Theoretical Framework THEORETICAL REVIEW

23 The theory of post colonialism and racial discrimination are used to identify how the post colonialism, racial discrimination and Marxism influence the main character’s personality development. Katresnanism theory is used to see the positive thinking of the main character when being alienated due to the socio cultural diversity. Theory of psychology is used to recognize the changes of the major character’s personality. Marxism approach is used to analyze how the class conflict constructs alienation toward Antoinette that finally influences her personality changing. 24

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the method of the study. There are three parts presented in this chapter. The first part is the subject matter, which deals with novel Wide Sargasso Sea. The second part is the approach used in conducting this study. The last part is the procedure related to the steps of conducting this study.

3.1 Subject Matter

The primary data of this study is Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. This is the Penguin Books edition. This book is published by Penguin Students edition 2001. It consists of 173 pages that are divided into three parts. Wide Sargasso Sea is the story of a woman named Antoinette Mason. The novel tells about her life from a young solitary girl in Jamaica to depraved lunatic in English garret. Antoinette has been discriminated during her lifetime. Antoinette never receives tender felling and affection from her mother. She is however rejected by all the people she allows herself to love, except Christophine. She is rejected by her mother; Antoinette tries to love her but her mother refuses her. Antoinette’s mother only concerns on Pierre especially when she realizes that Pierre’s condition is incurable and then where Pierre die. She is also rejected by her only childhoods friend, Tia who leaves her, steals her dress and later throws a stone at her forehead. She is also rejected by her husband. She loves him, but he neglects her. He lets himself to be persuaded by lies from the surroundings. Finally he makes love with the black servant, Amelie, in the room next to 24 25 Antoinette in order to hurt her. Unfortunately, her husband treats her as a mad woman for he believes what Daniel Cosway says to him about Antoinette’s depravity background and the madness in her family. He brings her to England and locks her in the attic under the watch of a servant. Being rejected and discriminated Antoinette becomes irritable, vulnerable, aggressive, and frenzy.

3.2 Approach of the Study

The approach that is applied in this study is a Marxism approach. This approach is used because Marxist literary theories tend to focus on the representation of class conflict and racial discrimination as well as the reinforcement of class distinctions though the medium of literature. Like traditional historical and biographical critics, the Marxist is also interested in the sociological context of literature. The Marxist views a literary text as a product of history; certain social and economical factors have influenced the literature and in return these situations are conveyed through the literature. However, the Marxist critic is interested in more than abstracting from literature “themes of interest to the social historian” Eagleton, 1976: 461. Literature does not only reflect this social and economic condition; it is also a part of the entire system of social relationship and modes of production that have emerged throughout history. In his essay Literature and History Terry Eagleton explores how literature is a part of the power structure of history Eagleton, 1976. Marxist criticism is at its best when it exposes the implied, or latent, social implications of a writer’s work Wellek and Warren, 1956:107. It does not only