Theory of Critical Approaches

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1. Theory of Critical Approaches

A standard preference which is called critical approaches is crucial in analyzing a literary work, since individual prejudice will naturally lead to be subjective. An approach will guide us to understand the nature, function and the possible value of literary work. According to Rohrberger and Woods 13-17 in Reading and Writing about Literature, there are five critical approaches which can be implemented in analyzing a literary work. The first is formalist approach that emphasizes the derivation of meaning from the structure and the consideration of technique towards the structure for the sake of the integrity. Therefore, this approach is said to be concentrated on esthetic value. The second is biographical approach that considers the author’s personality development and life as a guidance to understand his or her literary work. It is correlated with a belief that the author’s ideas and personality might be reflected into his work of art. The third is sociocultural-historical approach that is used to analyze the literary works by referring to the social, cultural, and historical environment in the literary work. Mythopoeic approach, as the fourth approach uses a particular recurrent pattern of human thoughts such as myths and folk rites in order to understand the literary works. It also concerns with the concept of death and rebirth, guilt, and sacrifices, primitive rites and theological aspect of Christian doctrine. The last one is psychological approach that applies psychology to explain human motivation, personality and behavior patterns written in literary objects in 11 analyzing the literary works 13-17. From those approaches, the psychological approach is chosen and implemented in analyzing Anne’s motivation in giving responses to the conflicts taking place during her hiding. I choose this approach because this study deals with Anne Frank’s motivation and personality. Therefore, psychological approach is the most suitable approach to be implemented in this study. Using this approach enables me to have better understanding the main character behavior. Psychological approach also helps me to dig out some psychological characteristics influenced by the moral values in the main character. According to Lester D. Crow and Alice Crow in Reading In General Psychology 228-231, psychology is often said as the study of human behavior and the progress of man’s self development. Human behavior and development are influenced by the environment and the potential that man have. That is why psychology can be said as the study of personality. In this book, the most famous work of personality is Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality. As the first psychoanalyst he states three elements, namely the id, the ego, and the superego, can affect human personality. Those three elements have their own function. The first component is the id. The id is that aspect of self that encourages the fulfillment of personal needs and urges, possibly through personally and socially harmful behavior 229. This component is the only one component that every human has since he or she is born. The second is the ego. The ego represents conscious states and acts 229. Human will have this ego if they are able to develop their id first. Id gives some impulses to ego so that a human being 12 can act appropriately in society. This component deals with the reality. The third is the superego. The superego was one of personality trait that controls participation in selfish or self-centered activities 229. As the last component of personality, superego holds very important part. This component of personality provides human being to be able to make judgment, build a sense of right or wrong. Since the id gives impulses to the ego then the superego acts what the ego has decided to act.

2. Theory of Character