Wednesday, June 9, 2010

A Semiotic Study of Christmas meaning on the Textual sign reflected by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol A Paper Presented to c

A Semiotic Study of Christmas meaning on the Textual sign reflected by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol
Abstract :
Literary work is the most beautiful wealth of human being. It comes from human essences as reflection of their life; it becomes the reason why literary works is called as the mirror of social fact. Lois Tyson in her book entitled Critical Theory Today: A user friendly guide states that literature “is one of human productions are outgrowths of human experience and therefore reflect human desire, conflict, and potential, then we can learn to interpret those productions in order to learn something important about ourselves as a species” (1950:2). Charles Dicken made Cristmas Carol Novel in 1840 is one of the most known stories in English literature. With its several literary, theater, small screen, big screen, radio, and cinematic adaptations, the tale has become a Christmas holiday story, and the character Ebenezer Scrooge has become a cultural icon about man who teaches a lot to understand the meaning of Christmas. Ebenezer Scrooge is the old man who hates Christmas as whole as his life because Christmas is identified as a day to have fun which that day will spent a lot of money beside his past time which annoying him. The symbolical meaning of Christmas as charity day reflected in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol is represented by the three spirit who come to Ebenezer Scrooge (the main character) to let him know the meaning of Christmas and to make him understand the meaning of humanity. A Semiotic Study of Christmas meaning on the Textual sign reflected by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol is considered as the proper title of this paper represents the topic of discussion of symbolical meaning of Christmas.
Key Words : Christmas, Textual sign, Meaning

Introduction :
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. It is the reliable method to examine the signs. The signs are divided into verbal and non-verbal sign, verbal sign is recognized as textual sign while non verbal sign is recognized as visual sign such as pictures, poster, icon, etc. Based on the theory of Charles Sanders Pierce the semiotics expert, that life is represented by signs, the most proper thing in life is sign. A language (written, verbal, and body language) is considered as the most prominent thing in the world, as Jacques Derrida quotes that “there is nothing outside language”. Language in this term is understood as a text or sign. Accordance to Zoest (1992), semiotics is the study of sign and all of related things to it, how it works, it relation to the other aspects, and encode-decode process of the sign to the encoder and decoder.
In 1843, a magazine makes pictures which critics the government policy in story form which next is mentioned as caricature picture which tells the critical idea satirically, as it is reflected in Charles Dickens’ novel Christmas Carol which signs Christmas with some symbols. The main character of the novel named Ebenezer Scrooge is known as a cold, unfriendly miser, tight-fisted, and hates Christmas day. He hates Christmas because he never get beautiful Christmas as long as his life and in accordance to his understanding that Christmas is signed the charity day, the day where people care for each other. The meaning of Christmas is illustrated by the cultural symbol of Christmas spirit who comes to Ebenezer Scrooge to let him know the meaning of Christmas. Actually, the works of Dickens itself can be understood as a sign which represent its age by the words united in novel story. Dickens tries to signs his age by capture all of the aspect and the social-economy condition of his age which is finally symbolized by the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge who satirically represent the rich people in his age. This paper entitled A Semiotic Study of Christmas meaning on the main character’s life of Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol discuss about symbolical meaning of Christmas reflected in the main character’s life, Ebenezer Scrooge which use indexical semiotic as the most proper one to analyze the story.

Theory of Semiotic:
Semiotics is study of sign; this term is taken from Greek semeion which means “sign”. Winfried Noth (1992:8) reveals the history of semiotic term. Etymologically, semiotic is connected to the Greek  = sign and  = signal. “Sign” is existed in everywhere and every time, as it is mentioned before that sign is the prominent thing in the world to communicate, language is the most important one of sign which is used by the creature in this world. Words, color of flag, traffic light, and gesture are the part of common sense symbol that is approved by the people the entire world to identify certain meaning. For citation of conventional gesture which is approved as the common sense of people that “smile” is identified when the corners of the lips go up, and “laugh” is identified when the lips open widely until the teeth are seen followed with cheerful sounds then next is identified as “happy feeling”, and eyes which drop tears is identified as crying and crying is identified as “sad feeling”.
The modern theory of semiotic comes from the concept of all of semiotics expert; Charles Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) and Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) are considered as the father of modern semiotic, these two personage’s concept that next become the most reliable method to use to analyze the semiotic study of certain case. Their concepts of semiotic become the center point for all of the semiotic study of any cases.
Accordance to Peirce the word semiotic is the word that has been used since 18th century by Lambert (German Philosopher) is the synonymous of the logic word. Logic has to be learnt rationally, reasoning is done through the understanding of sign. Sign makes people to think, make a relation with other people, and give a meaning to the appearance things applied by the universe. Semiotic to the Pierce is an action, influence, and the work ship of three subject; Sign, Object, and Interpretant.
On the other hand, Saussure develops language as a system of sign. He also uses word of Semiology which has similar meaning with semiotic to the Pierce school. Semiology become the main rival to the semiotic, the both words then is used to show two semiotic tradition. The word of semiology is finally agreed as the synonymous of the semiotic.
Based on Budi Sukada (1992:8), the definition of semiotic depends on who is referenced to, Pierce or Saussure. If it references to Pierce, semiotic is the study of patterned human behavior in communication in all its modes, accordance to Pierce, sign is a something that represent something, it can be an experience, thought, ideas, or feeling. If X is meant as black deep smoke then it represents Y there is something fire. While to the reference of Saussure, semiotic is a science that studies the life of sign within society. Based on Saussure, signs have two entities that are signifier (which refers to symbol to sign) and signified (which refers to symbol to be signed).
The semiotic approach used by Saussure and Pierce has difference too. Saussure names his approach as “duodic” divided into signifier (which refers to symbol to sign) and signified (which refers to symbol to be signed).
Signifier Signified Sign
refers to symbol to sign
refers to symbol to be signed Refers to the symbol used to sign
Man Macho Cigarette

Man as signifier is signified as macho man if he is smoke. So, the explanation above explain that if a man want to be considered as macho man, so he must smoke. The important thing of understanding the sign is the convention of the environment, because sign has to be agreed by the people who use it for finally has meaning and can be used.

While Pierce uses “triadic” as triple connection of sign, thing signified and cognition produced in the mind.











There is relation between signifier and signified as so as to the actual function which means that sign has to be agreed by the user in conventionally that makes the sign has meaning and can be understood as communication.

Semiotic is divided into three signs written below:
Sign Note
Iconic Signifier which represents signified directly. e.g. the icon of woman picture which is illustrated in bathroom means that it ladies bathroom .
Indexical Signifier which represents signified in causality. E.g. when somebody laugh loudly means there is something funny to be laughed.
Symbol Signifier which represent signified indirectly and it has relation to the mythology or cultural symbol. E.g. the picture of skull () means danger. Symbol is also the conventional product of the society.
Semiotic study is divided into communication semiotic and signification semiotic. Communication semiotic assumes of six factors in communication that are sending, receiving, code, message, communication passage, and things to converse (Jacobson 1963:209-248). In the signification semiotic gives stress on the sign theory and its understanding in a certain context. Jacobson says that communication occurs if there is contact between addresser and addressee which form in code so the addresser must be encoding to the meaning until become code and code will be received by the addressee by decoding it.





The Discussion: A Semiotic Study of Christmas meaning on the Textual sign reflected by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s Christmas Carol
Ebenezer Scrooge is the old businessman who is tight-fisted and hates Christmas, especially Christmas Carol. The semiotic study in this story uses symbol to represent the real meaning indirectly. The book is divided into five sections (Dickens labels them Staves in reference to the musical notation Christmas carol , after all, is a song), with each of the middle three Staves revolving around a visitation by one of the three famous spirits. The three spirit-guides, along with each of their tales, carry out a thematic function--the Ghost of Christmas Past, with his glowing head, represents memory; the Ghost of Christmas Present represents charity empathy and the Christmas spirit; and the reaper like Ghost of Christmas Yet to come represents the fear of death. Here below will be explained the semiotic study per chapters.

Stave One: The Beginning
There is an action where Scrooge refuses the Christmas cheer of Fred his jovial Fred nephew, after Fred depart from his house, there is a man asks some money to charity and once again Scrooge deny it, and then Bob his clerk men ask for one day off in Christmas day, he said, "that it should shut down business?", the statement is symbolized that Scrooge doesn’t want to lose his benefit even in the Christmas time. As it is explained below schematically:
Signifier Signified Sign
Ebenezer Scrooge Tight-fisted businessmen who hates Christmas The statement; "that it should shut down business?"
"Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it."
From the schema above is explained that It is the indexical meaning (Signifier which represents signified causality), one of the several reason why Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas because he thinks that Christmas is waste a lot of money.
In this case, Scrooge represents greed, apathy, and all that stands in opposition to the Christmas spirit. Bob personifies those who suffer under the "Scrooges" of the world--the English poor. Fred serves to remind readers of the joy and good cheer of the Christmas holiday.

Stave Two: the coming of the first spirit
Before we move to the topic discussion in the stave two, let me show you the quotation of the chapter that may support this discussion;
{The spirit uses a cap to cover the light that glows from its head. The specter softly informs Scrooge that he is the Ghost of Christmas Past and orders the mesmerized man to rise and walk with him. The spirit touches Scrooge's heart, granting him the ability to fly. The pair exits through the window. The ghost transports Scrooge to the countryside where he was raised. He sees his old school, his childhood mates, and familiar landmarks of his youth. Touched by these memories, Scrooge begins to sob. The ghost takes the weeping man into the school where a solitary boy--a young Ebenezer Scrooge--passes the Christmas holiday all alone.}
Signifier Signified Sign
Ebenezer Scrooge Living lonesome in a Christmas night
The statement of : young Ebenezer Scrooge--passes the Christmas holiday all alone

The textual semiotic study of the spirit coming:
Signifier Signified Sign
The ghost of Christmas Present Memory
The statement of : The spirit uses a cap to cover the light that glows from its head. The specter softly informs Scrooge that he is the Ghost of Christmas Past and orders the mesmerized man to rise and walk with him


The last statement which is written boldly refers to the next reason why Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas, because he never celebrates the Christmas holiday.
It is used indexical semiotic (Signifier which represents signified causality), it shows the reason of Ebenezer Scrooge hates Christmas because he never celebrate Christmas as long his young age, he always alone in Christmas even in his days, but Christmas is the one which symbolized that loneliness so bright. The Ghost of Christmas Past represents memory. The aged appearance of the childlike figure touches on the role of memory as a force that connects the different stages of a person's life. His glowing head suggests the illuminating power of the mind. The ghost initiates Scrooge's conversion from anti-Christmas Grinch to a poster boy for the holiday season.

Stave Three: The coming of the second spirit
The analysis should begin by reading this passage:
{The spirit then takes Scrooge to the meager home of Bob Cratchit, where Mrs. Cratchit and her children prepare a Christmas goose and savor the few Christmas treats they can afford. The oldest daughter, Martha, returns from her job at a milliner's. The oldest son, Peter, wears a stiff-collared shirt, a hand-me-down from his father. Bob comes in carrying the crippled young tyke, Tiny Tim, on his shoulders. The family is more than content despite its skimpy Christmas feast. Scrooge begs to know whether Tiny Tim will survive. The spirit replies that given the current conditions in the Cratchit house, there will inevitably be an empty chair at next year's Christmas dinner (1).
The spirit takes Scrooge to a number of other Christmas gatherings, including the festivities of an isolated community of miners and a party aboard a ship. He also takes Scrooge to Fred's Christmas party, where Scrooge looses himself in the numerous party games and has a wildly entertaining time, though none of the party guests can actually see him. As the night unfolds, the ghost grows older. At last, Scrooge and the ghost come to a vast and desolate expanse here, the ghost shows Scrooge a pair of starving children who travel with him beneath his robes--their names are Ignorance and Want. Scrooge inquires if nothing can be done to help them. Mockingly, the ghost quotes Scrooge's earlier retort, "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?”(2)}
The stave two tells about the ghost who wants to show Ebenezer Scrooge about the people in his around milieu and ask her to more concern of their life, as it is cited in the (1) bold statement that Ebenezer Scrooge sympathies to Bob’s little boy that sick because his bad behave,
Signifier Signified Sign
Ebenezer Scrooge Sympathy Feeling The statement: Scrooge begs to know whether Tiny Tim will survive.

The textual semiotic study of the spirit coming:
Signifier Signified Sign
The Ghost of Christmas present Christmas ideal --generosity, goodwill, and celebration. Appearing on a throne made of food, the spirit evokes thoughts of prosperity, satiety, and merriment.

The Ghost of Christmas Present serves as the central symbol of the Christmas ideal--generosity, goodwill, and celebration. Appearing on a throne made of food, the spirit evokes thoughts of prosperity, satiety, and merriment. Similarly, the moral outlook of A Christmas Carol has little to do with the solemnity of a religious occasion. Christmas, in Dickens' mind, should not bring about self-denial, renunciation, or emotional withdrawal. Christmas is a time of sharing one's riches--emotional, spiritual, monetary, etc.--with the community of man. A feast is a wonderful thing but only if one has loved ones with whom to share it. In this sense, the Ghost of Christmas Present also represents empathy enabling Scrooge to not only see the Cratchits but to feel the sorrow and hardships of their daily toil (hard work).

Stave Four: The coming of the third ghost
Here is below the summary about the stave four:
{The ghost takes Scrooge to a series of strange places: the London Stock Exchange, where a group of businessmen discuss the death of a rich man; a dingy pawn shop in a London slum, where a group of vagabonds and shady characters sell some personal effects stolen from a dead man; the dinner table of a poor family, where a husband and wife express relief at the death of an unforgiving man to whom they owed money; and the Cratchit household, where the family struggles to cope with the death of Tiny Tim. Scrooge begs to know the identity of the dead man, exasperated in his attempts to understand the lesson of the silent ghost. Suddenly, he finds himself in a churchyard where the spirit points him toward a freshly grave. Scrooge approaches the grave and reads the inscription on the headstone: EBENEZER SCROOGE.
Appalled, Scrooge clutches at the spirit and begs him to undo his nightmarish vision. He promises to honor Christmas from deep within his heart and to live by the moralizing lessons of Past, Present, and Future.)
This chapter tells about Ebenezer Scrooge has a vision of his future that come to the death, and then he promises to honors Christmas.
Signifier Signified Sign
Ebenezer Scrooge The death fear and finally honor the Christmas Appalled, Scrooge clutches at the spirit and begs him to undo his nightmarish vision. He promises to honor Christmas from deep within his heart and to live by the moralizing lessons of Past, Present, and Future.

The textual semiotic study of the spirit coming:
Signifier Signified Sign
The Ghost of Christmas future The Fear of the death Suddenly, he finds himself in a churchyard where the spirit points him toward a freshly grave. Scrooge approaches the grave and reads the inscription on the headstone: EBENEZER SCROOGE.
Appalled, Scrooge clutches at the spirit and begs him to undo his nightmarish vision.

The future Ghost of Christmas Yet to come represents the fear of death, which refracts Scrooge's lessons about memory, empathy and generosity, insuring his reversion to an open, loving human being. In A Christmas Carol, the fear of death connotes the anticipation of moral reckoning and the inevitable dispensation of punishment and reward--literally the split between heaven and hell.

Stave Five: The end of it
The summary of the stave one:
{Scrooge begins shouting "Merry Christmas!" at the top of his lungs genuinely overjoyed and bubbling with excitement, Scrooge barely takes time to dress and dances while he shaves. In a blur, Scrooge runs into the street and offers to pay the first boy he meets a huge sum to deliver a great Christmas turkey to Bob Cratchit's. He meets one of the portly gentlemen who earlier sought charity for the poor and apologizes for his previous rudeness, promising to donate huge sums of money to the poor. He attends Fred's Christmas party and radiates such heartfelt bliss that the other guests can hardly manage to swallow their shock at his surprising behavior.
The following morning, Scrooge arrives at the office early and assumes a very stern expression when Bob enters eighteen and a half minutes late. Scrooge, feigning disgust, begins to scold Bob, before suddenly announcing his plans to give Cratchit a large raise and assist his troubled family. Bob is stunned, but Scrooge promises to stay true to his word.
As time passes, Scrooge is as good as his word: He helps the Cratchits and becomes a second father to Tiny Tim who does not die as predicted in the ghost's ominous vision. Many people in London are puzzled by Scrooge's behavior, but Scrooge merely laughs off their suspicions and doubts. Scrooge brings a little of the Christmas spirit into every day, respecting the lessons of Christmas more than any man alive. The narrator concludes the story by saying that Scrooge's words and thoughts should be shared by of all of us ... "and so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, every one!}
Ebenezer Scrooge finally enjoys the Christmas meaning of his life; it is reflected in stave five,
Signifier Signified Sign
Ebenezer Scrooge Enjoy and honor Cristmas Scrooge begins shouting "Merry Christmas!"
He meets one of the portly gentlemen who earlier sought charity for the poor and apologizes for his previous rudeness, promising to donate huge sums of money to the poor.

This short closing Stave provides an optimistic and upbeat conclusion to the story, showing the new Ebenezer Scrooge starting off his new life with happiness and Christmas cheer.

Conclusion
There are several textual signs which sign the understanding of Ebenezer Scrooge on the Christmas meaning and the sign is indexical sign which refers to the causality connection between signifier and signified. The coming of the three spirit of Christmas also helps the process for Ebenezer Scrooge to understand the meaning of Christmas. In relation to the indexical signs mentioned before, here is below the summary of:



SIGNIFIER : Ebenezer Scrooge
SIGNIFIED :
• Hates Christmas because he thinks Christmas wastes money and he has bad experience in the past that he passed his previous Christmas alone.
• Honor Christmas because he gets a vision of his dead future body and he is afraid of dead and arguing of his belong to heaven or hell.
• Enjoy Christmas because he finally realize that Christmas meaning is not about the charity or the care of each other but also the redemption moment of his previous mistake.
A Christmas Carol is the novella that describes the indexical meaning of Christmas meaning reflected to the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge and his metamorphosis in understanding the Christmas meaning starts since he hates the Christmas until finally he enjoys the Christmas.

References:
Halliday, M.A.K.; Hasan Ruqaiya. Bahasa, konteks, dan Teks: Aspek-aspek bahasa dalam pandangan semiotic social.1994.. Jogjakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press
Sobur, Alex. Semiotika Komunikasi. 2003. Bandung: P.T Remaja Rosdakarya.

1 comment:

  1. Great Post. Thought you might like my version of A Christmas Carol
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9SBebs3A5I

    ReplyDelete