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Library's collection Library's IT development CancelThis thesis deals with the ideology of capitalism behind George Lillo?s
The London Merchant. Written in the eighteenth century England when the
country was changing from a feudal system to become an industrial society, this
play is considered as the best play of its time. However, I assumed that this play
was conducted to enhance the new ideology, namely Capitalism. In order to prove
that The London Merchant carries the ideology of capitalism, and that it is
conducted as the capitalist propaganda, I will employ critical theory, namely; the
theory of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISA) and the Repressive State
Apparatuses (RSA) by Louis Althusser, and the theory of Hegemony by Antonio
Gramsci. Nonetheless, since critical theory is developed in Marxian traditional
discourse, Marxism will be a doorstep to begin my discussion. Therefore, I will
divide my analysis into two major parts. The first part will focus on revealing the
ideology of capitalism in The London Merchant through the capitalistic feature of
Thorowgood character, and the capitalist social formation that is represented in
the play. Hence, once I have proved that The London Merchant does carry the
ideology of capitalism, I will move on in proving that this play is conducted as a
capitalist?s propaganda. It can be done by exposing Thorowgood?s practice of
hegemony, the importance of being submissive, and the result for being disobey
toward the ideology of capitalism, as they are represented in the play.