CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A. Character
Character is an important element in building a story. Character is someone who acts, appears, or is referred to as playing a part in a literary
work.
6
Without the character there will be not plot and no story. Terminologically, the main character of man is called by “hero” whereas the
main character of woman is called by “heroine”. Heroes and heroines are usually larger than life, stronger or better than most human beings, almost
godlike. many of common human.
7
In fiction, character divided into several types:
a. Major and Minor Character
Major character or central character or main character is a figure that has an important role, very dominant, and almost appears in every situation in the
story. Whereas Minor character is a figure that just appears once and just have fewer roles in a story. Minor character is less dominant. Usually minor
character called by support roles.
8
b. Protagonist and Antagonist Character
A figure or protagonist character has important role in a story. Protagonist character is a figure that always gets problems from antagonist character.
6
Jerome Beaty and Alison Booth, The Introduction to Literature Eight Edition, New York: W.W.Norton Company, 2002, p. 102
7
Ibid
8
James H. Pickering, Concise Companion to Literature, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc, 1981,p.24
Whereas antagonist character is a figure that always gives problems to protagonist character. The antagonist character not only concrete like human,
but also like animals, world, destiny, situation or the other things that abstract that be mixed up in conflict by the protagonist character. The antagonist can be
somewhat more difficult to identify, especially if he is not a human being.
9
c. Flat and Round Character
Flat character is a figure that sees just from one side. Flat characters are those who embody or represent a single characteristic, trait, or idea, or at most
a very limited number of such qualities.
10
Whereas Round character is a figure that sees from various directions, described as detail. Round character is just
the opposite. The embody a number of qualities and traits and are complex multidimensional characters of considerable intellectual and emotional depth
who have capacity to grow and change.
11
d. Static and Dynamic Character
Based on the development of characters, characters are divided into two kinds, static character and dynamic character. Static character is a character
that has the stable of behavior and not going change into story. Whereas dynamic character going change to the personality development.
12
9
Ibid., p. 25
10
Ibid
11
Ibid., p.26
12
Ibid
B. Characterization
Characterization is different with the character. If character is every individual or a figure in a story, characterization itself is the way of the author
show or describes figures through several images like dialogues, acts, behavior, etc. Characterization is the use of literary techniques to reveal the nature of a
character.
13
There are two ways or methods that used by author to provide and consider the character. The first, direct method is the method where the writer
tells directly about character in according with explicit even the writer help the comprehension of reader about characterization through the commentaries. In
the other hand this method is explanation by the author directly. The character is presented by the author to the reader directly, but simply and with a
description of selfhood. This may be the attitude, character, behavior or even physical characteristic.
14
The second method is indirect method. In this method the writer does not explicitly describe the attitude and the character. The author allowed the
character to show their own selfhood through the various activities undertaken, either through verbal words or non verbal actions or behavior, and also
through the events that happened. In presenting and establishing character, an author has two basic methods or techniques at his disposal. One method is
telling, which relies on exposition and direct commentary by the author. In
13
Jerome Beaty and Alison Booth, The Introduction to Literature Eight Edition, New York: W.W.Norton Company, 2002, p.106
14
Pickering, op.cit., p.27
telling a method preferred and practiced by many older fiction writers- the guiding hand of the author is very much in evidence. We learn and look only at
what the author calls to our attention. The other method is the indirect, d
ramatic method of showing, which involves the author‟s stepping aside, as it were, to allow the characters to reveal themselves dfirectly through their
dialogue and their actions.
15
C. Feminism
Feminism is a movement for social, cultural, political, and economic
equality of men and women.
16
It is a campaign against gender inequalities and it strives for equal rights for women. Feminism can also be defined as the right
to get enough information available to every single woman so that she can make a choice to live, a life which is not discriminatory and which works
within the principles of social, cultural, political and economic equality and independence.
There are some opinions about the appearance of feminism in America. The first opinion is related with political aspect. When American people
announced their independence in 1776, the declaration independence of America writes all men are created equal without women. Feminist political
activists think that American government not considered the existence of women. Therefore, the feminists try to make clear that statement in Seneca
Falls convention in 1848, and it becomes the beginning of the appearance of women movement called
women’s great rebellion. Feminist political activists
15
Ibid.,p.27
16
Sanjay Kali. “
Definition of Feminism.” http:EzineArticles.com. Accessed on November 17, 2008.
publish the other version of the independence of America‟s declaration that “all men and women are created equal”. The second opinion suggests that the
religion aspect underlying arise the feminism movement in America. Depend on this opinion; the church has the responsibility about the inferiority of
women position, because the protestant and catholic put the women in the lower position than men position.
17
The next opinion that influences the feminism ideology is socialism concept and Marxism concept. Depend on the feminist political activists from
America; the woman is a class in society who always get the bad treatment from the man. The other side from the woman argument who have the same
time with Marx‟s opinion is that American woman, as class that have the bad treatment in capitalism society, have not economic values, think of their works
as manager of household that have not the values and can not compared with the man occupation that produced the money.
18
The feminists try to change images of women who are subordinant, powerless, domestic, and so on. According to Ellmann, literature commonly
describes women as formlessness, passivity, instability hysteria, confinement narrowness, practicality, piety, materiality, spirituality, irrationality,
compliancy, and incorrigibility.
19
So, feminists struggle to have equal right between men and women in every aspect and remove the domination of men.
The feminists want to refuse the assumption of patriarchal system that put
17
Soenarjati Djajanegara, Kritik Sastra Feminis Sebuah Pengantar, Jakarta: PT Gramedia Pustaska Utama, 2003, pp.1-2
18
Ibid., pp.2-3
19
Josephine Donovan, Feminist Literary Criticism Exploration in Theory, Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1975, p.3
Kategori