CONSTRUCTING KOREAN IDENTITY: A REPRESENTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF JENNY HAN'S P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU

Abstrak

Cultural representation in diaspora literature is an area of study that continues to grow, but research that specifically examines Korean cultural representations in English-language novels written by Korean-American writers is still very limited. This study aims to identify and analyze the forms of Korean cultural representation in the novel P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (2015) through Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Alan Swingewood's sociological approach. The research employed a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis techniques on sentences, phrases, and paragraphs that contain elements of Korean culture. Primary data were from dialogue and narration in the novel P.S. I Still Love You, while supporting data were obtained from journals, books, and scientific articles. The results of the study found five forms of Korean cultural representation in this novel, namely: Korean traditions and customs, the value of family collectivism, Korean cuisine, Korean beauty, and Korean language. These findings suggest that the novel P.S. I Still Love You consistently represents Korean cultural identity as an integral part of the identity of the main character, Lara Jean, as a Korean-American individual.