8 theory of characterization which deals with the definition and ways of
characterizing in the literary works.
a. Theory of Critical Approaches
According to Rohrberger and Woods 1971: 3-15, there are five critical approaches. They are the formalist approach, the biographical approach, the
sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.
The formalist approach demonstrates the harmonious involvement of all parts to the whole literature work and also describes how meaning is derived from
structure and how matters of technique determine of structure. This approach is concerned with the ideas, personality, and development of the author, the
conception, and discrimination of ideas through literary pieces in historical context.
Then, the biographical approach considers the author’s background to appreciate his or her work of literature. The sociocultural-historical approach
considers the sociocultural-historical background, when the work is written, in order to understand the work.
Meanwhile, the mythopoeic approach tries to observe the universally repeated structures of the human thought, which they perceive that it can give an important
meaning to the work of literature. The psychological approach is an approach that involves the effort to discover and illustrate this approach certain repetitive
patterns. To analyze the novel, the psychological approach is used. The psychological
approach focuses on psychological aspects of human. This approach looks at the psychological motivations of the characters.
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b. Theory of Character
Van de Laar and Schoonwoerd 1957: 165 in An Approach to English Literature say that characters in a novel must be like actual human beings. The
characters must be in some way recognizable men and women. Abrams 1981: 20 defines that “characters are the person presented in a dramatic or narrative
work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say dialogue and by what
they do action”. In addition, Foster 1974: 30-32 implies that the character in a fiction is an author’s creation and it is considered to be similar to the real people
in life. According to Rohrberger and Woods 1971: 20-21, the characters can be
described as flat and round character. Flat character remains stable, while round character is more complicated. Characters in a story may have various
personalities and physical attributes, and they do things differently from what they have done in the beginning of the story to the end of the story. Therefore, there is
no similar character of person in a story. All stories have some characters that are dominant to every event in the story and usually the events change the character’s
behavior or the readers’ expectations toward the character itself. The flat character tends to be fixed and does not change within the story. The round character is
usually protagonist. The protagonist is central in every action and the opposite of the antagonist character. The antagonist is another major character, which is not
always a person, but it can be some external forces. They can be fate, environment, or something outside themselves.
While based on the amount of attention given to the characters, Henkle 1977: 88-97 divides characters into major and secondary or minor characters. Major
10 characters are characters observed most often in the novel and whose appearances
are frequent. By understanding them, the readers will understand the central experiences of the novel. He points out that the effectiveness of most novels
depends upon the ability of the major characters to express and dramatize the human issues of the book. On the other hand, the secondary or minor characters
are characters that perform more limited functions. They are generally less complex, or less intense, and drawn in shallower relief, present what is often only
one side of the experience.
c. Theory of Characterization
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