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4.1.2 Personal Traits
The other characteristic of Dawan is also described through her personal traits. To analyse Dawan personal description, the theory of character by Blair and
theory of characterization by Staton and Murphy are applied.
4.1.2.1 Loves Nature
From the beginning, Dawan is described as a young girl who loves nature. Murphy 1972 states the characters of a person in the novel can be seen through
his or her reaction to various situations and events. It gives the researcher a clue about the characterization of Dawan. Through her reaction about how she sees,
feels and thinks when she is playing around, it seems that she loves nature around her village.
The story starts with the beautiful description of nature where there is a girl who wakes up early and begins to enjoy the dawn before anyone else awake.
She listens to the morning noise by other leaving things around. Slowly, she closed her eyes again, and listens to the morning noises flow
about her. The pulsing croaks of the bullfrogs had died down now, and given place to the fragile first cries of small sparrows. The breezes of the
dawn sifting through the countryside, brushed against the wooden shutters of the windows, making them creak gently. Dawan liked this part of the day
best of all, when she waves of after-night twined so gently around the slow swirls of before-dawn p. 6.
Dawan hears the crowing of a rooster from the distance as a sign that it is now officially morning. Not wanting to wake up anyone else, she moves slowly
from her mosquito net and walks carefully to the outside of the house. Then she finds her brother, Kwai already awake since dawn. Dawan knows that this
morning is a special morning for them both. Together they tiptoe to the wooden
29 platform outside and scamper down the ladder to the cool ground p. 7. Joyfully,
Dawan feels the fresh, cool and young morning by stretching her body upwards, up to grasp a wisp of air, and almost burst out laughing. Then, she sees Kwai
racing past her down the small path to the river. She darted off after him, weaving her way quickly between the tall leafy
trees. The mud oozed through her toes as she ran, and sometimes cool puddle-water splashed up and streaked her bare legs. Shaking the long black
hair out of her eyes, she would reach up and grab handfuls of wet leaves, gleefully scattering dewdrops and rainwater everywhere p. 7.
Dawan and her brother then go to the old bridge, a place where they often spent their times playing and sharing their peaceful feeling to the things around.
For a long while neither of them spoke, but set together in easy companionship, watching the sunglow creep over the awakening world. A
coy breeze played with the drowsy countryside, tickling the long blades of the paddy-fields, flirting with the loose strands of her hair, wrinkling the
translucent skin of the river wither. Dawan felt the deep joy of a new day radiate forth from within her p. 9.
Both Dawan and her brother enjoy the morning by sitting on the edge of the old bridge, looking around, and then Dawan begins to sing her own song. The
song which is made by herself gradually and unconsciously – that it has always
seems to her that she is born knowing it p. 9. Misty morning
mist is lifting, melody of trees
slowly sifting through the gold-green branches
Dappled morning sun is flying,
breaths of breezes rising, dying,
brushing over the earth’s brown skin.
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