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to Reading and Writing that literature refers to compositions and tell stories
dramatize situations, express emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas.
From all the literary genres that have been mentioned, novel is the most recent to be included into the genre. Although novel is the newest genre in literature,
the popularity of novel as literary work is massive and widely known by many people. In short, novel becomes the most common literary work that introduces
people toward literature.
Wellek and Warren in The Theory of Literature 1956: 282 define the novel as a picture of real life manners of time in which it is written. It means everything
that is described in a novel that is written by their authors based on the true story or on the experience of his or her life. The story a novel, even though it is fiction can be
true in real life. The story about social phenomena and daily issues that the novel represents is closely related with human’s life Klarer1994: 11.
2.1.1 Intrinsic Elements of the Novel
Intrinsic element is the elements that come from the literary work and affect the existence of it. In short, intrinsic elements build up the literary work. The elements
that compose the intrinsic of the novel are:
a. Character
Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms 1999: 190-191 says that Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative
work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the
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persons say and their distinctive ways of saying ways of saying it dialogue and from what they do the action. The grounds in the characters
temperament, desires, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called
their motivation.
From the explanation, it can be understood whether the existence of character in literary work is very decisive because character is the doer in
literary work. Things that they do and things that happen to them are the focus of how the story will develop and affect other intrinsic elements.
b. Theme
Theme is an element of a story that binds together various other essential elements of a narrative. Theme gives readers better understanding of
the main character’s conflicts, experiences, discoveries and emotions. Through themes, a writer tries to give his readers an insight into how the
world works or how he or she reflects human life.
c. Plot
Plot is an ordered, organized sequence of events and action. Plot in this sense is found in novels rather than in ordinary life, life has story but
novels have a plots and stories. As E.M. Forster explains it, a story is a narrative of events that arrange in their time sequence, whereas a plot is a
narrative of events with the emphasis falling on causality. Not all commentators would agree that causality is a distinguishing feature, but they
would agree that there is a necessary distinction to be made between the incident which is told in a novel in their chronological order and actual
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narrating of these events in perhaps quite a different order in the novel Hawthorn 2001: 96.
Plot is the movement of the story. It determines the progression of event. By analyzing the plot, the reader can get better understanding about
what will happen in the next sequence.
According to Mario Klarer 1998:15 plot is the logical interaction of various thematic elements of a text that lead to change of the original
situation as presented at the outset of narrative. An ideal traditional plot line encompasses the following four sequential levels: Exposition - conflict –
climax - resolution
1 Exposition
Exposition is the phase of events in fiction or drama in some situations that introduces the characters or the background story. Introducing
from this figure are, origin, physical characteristics, and nature. Siswanto 2008: 159. Exposition is the opening of the story that sets a scene and
introduces the main character, situation, events existing before an action is prepared to begin a story. It also provides other background information that
the reader needs in order to understand and to follow the events.
2 Conflict
Conflict is the tension in the story. Conflict always happen when there are two competing interests. This conflict can occur in one figure
inner-conflict or between the two figures such as between figures with the public or between figures with environment, between the character and nature
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figures, and between people and gods. Siswanto 2008: 159. Conflict is the essence of fiction and it creates plot.
According to Klarer 1994, there are four kinds of conflict that could be found in the story of the novel. They are:
2.1 Man versus Man Conflict that pits one person against another In this case, one person faces the problem with the others which
causes a conflict. In here, there are contradictions to get something from the quarreled thing.
2.2 Man versus Nature A run-in with the forces of nature This conflict expresses the insignificance of a single human life in the
cosmic scheme of nature. On the other hand, it tests the limits of a person’s strength and his willing to live by fighting against his destiny.
2.3 Man versus Society The values and customs where everyone else lives are being
challenged by the main character. The character may come to situation where he is contrast with his society as the result of his own convictions. The
character may bring others around to a sympathetic point of view toward him, or it may be decided that society was right after all.
2.4 Man versus Self Internal conflict Not all conflict involves other people. Sometimes people are dealing
with their self which causes internal conflict. Human is separated between two choices that make them quarreled with their self. The internal conflict is
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representation of characters’ inner-strength from their way in dealing with their self.
3 Climax
Climax is the point of the greatest tension in a work of literature and the turning point in the action. In a plot line, the climax occurs after the rising
action and before the falling action. A climax is the highest point in an ascending series of incidents in fiction. A climax will exist if there is a
conflict. It is a point, at which the fortune of the protagonist undergoes a change influencing his heart or mind Siswanto 2008: 159. Climax according
to Stanton 1965: 16 is a conflict which has reached the high intensity, when the thing is something unavoidable. It means that based on the claim and
logical story, the event should accord climax completely and determine the development of the story. Climax is the point between two or more opposite
situation and. It considers how the problem will be resolved. In climax there are turning points that determine the end of the story. The climax is the result
of the crisis. It is the highest point of the story for the reader. It is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion. The point at which the outcome
of the conflict can be predicted.
4. Resolution
A resolution is the last event in a novel or the outcome of a conflict. The main character has finished solving his problem and the result is in a
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happy or sad ending. Resolution refers to stage where the crisis or conflict is resolved.
d. Point of View