Object of the Study

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CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

In this part of the study, the answers to the problem formulation are explained. This chapter is divided into three subchapters respectively. The first subchapter elaborates the description of Gauri’s character. This subchapter mostly consists of the character’s life timeline, which includes the characteristics of the Gauri and Gauri’s perspective towards the things happened in her life. Gauri’s perspective can be seen in the contexts she is in, which will then reveal Gauri’s thought and reaction to mold the concept of motherhood. Understanding these help draw Gauri and other character’s reaction towards Indian traditional feminine roles that are mainly shaped by Indian patriarchal system. The next subchapter deals with the concept of motherhood in the Indian traditional feminine roles that revealed in Gauri’s life. The subchapter elaborates the concept of motherhood as constructed in Indian society, which is seen through the thoughts and attitudes of people of both gender male and female. The changing of the perspective of herself and the can be used to reveal the act of redefining the concept of motherhood in Indian society in the last subchapter.

A. Gauri’s Characteristics

The descriptions of Gauri’s characteristics are elaborated using Roberts and Jacobs theory. According to Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, a character can be disclosed by considering PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI the following factors: what the character says and thinks, what the character does, what other characters say about himher, and what the author says about himher 1989: 147, 148. Also from Holman and Harmon’s book, A Handbook to Literature, there are three fundamental elements for a writer to deliver the character. The first one is the author will explicitly describe the character through the direct exposition. It can also be explained by the action that the author illustrates through the story. The second one will be from the actions of the character by explaining the comment from the author, so the reader can easily guess the character. The third one means that the character is clearly stated from the impact of the action that they do and the inner self of the character itself 1972: 95. To know how is the perspective of society toward this character, Gauri, I use some characters that can describe the behavior or the attitude of the society. It can be seen from the conversation or the action from the characters as stated in the theory of characterization. There are some characters that are extracted from the story. Some of them are major and minor characters. The characters that are analyzed are Gauri, Udayan, Subhash, Bijoli Mitra and also from Bela. Here the character will be disclosed by applying the theory using the quotations from the novel as the main source of data. The characters for the analysis are picked on the grounds that all the characters are grown-ups, which make it simpler to talk about their activities regarding organization and obligation. To describe Gauri’s characteristics, the life timeline of Gauri is elaborated. This timeline will explain the contexts and events, in which the character is in her PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI adulthood when she was still single, married first marriage, widowed, remarried second marriage and separated divorced.

1. Single

Gauri was born in 1948. She was a girl from North Calcutta, Cornwallis Street, whose parents were dead and who lived with her only brother Manash. Gauri and Manash were sent away by their families to their grandparents when they were still kids. She felt detached for her parents because she did not have any memory to be in a family. She felt estranged from most of her family. She told the story about her estrangement to her own family to Udayan. There had always been the option to return to her parents’ village. But though she visited, taking train to see them for holidays, rural life held no appeal for her. She didn’t think she resented her parents for not raising her. It was the way of many large families, and considering the circumstances, it was not so strange. Really, she appreciated them for letting her go her own way Lahiri, 2013: 57. Udayan reacted to her story by saying that it was a gift for her, her autonomy. Gauri’s brother, Manash, was two years older than her. Manash had befriended Udayan at Calcutta University, where they were both graduate students in the Physics Department Lahiri, 2013: 51-56. Udayan met Gauri when he was doing a degree in Philosophy at Presidency. She learnt western philosophy but she loved her country so much and wants to teach philosophy at a college or a school Lahiri, 2013: 54. Udayan was fascinated by Gauri’s personality and her interest. Gauri was born into middle class society. She loved books, contemplating and Philosophy. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI