23 research outputs found
The myth of american paradox as reflected through the characters of metal gear solid (a playstation videogame)
This research took a Playstation videogame entitled Metal Gear Solid with
the focus on the myth of American paradox. It was aimed to know how the
characters in the Playstation video game Metal Gear Solid reflect the myth of
American Paradox and why they perform the paradox.
The research belonged to descriptive qualitative research. The main data
source of this research was Playstation CD of Metal Gear Solid directed by Hideo
Kojima, produced by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan in 1998. The main
data of this research were the dialogues, characters’ facial expressions, characters’
behavior, and the camera angles which had relationship with the research
questions. The supporting data of this research were taken from articles and
references about American myths, references about game, articles about this
game, and game script of this game which were related to the research questions.
The research used sociopolitical, historical approaches, popular culture
and semiotic film theories to answer how the characters in Metal Gear Solid
reflect the myth of American paradox. The same approaches and semiotic film
theory plus Kammen’s theory of paradox in America were used to answer why the
characters in Metal Gear Solid perform the paradox.
Carrying out the analysis, it was found out that the characters in Metal
Gear Solid reflect the myth of American paradox through several elements of
character namely physical traits, how he/she dresses, psychological/personality
traits, motivation, behavior /actions, relationships with other characters in the
story, weaknesses/faults, strengths/virtues, moral constitution, history and
background, changes, and similarities and differences of the characters. Besides
having personal reasons and motives as the background for the characters to
perform the paradox, their pasts, highly influenced by social and political
condition, and social status, also count to their performing of paradox. Things
reasoning their paradox are the tension or conflict and uncertainty or
inconsistency bring people in a state of fear and confusion which eventually make
them to be paradox in order to survive; cultural transfer and immigration lead
people to be paradoxical since they have to face a lot of diversities that some
contradict each other; high mobility and rapid changes, as significant
characteristics of America, put them in unsure conditions and thus they have to
combine many options that often contradict each other in order to survive; the
inconsistencies of the American government; the fact that ideals do not always
conform to realities