are taking important role in a novel and become the central of the story in a novel. This statements supported by Henkle as he defines major character as
the character who appears from the beginning till the end of the story and the readers give all their attention because the character has the key of structural
function, toward the character the readers build expectations and desires. In other words, major or central character often makes the readers give their
attention to them from the beginning to the end of the story since they become the important figure in every event in the novel or story 87 – 89.
Minor character performs more limited function in the story. They maybe less focused by the reader. Their responses to the experience are less complex
and important Henkle 87 – 89. Minor characters usually do not appear frequently. Therefore, these characters get less attention from the readers.
2. Theory of Characterization
a. Definition of Characterization
The process by which an author creates a character is called characterization. Characterization is an important element in a novel.
Murphy 161 states that characterization is “the way in which an author attempts to make his characters understandable to, and come alive for, his
readers.” This statement, supported by Holman and Harmon in their book A Handbook to Literature, points out that “the term characterization itself
is understood as the creation of the imaginary persons so that they exist for the readers as lifelike” 81. In other words, characterization is the way the
author shows and tries to make his characters alive and understandable for the readers as a lifelike.
b. Ways of Characterizing
According to Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. 20, there are two principal ways that can be used by an author to characterize his characters;
they are direct means the author use description of physical appearances, intellectual, and moral attributes, or the degree of character sensitivity and
dramatic means the author places his character in certain situations to show who they really are by how they behave or speak.
Murphy 161 – 173 provides nine ways of describing characters in a story. Those are described as follows:
1 Personal description
A character described through the details of his physical appearance such as face, skin, body, clothes, and hair cut.
2 Character as seen by another
The author illustrates the person’s character from the point of view of another character or person.
3 Speech
The readers may interpret or describe a character from what his says.
4 Past life
The author gives a clue to events, which happened in the character’s past life, that shape a person’s character through direct
comment, the readers thought, or conversation through the medium of another person.
5 Conversation of others
The reader would know the person’s character through the conversation of the people and the things they say about the
person.
6 Reaction
Reaction is given by the author to show how the character reacts toward various situation and events as a way to describe the
character.
7 Direct comment
The author gives the character’s character directly.
8 Thought
The author gives a clue about a character’s character through what the character thinking about.
9 Mannerism
Mannerism is the way the author tells about a character through the description of the character’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies.
3. Theory of Approaches
