FIGURATIVE LANGUAGES IN BRONTE’S NOVEL ENTITLED “JANE EYRE”
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FIGURATIVE LANGUAGES IN BRONTE’S NOVEL ENTITLED “JANE
EYRE”
I WayanAgusAnggariawanPermana
JurusanSastraInggrisFakultasSastraUnud
Abstrak
Di dalam karya sastra atau literature yang salah satunya adalah novel, banyak ditemukan penggunaan bahasa figurative yang diungkapkan dalam jalan ceritanya.Tulisan ini mengklasifikasikan jenis jenis bahasa figuratif yang terkandung di dalamnovel karya Charlotte Bronte berjudul Jane Eyre serta selanjutnya menjelaskan makna dari setiap bahasa figuratif yang terdapat dalam setiap novel tersebut berdasarkan teori yang diungkapkan oleh Larson dalam buku A Meaning Based of Translation. Berdasarkan hasil pengklasifikasian data tersebut ditemukan terdapat tiga metonimi.Tiga sinekdok, satu idiom, enam hiperbola, tujuh metafora, dan delapan simile.
Kata Kunci:novel, bahasa figuratif, dan makna figuratif
There are many kinds of literature in English. Literature itself can be divided into some parts such as poem, drama, and prose. In their process of writing, some literary words contain a lot of figurative language. Translating figurative language cannot be done word by word based on dictionary.
Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation. A good translator should understand types of meaning that exist in the texts, because it is understood that there are many types of meaning. True meaning of words is found of resolving what people do with them, not what they say about it, and the context will determine them. Each language has its own idiomatic way of expressing meaning through lexical items such as idioms, secondary meaning, metaphor, and figurative meaning.
Jane Eyre is a novel by English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published in London, England, in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. It was very interesting to classify
the types of English figurative found in this novel based on six types of figurative language proposed by the theory of Larson and analyzingthe meaning of English figurative languages from source language (SL) into target language (TL) is also the important point to know.
Based on the background above, the problemsare:
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1. What types of English figurative languages were found in the novel Jane Eyre?
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2. What is the meaning of those figurative languages?
Regarding to the problems above, specifically the study is aimed at:
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1. Classifying and describe the types of figurative language were found in novel Jane Eyre.
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2. Analyzing the meaning of those figurative languages.
Research method is an important process to conduct a scientific study or in this case a journal as it is the way of understanding the objects that become the target of subject. Methodology is a procedure used in research in a corresponding way with the approach.The research method used in this paper as classified into three parts:
The data in the form of idiom analyzed in this study were taken from Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre. The novel was chosen because it contains a lot of figurative languages. Analyzing figurative languages in this novel was very interesting because the novel written in complicated language and it needed to be analyzed carefully in order to classify the types of figurative languages.
The data were collected through some stages, those are, and first of all the whole novel was read deeply and then words or phrases indicating to figurative language were found. After reading the novel, the figurative either in English or Indonesia were listed in order to make the identification process easier.
The collected data were analyzed qualitatively using qualitative method, knowing the data were used as the non-numerical data or qualitative data. The analysis was done qualitatively and in the form of narration.
In this chapter, the analysis was focused on the classification of the types of figurative languages. Every figurative language was analyzed carefully based on the theoretical framework. The theory of Larson was applied to analyze the figurative language found in the novel entitled “Jane Eyre”.
The types of figurative expressions were divided into six as proposed by Larson.
They are metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, idiom, metaphor and simile.
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5.1.1 Metonymy
No.
Types of Figurative
Data
1.
Metonymy
Worlds Opinion
2.
Metonymy
Our Journey
3.
Metonymy
Before Tea
World’s opinion in the first example was categorized as metonymy. The word “world” was used in a figurative way to analogize what people around him said about his decision to marry Jane. World is an inanimate thing and it was non-sense if it
wassaid to be alive and do an activity like an animate. The second example Our Journeywas used to analogize their life when marriage took place. A word Journey associated more with the time when they were already married. The last example of metonymy is Before Tea.This sentence indicated a time when someone enjoyed the situation with a cup of tea. The phrase before tea directed the reader’s comprehension to the time when someone get relaxed therefore, it should be added with the word time.
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5.1.2 Synecdoche
No
Types of Figurative
Data
4.
Synecdoche
Happening Downstairs
5.
Synecdoche
Going Home
6.
Synecdoche
To My Door
Happening downstairswas used in a figurative way to describe what Mr.Reed saw from the place that higher than his house. Mr. Reed passed away and it’s impossible that he’s still in that house and saw what happened there.Going Homewas used to substitute for a place where we live afterlife. The last example of synecdoche is To My Door. The word door as a part of a room was substituted for room. It was being used in a figurative sense. In this case, a part of an object is used for the whole object.
|
No |
Types of Figurative |
Data |
|
7. |
Idiom |
I see you as a bird behind the bars of a cage |
As a bird behind the bars of a cage was a multiword expression could not be translated word by word. This sentence belonged to an idiom and the meaning of this idiom was to struggle in a condition and could not do anything.
5.1.4 Hyperbole
|
No |
Types of Figurative |
Data |
|
8. |
Hyperbole |
sense of terror seemed to flood my mind again |
|
9. |
Hyperbole |
I felt their eyes like burning glasses |
|
10. |
Hyperbole |
My voice rose in terror. |
|
11. |
Hyperbole |
hard plain face |
|
12. |
Hyperbole |
I should wish the floor to open and swallow me up |
|
13. |
Hyperbole |
All the household seemed to have been aroused by the cries, and now they crowded together, asking each other what was the matter. |
The first example is sense of terror seemed to flood my mind again.From the example above, the word flood did not mean a natural disaster in her mind. The word flood wasused in figurative way to describe how that terror fulfilled her mind.I felt their eyes like burning glasseswas used to describe how sharp their sight when they looked at her. The sentence above contained an exaggeration that created a strong emotional response and made it sound impressive.My voice rose in terrordescribed that there was no dangerous act such as threatening to kill, kidnapped, or physical violence. It was just an ordinary arguing between two people in high tension.Hard plain facewas used in figurative way to describe how scary that woman was. An exaggeration was used to describe the appearances of that woman.I should wish the floor to open and swallow me upmeans that it’s better for Jane disappear than having to punish in front of the class. That sentence expressed Jane’s feelings if she had to get that punishment. The last example is all the household seemed to have been aroused by the cries, and now they crowded together, asking each other what was the matter.Thehorror situation was strengthening the condition in that room.
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5.1.5 Metaphor
No
Type of Figurative
Data
14
Metaphor
No longer silent as a church
15
Metaphor
I am as hard and tough as an indiarubber ball
16
Metaphor
Do you think I am a machine without feelings?
17
Metaphor
I will leave you by yourself, white dream
18
Metaphor
A little French flower might grow up well in an English garden
19
Metaphor
There was a strange fire in his look
20
Metaphor
I must be careful of you, my treasure
The first exampleNo longer silent as a church is a metaphor. In this sentence, the word Thornfield was compared with a church. The situation in the church was used to analogize the situation in Thornfield before it was changed, silent and no crowd.I am as hard and tough as an indiarubber ball is the next example of metaphor. This sentence meant that Rochester had the same characteristic like a rubber ball which is tough and strong to face a problem. In other words, Rochester was convinced Jane not to worry about him for what had happened. The third exampleDo you think I am a machine without feelings?a comparison again between Jane and a machine. Jane compared herself with machine when she already felt tired for what had she faced in her life. I will leave you by yourself, white dreamwas used in figurative way to analogize the dress as her dream too. She felt that it was an impossible thing to get.A little French flower might grow up well in an English gardenwasused to compare little Adela with a flower that could be blossomed in future. English garden was also used in figurative way to describe his own place at Thornfield. The next example is there was a strange fire in his look. The word fire was used throughout the novel to represent passion as an uncontrollable force. When it first becametruly obvious that Rochester had feeling for Jane, she had just saved him from the fire in his bed. The last example is I must be careful of you, my treasure. In this sentence, Rochester compared Jane with a treasure. Treasure is a precious thing that always hunted by a lot of people in this world. The sentence described how worth Jane for his life. Jane was his treasure in his life.
5.1.6 Simile
|
No |
Type of Figurative |
Data |
|
21 |
Simile |
That kind voice went to my heart like a dagger. |
|
22 |
Simile |
Shes like a mad cat! |
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23 |
Simile |
Why you are baby after all! |
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24 |
Simile |
And you are like the wicked Roman emperor! |
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25 |
Simile |
it was almost like a quarrelling dog |
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26 |
Simile |
She bit me like a tigress |
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27 |
Simile |
Jane, be still!” don’t struggle so, like a frantic bird! |
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28 |
Simile |
You have been as slippery as an eel these past few weeks |
That kind voice went to my heart like a dagger directly compared the two ideas and allowed them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities by employing the words like. The next example is she’s like a mad cat. This characteristic was used to analogize the condition of Jane when she got angry too when both of them tried to lock in Jane to the red room. The third example of simile is why you are baby after all. The characteristic of baby was used to describe Jane’s condition on that time when she felt so afraid of a ghost like a child. And you are like the wicked Roman emperorwas used to describe the attitude of john that he was similar to the Roman Emperor. The sentence above directly compared the two ideas and allowed them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities by employing the words like. It was almost like a quarrelling dogthat Jane heard makes her scared and confused about what was happened. That sound was so noisy and crowded like a quarrelling dog. She bit me like a tigresswas used in figurative way after Mr.Mason received a mysterious attack from someone. When he got investigated, he said that someone bit him like a tigress. Jane, be still!” don’t struggle so, like a frantic bird showed her confusion for what Rochester meant. Because of her confusion, she acted like a frantic bird and hurt herself. The last example is you have been as slippery as an eel these past few
weeks. The phrase you have been as slippery as an eel these past few weeks was used to analogize the Jane’s condition that was similar to an eel which symbolized as a creature that was hard to catch.
Based on the theory proposed by Larson, the figurative languages found and analyzed in Jane Eyre novel consisted of three metonymy, three synecdoche, one idiom, six hyperbole, seven metaphor and eight simile. Metaphor and simile were mostly found in this novel because the writer used a lot of comparison to describe something. It was used to help the reader get the meaning easily, using single expression. Each of these figurative languages had been analyzed based on their characteristic and their functions.
References
Bronte, Charlotte. 1847. Jane Eyre. England: Currer Bell
Hornby, A.S. 2005.Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Larson, Mildred. L. 1998. Meaning Based Translation ‘A Guide to Cross-Language Equivalence’.Second Edition.New York – Oxford : University Press of America.
McArthur, Tom. 1998. Figurative Languages. Encyclopedia.com available from
www.encyclopedia.com/journal/figurativelang.htm
Wijaya, Lulu 2010.Jane Eyre. Indonesia: GramediaPustakaUtama.
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