Review of Related Studies

B. Review of Related Theories

In analyzing Batman Begins movie script, the writer applies three theories. They are theory on character and characterization, theory of symbol, and theory of American Dream.

1. Theory on Character and Characterization

Character is an important element in the literary work. It has a big role to make a literary work alive and interesting. Character in fiction is indeed imaginary person. However, Rohrberger states that characters must be credible; that is, readers must accept them as believable person 1971: 20. Imaginary or fictional characters have physical appearance as real human being, have feeling, carry out actions, and experience problems, conflicts, and even development. Thereby, readers can accept them as believable people. In his A Glossary of Literary Terms , Abrams defines character as a person in dramatic or narrative work endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say, i.e., the dialogue, and what they do, i.e., the action. The grounds in a character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and actions constitute his motivation 1981: 20. Stanton has his own idea about making his characters understandable. First is by giving his character a name will be helpful to the readers to understand the character, because sometimes, in some works, the sound of the name fits the character. Second, it is usually more important, is an explicit description and comment of the author to the character. This personal description will help the author and the reader visualize the person and understand his character. Next way PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI is other characters attitude, even the minor ones, to the person in a story. Obviously, their attitudes toward a major character are important. Not so obviously, their similarities to or differences from him help to define most significant traits. The last and the most important way is known through the dialogue and behavior from the person himself 1965: 17-18. M. J. Murphy, in his An Understanding Unseen 1972: 161-173, states that to present characters in a narrative or dramatic works, an author may use the ways a character portrayal which is often known as characterization. According Baldick, characterization is the representation of persons in narrative or dramatic works which may include direct methods like the attributions of qualities in description or commentary, and indirect or ‘dramatic’ methods inviting the readers to infer qualities from characters’ action, speech, or appearance 1991. Murphy mentions nine ways to establish a character understandable and lively for the readers. a. Personal description . The author gives detailed description of the physical appearance to the person’s character. This will help the reader to have a visualization of the person’s characters as well. b. Characters as seen by another . The author described a person by using another character’s sights and opinion. These can be helpful ways to give the reader a reflected image of the character. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI c. Speech . Through this way, other’s opinion n and conversation can reveal what kind of character he she has. So the reader can get some clues which are related to the character. d. Past life . A description of someone’s past life more or less can help to shape his character. The author can give this life’s description through his direct comment, he person’s conversation and thought, or uses the other person or medium. e. Conversation of others . Through the conversation of others, the reader can get some clues which are related to the person they speak about. f. Reactions . Through the reaction in facing various situations and events, the reader can get some clues to understand the person’s character. g. Direct comment . Through his own statement, the author can directly give descriptions or comments on a person’s character. h. Thoughts . Through other person’s thoughts, the author gives the readers knowledge of the person’s character. i. Mannerism . The reader can understand the person’s character by the author’s description of the person’s manners, habits, behaviors, etc.

2. Theory of Symbolism

Webster’s Encyclopedia Unbridged Dictionary of the English Literary defines symbol in its broadest sense as something used for or regarded as a material objects representing something else, often something immaterial, emblem, token or sign. Furthermore it also means a letter, a figure or other character or mark or a combination of the letters or the like used to represent something 1989: 1440 In Hugh C. Holman and William Harmon’s A Book to Literature, a symbol is something that is itself and yet stands for or suggest or means something else, a symbol is like an image that evokes and objective reality and has a meaning that suggests another level of meaning 1988: 494. Furthermore, Rohrberger in Reading and Writing about Literature states that symbol by definition stands for something beyond and itself and often for many things 1971: 15. According to Robert Stanton in his An Introduction to Fiction, symbol may be anything from an egg to the story’s setting, a single object, a physical, type of object, a physical substance, a shape, a sound, a fragrance, and so forth. They may represent a face of a human personality, futile ambitious, the romanticism of youth and so on 1965: 31. Symbol, in fiction according to Stanton’s theory, has three usual effects depending upon how it is used. First, a symbol appears during an important moment of the story underlines the significant of the moment. Second, a symbol repeated several times to remind us. Third, a symbol that recurs in varying context to define or clarify the theme 1965: 32. Rohrberger states that one reason why literature can be approached from so many different directions and by much reason of different generations is by he appearance of symbols. Moreover she says that putting a symbol is not always based on a certain object, object details, characters or places. Every action can be PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI