The Background of Study

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. The Background of Study

Family relationship often bears conflict because of the lacking of understanding among each other. It is a small part but essential in every body’s life. Family’s life and its various problems are mostly portrayed in a literary work such as short stories. In this research the writer has chosen two short stories to be analyzed, because The Rocking Horse Winner by DH Laurence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst talk about conflict family relationship, both have common issues that disorientation pursuing love make both characters in both stories died young. The Rocking-horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is a reflection of society’s materialism, the search for material happiness and in the some time ignoring the real matter of life. The people are looking for happiness in the wrong place The Rocking Horse Winner tells about a family who pretends to have a life full of luxury while their income is low and their debts are high. Paul, the older son of the family, after seeing the importance of money and luck in his mother’s life, he discovers that he is not as unlucky as the rest of his family. His luck helps him to predict the winner of horse races. For a time Paul gets money as a gambler thanks to Basset, the gardener, and later on with the complicity of his uncle, who is curious about his nephew’s abilities. The winnings were given to Paul’s mother to pay debts, but she found the money wasn’t enough to keep up their social status. Paul feels the need to win one of the three big races. He found himself worried when the two of the races came and he didn’t know the winner. Finally, Paul predicts the winner while riding his rocking horse. During the incident, Paul gets sick and dies. Another short story the writer will analyze is the Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. This story has been chosen by writer because It focuses on the troubled relationship between two young boys: the narrator and his mentally and physically disable brother, Doodle. It explores the conflict between love and pride and draws attention to the effect of familial and societal expectation on those who are handicapped. In this research, the writer will analyze theme that occurs in both short stories. Stories that are written are entirely to teach a moral lesson in the relationship among the member of the family. The lesson could be the problem of life, love, or even conflict within family relationship. There are several lessons we may gain regarding family relationship. As we know that family is the smallest unit in social life. It is the beginning of a person’s life, a place where personality, education, and attitude are formed. The relation among members of family not always goes on well. The problems always occur in everyday among them. Conflicts often appear in family relationship from mother-daughter, husband-wife, mother-son, even within brother. The problem of life and the obsession of one of the member of the family may lead the conflict in the family relationship. The Rocking Horse Winner and the Scarlet Ibis have common that is a conflict within family relationship. In Rocking Horse Winner, the conflict that occurs is between mother and son. The name of the son is Paul. Paul is controlled in family relationships. His mother puts great strain on him by being financially irresponsible, and living beyond what they can afford. Paul feels the strain, since he is influenced by her mother’s role in family which makes him depressed. Paul assumes that her mother does not love him the mother shows distrust on him with telling him as an unlucky son just like his father. It makes him extra hard to gain her love and prove to his mother that he is the lucky person. On the other hand, in The Scarlet Ibis, the conflict that occurs is within two young brothers. Brother forced his physically and mentally disabled younger brother to do cruel things. He teaches his disabled younger brother to walk, run, swim, and climb trees and fight. He does it in order to pursuit his expectation of making his brother to be just like other normal children. The writer is interested to analyze two short stories that are The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, because the writer found deep and interesting issues in both short stories. Since both stories have common in conveying the values of life. Both stories picture the life of two young men. Both tell their experiences as passing from childhood to maturity. In that journey they are pursuing the standard of person they love. They put high standard that both young men struggle to achieve. It is important for the writer to bring up the values of life revealed in both short stories. It is needed to be shared to people who read it, their relation among others. Furthermore, the writer also wants the reader to have a reflection for themselves after reading it.

B. The Focus of the Study