The next quotation according to Barnet, Burto and Cain in Literature for Composition, Essays, Fiction, Poetry, Drama
explains how to find symbols in literature
If writers use symbols, they want readers to perceive.. How do writers help us to perceive things? By emphasizing them-for instance, by describing them at
some length, or by introducing them at times when they might not seem strictly necessary, or by calling attention to them repeatedly 2005: 231.
Based on the theory above, it is important to find objects that the writer wants to use as a symbol. This theory shows that the writer has to emphasize the symbol by
describing them at some length, by introducing them at times when they might not seem necessary, and by calling attention to them repeatedly.
According to Kennedy and Gioia in An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry and Drama
, it is stated that interpreting symbols have to begin avoiding vagueness. It is begun by listing the specific object, people, and ideas with which a particular symbol
is associated. It is not suggested to be objective but rather subjective when interpreting them. Identifying an exact place in the story where the symbol links itself
to other things has to be done. The list of associations does not need to be long; it only needs to be accurate and reasonable 1999: 242.
C. Theoretical Framework
The writer chooses to write the theories above to find the significance of symbols to the characterization of Sarah ORourke.
Characterization is needed to identify the character through physical description of the character, the dialogue, the actions, the thoughts, the conversations
with other characters, the reactions, the past life and the manners of the character. Theory of symbol is needed to identify the different symbols that are written
in the novel. As symbols are the key to expressing beyond what is written, the theory is needed to help find the stronger meanings behind what is represented in the literary
work.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
A. Object of The Study
The object of this study is a fiction novel called The Other Hand written by Chris Cleave. As it is stated in the previous chapter, this novel can be also found
under the name of Little Bee in different countries depending in which it is published in. This novel was first published in the United Kingdom on August 7
th
2008 and sold 3,000 copies in its first year and raised a number up to 100,000 in its second. Lack of
advertising which Cleave did purposely was done to try his “word-of-mouth-success”
strategy that actually succeeded increased the selling to 300,000 copies. This 374 paged book reached number 13 on the 2009 Sunday Times best
seller list and topped the New York Times Best Seller list for paperback trade fiction in 2010. It was also nominated at the 2008 Costa Book Awards and also the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize as best book originating from Europe and South Africa.
Cleave who loves writing his novels about people at both extremes of the human experience: refugees, the bereaved, the elite, and the embattled clearly made
this book about two women from two different backgrounds very approachable. One is an asylum seeker named Little Bee who is always running to find peace, and the
other is a successful magazine editor who finds herself very troubled because of the things happening in her life.
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