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personality provides a way of organizing the characteristics of people. Both theories of characterization and personality may help in answering the first problem. Then, the
theory of motivation is used to know the things that motivate someone in doing something. It is used to find out John Bristow’s motivation in supporting Lula
Landry’s death investigation as seen in Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling. This theory is used to answer the second problem.
B. Analysis
In this part, the characteristics of John Bristow will be discussed. After that, the motivation of John Bristow in supporting Lula Landry’s death investigation will
be analyzed.
1. John Bristow’s Characteristics as seen in Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s Calling
According to the theories of characterization and personality, the writer can understand the characterization of John Bristow in Robert Galbraith’s The Cuckoo’s
Calling especially the Murphy’s theory of characterization Murphy, 1972, pp. 161- 173.
a Good-Looking According to Murphy’s theory, John Bristow is a good-looking man can be
seen from his personal description. Bristow stood up, impressive for all his rabbit teeth and blotchy skin p. 37. John Bristow is a rabbity face can also be seen from
character as seen as by another.
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Strike spotted his client immediately among the clattering, jabbering dinners, sitting at the table set for four and talking, to Strike’s surprise, to two women
instead of one, both with long, glossy brown hair. Bristow’s rabbity face was full of the desire to please, or perhaps placate p. 182
John Bristow is also a good-looking man from his appearance. John Bristow is a kind of man that pays attention to his appearance. John Bristow looks very
professional and wise in his suit. He also looks very well-educated. It can be seen in statements below.
The prospective client followed Robin into the room. The immediate impression was favorable. The stranger might be distinctly rabbit in
appearance, with a short upper lip that failed to conceal large front teeth; his coloring was sandy, and his eyes, judging by thickness of glasses, myopic; but
his dark gray suit was beautifully tailored, and the shining ice-blue tie, the watch and the shoes all looked expensive.
The snowy smoothness of the stranger’s shirt made Strike doubly conscious of the thousand or so creases in his own clothes. He stood up to give Bristow
the full benefit of his six feet three inches, held out a hairy-backed hand and attempted to counter his visitor’s sartorial superiority by projecting the air of a
man too busy to worry about laundry pp. 25-26
Referring to Murphy’s theories John Bristow is a good-looking man can be known from character as seen as by another. John Bristow can be said as a good-looking man
from his appearance and style. It is proved by Mr. Strike that John Bristow has a style when Mr. Strike compares his clothes to John Bristow which is neat and cool. The
prospective client seemed nervous in the guilty way that Strike had come to associate with suspicious husbands, yet a faint air of authority clung to him, conveyed mainly
by the obvious expense of his suit pp. 26-27. From the statement above, it can be seen that John Bristow pays attention to
his appearance. John Bristow is a man that gives an attention to his style can be
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known from Mr. Strike’s opinion about the price of John Bristow’s suit by his look. Mr. Strike easily judges John Bristow suit by the way John Bristow stands in front of
him. It is obvious that John Bristow tries to make his appearance become ideal and professional. It makes him look nice with his rabbity face.
b Cruel In the beginning of the novel it is showed that John Bristow is a kind person.
John Bristow loves his mother and he will do anything to keep his mother safe and sound. It is proved when John Bristow cancels the meeting with Mr. Strike because
his mother’s condition. It can be seen in statements below. I got your message yesterday, but Mum’s in a bad way and we haven’t got a
nurse for this afternoon. Alison’s going to come over and keep me company. I could meet you tomorrow, in my lunch hour, if you’re free? Have there been
any developments?” he added hopefully p. 228
It is obvious that John Bristow really loves his mother. He tries to change the schedule to meet Mr. Strike in order to protect his mother. John Bristow’s love for his
mother is also showed up when John Bristow wants to stop the reinvestigation of Lula Landry because his mother condition. John Bristow feels bad when he knows his
decision to reinvestigate his sister’s death influences his mother’s health. John Bristow says abruptly that he has had enough. I’m terminating this investigation. You
can keep all the money I’ve given you. I’ve got to think of my mother p. 544. Referring to Murphy’s Theory, John Bristow is a kind person from his speech and
from what John Bristow says when John Bristow is in conversation with Mr. Strike.
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John Bristow loves his mother and also loves his sister. Actually John Bristow and Lula Landry are not sibling but they grow up together as brother and sister. John
Bristow feels very sad when he knows that Lula Landry falls from her balcony into her death. John Bristow is also sad because his sister’s death assumes as a suicide.
John Bristow does not believe that his sister can do suicide. After three months, John Bristow looks for a private detective to reinvestigate his sister’s death. He believes
that Lula Landry was killed by someone. It is proved in John Bristow’s statement. They say my sister killed herself. I don’t believe it p. 32. Referring to Murphy’s
theory, John Bristow is a kind person from his speech and his reactions. John Bristow is a kind person is described very clear in the beginning
However, John Bristow actually is a cruel person and John Bristow is someone that will do anything to get everything even he has to kill his own family. It is uncovered
in the end of the novel that Mr. Strike states that John Bristow is the murderer of Lula Landry.
Referring to Murphy’s theory, John Bristow is considered as a cruel person from his past life. John Bristow is an orphan that has adopted by Mr. and Mrs.
Bristow. John Bristow lives together with his adopted rich parents. John Bristow thinks that he will get a comfortable life with his new family. However, his dream
about a comfort life is just a dream because his parents have adopted two sons, John and Charlie Bristow. After that John Bristow realizes that his parents love his brother
more than him. It makes John Bristow get lonely and jealous. John Bristow wants his parents’ attention and love, which is why John Bristow dares to do a cruel thing.
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John Bristow is a cruel person because John Bristow dares to kill people. John Bristow kills his brother, sister and also his sister’s friend in order to satisfy his
desire. When John Bristow was 11 years old, John Bristow kills his little brother Charlie Bristow. John Bristow kills Charlie Bristow by pushing him into a quarry.
John Bristow kills Charlie Bristow because he wants to be the only son in Bristow’s family and gets all the attention and love from his parents. It can be seen in
statements below. Tony knows you did it, doesn’t he? All that bullshit about the hard, cruel
things he said after Charlie died. Tony was there; he saw you cycling away from the place where you’d pushed Charlie over. Did you dare him to ride
close to the edge? I knew Charlie; he couldn’t resist a dare. Tony saw Charlie dead at the bottom of that quarry p. 555
John Bristow feels happy because he can be the only son in Bristow’s family. However, John Bristow’s happiness changes into his sadness. After Charlie Bristow’s
death, Bristow’s family adopts a new child named Lula Landry. Sir Alec Bristow adopts Lula Landry because Lady Yvette is deeply sad after losing her son and he
knows that his wife wants to have a daughter. Lula Landry’s appearance in Bristow’s family makes a new life for Sir Alec Bristow and Lady Yvette. However, the
happiness in Bristow’s family is the sadness for John Bristow. John Bristow hates Lula Landry, but he keeps his disappointment and grows up together with Lula
Landry. Lula Landry becomes a famous supermodel while John Bristow works as a
lawyer. One day, John Bristow asks Lula Landry to give her money but she refuses John Bristow’s wishes and John Bristow gets angry because of it. John Bristow’s
