CHAPTERI INTRODUCTION
Thepresentchapter dealwith
background of thestudy, statementof the problems, objectivesof thestudy,
scopeand limitation, significantof thestudy and definition of key term.
1.1 Backgroundof theStudy Literary
work isclosely related to human life. Literary work isapartof human lifethatcan
beenjoyed itwhenever and wherever. Literaturecannotbe separated
fromsociety;ittellseverything aboutproblemsthathappen in the society such
associal, political, economicand religiousproblems. In theprocess of writing
literary work theauthor may writetheproblemsinspired fromhisor her
sociallifesurrounding himor her. Sumarjo and Saini(1997:1) statethat literatureitself
for theother reason cannotbeseparated fromitsexistenceasartin life. According
to Wellek and Warren (1956:23), Literaturerepresentslife, and lifeisin
largemeasure, asocialreality, even though thenaturalworld and the inner or
subjectiveworld of theindividualhavealso been objectsof literary imitation.
Awork of fiction isborn in aworld
of facts. Thefiction-writer isaliving human-being rooted in atime&space,
living under particular circumstances, under realconditionsof society
&politics. Although awork of fiction isakind of making, itisnever madein
avacuum. Theraw-materials, such ascharacters& events, areborrowed
fromtherealexperiencesof life, and thesematerialscan never
befreefromthesocio-politicalrealities. Anyway, thereisaclose relationship among theauthor, literatureand
society. Theauthor could writehis imagination fromhislifeinto hisliterary work,
hiswork may reflectthelifeof his or her surrounding and thatmay
includesocialand politicalcondition, such asin novel ATaleofTwo Cities.
CharlesDickenswasVictorian
(1837-1901) England’smostbeloved and distinctivenovelist. Hewrotecolorfuland
exciting novelsthatbroughtattention to thepoverty and socialinjustices.
CharlesDickenslived in theVictorian age; thetechnology wasthemajor typicalof
thatage. However, theprogressof technology broughtnegativeeffects. Many kindsof
problemswereconfronted by Victorians, such aspolitical, social, economic, and
culturalproblems. Dickens’ lifemustbring effecton hisliterary works,
herepresentshislifeor surrounding himin hiswork and itcould beseen for
examplein ATaleofTwo Cities.
ATaleofTwo Cities (1859), written
by CharlesDickens, takesthesetting in England and Franceduring theFrench
Revolution. Theinspiration to writea novelsetduring theFrench Revolution
camefromreading ThomasCarlyle’sbook TheFrench Revolution, firstpublished in
1839. ATaleofTwo Cities iswell described
by Dickensashistoricalfiction with two setting of places, London and Paris.
Itiscalled historicalfiction becausethestory developsfromahistorical background
of theFrench revolution. Dickensdescribed thestory by including placesin
Franceand England thatarewellknown. In many waysEngland and Francearedifferentbutthey
arethesimilar in their terror and their troubles, this caststhemin
aparallellight(Osbourn, 1957:3). TheFrench revolution occurred becauseof
thesocial, economicaland politicalproblemin thesociety.
ATaleofTwo Cities created by
Dickensisdeveloped through aseriesof amazingly detailed with vivid pictures.
TheEnglish setting isvery realisticwith thetimeera(Osbourn, 1957:3).
Thenovelshowstheimpactthattherevolution had on citizensof England and France.
Therevolution'seffectwasshown in charactersin thenovel, such as, theDefarges,
theMarquisSt. Evérmonde, and Sydney Carton.ATaleofTwo Citiesshowed
throughoutthenovel, howwar and changein governmentcan affectthepeople.
Thenovelopensin 1775, with acomparison
of England and prerevolutionary France. Whiledrawing parallelsbetween thetwo
countries, Dickens also alludesto hisown time:"theperiod wasso far
likethepresentperiod, that someof itsnoisiestauthoritiesinsisted on itsbeing
received, for good or for evil, in thesuperlativedegreeof comparison only"
(Dickens, 2003:5). Therestof the chapter showsthatDickensregarded thecondition
to bean 'evil'one, sincehe depictsboth countriesasrifewith poverty, injustice,
and violencedueto the irresponsibility of theruling elite(Dickens, 2003:5).
Asthenovelunfolds, however, England becomesasafehaven for thoseescaping
theviolence perpetrated by theFrench Revolution.
Thereisrelationship between
England in Dickens’ timeand hiswork that taking period of French Revolution.
CharlesDickenswasconcerned thatsocial problemsin England, particularly
thoserelating to thecondition of thepoor, mightprovokeamassreaction on
thescaleof the French Revolution. Thepurpose of thisstudy isto find
outthepoliticalcondition description in England and Francebeforeand after
French Revolution. Thisstudy willdescribethepolitical condition in England and Francebased on
CharlesDickens’ politicalview.
Thebig incidentlikeFrench
Revolution would haveoccurred in England assoon asif England had notreformed
theeconomic, judicial, socialand political aspects.
According to
thepreviousexplanation, itcan beassumed thatDickens wrotethestory
becausehecriticizeshisVictorian thatif they had notchanged their conduct,
aRevolution would haveoccurred likewhathappened in France.
Theresearcher isinterested in
studying CharlesDickens’ ATaleofTwo Cities especially
thepoliticalaspectthatthework represents. According to the researcher,
ATaleofTwo Citiesis agreathistoricalfiction. Itcan help to enrich our
knowledgeaboutpoliticaland socialproblemin history. And wecan learn fromhistory
aboutthecauseand theeffectof Revolution thatdescribed in the novel. Wecan try
to do notrepeatthesamefault. Itcan makeusbetter than before.
Prior to theresearcher’sdecision
to conducting thisstudy, hehasfound two thesesthatarerelated to histopicof
thestudy. First, LailatulFitriyah (2005).
Sheused geneticstructuralismto
conducther research. Thefocusof her study is on theanalysisof
politicalconceptstherearegovernmentideology or policy, power, country, conflictand
cooperation. Sheanalyzethesimilaritiescondition in thenoveland in
therealtimewhen thenovelcreated. After analyzed shefound similaritiesbetween
thepoliticalcondition in Gulliver’sTravelsand political condition of England in
Eighteen century.
Second, Mohammad Syamsury (2007),
Heused geneticstructuralismto conducthisresearch. Thefocusof hisstudy ison
theanalysisof social stratification based on thedimension of
occupationalprestige, income, or wealth, education-knowledge, and family
position which occurred during French Revolution. Hefound outthatATaleof Two
Citiesreflectsthesocialphenomena of socialclassesagainsttheexploitation,
inequality and injusticethatweredone by thearistocratbeforeasbackground of
French revolution.
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