Characterization Review of Related Theories

There are two things to be characterized, physical appearance and personality. A character’s physical appearance can be described directly. While a character’s personality can be conveyed through dialogs or actions. Characterization can be applied into both direct and indirect ways. Each of them serves to show the reader the quality of the character told physically or psychologically. This quality will bring to the reader an image of the character that the author creates. Therefore the reader will have a figure of a character that the author creates and a figure of a character in his mind as to what the author wants. Barnet, Berman, and Burto 71 in their book Literature for Composition state some important factors that must be considered when we want to see the characters involved in the story. Those are what the character says, what the character does, what other characters say about the character, and what others do. What character says can give us a clue how the author describes him, for instance, whether he is a kind or bad person, educated or uneducated person, etc. It is different from what the character does which means by seeing what the character does, we are able to know whether he is from upper or lower class, he is a kind or bad person, etc. While what other characters say about the character is needed to get additional information and clear description about his character in the story. Whereas the action of others may help to indicate what the character could do but he does not do. It is very important to know this character such as lazy, wicked, careless person, etc. According to Murphy 161-173 there are nine methods in which the readers can understand the character. They are: 2.1.3.1 Personal Description The author describes the character by a person’s appearance and clothes. Most of the time the way a person appears determines his character. Readers can recognize whether he is neat or sluggish, an executive or beggar, even when he is confident or feel inferior. 2.1.3.2 Character as seen by others The author describes the character of the person through the other’s eyes and opinion. Here the opinion may come from people around the person about his personality and daily life which can also determine his characteristics. 2.1.3.3 Speech The character is described by the author through what the person says in his or her conversation and in giving his opinion. What the person speaks is the clue of his character. 2.1.3.4 Past Life The author shows the person’s past life events that help the person in shaping his character. It is because some unforgettable moments in past life can cause some effects to the person’s future life even may change his character. 2.1.3.5 Conversation of others The character is also described by the author through other people’s conversation and the things they say about him. What other people say and the things they say often describe the character of the person they talk about. 2.1.3.6 Reactions The author also describes the character through the person’s reactions to various situations and events. Here readers can get a clue whether the person is temperamental or patient, or whether he is a smart or slow thinker. 2.1.3.7 Direct Comment The author describes the character by giving direct comment on the person’s character. However, the author will not give a lot of direct comment other wise the novel will be boring and not interesting to read. 2.1.3.8 Thoughts The author directly gives what the person is thinking about to give a clue to the reader about the person’s character. 2.1.3.9 Mannerism It is the way how an author described the character through the person’s mannerism or habit which may tell the reader something about the character. An author does not employ only one of the methods; rather he or she mixes one with the other methods in order to describe the characters’ traits. Therefore the reader will consider the characters that are described by the author as real people. This knowledge of methods of characterization may help the readers to understand the characters. Moreover, by knowing the methods the readers can hopefully appreciate the literary work especially a novel Murphy 173.

2.1.4 Motivation

There are many terms or definitions of motivation given by psychologists. Some of them state that motivation is a calculated process involving reason, whereas others convey as an attitude. Beck explains that motivation is a factor that causes a person to do something continually toward the goal to achieve. “Motivation is broadly concerned with the temporary determinants of choice direction, persistence, and