Contemporary Research Analysis Journal

The social criticism contained in the novel Life is a Jerk and I'm Forced to Enjoy It by Puthut EA is caused by a social system that does not work well. Using a literary sociology approach and hermeneutic methods, the main focus of this research is to look for issues of 1) discrimination, 2) marginalization, 3) economic inequality, and 4) negative stigma experienced by the main characters in the novel. The data of this study is a unit of sentence or paragraph in a novel. The data collection technique is carried out by reading and recording techniques. The data analysis technique is carried out with the content analysis technique of the Miles and Huberman model which includes three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, verification and conclusion. Karl Marx's theory is used as a framework to understand how the capitalist system shapes social inequality through various mechanisms of oppression, exploitation, and labeling of vulnerable groups. The results of the study show that the characters in the novel experience unfair treatment both physically, psychologically, and symbolically as a result of systematic socioeconomic inequality. Discrimination, extreme poverty, social exclusion, and stigmatization form a negative stigma and demonstrate the failure of social structures to provide protection and justice for vulnerable groups. The implications of this study are to present literary works as an effective means to express social inequality and build awareness of unjust systems, therefore literature plays an important role in shaping a critical perspective for readers about social issues that occur in society.

Social Criticism, Literary Sociology, Social Inequality, Literary Hermeneutics

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