THE ORIENTALISM IN DANIEL DEFOE'S ROBINSON CRUSOE (Kajian Orientalisme di dalam Novel Robinson Crusoe Karya Daniel Defoe)

Abstract

This research analyses some issues related to the representation of Orientalism in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. In this article there are three goals of the study. The first goal is to find out the cultural assumptions between the Western and the Eastern in the novel. The second is to analyse the attitude of the Western toward the Eastern. The third discusses the Orientalism in Robinson Crusoe. This research uses Said’s theory of Orientalism. This research is qualitative research. Documentary method is also used in this analysis. There are several steps in order to achieve the subject matters of this research. The first step is collecting the data based on the phenomenon in the novel. All the collected data related to Orientalism issues that the representation of the Western and the Eastern. The next step the data correlated to the attitudes of the Western toward the Eastern in the novel. The last step the data represent the Orientalism in Robinson Crusoe. From the analysis, it can be concluded that the novel of Robinson Crusoe represents the imperialism of the European through the representation of a European is depicted as the Western who is superior. Otherwise, the non-European is described as the Eastern who is inferior. The European’s position has right to control the non-European. The European colonizes the non-European through his knowledge of language (English), religion (Christian) and culture. The European dominates the non-European’s identity. Furthermore, through the strategy, the European turns to be a colonizer who scatters colonized people’s ideology. The injustice of the European to the non-European in the novel is opposed by Edward Said’s Orientalism.