flat or two dimensional characters. They have only one or two striking qualities; their predominant quality is not balanced by an opposite quality. They are usually all good
or all bad; such characters can be interesting or amusing in their own right. Sometimes referred to as static characters because they do not change in the course of
the story. The appearance of minor characters is usually infrequently, it is so much different from the appearance of the main characters in the story who always
dominate for the entire story.
2.3 Character Traits
Sometimes, the traits we encounter are minor. But often a trait may be a person’s primary characteristic which not only in fiction but also in real life.
Characters may be ambitious or lazy, aggressive or fearful, thoughtful or inconsiderate, confident or self-doubting, kind or cruel, quiet or noisy, careful or
careless, open or secretive, visionary or practical and also humorous, respectful, self- confident, creative, intelligent, honest, friendly, hard-working, shy, little, busy, lazy,
successful responsible, helpful, dreamer, happy, leader, gentle, loving, proud, wild, ambitious, quiet, curious, disagreeable, arrogant, inventive, patriotic, fun-loving,
loner, joyful, lovable and still much again.
2.4 The Types of Character
There are two major types of character: they are round character and flat character.
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2.4.1 Round character
Is a character with a complex and realistic personality; often called three- dimensional or multifaceted characters. A round character is a character whose
changes throughout the story. Lets say at the beginning he was afraid but at the end he faced his fears. Round characters usually play a main role in a story; round
characters are often called the hero or heroin. Many main characters are heroic, and it is because preferable to use the more neutral word protagonist. Round characters are
both individual and sometimes unpredictable, they are dynamic. The round characters also known as the main characters because they play a main in a story of novel.
2.4.2 Flat character
Is a minor character in a work of fiction that does not undergo substantial change or growth in the course of a story. And also often called one- or two-
dimensional characters or static characters. Flat characters play a supporting role to the main character that as a rule should be round. Flat characters do not grow; they
are static because they end where they begin. Usually, flat characters are minor, although not all minor characters are necessary flat.
Flat characters sometimes are prominent in certain types of literature, such police, detective, and cowboy stories, where the focus is less on character than on
performance. These kinds of characters might be lively and engaging, even though they do not develop or change. Characters stay flat as long as they merely perform
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their roles and exhibit conventional and unindividual traits. When the authors bring characters into focus, however, no matter what roles they perform, they come from
flatness and move into roundness. It means that the ability to grow and develop, to be changed by circumstances, makes characters round, without of these traits makes
characters flat. According to Millie and Yates 1982:228, there are at least six methods by
which an author can show the characters. They are: • By what the person say
• By what someone else says • By his or her action
• By indicating his or her thoughts • By the way that other people treat him or her
• By the author’s direct words
A character in a work fiction may realize in a character in a work of in a number of ways. Character, after all, has been constructed to make out reported
actions the words they are give to say and the commentary made of on them by their creator. Character is revealed by how a character responds to conflict, by his or
her dialogue, and through descriptions. In analyzing this thesis, I use intrinsic and extrinsic approach. Intrinsic
approach leads to understand more about the language, style, symbols, images, contrast, structure and development of plot in a literary work. The extrinsic approach
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is meant to help to strengthen the understanding and to enlarge the appreciation of work. Both intrinsic and extrinsic approaches lead me to get a deeper understanding
about novel. Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research
and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior. Point of qualitative
research. Data is collected from selected research participants, and providing in narrative description.
The Way of Character Disclosed in Novel There are five ways to present the characters in a novel. As the readers, we
must use our own knowledge and experience to make judgments’ about the qualities of characters being revealed.
1. Actions
What character does is our best way to understand what or who they are. As the ordinary human beings, fictional characters do not necessarily
understand how they may be changing or why they do things they do nevertheless, their actions express their characters.
2. Descriptions
Appearance and environment reveal much about character’s social and economic status, but they also tell us more about character traits.
3. Dramatic statements and thoughts
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Although the speeches of most characters are functional – essential to keep the story moving along – they provide material from which we can draw
conclusions. Often, characters use speech to hide their motivate, though we as readers should see through such a ploy.
4. Statements by other character
By studying what characters say about each other, we can enhance our understanding of the character being discussed.
5. Statement by the author speaking as story teller or observer
What the author says about the character is usually accurate, and the authorial voice can be accepted factually. However, when the authorial voice
interprets actions and characteristic, the author himself assumes the role of a reader or critic, and any opinions may be questioned.
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CHAPTER III METHOD OF RESEARCH
3.1 Research Design
Each scientific writings should have a certain kind of method to analyze the problem that is taken. So does this thesis. It uses an approach to discover accurate
information about character portrayal on L.A Meyers novel entitled Bloody Jack. I use some steps to identify and analyze the problem, collect data, and revise theories.
Data collected can be analyzed using statistical technique and would also be considered qualitative descriptive research. Descriptive research can use qualitative
or quantitative methods to describe or interpret a current event, condition and situation. But in this thesis I used qualitative descriptive method.
The research was conducted by two ways, the first way is library research which is done by reading some references related to it and the second way is field
research which is done by analyzing the novel. The method that is used in this thesis is library research which done within intrinsic and extrinsic approach to analyze
character portrayal.
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3.2 Data Collection
When all data and supporting information are collected by reading all references, then it will be selected to the most significant data that will be used in the
process of finishing this thesis. Of course, the first step is to read the novel, Bloody Jack, as the main source. I read the novel for several times to understand the novel
clearly. Then I also read other supporting sources related to the topic as mentioned above. After data collected, selected, and analyzed the object with used descriptive
analysis method.
3.3 Data Analysis
