THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF “THE THIRD AND FINAL CONTINENT”: ALIEN CULTURE IN SHORT STORY BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF “THE THIRD AND FINAL CONTINENT”: ALIEN CULTURE IN SHORT STORY BY
JHUMPA LAHIRI

Akhsanul Marom 11140260000055

English Letters Department of Adab and Humanities faculty

Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University

Jakarta

This study aims at analyzing the structure of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story The Third and Final Continent. Structure plays an essential part in a literary work which juxtaposes the character and other elements of the story, to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. The short story The Third and Final Continent is one of contain, debut short story collection, in Interpreter of Maaladies by Jhumpa Lahiri published in 1999. (Wikipedia; 2017). This analysis is supposed to aid the readers in getting better understanding through its elements.

Literature can be divided to four types; they are poetry, prose, drama, and non fiction, such as journal, magazine, and biography. Literary work is an artifact non living thing have meaning and become aestethic object. Ussualy, its become object of research to find a deep meaning and aestethic. Prose is one of interesting things to learned and to be object research. In this part, means prose, there are three types of prose; novel, novella, and short story.

Short story is one of  the prose types often to become an object of literary research. Shorts stories are usually designed to entertain the readers. Shaw (1983) elucidated it as the short story is an independent yet hybrid genre, which connects with other art forms at various points and keep eluding definition except as an interplay of tensions and antithesis. (Irshad Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. 2015 : 27). A short story consist of the basic elements such theme, plot, character, spine, setting, etc.

This reaserch generally aims to find a deep meaning in the short story by Jhumpa Lahiri. Base on literary work, the reaserch certainty using an analitical study, for example this analyisis that use structuralism to Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent. The analysis terminology, in short story, is interpret to definition explain the short story thought the basic elements in literary work. So, researchers can convey what things that author want.

            In the researhc of literary work, ussally researchers use some literary theory that comfort with the genre of literary work. One of  theory is structuralism that often used in do the research. This theory is focus on intrinsic elements in that object, not determind extrinsic elements from the object. Because of that, this theory is very objectif. the structuralis implies that the best literary work is the work that the elements connect each other becoming the complex one.

The structural analysis is done through the literary elements. The literary elements include plot, theme, conflict, setting, character, climax, premise etc. Like the others literary work, Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent also comprises the elements of literary.

            The Third and Final Continent, this title interpretate the main character who did traveling in his life for three continent, its Asia, Europe and America. The story tells a Bengali bachelor who left his country in 1964, India that is part of Asia, to go to London continue his studies in LSE and work at the university library. Then, when he was thirty six years old, he offered a job in processing departmen of library at MIT, in America. At the same time, he was arranged his marriage. He went to Calcuta to attend his wedding a week ago before he go to America. The first place that he spent his night was at the YMCA in Cambridge, near from MIT than can be reached by walking.

            He stay in YMCA during six weeks because the passport of his wife was ready, so he decide to move and rent a new room owned by an elderly woman named Mrs. Croft that has lived for about  a hundred years. He know Mrs. Croft’s old from her daughter named Helen. But the main character wrong to rent a room, because Mrs. Croft forbid a girl in her house. Whereas, he rented a room intend to live with his wife.

In America, the main character learned anythings about american habitual. Like drove on the right side of the road, not the left. Mentioned a lift an elevator, bougth a milk in supermarket not delivered to his room like in London, etc. He did anythings that american did it. Then, his wife came and he told that she can leave her habitual in Calcuta to do like american. Such as fashion and the food to eat.

The theme of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent is about the alien cultural that feld by the main character, who come from Asia, in other continent, Europe and America. It can be proofed from the text that the author comparing the main character activities in London and America, “I learned that Americans drove on the right side of the road, not the left, and that they called a lift an elevator and an engaged phone busy. "The pace of life in North America is different from Britain, as you will soon discover". It strange for the main character who ever lived in London. Not only that but also the author compare from the text that said “In the morning I reported to my job at the Dewey Library, a beige fortlike building by Memorial Drive. I also opened a bank account, rented a post-office box, and bought a plastic bowl and a spoon. I went to a supermarket called Purity Supreme, wandering up and down the aisles, comparing prices with those in England. In the end I bought a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes. This was my first meal in America. Even the simple chore of buying milk was new to me; in London we'd had bottles delivered each morning to our door”. And there are still many strange culture or habitual that distinguish betwen London and America.

Beside that, the author compare the culture of India and America trought the main character when his wife came. The author implies “A few days after receiving the letter, as I was walking to work in the morning, I saw an Indian woman on Massachusetts Avenue, wearing a sari with its free end nearly dragging on the footpath, and pushing a child in a stroller. An American woman with a small black dog on a leash was walking to one side of her. Suddenly the dog began barking. I watched as the Indian woman, startled, stopped in her path, at which point the dog leaped up and seized the end of the sari between its teeth. The American woman scolded the dog, appeared to apologize, and walked quickly away, leaving the Indian woman to fix her sari, and quiet her crying child. She did not see me standing there, and eventually she continued on her way. Such a mishap, I realized that morning, would soon be my concern. It was my duty to take care of Mala, to welcome her and protect her. I would have to buy her her first pair of snow boots, her first winter coat. I would have to tell her which streets to avoid, which way the traffic came, tell her to wear her sari so that the free end did not drag on the footpath. A five-mile separation from her parents, I recalled with some irritation, had caused her to weep”. It means that the Indian women different with American, from the fashion and demeanor. In this story the author more emphasizes the culture of America than others. Its can be find that the author always compare the american culture with each others. Because the author interpretate the title of short story “...... Final Continent”.

The main character of this short story is I, that interpret the author use the first person in point of view. From begining we can find the author implies that the story uses the first person point of view. “I left India in 1964 with a certificate in commerce and the equivalent, in those days, of ten dollars to my name. For three weeks I sailed on the S.S. Roma, an Italian cargo vessel, in a cabin next to the ship's engine, across the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and finally to England. I lived in London, in Finsbury Park, in a house occupied entirely by penniless Bengali bachelors like myself, at least a dozen and sometimes more, all struggling to educate and establish ourselves abroad.”. Then, there are three minor character, they are Mala, the main character’s wife, Mrs Croft, the oldest women that rent her house to the main character, and Helen, the Mrs. Croft daughter.

Three continent; Asia, Europe, and America, that representatived by India, London, And Cambridge, are the setting that the author choose to convey what the author intend. In more small range he mention the place where be in each country, like Calcuta in India, London in Europe and YMCA, Mrs. Croft’s house, Massachussets Avenue in America.

The values that can be taken from the story are every country, every place, every continent has habitual or culture that different from each other. We can not force someone to apply other culture.

To conclude all of all, this analysis aims to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. That the story tell us about the strange culture that inform me to do not force someone to apply other culture.

Bibliography

Irshad, Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. The Structural Analysis of “TAKE PITY”: A Short Story by Bernard Malamud. European of English Language, Linguistic and Literary, Vol. 2, No. 1: 2015.

Rizal, Acep Heri. A Figurative Language and Imagery Analysis in Robert Browning Poems. Thesis. Jakarta: Englis Letters Department, Letters and Humanity Faculty, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 2008.

Siswantoro. Metode Penelitian Sastra Analisis Struktur Puisi. Yogyakarta : Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar. 2010. Print.

Wellek, Rene & Austin W. Teori Kesusastraan. Jakarta : Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1995. Print.

THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF “THE THIRD AND FINAL CONTINENT”: ALIEN CULTURE IN SHORT STORY BY
JHUMPA LAHIRI

Akhsanul Marom 11140260000055

English Letters Department of Adab and Humanities faculty

Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University

Jakarta

This study aims at analyzing the structure of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story The Third and Final Continent. Structure plays an essential part in a literary work which juxtaposes the character and other elements of the story, to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. The short story The Third and Final Continent is one of contain, debut short story collection, in Interpreter of Maaladies by Jhumpa Lahiri published in 1999. (Wikipedia; 2017). This analysis is supposed to aid the readers in getting better understanding through its elements.

Literature can be divided to four types; they are poetry, prose, drama, and non fiction, such as journal, magazine, and biography. Literary work is an artifact non living thing have meaning and become aestethic object. Ussualy, its become object of research to find a deep meaning and aestethic. Prose is one of interesting things to learned and to be object research. In this part, means prose, there are three types of prose; novel, novella, and short story.

Short story is one of  the prose types often to become an object of literary research. Shorts stories are usually designed to entertain the readers. Shaw (1983) elucidated it as the short story is an independent yet hybrid genre, which connects with other art forms at various points and keep eluding definition except as an interplay of tensions and antithesis. (Irshad Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. 2015 : 27). A short story consist of the basic elements such theme, plot, character, spine, setting, etc.

This reaserch generally aims to find a deep meaning in the short story by Jhumpa Lahiri. Base on literary work, the reaserch certainty using an analitical study, for example this analyisis that use structuralism to Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent. The analysis terminology, in short story, is interpret to definition explain the short story thought the basic elements in literary work. So, researchers can convey what things that author want.

            In the researhc of literary work, ussally researchers use some literary theory that comfort with the genre of literary work. One of  theory is structuralism that often used in do the research. This theory is focus on intrinsic elements in that object, not determind extrinsic elements from the object. Because of that, this theory is very objectif. the structuralis implies that the best literary work is the work that the elements connect each other becoming the complex one.

The structural analysis is done through the literary elements. The literary elements include plot, theme, conflict, setting, character, climax, premise etc. Like the others literary work, Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent also comprises the elements of literary.

            The Third and Final Continent, this title interpretate the main character who did traveling in his life for three continent, its Asia, Europe and America. The story tells a Bengali bachelor who left his country in 1964, India that is part of Asia, to go to London continue his studies in LSE and work at the university library. Then, when he was thirty six years old, he offered a job in processing departmen of library at MIT, in America. At the same time, he was arranged his marriage. He went to Calcuta to attend his wedding a week ago before he go to America. The first place that he spent his night was at the YMCA in Cambridge, near from MIT than can be reached by walking.

            He stay in YMCA during six weeks because the passport of his wife was ready, so he decide to move and rent a new room owned by an elderly woman named Mrs. Croft that has lived for about  a hundred years. He know Mrs. Croft’s old from her daughter named Helen. But the main character wrong to rent a room, because Mrs. Croft forbid a girl in her house. Whereas, he rented a room intend to live with his wife.

In America, the main character learned anythings about american habitual. Like drove on the right side of the road, not the left. Mentioned a lift an elevator, bougth a milk in supermarket not delivered to his room like in London, etc. He did anythings that american did it. Then, his wife came and he told that she can leave her habitual in Calcuta to do like american. Such as fashion and the food to eat.

The theme of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent is about the alien cultural that feld by the main character, who come from Asia, in other continent, Europe and America. It can be proofed from the text that the author comparing the main character activities in London and America, “I learned that Americans drove on the right side of the road, not the left, and that they called a lift an elevator and an engaged phone busy. "The pace of life in North America is different from Britain, as you will soon discover". It strange for the main character who ever lived in London. Not only that but also the author compare from the text that said “In the morning I reported to my job at the Dewey Library, a beige fortlike building by Memorial Drive. I also opened a bank account, rented a post-office box, and bought a plastic bowl and a spoon. I went to a supermarket called Purity Supreme, wandering up and down the aisles, comparing prices with those in England. In the end I bought a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes. This was my first meal in America. Even the simple chore of buying milk was new to me; in London we'd had bottles delivered each morning to our door”. And there are still many strange culture or habitual that distinguish betwen London and America.

Beside that, the author compare the culture of India and America trought the main character when his wife came. The author implies “A few days after receiving the letter, as I was walking to work in the morning, I saw an Indian woman on Massachusetts Avenue, wearing a sari with its free end nearly dragging on the footpath, and pushing a child in a stroller. An American woman with a small black dog on a leash was walking to one side of her. Suddenly the dog began barking. I watched as the Indian woman, startled, stopped in her path, at which point the dog leaped up and seized the end of the sari between its teeth. The American woman scolded the dog, appeared to apologize, and walked quickly away, leaving the Indian woman to fix her sari, and quiet her crying child. She did not see me standing there, and eventually she continued on her way. Such a mishap, I realized that morning, would soon be my concern. It was my duty to take care of Mala, to welcome her and protect her. I would have to buy her her first pair of snow boots, her first winter coat. I would have to tell her which streets to avoid, which way the traffic came, tell her to wear her sari so that the free end did not drag on the footpath. A five-mile separation from her parents, I recalled with some irritation, had caused her to weep”. It means that the Indian women different with American, from the fashion and demeanor. In this story the author more emphasizes the culture of America than others. Its can be find that the author always compare the american culture with each others. Because the author interpretate the title of short story “...... Final Continent”.

The main character of this short story is I, that interpret the author use the first person in point of view. From begining we can find the author implies that the story uses the first person point of view. “I left India in 1964 with a certificate in commerce and the equivalent, in those days, of ten dollars to my name. For three weeks I sailed on the S.S. Roma, an Italian cargo vessel, in a cabin next to the ship's engine, across the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and finally to England. I lived in London, in Finsbury Park, in a house occupied entirely by penniless Bengali bachelors like myself, at least a dozen and sometimes more, all struggling to educate and establish ourselves abroad.”. Then, there are three minor character, they are Mala, the main character’s wife, Mrs Croft, the oldest women that rent her house to the main character, and Helen, the Mrs. Croft daughter.

Three continent; Asia, Europe, and America, that representatived by India, London, And Cambridge, are the setting that the author choose to convey what the author intend. In more small range he mention the place where be in each country, like Calcuta in India, London in Europe and YMCA, Mrs. Croft’s house, Massachussets Avenue in America.

The values that can be taken from the story are every country, every place, every continent has habitual or culture that different from each other. We can not force someone to apply other culture.

To conclude all of all, this analysis aims to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. That the story tell us about the strange culture that inform me to do not force someone to apply other culture.

Bibliography

Irshad, Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. The Structural Analysis of “TAKE PITY”: A Short Story by Bernard Malamud. European of English Language, Linguistic and Literary, Vol. 2, No. 1: 2015.

Rizal, Acep Heri. A Figurative Language and Imagery Analysis in Robert Browning Poems. Thesis. Jakarta: Englis Letters Department, Letters and Humanity Faculty, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 2008.

Siswantoro. Metode Penelitian Sastra Analisis Struktur Puisi. Yogyakarta : Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar. 2010. Print.

Wellek, Rene & Austin W. Teori Kesusastraan. Jakarta : Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1995. Print.

THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF “THE THIRD AND FINAL CONTINENT”: ALIEN CULTURE IN SHORT STORY BY
JHUMPA LAHIRI

Akhsanul Marom 11140260000055

English Letters Department of Adab and Humanities faculty

Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University

Jakarta

This study aims at analyzing the structure of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story The Third and Final Continent. Structure plays an essential part in a literary work which juxtaposes the character and other elements of the story, to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. The short story The Third and Final Continent is one of contain, debut short story collection, in Interpreter of Maaladies by Jhumpa Lahiri published in 1999. (Wikipedia; 2017). This analysis is supposed to aid the readers in getting better understanding through its elements.

Literature can be divided to four types; they are poetry, prose, drama, and non fiction, such as journal, magazine, and biography. Literary work is an artifact non living thing have meaning and become aestethic object. Ussualy, its become object of research to find a deep meaning and aestethic. Prose is one of interesting things to learned and to be object research. In this part, means prose, there are three types of prose; novel, novella, and short story.

Short story is one of  the prose types often to become an object of literary research. Shorts stories are usually designed to entertain the readers. Shaw (1983) elucidated it as the short story is an independent yet hybrid genre, which connects with other art forms at various points and keep eluding definition except as an interplay of tensions and antithesis. (Irshad Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. 2015 : 27). A short story consist of the basic elements such theme, plot, character, spine, setting, etc.

This reaserch generally aims to find a deep meaning in the short story by Jhumpa Lahiri. Base on literary work, the reaserch certainty using an analitical study, for example this analyisis that use structuralism to Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent. The analysis terminology, in short story, is interpret to definition explain the short story thought the basic elements in literary work. So, researchers can convey what things that author want.

            In the researhc of literary work, ussally researchers use some literary theory that comfort with the genre of literary work. One of  theory is structuralism that often used in do the research. This theory is focus on intrinsic elements in that object, not determind extrinsic elements from the object. Because of that, this theory is very objectif. the structuralis implies that the best literary work is the work that the elements connect each other becoming the complex one.

The structural analysis is done through the literary elements. The literary elements include plot, theme, conflict, setting, character, climax, premise etc. Like the others literary work, Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent also comprises the elements of literary.

            The Third and Final Continent, this title interpretate the main character who did traveling in his life for three continent, its Asia, Europe and America. The story tells a Bengali bachelor who left his country in 1964, India that is part of Asia, to go to London continue his studies in LSE and work at the university library. Then, when he was thirty six years old, he offered a job in processing departmen of library at MIT, in America. At the same time, he was arranged his marriage. He went to Calcuta to attend his wedding a week ago before he go to America. The first place that he spent his night was at the YMCA in Cambridge, near from MIT than can be reached by walking.

            He stay in YMCA during six weeks because the passport of his wife was ready, so he decide to move and rent a new room owned by an elderly woman named Mrs. Croft that has lived for about  a hundred years. He know Mrs. Croft’s old from her daughter named Helen. But the main character wrong to rent a room, because Mrs. Croft forbid a girl in her house. Whereas, he rented a room intend to live with his wife.

In America, the main character learned anythings about american habitual. Like drove on the right side of the road, not the left. Mentioned a lift an elevator, bougth a milk in supermarket not delivered to his room like in London, etc. He did anythings that american did it. Then, his wife came and he told that she can leave her habitual in Calcuta to do like american. Such as fashion and the food to eat.

The theme of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, The Third and Final Continent is about the alien cultural that feld by the main character, who come from Asia, in other continent, Europe and America. It can be proofed from the text that the author comparing the main character activities in London and America, “I learned that Americans drove on the right side of the road, not the left, and that they called a lift an elevator and an engaged phone busy. "The pace of life in North America is different from Britain, as you will soon discover". It strange for the main character who ever lived in London. Not only that but also the author compare from the text that said “In the morning I reported to my job at the Dewey Library, a beige fortlike building by Memorial Drive. I also opened a bank account, rented a post-office box, and bought a plastic bowl and a spoon. I went to a supermarket called Purity Supreme, wandering up and down the aisles, comparing prices with those in England. In the end I bought a carton of milk and a box of cornflakes. This was my first meal in America. Even the simple chore of buying milk was new to me; in London we'd had bottles delivered each morning to our door”. And there are still many strange culture or habitual that distinguish betwen London and America.

Beside that, the author compare the culture of India and America trought the main character when his wife came. The author implies “A few days after receiving the letter, as I was walking to work in the morning, I saw an Indian woman on Massachusetts Avenue, wearing a sari with its free end nearly dragging on the footpath, and pushing a child in a stroller. An American woman with a small black dog on a leash was walking to one side of her. Suddenly the dog began barking. I watched as the Indian woman, startled, stopped in her path, at which point the dog leaped up and seized the end of the sari between its teeth. The American woman scolded the dog, appeared to apologize, and walked quickly away, leaving the Indian woman to fix her sari, and quiet her crying child. She did not see me standing there, and eventually she continued on her way. Such a mishap, I realized that morning, would soon be my concern. It was my duty to take care of Mala, to welcome her and protect her. I would have to buy her her first pair of snow boots, her first winter coat. I would have to tell her which streets to avoid, which way the traffic came, tell her to wear her sari so that the free end did not drag on the footpath. A five-mile separation from her parents, I recalled with some irritation, had caused her to weep”. It means that the Indian women different with American, from the fashion and demeanor. In this story the author more emphasizes the culture of America than others. Its can be find that the author always compare the american culture with each others. Because the author interpretate the title of short story “...... Final Continent”.

The main character of this short story is I, that interpret the author use the first person in point of view. From begining we can find the author implies that the story uses the first person point of view. “I left India in 1964 with a certificate in commerce and the equivalent, in those days, of ten dollars to my name. For three weeks I sailed on the S.S. Roma, an Italian cargo vessel, in a cabin next to the ship's engine, across the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and finally to England. I lived in London, in Finsbury Park, in a house occupied entirely by penniless Bengali bachelors like myself, at least a dozen and sometimes more, all struggling to educate and establish ourselves abroad.”. Then, there are three minor character, they are Mala, the main character’s wife, Mrs Croft, the oldest women that rent her house to the main character, and Helen, the Mrs. Croft daughter.

Three continent; Asia, Europe, and America, that representatived by India, London, And Cambridge, are the setting that the author choose to convey what the author intend. In more small range he mention the place where be in each country, like Calcuta in India, London in Europe and YMCA, Mrs. Croft’s house, Massachussets Avenue in America.

The values that can be taken from the story are every country, every place, every continent has habitual or culture that different from each other. We can not force someone to apply other culture.

To conclude all of all, this analysis aims to make the narration comprehensible for the readers and also to clutch the meaning which the writer wants to convey. That the story tell us about the strange culture that inform me to do not force someone to apply other culture.

Bibliography

Irshad, Ayesha & Mumtaz Ahmed. The Structural Analysis of “TAKE PITY”: A Short Story by Bernard Malamud. European of English Language, Linguistic and Literary, Vol. 2, No. 1: 2015.

Rizal, Acep Heri. A Figurative Language and Imagery Analysis in Robert Browning Poems. Thesis. Jakarta: Englis Letters Department, Letters and Humanity Faculty, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta 2008.

Siswantoro. Metode Penelitian Sastra Analisis Struktur Puisi. Yogyakarta : Penerbit Pustaka Pelajar. 2010. Print.

Wellek, Rene & Austin W. Teori Kesusastraan. Jakarta : Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1995. Print.