MYTH OF HAPPINESS FROM THE CONSUMERISM PERSPECTIVE IN SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR’S LES BELLES IMAGES

Authors

Joesana Tjahjani, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas IndonesiaFollow
Sekar Dewantari, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas IndonesiaFollow

Abstract

France's post-World War II, thirty years of glory, resulted in the growth of purchasing power among the French, which triggered growth in consumerism, notably among the bourgeois— France's upper-middle-class society. People believed in a myth that objects are not solely useful for fulfilling needs but also served as a sign of social status, dignity, andcomfort. They equally believed that if the objects are consumed and the associated social standards fulfilled, they maybecome a way to obtain greater happiness. This article aims to examine the myth that happiness can be attained byconsumption and social standard fulfillment in a French consumer society in the 1960s. To do so, Baudrillard’sconsumerism theory is used, which is juxtaposed with Barthes' theories of structural text analysis, semiotics, and myth.This article, whose scope is limited by the narrative elements of the text, shows that the attachment of the people portrayed in the text with consumer goods and social standards can gradually sink the subjectivity of individuals and even erode the unique and principal characteristic that humans share; humanitarian values, as well as generating greater distance between human and true happiness itself.

Bahasa Abstract

Tiga puluh tahun kejayaan Prancis pasca-Perang Dunia II menghasilkan pertumbuhan daya beli masyarakat Prancis, yang memicu berkembangnya konsumerisme, khususnya di kalangan borjuis—kelas menengah atas Prancis. Masyarakat meyakini mitos bahwa benda-benda tidak hanya berguna untuk memenuhi kebutuhan, tetapi juga berfungsi sebagai penanda status sosial, martabat, dan kenyamanan. Mereka juga percaya bahwa jika benda-benda tersebut dikonsumsi dan standar sosial yang menyertainya terpenuhi, maka hal itu dapat menjadi jalan untuk memperoleh kebahagiaan yang lebih besar. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji mitos bahwa kebahagiaan dapat dicapai melalui konsumsi dan pemenuhan standar sosial dalam masyarakat konsumeris Prancis pada tahun 1960-an. Untuk itu, digunakan teori konsumerisme Baudrillard yang dipadukan dengan teori analisis tekstual struktural, semiotika, dan mitos dari Barthes. Artikel ini, yang ruang lingkupnya dibatasi oleh unsur naratif dalam teks, menunjukkan bahwa keterikatan tokoh-tokoh dalam teks terhadap barang konsumsi dan standar sosial secara bertahap dapat mengikis subjektivitas individu dan bahkan menggerus ciri khas utama yang dimiliki manusia, yaitu nilai-nilai kemanusiaan, serta menciptakan jarak yang semakin jauh antara manusia dan kebahagiaan sejatinya.

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Recommended Citation

Tjahjani, Joesana, and Sekar Dewantari. 2025. MYTH OF HAPPINESS FROM THE CONSUMERISM PERSPECTIVE IN SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR’S LES BELLES IMAGES. Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya 15, no. 2 (August). 10.17510/paradigma.v15i2.1570.