He states that the setting where Empress Cixi- known as Orchid or Lady Yehonala-lives changes her character and mostly happens in the Forbidden City
Kristanto, 2014:3. The changes are supported by Richard Gill who said, “We can conclude that the setting of place and time can change the character of
someone. The landscape in the short story reflects the character feels about the other character” 1995:152.
The theory that Kristianto used to analyze the novel was the theory of character and characterization by Murphy, the character of setting, and the setting
that influence the character. The theory of Murphy was used to analyze the Orchid’s transformed character, the theory of setting to analyze the setting of The
Forbidden City Kristanto, 2014: 11. Those studies are very helpful to analyze the topic in this thesis. Both of
them used the same novel, Empress Orchid. The first study discussed the main character development and struggles as a reflection of early feminist in China. The
second study focused on the influence of setting on the main character changes. In this thesis, the writer analyzes the same novel but has different topic. The writer
tries to analyze the motive of Orchid to become a concubine through the characterization. Primarily, this study examines the reason behind her motive
becomes the concubine rather than a worker in the village to reach her achievements. The writer also applied the theory of character and characterization
by Murphy to analyze the characteristics of the main character described.
B. Review of Related Theories 1. Theory of Character and Characterization
It is important for the reader to understand the content of the story. That is the character’s job to make the reader understand. Murphy’s 1972:161-173
explains that there are nine ways to understand the characters and personalities of the people in the novel. In this study, the writer will use six ways to analyze the
character. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, thoughts, reaction, and the last is mannerism.
The first is personal description. It can be seen when the author describe the character’s appearance. Such as the skin, how they dressed, the kind of clothes
that they wear, how they rolled their hair, the face, the gesture, and so on that show external appearance of the character. The characteristics can be seen from
the description of the external appearance. The second way is other’s opinions about the character. The author may
describe the character and its personality from the opinion of the other character, I mean the people around. How they describe the character, what they say about the
character, whatever it is that come out from others’ talking. Such as “Orchid needs decent cl
othes”, Uncle said to my mother p.20. From the statement of other character, one example is that the main character may dressed look like a beggar
so she need the decent cloth. The third is speech. The characteristics of the character can be seen from
the conversation of the main character and minor character. Anything that come out from the conversation whether it is opinion or judgement.
The fourth is the past life of the character. The author let the reader to learn something about the character’s past life to see how the character’s
characteristics are shaped. It can be seen through the narrator or conversation. The fifth is thoughts. In a novel there must be a part when the characters
talk to inner monologues, then the personalities can be seen in what they are thinking about.
The sixth way is the reaction of the character. It can be seen on how the character reacts to some situations or events. Also, on how they face the problem
or find the solutions of their problem. The last one is mannerism. The manner or the habits of the character must
be showed the personalities of the character. The personalities can be described by how the character treats other people, their daily behavior, are they have moral or
not. In literary work, character has important role. Actor and actress are the
character in the novel. They are the teller and the actor that reveals the novel through their speech or action. Abrams and Harpham said that:
Character are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as possessing particular moral, intellectual,
and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons say and their distinctive ways of saying it-the dialogue-and from what they do-the
action 2009:42.
Robert Stanton describes that character is classified into two different types. The first type is major character. It is a character that may dominate the
whole story. The second type is minor character, it is presented in order to explain and help the other character, especially the major character 1965: 17-18
