Revealing the Social Values through Signs in the Novel Paper Towns by John Green

Abstract

This research analyzes about the signs represented social values in the novel Paper Towns.
There are two objectives that become the purpose of this study: 1) to explain the types of
social values in the novel Paper Towns by John Green and 2) to analyze the signs which
reveal the social values in the novel Paper Towns by John Green. The theory used in this
research is the Semiotics approach by using theory of Charles Sanders Peirce, there are
Qualisign, Sinsign and Legisign. The methodology used in this study is descriptive
qualitative research to explain the data, because the data are analyzed in the form of words
and sentences. The data are taken from the sentences and the conversation in the text in the
novel Paper Towns by John Green. The result of the research, the researcher found 4 types
of social values. There are stimulation, hedonism, security, and conformity. The researcher
found signs of words in the novel and analyze the signs using Charles Sanders Peirce's
theory and then the researcher revealed social values through signs based on the types of
social values by Schawartz.