Representasi Parentifikasi dan Mitos Anak Berbakti dalam Film Home Sweet Loan

Abstrak

Parentification occurs when children take on responsibilities that should be carried out by parents. In Indonesian culture, this situation is often connected to filial piety, which can make children’s sacrifices seem normal and expected. This study examines how parentification is represented in the film Home Sweet Loan and how the myth of filial piety is constructed through this representation. The study uses a qualitative approach with Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis, focusing on three levels of meaning: denotation, connotation, and myth. The data consist of scenes, dialogues, character expressions, and visual elements that show role reversal between children and parents. The analysis focuses on instrumental and emotional parentification. The findings show that Kaluna experiences parentification through domestic, financial, and emotional responsibilities repeatedly placed on her. At the level of myth, filial piety makes these sacrifices appear as expressions of love, responsibility, and a child’s moral obligation toward the family. However, the film also questions this idea through Kaluna’s conflicts and resistance to these demands. Therefore, Home Sweet Loan not only represents parentification within the family but also criticizes the boundary between family obligations and a child’s personal rights.