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PERSONAL DENIAL IN “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” AND SOCIAL REJECTION IN “STAY AWAY” LYRIC OF KURT DONALD COBAIN: A STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH A THESIS
by Lingga Kusuma Student Number : 02.80.0073
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME FACULTY OF LETTERS SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG 2006
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PERSONAL DENIAL IN “ SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” AND SOCIAL REJECTION IN “ STAY AWAY” LYRIC OF KURT DONALD COBAIN: A STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH A Thesis Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Sastra Degree in the English Letters Study Programme
by Lingga Kusuma Student Number : 02.80.0073
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME FACULTY OF LETTERS SOEGIJAPRANATA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY SEMARANG
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2006 A THESIS ON PERSONAL DENIAL IN “ SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” AND SOCIAL REJECTION IN “ STAY AWAY” LYRIC OF KURT DONALD COBAIN: A STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH
by Lingga Kusuma Student Number : 02.80.0073
Approved by,
G.M Adhyanggono, SS., MA. Major Sponsor
November 2, 2006
Dra. RM. Sri Suryaningsih, MA. Co-Sponsor
November 2, 2006
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A thesis defended in front of the Board of Examiners on November 2, 2006 and declared acceptable
BOARD OF EXAMINERS
Chairperson
: G.M Adhyanggono, SS., MA.
……………….
Secretary
: Dra. RM. Sri Suryaningsih, MA.
……………….
Member
: B. Retang Wohangara, SS., M.Hum
………………..
Semarang, November 2, 2006 Faculty of Letters Soegijapranata Catholic University Dean,
Heny Hartono, SS., M.Pd 058.1.1998.221
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Acknowledgement As the beginning, the writer would like to say ALHAMDULILLAH to ALLAH SWT, God Almighty, for helping the writer so much in finishing this thesis. A grateful thanks is also addressed to both of the writer’s sponsors, Mr. G.M Adhyanggono, SS., MA. and Mrs. Dra. RM. Sri Suryaningsih, MA. in thesis guiding so far. The writer also thanks for all support and pray from the writer’s parents, brothers, and friends. Moreover, uncountable thank you is also sent to all Faculty of Letters community, who has accepted the writer for about four years study. Thanks to 2002, 2003, and 2004 students’ support and cooperation. This thesis is dedicated to all students, especially for Faculty of Letters students. The writer hopes that this thesis could be a new example of literature thesis, which focuses on lyric. By then, hopefully the lyric analysis in literature could contribute in Faculty of Letters students paradigm that literature is not always a novel analysis, but lyric, poem, and perhaps culture. Enjoy, like, love, and understand become the key point in choosing the object for analysis. Next, the writer wishes on Faculty of Letters students’ activity development, which hopefully would be able to speak in public as a memorable and exist Faculty. A unity of small community in this faculty is needed in forming an image. Finally, the writer would only say thank you, maturnuwun, terima kasih, and domou arigatou gozaimasu. Peace, Love, and Emphaty.
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Translation of Quran Surah Al-Ikhlas In English
1. Say you, He is Allah, the one. 2. Allah the Independent, Care free. 3. He begot none' nor was He begotten. 4. And nor anyone is equal to Him.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES OF TITLE …………………………………
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PAGES OF APPROVAL ………………………….……………………………………ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………….……………………………………….iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………….……………………………………………...vi ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………viii ABSTRAK ...………………………………………………………………………….…ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study .………………….……………………………..1 1.2 Field of Study ..…………………………………………….……….…3 1.3 Scope of Study .………………………………………….…………....3 1.4 Problem Formulation ……………………………….………………..3 1.5 Objective of Study .………………………………….………………..3 1.6 Significance of Study …..……………………………………………..4 1.7 Definition of Terms ……..……………………………………………4 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 Freudian Psychological Theory ……………………….……………7 2.1.1 The Concept of Human Psyche .………….……………….7 2.1.2 The Concept of Psychic Process ..… ………………………8 2.2 Kurt Cobain’s Biography Approach ……………………………….9 CHAPTER III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...………………………………….12 CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 4.1 Intrinsic Analysis of Lyrics .………………………………………15
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4.1.1 Analysis of “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” .…………………..15 4.1.2 Analysis of “ Stay Away” …..……………………………..23 4.2 Extrinsic Analysis of Lyrics …….………………………………...30 4.2.1 The speaker’s human nature in “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “ Stay Away” lyrics ……...30 4.2.2 The speaker’s pain removing trials process in “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “ Stay Away” lyrics ……...33 4.2.3 The Author’s nature similarities with The Speaker in both lyrics, viewed from The Author’s biography ……………………………… …………..……..35 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION .…………………………………………………….…41 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..…………………………………………………………………….43
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ABSTRACT “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Stay Away” are two of twelve songs in Nirvana’s second album, Nevermind, which was released in 1991. Nevermind was Nirvana’s debut and greatest album with major label in U.S.A. Kurt Donald Cobain, whose Nirvana’s vocalist, guitarist as well as the bandleader, wrote those songs. Since Nevermind album, Kurt’s popularity was not far fr om his phenomenal lyric and Nirvana’s performances. A strong, powerful, and unique ending at each lyric has made some interpretative ideas on the author’s main purpose, when he wrote them. Freudian concepts of human psyche and psychic process are used in analyzing the nature and pain removing trials that the speakers in each lyric had. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” describes self-hatred, doubt, and confusion of the speaker itself. A personal denial becomes the speaker’s final statement in his attempt on reducing the pain that always haunted him. Meanwhile, “Stay Away” more describes the speaker’s confusion on his community life. A desire to get a perfect answer of what the speaker’s been observed by asking the social standard had made him to reject the community where he lives. Some similar characters were also shown on the author’s biography. A trauma of his parents’ divorce when he was a child had made Kurt Cobain different from others. The unfriendly community, which Kurt hardly understood, made him never accepted who he was and where he lived. His wonder as well as confuse on a quite standardized life had made him hate himself and his surroundings, including his parents. Kurt’s disappointment mostly was filled in his lyrics. By figuring out the speakers’ na ture and pain removing trials with Kurt Cobain’s biography, it could be concluded that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was Kurt trial in denying himself and rejecting his community in “Stay Away”. Finally, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is Kurt’s manifestation on per sonal denial, while “Stay Away” is a manifestation of social rejection. Keywords: self-hatred, denial, rejection, community, lyric, Nevermind, Nirvana.
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ABSTRAK “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” dan “ Stay Away” adalah dua dari dua belas lagu Nirvana di album keduanya, Nevermind, yang diluncurkan pada 1991. Nevermind merupakan album Nirvana terbaik dan pertama yang diproduksi oleh perusahaan rekaman besar di Amerika. Kurt Donald Cobain, vokalis, gitaris dan pemimpin Nirvana, menulis lagu-lagu didalamnya. Semenjak album Nevermind, popularitas Kurt tidak jauh dari lyric and penampilan-penampilan Nirvana yang fenomenal. Akhiran yang unik, kuat, dan keras pada setiap liriknya telah memunculkan berbagai interpretasi akan tujuan utama si penulis pada saat penulisannya. Konsep human psyche dan psychic process yang dikemukakan Freud digunakan untuk menganalisa sifat asli si pembicara dan percobaan akan menghilangkan rasa sakitnya yang tersirat pada setiap liriknya.” Smells Like Teen Spirit” menggambarkan kebencian terhadap diri sendiri, kebingungan, dan keraguan dari diri si pembicara itu sendiri. Penyangkalan terhadap dirinya sendiri menjadi pernyataan terakhir pada usahanya untuk mengurangi rasa sakit yang selalu menghantuinya. Sementara itu, “ Stay Away” lebih menggambar kan kebingunan si pembicara akan kehidupan komunitasnya. Hasrat untuk mendapatkan jawaban sempurna dengan menanyakan standar sosial dari observasi yang telah si pembicara lakukan, membuatnya menolak komunitas dimana ia tinggal. Berbagai kesamaan karakter antara si pembicara dan pengarang, ditunjukkan juga pada biografi si pengarang. Trauma akan perceraian orang tuanya ketika masa anak-anak telah membuat Kurt Cobain berbeda dari yang lain. Komunitas yang tidak begitu ramah dan sulit untuk dipahami membuat Kurt tidakpernah menerima dirinya sendiri dan dimana ia berada. Keingintahuan serta kebingunan akan kehidupan yang standar membuat Kurt membenci dirinya sendiri dan lingkungannya, termasuk orang tuanya sendiri. Ketidakpuasan Kurt tertuang banyak pada lirik-liriknya. Dengan mengaitkan sifat asli si pembicara dan percobaan mengurangi rasa sakitnya dengan biografi Kurt Cobain, dapat disimpulkan bahwa lirik “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” merupakan percobaan Kurt dalam usahanya menolak dirinya sendiri dan komunitasnya pada lirik “ Stay Away”. Pada akhirnya, lirik “ Smells Like Teen Spirit” merupakan manifestasi Kurt terhadap penyangkalan dirinya, sedangkan lirik “ Stay Away” adalah manifestasi terhadap penolakan lingkunagan sosialnya. Kata kunci: kebencian, penyangkalanl, penolakan, komunitas, lirik, Nevermind, Nirvana.
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