prestigious life style. This makes her think about her life and herself only and she apparently forgets her role as a mother. Therefore, she hires Annie Braddock, a
recent graduate from New Jersey as a nanny to take care of Grayer. After sometimes, Nanny feels that Mrs. X does not care and does not know about
Grayer’s developments, needs, and achievements. The situation grows harder when Grayer becomes very naughty just to gain her mother’s attention. This is the
time when the inharmonious relationship between Grayer and her mother start. This novel is very intriguing to be discussed. Because I can see the
connection between a mother, a nanny, and a child in the prestigious life style. Being more specific, I can see the inharmonious relationship between a mother
and a child as portrayed within the novel. The character of Grayer was chosen to be the focus of the theme of this study, because Grayer is a victim of an
inharmonious relationship in the X’s family based on the Nanny’s perception. Therefore, I analyzed the relationship between Mrs. X and Grayer although the
title of the novel is The Nanny Diaries. I can also gain insights about the impacts of the inharmonious relationship between a mother and her child toward the
child’s development. This is very important, because this study will enable me to see some factors contributing to family healthy relationship and to prevent the
same tragedy from taking place in a family who hires a nanny to take care of their children.
1.2. Problem Formulation
Based on the explanation above, the writer formulates the problem formulations to be discussed:
1.2.1. How is the relationship between Mrs. X and Grayer described in Kraus McLaughlin’s The Nanny Diaries?
1.2.2. What are the impacts of inharmonious relationship with his mother on Grayer’s attitudes?
1.3. Objectives of the Study
The study has two objectives. The first objective is to investigate how the authors describe the relationship between Mrs. X and Grayer Addison X. This
objective also covers the analysis how the authors characterize Nanny, Mrs. X, and Grayer. The second objective is to analyze the impacts of the bad parental role
on Grayer’s attitudes.
1.4. Benefits of the Study
This thesis gives the benefits to the writer as well as to the readers. For the writer, this paper gives deeper understanding in the aspect of how important a
good relationship between the mother and the son is. For the readers, who are mostly students of a college and who are going to be married and build a family in
the upcoming years, hopefully this paper can give some contributions to the knowledge about how to take care of the child well.
1.5. Definition of Terms
There are some important terms related to this study. The terms will be defined briefly and understandably as follows.
1.5.1 Relationship
According to Baron and Byrne 236, relationship is something that happens if there are individuals who are influencing each other. Conviction,
feeling, and attitude are the factors that have important rule in relationship.
1.5.2 Character
According to Abrams 20, character is the person, in a dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed
in what they say-the dialogue-and what they do-the action. Throughout one’s actions and speeches in the novel, it can be discovered how profound his personal
quality is. The process of knowing the personal quality will become so much help of finding personal description of a character.
1.5.3 Conflict
According to Verderber 97, a conflict is “the clash of opposing attitudes, ideas, behaviors, goals, and needs”. In this study conflict in relationship as a
mother and a son is focused. Therefore, a conflict here means the clash of different views, attitudes, and ideas between a mother and her son.
1.5.4 Social Status
Richard T. Schaefer 122 states that social status refers to any position of the full range of socially defined positions within a large group or society – from
the lowest to the highest position. Status often conveys connotations of influence, wealth, and fame.
1.5.5 Society
According to Henkle in his book Introduction to English Literature 23, a society means “a variety of people of different occupations, ages and natures, in
living a way that creates a web of interrelationship”. The society in this study refers to the society in the novel, namely the people who live in the Manhattan
Island and have a prestigious life style.
7
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter is divided into two parts namely the review of related theories and theoretical framework. Review of the related theories gives brief explanation
of the theories of critical approaches and the theories of literature such as theory of character, theory of characterization,
theory of mother-child relation, theory of family influences on the growing child, and theory of child emotional
development and physical well-being. Theoretical framework provides an explanation of how those theories are applied in analysis.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
This part presents the theoretical review which contains critical approach, theories of character, theories of characterization,
theory of mother-child relation, theory of family influences on the growing child, and theory of child emotional
development and physical well-being.
2.1.1 Critical Approaches
According to what Rohrberger and Woods, Jr. 6-15 have claimed, there are five types of critical approaches used to analyze a work of literature. First is
the formalist approach that searches only on the work based on its aesthetic value. Secondly, the biographical approach is an approach in understanding a work of art
through the biography of the author. Third is the sociocultural-historical approach that sees a work of literature which is referenced on sociocultural-historical
