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1.4. Benefits of the Study
There are two groups of people who can get the benefits from this study. The first group is the readers in general. The readers can get a better
understanding not only the story being told, but also the background of it. Hopefully, from this study, readers become aware that there are many more
important things in this world besides money, power, and social status. The second group is the readers who are going to conduct studies on this novel. They
can use this study as one of their sources. There is also suggestion in implementing Vanity Fair to teach speaking.
1.5. Definition of the Terms
There are several terms that will be discussed in the definition of the terms. These terms need to be clarified in order to give better understanding of the
study.
The first word is materialism. The term materialism that is used in this
study signifies an ethical attitude. A person is called a materialist, in this sense, if “he is interested seriously in sensuous pleasure and bodily comforts, and hence in
the material possession in bringing these about” The New encyclopedia Britannica volume 6 612. In this ethical sense, a man might be called a
materialist without having to believe the metaphysical theory, and conversely. A materialist, in this study, is a person who considers material possessions,
including money and properties, as the most important things. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
6
The second word is social status. According to Gary Day, status means “a
legal term designating any mark of distinction which placed an individual in a defined position in society in relation to others.” Status can also be defined in
terms of honor or prestige. “It is perfectly possible for a profession to carry a high prestige factor, for example a priest, while at the same time having a low
remuneration” 10. A similar statement is also made by Richard T. Schaefer. He says 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” 112. Status often conveys connotations of influence, wealth, and fame. Schaefer
categorizes status into two parts, ascribed status and achieved status. “Ascribed status is “assigned” to a person by society without regard for the individual’s
unique talents or characteristics” 112. He describes that this assignment takes place at birth, therefore, one’s racial background, gender, and age are considered
as ascribed statuses. While achieved status is “attained by an individual largely through his or her own effort” Schaefer 113. One must do something to acquire
an achieved status, for example go to school, or learn some particular skills. Teachers, parents, soldiers are the example of achieved statuses. In this study,
nobility, or family name, is considered as an ascribed status. As they are determined at birth, it is difficult to change an ascribed status, although in some
cases people can change it by marriage. For example, by marrying Rawdon Crawley, Becky was able to use the Crawley name.
The third word is society. A society means “a variety of people of
different occupations, ages, and natures, living in a way that creates a web of PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
7 interrelationships” Henkle 23. The society in this study refers to the British
society in the early Victorian Era. The society, here, also includes the customs, perceptions and attitudes, beliefs and values, even the economic, social,
governmental, and political conditions.
The fourth word is Victorian. The term Victorian in English literary
criticism often implies disapproval of certain attitudes; for example, materialism, hypocrisy, insularity, complacency, and censoriousness. While the term Victorian
that is related with a certain era, or Victorian Era, means the period during which Queen Victoria ruled Britain from 1837-1903. Abrams used the year 1870 to
divide “Early Victorian” from “Late Victorian.” This period is considered as the period of invention, scientific discovery, and changing economic, political, and
social ideas The New encyclopedia Britannica volume 10 422. Both of explanations of the Victorian terms above are used in this study. The first term
relates to English literary criticism is used to represent the attitude and the perception of the characters in Vanity Fair. The second term relates to the period
or era used to show the time when Vanity Fair takes place. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter presents discussions on review of related literature. The discussions are divided into review of related theories, review on British society
of the early Victorian era, criticism, and theoretical framework. In the review on related theories, there is a discussion about theory of character, theory of
characterization, theory of critical approaches, theory of satire, and the relationship between literature and society. In the review of British society of
Victorian era, explanation about the British society of Victorian Era is presented. The theoretical framework covers why and how those theories are applied in order
to answer the problems.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
There are five things that will be discussed in the review of related theories; those are: theory of character, theory of characterization, theory of
critical approaches, theory of satire, and the relation between literature and society.
2.1.1. Theory of Character
Character, according to Robert Stanton, can be defined into two ways. He says that “it designates the individuals who appear in the story and it refers to the
mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and moral principles that makes up each of
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