Understanding Theme and Rheme of Babu Solong (A Traditional Folktale fromMamasa, West Sulawesi)

Abstract

Language was not fully transferred directly. Sometimes people used media to deliver their messages. One of the media that was widely used was stories. Traditional stories used theme and rheme in delivering the message and with their unique ways prompt a language that occasionally turns into values that can change children’s behavior. And it is assumed that stories are still an effective media both in teaching or in administering good values in our community folktale is one of cultural heritage that should be preserved. It has been told passed down verbally fromgeneration to generation. This study focused on the aspect of discourse used in a traditional folktale. The aspects that will be given underlined are theme and rheme. By analyzing the transcript of Babu Solong story a traditional folktale from Mamasa, West Sulawesi, there is some evidence that will give new information. The research used a qualitative descriptive study. The result of the study shows that this folktale used four kinds of theme and rheme patterns. They are: zig-zag pattern, reiteration pattern, combine theme pattern, and hierarchical pattern. Fromthe four patterns, the story mostly used hierarchical patterns. It is because each theme and rheme introduce several different pieces of information, then each is taken and the next clause is made. Another result fromthis study is the cultural aspects that immerse in the story. From this cultural aspect, readers will find some evidence that proved the folktale will absorb the culture of how the story told by the storyteller.