Self-Control Honor Definition of Terms

11 Giri to one‟s name is the duty to keep one‟s reputation unspotted. It is a series of virtues – some of which seem to an Occidental to be opposites. They are those acts which keep one‟s reputation, bright without reference indebtedness to another person. They include therefore maintaining all the miscellaneous etiquettes requirements of „proper station,‟ showing stoicism in pain and defending one‟s reputation in profession or craft Benedict, 1974:145. Based on those quotes, the writer finds out that Japan‟s militaristic tradition is old and, until its defeat in the World War II, it had been militarily active. Thus, the principle that Japanese people must observe can be said to have similarities with the ways of a soldier. This is a worldwide knowledge on Japanese culture; an extraordinary tradition despite its cruelness. The seppuku, an act of committing suicide by mean of disembowelment , is an alternative that has the effect of recovery for a wounded personal honor. Another opinion from Western may regard it as an act of cowardice, desperation, and the stagnancy of problem, but this is not at all about taking shortcut. This is a matter of chivalry as the strong Japanese military figure. Giri to one‟s name also demands acts which remove a slur or an insult; the slur darkens one‟s good name and should be got rid of. It may be necessary to take vengeance upon one‟s detractor or it may be necessary to commit suicide, and there are all sorts of possible courses of action between these two extremes Benedict, 1974:145 According to the quotes about giri and honor above, the writer figures out that the importance and the earnest of honor for Japanese people is, indeed, an important matter. Rather than living in the great shame, it is better to die an honorable death. Suicide is accepted ways to remitted all blemishes and recover the honor. There are, 12 of course, accounts of great men committing suicide by disembowelment that serve as reminders for others not to neglect the duty called giri to one‟s name. To enrich Benedict ‟s opinion, this study will analyze honor in Oishi Kuranosuke character that lives as the combination of loyalty and self-control as the determination to make the best decision as a ronin in Genroku era.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theory of Character and Characterization

In a literary work to support and develop the story inside, we need the important role of the character. Character is usually a human figure. In the story sometimes there are one or more characters that have major part in the whole story and called as the main character. As the reader of a novel, we often give our attention to the main character and try to analyze hisher action and the personal development in the story. Characters action, speech, and development are influencing the story, so the audience will get a better understanding into the story. A character, according to A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Themes by Edward Quinn, is a person depicted in narrative or drama with descriptions of its physical appearance, mind, and motivation Quinn, 2006:72-73. While, Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren in The Scope of Fiction assert that “ a character has to resemble human beings in all senses and this is not to say that a character must be in the form of human being, only there must be some characters