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stepmother has died. The father has spent all his days lamenting the loss o his children, and is delighted to see them safe and sound. With the witch’s wealth,
they all live happily ever after.
B. The Characteristics of Hansel and Gretel
The writer examines Hansel and Gretel as the main character in the tale of Hansel and Gretel written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The author
describes Hansel and Gretel’s actions and attitude as a central figure in the story as protagonist. In this chapter, the writer analyzes Hansel and Gretel through
several aspects by using clues tha t can be found from each character’s narration in
the tale. The following are the characteristics of Hansel and Gretel:
B.1. The Characteristics of Hansel:
1. Smart
The author introduces in the first paragraph that Hansel and Gretel are children who has a father and a step mother who works as poor woodcutter. When
a great famine came to their land, they could no longer provide even daily bread as their food. One evening, their stepmother said to his husband that they must
leave Hansel and Gretel in the wood. Hence, they can free from suffer. First, the father refuses what his wife said to him, but he didn’t dare. However, he agreed it
with pressure. In the meantime, Hansel and Gretel hear what they said. Gretel becomes sad to Hansel. But Hansel tries to make the situation calm. He convinces
her that he has a way to solve the problem. Then, he tries to sneak out to the front
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door, collects shinny pebbles and puts them to his pocket to make them back home from the jungle. The sentence below shows that Hansel is a smart.
“…and as soon as the adults had fallen asleep, he got up, pulled on his jacket, opened the lower door, and crept outside. The moon
was shining brightly, and the white pebbles in front of the house were glistening like silver coins. Hansel bent over and filled his
jacket pocket with them, as many as would fit…” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 8
“They followed the pebbles that glistened there like newly minted coins, showing them way.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 25
This happened twice, when Hansel and Gretel back home. The next day, his stepmother tries to leave them again in the woods. But, Hansel has an idea.
Then, he drops his bread throughout the woods to make a way to go home. “on the way to the woods, Hansel crumbled his piece in his pocket,
then often stood still, and threw crumbs onto the ground…little Hansel dropped all the crumbs onto the path...” Jacob and
Wilhelm 1857, 33
This also happened when Hansel and Gretel are caught by the witch. But, the witch only took Hansel to the stall. And let Gretel to serve her. The witches
gave him a good meal, to make Hansel fattened up be eaten. Every morning, the witches comes to the stall and asks him about his condition, make sure Hansel is
fat or yet. If he is fat, the itches already to eat him. Hansel knows that the witch has bad eyes so he lies to her that he is still thin.
“Every morning the old woman crept out to the stall and shouted,” Hansel, stick out your finger, so I can feel if you are fat yet.”…But
Hansel stuck out a little bone, and the old woman, who had bad eyes and couldn‟t see the bone, thought it was Hansel‟s finger, and
she wondered why he didn‟t get fat.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 66
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2. Wise
Hansel is wise person as a young boy, especially to his little sister, Gretel. When they hear that their father and stepmother will leave them in the woods,
Gretel begins crying. As an elder brother, he tries to comfort her with pleasure. This can be shown below this sentence
“..When they finally awoke, it was dark at night. Gretel began to cry and said. “How will we get out of woods?”…Hansel comforted
her, “wait a little until the moon comes up, and then we‟ll find the way.”Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 22
This also happened twice again. When they succeed to back home, their parents tries to leave them again in the deeper woods. Gretel begins crying, so
Hansel tries to entertain her again. “…he comforted his little sister and said. “Don‟t cry, Gretel. Sleep
well. God will help us.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 31 “…and finally they saw the father‟s house in the distances. They
began to run, rushed inside, and threw their arms around the father‟s neck…Gretel shook out her apron, scattering pearls and
precious stones around the room, and Hansel added to them by throwing one han
dful after the other from his pockets…and they lived happily together...” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 84
3. Responsible
Hansel also responsible person. He never leaves his little sister alone in the woods; he keeps and takes care always to her. This can be seen below this
sentence. “Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire. When midday came each one
ate his little piece of bread...” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 20
“…after the full moon had come up, Hansel took his little sister by the hand.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 23
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4. Never give up and brave
Hansel is described as a brave person and never gives up. He always optimist that he can solve the problem. He always tries to find a way to go home
with Gretel. He starts and starts again, never give up for few days until finding a little house was built entirely from the bread with a roof made of cake, and the
windows are made of velar sugar. The sentence below shows that Hansel is a brave person and never gives up.
“..We will find our way...” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 45 “They walked through the entire night and the next day from
morning until evening, but they did not find their way out of the woods” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 45
“They started again, but managed only to go deeper and deeper into the woods
” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 47 5.
Survivor Hansel is survivor. For a few days, he and his little sister, Gretel walk on
in the woods. When they are hungry, they eat berries that are growing on the ground. This can be seen below this sentence.
“They were terrible hungry, for they had eaten only a few small berries that were growing o the ground. And because they were so
tired that their legs would no longer carry them, they lay down
under a tree and fell asleep.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 46
B.2. The Characteristics of Gretel:
1. Smart
She is a smart girl. When her stepmother gives her and Hansel a loaf of bread, she knows that Hansel’s pocket is full of stones. So, Gretel puts the bread
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under her apron to keep it from her stepmother. This can be seen below his sentence.
“Gretel put the bread under her apron, because Hansel‟s pockets were full of stones. Then all together they sat forth into the
woods”. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 11 This also happened when Gretel and Hansel are caught by the witch. The
witch asks her to put the bread in it. But, Gretel knows, it is trick of witch to bake and eat her. So, Gretel deceives the witch that she doesn’t know how to use the
oven. Then the witch goes into the oven and teaches her how to bake bread. Suddenly, Gretel pushes her and locks and closed iron door and secures it with a
bar. The witch burned up miserably. “… “Climb in”. Said the witch, “and see if it is hot enough to put
the bread in yet”. And when Gretel was inside, she intended to close the oven, and bake her, and eat her as well. But Gretel saw
what she had in mind, so she said, “I don‟t know how to do that. How can I get inside?”… “Stupid goose,” said the old woman.
“The opening is big enough. See, I myself could get in.” and she crawled up stuck her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a
shove, causing her to fall in. then she closed the iron door and secured it with a bar. The old woman began to howl frightfully. But
Gretel ran away, and the godless witch burned up miserably” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 74
His cleverness also showed when they succeed to go from the witch- woods. He arrives in front of the river, but there is no boat. Then, Gretel tells to
Hansel that she will ask the ducking to help them across the river. “.. „We cannot get across,‟ said Hansel. „I cannot see a walkway
or bridge,‟….‟there are no boats here,‟ said Gretel. „But there is a white duck swimming. If I ask it, it will help us across.‟...Then she
called out…the duckling came up to them…” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 83
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2. Wise
She is described as a wise person. When Hansel throws a bread to make a way along the path, she knows that her stepmother gives little pieces of bread,
even less than last time, his brother doesn’t have bread at all. There is no
remaining. But as little sister, she shares his bread to Hansel and eats it together. “When it was midday Gretel shared her bread with Hansel, who
had scattered his piece along the path.” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 40
“The duckling came up to them, and Hansel climbed onto it, then asked his little sister to sit down next to him. „ No,‟ answered
Gretel. “That would be too heavy for the duckling. It should take us across one at a time.”...” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 83
3. Never give up
She is never give up like his brother, Hansel. Although, she is still younger, she never complains to Hansel. She walks on through the entire night
and the next day from morning until evening. She is very strong. “They walked through the entire night and the next day from
morning until evening, but they did not their way out of the woods” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 47.
“it was already the third morning since they had left the father‟s house. They started walking again….” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
1857, 46
4. Survivor
She is also survivor. Although, Gretel and Hansel walk on in the woods for a few days, when they are hungry, they only eat berries that they find it on the
ground. She is very patience faces the problem. This can be se below this paragraph.
“They were terrible hungry, for they had eaten only a few small
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berries that were growing on the ground…” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 46
“They started again, but managed only to go deeper and deeper into the woods” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 47
5. Submissive
As little children, she is submissive and obedient to his brother. When they find a house built by a bread and sugar, Hansel asks her to eat the window that is
made from sugar. She agrees and eats it with pleasure. “…“Gretel, you eat from the window. That will be sweet”…Hansel
reached up and broke off a little of the roof to see how it tasted, while Gretel stood next to the windowpanes and was nibbling at
them…” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 48 Her obedient to his brother also can be seen below this sentence. This
happened when Hansel decides and asks her to leave the witch-wood. Although, there are many foods, chocolates, candies, and other beautiful stones, she agrees
and doesn’t refuse his brother to go out. “…„we must leave,‟ said Hansel, „and get out of these witch-
woods‟ ” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 83 6.
Innocent She is also innocent girl. As a little girl, this is not close opportunity that
she is innocent girl. After all, she is also tearful and like cry baby. She is always crying when she knows that her father and stepmother will leave her and his
brother in the woods. “Gretel cried bitter tears and said to Hansel, „it is over with us‟”
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 6
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This also happened again, when she hears that stepmother will leave her twice in the deeper wood in the next days.
“Gretel began to cry and said, “How will we get out of woods?” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 22
This also showed when his brother, Hansel is caught by the witch. She is very care to his brother. She cries and prays to the God devoutness and
pertinacity. She is very care to his brother. “„Dear god, please help us,‟ she cried. „If only the wild animals
had devoured us in the woods, then we would have died together. ‟
” Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm 1857, 70
From the description above, the writer concludes that the problem that faced by the main character also can be drawn from character characterizations in
variety ways both negatively or positively. Hansel and Gretel struggle to solve the problem and fighting to find their way to go home. The experience makes them
live better that in the past.
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CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
