the prescription drugs Vicodin and Valium, though Marshall later
claimed in numerous interviews and songs that she was abusing the drugs, to which Debbie retaliated with a lawsuit pressing defamation charges (see below).
In the song "Cleaning Out My Closet" (The Eminem Show, 2002), Mathers also accuses his mother of having Munchausen syndrome, adding that "my whole life I
was made to believe I was sick when I wasn't... it makes you sick to your stomach, doesn't it?". This was not the first time someone had suggested Debbie had the
disorder; a social worker had made similar comments following a 1996 investigation of her mistreatment of Nathan Samra-Mathers, her second child.
Eminem's life before fame
Before dropping out of Lincoln High School Warren as a 9th grader at the
age of 17 (after failing ninth grade three times), Marshall made a number of
significant acquaintances at the school. This included fellow rapper Proof, who
was to become one of his closest friends, the Runyon Avenue Soldiers, and future
wife Kimberly Ann "Kim" Scott, with whom he soon developed a long-term
relationship. When Kim became pregnant, this further increased Marshall's drive
to succeed through concern over the welfare of his new family. He discusses this
in "Never Far" (Infinite, 1996), saying "I got a baby on the way, I don't even got a
car...I still stay with my moms...we gotta make some hit records or something
because I'm tired of being broke..." When the Infinite album failed to generate the
revenue and acclaim he had hoped for, and Kim ended their relationship, preventing him from seeing his newborn child, Marshall decided to take his own
life. However, his suicide attempt using an overdose of Tylenol analgesics failed,
and Marshall resumed his efforts to succeed in the music industry and reconcile
with Kim. He ultimately succeeded in doing both, marrying Kim on June 14, 1999
in St. Joseph, Missouri.
The couple's daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, born December 25, 1995 would grow to become an important part of Marshall's life, as he became dedicated to
giving her everything he himself was deprived of in his childhood, including a father figure and financial security. He would go on to mention her extensively in
some of his songs, including "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (The Slim Shady LP, 1999), which takes the form of a one-sided dialogue with Hailie, as well as "Hailie's
Song" (The Eminem Show, 2002), "Mockingbird" (''Encore'', 2004), and "When I'm Gone" (Curtain Call: The Hits, 2005), all of which are proclamations of his
love and dedication to her. In addition, he samples her voice in the less serious
upbeat track "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (The Eminem Show, 2002).