DECONSTRUCTING
“THE GRASSHOPPER” AND “ART” IN ANTON CHEKOV’S THE GRASSHOPPER
Presented by:
HARIS KURNIAWATI
120511100031
AS
A PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE COURSE OF
SOCIOLOGY OF LITERATURE
ENGLISH
DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF SOCIAL
AND CULTURAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF
TRUNOJOYO MADURA
ACADEMIC YEAR 2014/2015
1.
Introduction
“The Grasshopper” by Anton Chekov was originally
created in 1892. The main character of this short story is Olga Ivanovna. She
married to Osip Stepanitch Dymov, a doctor. Chekov
created the character of Olga Ivanovna as a woman who loves arts very much. On the other hand, Olga thinks that her
husband is a bored person because he isn’t interested in art. She finds the
person who has the same passion in art, the handsome painter named Ryabovsky. The
writer wants to deconstruct “The Grasshopper” in Anton Chekov.
2.
Review of related literature
Deconstruction is derived from latin word (de + construktio).
De means decrease and construktio
means form, structure. Deconstruction
is not only break the form, but also build the new form. Deconstruction seems to center around the idea that language and meaning
are often inadequate in trying to convey the message or idea a communicator is
trying to express.1[1]
Deconstruction appeared as a critic toward
Saussurean’s Structuralism. Saussure presented the signified and signifier and
described them to has an absolute meaning. It is in line with Derrida’s critique of Saussure (in Norris: 2004), in his essay ‘Linguistics and Grammatology’ (in Derrida 1977a,
pp. 27–73), is therefore a crucial point of encounter for the deconstructive
enterprise.
Derrida also conceives his Deconstruction
not as destruction, but as a transgression of boundaries, a revelation of
contradictions, and a dissection (Zima, 2002: 24-25). Derrida rejects
Heiddeger’s destruction because Derrida’s Deconstruction more tends to
deconstruct rather than to destruct. It concern on not only break the
structure, but also build the structure.
Deconstruction tries to transgress the central
view of West metaphysic that believed the meaning is absolute. Zima argued that
Derrida’s Deconstruction attempts to present the metaphysic. The crucial
argument that Derrida directs against Heidegger concerns language, or, more
precisely, the presence of metaphysics in the linguistic realm as the
foundation of Western metaphysics logocentrism or phonocentrism is, according
to Derrida, the domination of the spoken word (parole or phone´) which is meant
to guarantee the presence of meaning (pre´sence du sens) (Zima, 2002: 31).
In West metaphysic there is binary
opposition. Here, deconstruction finds the binary opposition and reverse the
binary to deconstruct the new meaning.
3.
Research Methodology
The study is designed as qualitative
because the data is in the form of words, from character’s utterance and the
narrator’s explanation.
The source of data in this study is the
short story entitled “The Grasshopper” written by Anton Chekov. The data in
this study is characters’ utterance and narrator explanation which is related
to Deconstruction theory.
4.
Discussion
In this story, the title is portrayed in the figure of a woman. It refers to the
woman who plays act like grasshopper in a fable, the grasshopper and the ant. In
the fable, the ant strives hard to collect food in order to supply it when the
winter came. In the other side, the grasshopper only lying all day and didn’t
care about it. The grasshopper laughed at what the ant do. Finally, the
grasshopper regretted when the winter came, it felt hungry and realized that
what ant did was right.
In this short story, it can be implied that
the grasshopper is the woman and the ant is her husband. This story tells that
her husband, Dymov, is heavy worker. While Olga loves art so much. Society
thinks that people who loves art is lazy and not productive. By using
deconstruction, the writer tries to find the binary opposition and reverse it
to deconstruct the new meaning. There are the differences when the character of
Olga is contrasted with the character of Dymov.
“The Grasshopper” in Anton Chekov’s The
Grasshopper is not limited in the meaning according to the fable of “the
grasshopper and the ant”. Olga who loves
art is considered fail because people think that the one who has good interest
in art is lazy and can’t effort money. As a matter of fact, the woman will have
more value if she has a good interest in art. Moreover, if she can perform
well, it is also be able to gain the earnings.
Loving art is included into one of human passion.
The new critic argued that Olga’s passion in art is the kind of infidelity
where she meets Ryabovsky. So, the
critic considered Olga not loyal. If we look at this deeper, Olga’s interest in
art is a way to face her loneliness since her husband is too busy with his work
in hospital. It can be seen from the narration below:
“Her husband, Osip Stepanitch Dymov, was a
doctor, and only of the rank of a titular councillor. He was on the staff of
two hospitals: in one a ward-surgeon and in the other a dissecting
demonstrator. Every day from nine to twelve he saw patients and was busy in his
ward, and after twelve o'clock he went by tram to the other hospital, where he
dissected”. (Chekov, 1985: 153)
Art can be read as the sequential of human
activity in life. Here, Olga played the piano, painted in oil, and she carved.
Playing the piano creates balance tone. Every tone she is playing on the piano
reflected her desire to build the harmony in her marriage. When she is
painting, it is indicated that she wants to better memory with her husband and
paint happiness in her marriage. When she is carving, actually she tries to
build and creates the beautiful marriage with her husband. Unfortunately, her
desire cannot be fulfilled because her husband doesn’t have much time for her.
It can be proved by the quotation as follow:
“She sang, she played the piano, she
painted in oils, she carved, she took part in amateur performances, and all
this not just anyhow, but all the talent, whether she made lanterns for
illuminating or dressed up or tied somebody’s cravant- everything she did was
exceptionally graceful, artistic, and charming” (Chekov, 1985: 156).
Art here can be associated with love. The
person who doesn’t have good interest in art can be understood that he is not
full of love. Dymov, is considered as loyal man because he strived hard to gain
earnings for his wife is not fully right. He spent much of his time in the
hospital. He cannot share his love for Olga, while she is longing from the
charity from her husband. Woman doesn’t always need money, she also need love
from her man. it can be read from Olga’s utterance below:
You are a clever, generous man, Dymov," she used to say, "but you
have one very serious defect. You take absolutely no interest in art. You don't
believe in music or painting’. (Chekov, 1985:156)
5. Conclusion
Derrida’s Deconstruction which is supported
by Christoper Norris and Peter V. Zima reveals another meaning in the term of
‘the grasshopper’ and ‘the art’. Both are portrayed in the character of Olga
Ivanovna. It can be found that art is something powerful and have strong
connection to Olga’s desire of her marriage condition.
REFERENCES
Chekov, Anton. 1985. The Tale of Chekov,
Vol. 5: The Wife and Other Stories. New York: Ecco.
Norris, Christoper. 2004. Deconstruction.
London & New York: Taylor & Francis e-Library.
Zima, Peter V. 2002. Deconstruction and
Critical Theory. London & New York: Continuum.
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