ABSTRACT
This final project is an analysis about religious fanaticism reflected in Carrie, a novel written by Stephen King. The background of this study because of the phenomenon of religious fanaticism happens in the society lately that raises misconceptions between the society and religious people. The goals of this study are to tell how religious fanatics are described in the story and to identify American view about religious fanaticism in the story.
The writer uses qualitative data analysis in which data are compiled in the forms of words, phrases, sentences, and dialogues. The data are collected by reading the novel thoroughly. The Data are analyzed by using sociological approach in literature.
From this study, it can be concluded that the horrific tragedy portrays in the novel, which is motivated by religious fanaticism background, puts religion as a negative thing. The excessive behavior of the fanatics then considered as contradictory with the citizen‘s desire because fanatics add new rules that are usually different from society‘s convention. That behavior also diverges them from the existing dogma and makes them shut off from the reality. Later, it raises tension between the fanatics and the society. The society punishes the fanatics by exiling them from their surrounding. It seems that this novel is meant to make the people to be careful to the fanatics by avoiding the group or condemning them. This attitude leads the readers to believe that religious fanaticism only brings
negative impacts and therefore implicitly urges people not to be religious fanatics. In short, the society judges the fanatics as a group of people who exaggerate their religious acts without giving any solutions on how the religious message should be done.
It is expected that this study will give contribution to the readers, especially to enrich English Department students‘ knowledge about literature and social issues.
Keywords: Religious, Fanaticism, Modern era.
