Hermenetics Study

 Hermeneutics Study of Unfamiliar Terms in Kate Chopin’s “Regret”

Apriliyanti Shinta Dewi

A.    Introduction

Every literary work has hidden meaning. The meaning will change following the time. However, a long of the time, the culture will change the reader interpretation in interpreting the meaning of literary work. One of the theories that can be used to interpret the hidden meaning of literary work is hermeneutics. It is a theory which analyzed literary work to understand the meaning to interpret such text through the phenomenon of life which is changed by the time.

This study used Regret story which will be analyzed, started with a woman named Mamzelle Aurile who had a very good and strong figure. She was never been in love and really did never came up with the idea of marriage. In her age of twenty, someone proposed to her but she said no and never regret about her decision. There was her neighbor named Odile who had four children (Elodie, Ti Nomme, Marceline and Marcelette). Odile asked Mamzelle to take care of her kids until she came back. Mamzelle did think deeply about the children. Keeping such kids was very unusual to her since she never had at least one. She thought that the children were just like little pigs but she was wrong. Days passed, she never stopped complaining. Mamzelle became really tired and all. After many times, she then became used to it until she was already comfortable with the children. One evening, Odile came back and took the children home. Mamzelle suddenly felt something that struck her heart. She gave a glance to her room where she used to be with the naughty children. Then there shecried, hardly.

Regret by Kate Chopin describes feminism and serves as the proof of life phenomena that examines the change of woman thought about family and marriage. Mamzelle Aurile as single woman had never married and suddenly had to keep Odile’s (her near neighbor) four children. She faced to be a mother and feel loneliness after the children come back home. This reflects realistic phenomenon and several unfamiliar terms used in this text is derived into interpreting such meaning through the history of text and the culture of surrounding as human experience in life.Hermeneutics theory viewed by Edmund Husserl also has been used by the other researcher like Alga Rivaldi who was used it in analyzed a short story by Dewi Lestaribe titled Samsara.

This study tries to answer the questions, how are the interpretations of unfamiliar terms used in Regret short story? Objectively, this study is intended to give the interpretation of unfamiliar terms are used in Regret story by Kate Chopin. The text of Regret story that has been written by Kate Chopin be the focused. Furthermore, limit merely on giving the interpretation to several unfamiliar terms are used in hermeneutics. Also reflects it to the realistic phenomenon which dominant in this story that is feminism. This study expected to the theoretical development of literaturated, especially in the hermeneutics and feminist theori. In this study, the writer would like to givethe new interpretation meanings from this story. Further, the writer hopped this research will perfectibility by the next researcher in the same focus.

B.     Historical Background

Women of the 1890s Influences “Regret” by Kate Chopin

To paint a portrait of women during this time, the stage must first be set. An understanding of the economical atmosphere and social standards women experienced in the 1890 is needed. This was a time of change. The decade prior had been the days of Wyatt Earp and Jesse James, of Sitting Bull and Geronimo. But by 1889, the Wild West is shrinking, 50,000 people participated in the first Oklahoma land rush;the US population grew over 25% in 10 years;and more people than ever live in urban areas. By the 1890's, with the age of industrialization in full swing, people are just as likely to work in a factory as they are on a farm. The concept of social Darwinism was on the rise;a concept that while we all function within a society. We owe that society nothing, survival of the fittest. Though this might sound sever, this belief also meant that anyone could better themselves and their social standings if they had an innovative idea and a strong work ethic. By the turn of the century we would listen to our news on the radio instead of reading it in the newspaper, homes will be illuminated by light bulbs not lamps, largely thanks to the General Electric cofounded by Thomas Edison, and we would order our furniture and even our homes from Sears & Roebucks mail order catalogs.

Despite the success of these well-known companies, the mid 1890's was a time of economic strife. In 1893 the US economy crashed because of two major factors;railroads and silver. The over production of railroads caused the bankruptcy of several rail road companies. These bankruptcies caused 500Sherman Silver Purchase Act. A law which increased the amount of silver the government bought. The hope was this would solidify or even strengthen the worth of silver. Instead, people feared that if silver prices fell, their money would be worth less. So many exchanged their silver notes in for gold bars. This was so common that eventually the Federal Gold Reserves were depleted to their minimum allowed holdings. The newspapers referred to the economic down turn as "The Panic of 1893". Within the year, 15,000 businesses closed and unemployment skyrocketed. Pennsylvania saw 25% unemployment, New York 35%, and in Michigan 43%. The US would remain in this depression until gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1896 and the Klondike Gold Rush revived the American economy.

Obviously with the increase in urban populations, the shift in social beliefs, and the turmoil of the economic atmosphere, social roles were ripe for change as well. Marriage and motherhood was still considered the most important job for women according to societal standards, but unlike just a few decades earlier, a woman's standing in her community was not solely hinged on her starting a family. Married women lived a very restricted life;wives were expected to cater to the needs of their house and husband. If a family was wealthy, they would be able to hire someone to care for the home. This however, did not mean a wife had the opportunity to pursue other interest. It was considered a show of wealth for a wife to have no responsibilities at all.

Many women wanted this role to change. Support for this attitude was seen in the work place, in fashion, and in recreation. For some, remaining unmarried was the first step towards independence. In 1890, three-quarters of women in the workforce were single. A single or not, woman's options were greatly dictated by their social class. Women from upper and middle class families could typically afford some form of continued education (though it was often difficult for daughters receive their families blessing in perusing such things). With education, women had opportunity to create a career, as opposed to holding a job. An educated woman might be employed as a nurse, teacher, or secretary. These women would make more money and work less than their lower class counterparts. The lower class of course, had fewer options. With little education, women typically took jobs as laborers. Positions such as textile factory workers, maids, and laundresses were among the most common. With the onset of the panic of '93 women increasingly sought out employment;often a family could not survive on one income. Regardless of class, women of this day were typically only able to find employment at positions considered "suitable for the fairer sex." Even when employed, society expected women to leave the work force if they were married or became pregnant. It was considered unfashionable to be pregnant and employed.

Fashion tells a lot about the expectations of women of this day. The 1890's is sometimes referred to as the "mauve decade" because a new dye, mauve or lavender in color, was popular in women's fashion. At the start of the decade, elegance was most important, comfort was certainly not. Dresses were nearly the only option and seemed to be deliberately impractical. Puffy sleeves and voluminous layered shirts combined with corsets, created the thin waist, large bust look that was considered desirable. The more expensive A dress was, the more difficult it was to move in. signifying she was a lady of leisure. Once again, the logic being, a family was surly rich if the women did no work at all. Yet few women could afford such garments with a depression in full swing. The majority of women still wore dresses but attire became simpler and more practical;simpler, because it made the dresses cheaper;and more practical, because women needed to be able to work efficiently. Women's clothes became comfortable out of necessity not out of consideration for the wearer. All the same, by the close of the decade, women's fashion had changed considerably and proved liberating for the women.

Strangely enough, it was not just work that changed women's fashion it was also the bicycle. Bikes were a new craze in the 1890's but the fashions of the day restricted a women's ability to ride. Because of this, bloomers, or loose fitting pants, became increasingly popular. Many in society frowned upon such attire, but the freedom a bicycle provided had too much allure for most and old fashion standards were discarded. With bicycles, women had an activity that provided both fun and independence. Bicycles became a symbol of the women's movement;they represented mobility, freedom, and, thanks to bloomer, a visible statement of liberty. Recreation activities became a mechanism of women's rights. During this decade, the first Women's Amateur Golf championship was held, the first women's intercollegiate basketball game was played, and two all-women ice hockey teams faced off in Philadelphia, Pa. Women were more active than ever. Sports teams, bike clubs and social groups provided an opportunity to discuss and unite over shared interest. Involvement in these groups often led to other social organizations.

The 1890's saw a huge surge in volunteerism in women's rights groups. Charity groups, suffragettes, alcohol temperance organizations, and the women's movement as a whole had existed for decades. Though the 1890's was not the birth of the women's movement, it did see a significant increase in participation and success of these groups. As women organizations grew in popularity, they became a politically influential. In 1890 the two largest women's suffrage organizations merged to create the National American Woman Suffrage Association. The group was lead by the famous Susan B. Anthony among others.

When the stampede that was the Klondike gold rush occurred in late 1897, women had already spent the decade striving for independence. Employment, fashion and recreation had been there soundboard to proclaim this ideal. The Klondike provided a chance for individual women to prove they were capable of anything. Some women were gold seekers, others entrepreneurs, there were prostitutes, and day laborers. Whatever their profession, women of the Klondike toiled day in and out to survive in the unforgiving Alaska frontier. Often, these women faced even greater hardships than their male counterpart because of society viewed them as second class citizens. Yet these women survived, triumphed and even thrived thanks to their tenacious pursuit of individuality and happiness. Women entered the 1890's as house wives and nannies;they left it as gold seekers, as sport enthusiast, as entrepreneurs and political activist. They left as individuals.

C.    Method

This analysis will use Edmund Husserl’s hermeneutics. He states that hermeneutics gasp the understanding of meaning to interpret such text through the phenomenon of life. The basic experience of world and human life is full of meaning. It associates the history and culture of surrounding contains in such text. The world is meaningful reflected various events precede any attempt on our part to understand it or explain it. This event of life phenomena is theorized, interpreted, explained, and otherwise abstracted, while knowing that any attempt to do this is always tentative, contingent, and never complete. Thus, to interpreting the text, the reader has to find out the uniqueness of the phenomenon in all of its complexity and strangeness, as well as a strong "phenomenological pen" through which they can evoke and re- illuminate the phenomenon in their text.

D.    The Analysis of Regret by Kate Chopin

“MamzelleAurlie possessed a good strong figure, ruddy cheeks, hair that was changing from brown to gray, and a determined eye. She wore a man's hat about the farm, and an old blue army overcoat when it was cold, and sometimes top-boots.”

In the short story, there is a sentence that shows that Mamzelle is a good strong figure. It means that, in that era, a girl with man’s style is considered as a strong figure. It is different with now. People now consider that a girl with man’s style is very common. She has no good strong figure. It proves that there is change in value and interpreting meaning. Besides that, in that era, hat can be divided into man’s hat and girl’s hat. The value can be considered as strange division. However, there is no difference in girl’s hat and boy’s hat in that era. Those are the consideration change in the short story based on culture and time.

“Mamzelle Aurlie had never thought of marrying. She had never been in love. At the age of twenty she had received a proposal, which she had promptly declined, and at the age of fifty she had not yet lived to regret it”.

In the paragraph, it is explained that Mamzelle is not married because it is her choice, not for any other reason. It is proved by the narrative that she refused a proposal when she was 20 years old. Then, she also does not regret yet when she is in 50 years old. From the case, it can be concluded that Mamzelle is an independent woman and does not depend on men.

            "I tell you, Aunt Ruby," MamzelleAurlie informed her cook in confidence; "me, I'd rather manage a dozen plantation' than fo' chil'ren. It's terrassent! Bont! don't talk to me about chil'ren!"

The terrassent that is uttered by Mamzelle is an absorbing word from French language which means degrading. Thus, the phrase "it’sterrasent" can mean "it's disgusting". From that paragraph can be interpreted that Mamzelle considers that caring for a child is a difficult and inconvenient activity. However, he thinks his job (taking care of the land) is better than taking care of the child. In addition, the word terrasent is unfamiliar to use now. In other hand, people now are unfamiliar with terrasent in English. 

“But at the end of two weeks MamzelleAurlie had grown quite used to these things, and she no longer complained.”

This paragraph means that mamzelle is comfortable to parent her neighbour’s children. The word of “these things” refers to the activities which are done by Mamzelle (parenting neighbour’s children) in two weeks. Mamzelle’s characteristic that could love people’s children easily is an uncommon thing nowadays. However, Mamzelle is a woman who has not marriage yet but she can parent the children well. Because this case is uncommon thing to hold, people in this era will consider that it is uncommon activity to hold. Furthermore, there is change in consideration. People in 1897 will consider it as a common activity but people now will be considering it as an uncommon activity. It is caused by there is no a girl now who has characteristics like that. 

“It was also at the end of two weeks that Mamzelle Aurlie, one evening, looking away toward the crib where the cattle were being fed, saw Valsin's blue cart turning the bend of the road. Odile sat beside the mulatto, upright and alert. As they drew near, the young woman's beaming face indicated that her home-coming was a happy one.”

In this sentence, the word mulatto is defined as an old-fashioned way to refer to someone with one black parent and one white parent. It was common to describe a mixed race person as a mulatto during the period of slavery in the United States. In the sentence, it is indirectly explained that Odile is in a blue cart with a mulatto. It also explains that there is a gap in the relationship between a mulatto and a white person. It is proven in the last two sentences of this paragraph. In addition, mulatto now is unfamiliar because inthis era there is gap between a mulatto and a white person. Mulatto and white person has no difference. It means that there is cultural change and consideration change. People in that time will consider that mulatto is common and familiar. Yet, people now does not know what mulatto is. People now also consider that mulatto is bad. Unlike the meaning of mulatto in 1897.

“She gave one slow glance through the room, into which the evening shadows were creeping and deepening around her solitary figure. She let her head fall down upon her bended arm, and began to cry. Oh, but she cried! Not softly, as women often do. She cried like a man, with sobs that seemed to tear her very soul. She did not notice Ponto licking her hand.”

This paragraph tells us that Mamzelle felt lonely after being left by the children. The situation is clarified by the phrase "solitary figure" in which the solitary word is a synonym of the word loneliness. Her loudly cry showed that she regretted her choice neither to be married nor having a child. Meanwhile, Mamzelle began to realize that it would be better to live with people she loves. The statement "she cried like a man, with sobs that seemed to tear her very soul." showed that Mamzelle is sobbing as how a man is crying in one time before she went back to the reality of her own life.

From the analysis above, we found that in Regret short story, there are some meaning and value changes. The changes are :

1.      The interpretation change in ‘strong figure’ woman.

In the time when the short story is written, the woman who is classified as a strong figure is a woman who wears man’s attribute and have an attitude like a man. For example in the short story, Mamzelle Aurlie is an independent woman and she cries like a man. Thus, she is called as a strong figure. It is because the short story is written in the same era when the feminism appears. That is why, woman who tries to be the same as man is called as a woman who has strong figure. While now, it is considered as common phenomena because woman now is equal with man.

2.      Values change in fashion

The classification of fashion in the short story is clearly represented by mentioning man’s hat. It means that in the time when the short story is written, there are some differences between man’s and woman’s fashion. That condition is different now. Nowadays, it is not appropriate to mention man’s hat or woman’s hat because the kind of hat in this era can be used either by man or woman.

3.      The change of vocabulary existence.

This short story used some vocabularies that are unfamiliar in this era. They are terrasent and mulatto. Terrasent means “it's disgusting” which is usually used for swearing. This vocabulary is not familiar now and replaced by other vocabularies such as ‘shit’, ‘fuck’, ‘nasty’, and etc. another vocabulary is mulatto. It is a call for the first generation of interracial married between the white and black people. Yet, this vocabulary is uncommon to use now.

E.     Conclusion

From the short story titled "Regret" can be summed up several things, such as how MamzelleAurlie, someone who has never felt happiness in the family, that is crying, screams, sadness, happy smile, laugh and togetherness, live Her life for 50 years without complaining, never regretted it.

The happiness of MamzelleAurlie in her loneliness was disturbed by the arrival of a close neighbor, whose home position was close, but their relationship was not nearly as close as their home. The neighbors entrust their four children, which is the beginning that will make Her complain at the beginning of care for the four children of Her neighbor. Even in one of Her words the story says that taking care of the fields and farms is still easier than taking care of the four neighboring children, each of whom has Her own personality.

In the days of taking care of the children, MazmelleAurlie finally began to understand, even understand how the personality and habits of her foster children. How MazmelleAurlie got comfortable and she never complained about the change in her situation. Until finally when Mazmelle was comfortable with her situation, the mother of four came back from her departure, then took her children back from Mazmelle's hands. And finally, the climax happened. What about when Mazmelle began to be comfortable, happy and feel the things she had not experienced for 50 years, then suddenly the happiness was frowned from her, even though the children are a deposit from her neighbor. Then Mazmelle burst into tears, and the story finished.

In hermeneutics, understanding the author's own interpretation in more depth, it takes "outside the text" information that will enrich the data in analyzing the meaning of a literary work. Although literary works are the objectivity of the author, but the elements outside the text can give spice condiments in analyzing a text.

When viewed from the life journey of the author, how Kate Chopin wrote every novel or short story always put women as the main character, one of the virtues of a mother. But from the short stories discussed at this time, just Kate Chopin like how to reveal the real happiness, even for a feminist. Independence and denying dependence on a man is not the source of the happiness of feminism itself. But what is produced from both is the most important, especially the presence of a child. MamzelleAurlie as a main character, never regretted solitude for 50 years who only take care of the fields and farms alone. Until finally he found something he never experienced before, parenting the four children of Her neighbor, which ultimately became the starting point of Mazmelle's way of looking at things, and also her regret.

F.     REFRENCES

Chopin. K. (1897). Regret.Retrived from https://americanliterature.com>short-story

Rivaldi. A. (2014). Analisis Karya Sastra Cerpen Karangan Dewi Lestari “Samsara”. Malang.

Verhaeghe. R. J.(2014).A KHSN History Talk. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/klgo/learn/historyculture/women1890s.htm&hl=en-ID