and cultural background. Those theories are used to analyze about the characteristics, conflicts, the way the character chooses to reconcile and also to
find the background of the conflicts in the novel.
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Character is the main aspect in novel and every literature work. M.H. Abrams and Geoffrey Galt Harpham in A Glossary of Literary Terms define two
definitions of character. “The character is the name of a literary genre; it is a
short, and usually witty, sketch in prose of a distinctive type of person” Abrams and Harpham, 2012: 45. The other definition, Abrams and Harpham describe
Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional,
and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say –the dialogue-
and by what they do –action Abrams and Harpham, 2012: 46.
Based on two definitions of character by Abrams and Harpham, it can be seen that character exists on the literary works. A work needs character to make
the readers understand the story through the present of the character. Then, Richard Gill in Mastering English Literature states that
“a character is someone in a literary work who has some sort of identity it needn’t be a strong one, an identity which is made up by appearance,
conversation, action, name and possibly thoughts going on in the head”
Gill, 1995: 127. Thus, from the definition of a character, it can be said that a character is
the interpretation of a being that exists in a literary work. A character can be labeled through the appearance in the story, conversation with other characters,
action that is described by the author, name and thoughts that are given by the author to the reader.
Then, there is a term called characterization which is used to analyze the characters. Gill defines a term characterization as “the way in which a character is
created” Gill, 1995: 127. A characteristic of the character in the literary work can be analyzed through the characterization. Hence, according to M.J. Murphy in
Understanding Unseens: An Introduction to English Poetry and English Novel for Overseas Student,
he states that there are some ways in which an author attempts to make the characters understandable and come alive. There are nine ways to
explain the characters Murphy, 1972: 161-173.
a. Personal description
The author gives a description of a person’s appearance such as the face,
skin, eyes, build, and clothes 1972: 161-162.
b. Character as seen by another
The author can describe the character through the eyes and opinions of the other characters 1972: 162-164.
c. Speech
The insight is given to us by the author into the character one of the people in the book through what person says. The reader could get some clues about
the character though the speaking, conversation and opinion 1972: 164-165.
d. Past life
The reader could le arn something about a person’s past life from the clues
that is given by the author. The author gives a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character by direct comment, person’s thoughts, the
conversation or the medium of another person 1972: 166-167.
e. Conversation of others
The author can also give the clues to a person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they say about the character 1972:
167.
f. Reaction
The description of how the character reacts to various situations and events 1972: 168.
g. Direct comments
The reader gets the description or comment o n a person’s character
directly 1972: 170.
h. Thoughts
The knowledge of what a person is thinking about is given by the author directly to the reader 1972: 171.
i. Mannerism
The description of a person’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies is given by the author 1972: 173.
From those theories of character and characterization, the writer tries to use the theories in order to answer the problem formulation about the description
of the woman major character in the novel. However, the writer does not use all of those nine ways of characterization, there are only some of them that are used in
this study. The theory of character and characterization are the significant theory to
be used in this study. Those theories are the key to find the first question in the
problem formulation. The characterizations of woman major character are important due to understand how the cultural conflicts are formed and later it is
used to see how the character reconciles toward her first generation mother.
2. Theory of Conflict
Every literary work needs a conflict to make the story become alive. The conflict in a story will make the readers feel the emotion. Edward J. Gordon in his
book entitled Types of Literature states the definition of conflict. Gordon states that
Conflict is the struggle upon which a novel, short story, drama, or sometimes a poem is based. There is usually one central conflict in a work
of literature; but, particularly in longer works, several others are often present Gordon, 1975 : 709.
Frank Madden in Exploring Fiction Writing and Thinking About Fiction
describes that “in literature, conflict is the struggle of opposing external or internal forces. Conflict is at the heart of
every story” Madden, 2002: 90. Madden also mentions that there is no story without conflict. Conflict is divided
into two kinds, internal and external conflict. External conflict may be physical characters against nature or social
characters against each other or against society. Internal conflict is a struggle of opposing forces within a character. The best stories contain
elements of both types of conflict, but the emphasis is usually on internal conflict Madden, 2002: 90.
The theory of conflict is used by the writer to analyze the conflicts in The Bonesetter’s Daughter. This theory helps the writer to answer how the cultural
conflicts are experienced by Ruth Young as the second generation. By applying this theory of internal and external conflicts, it leads the writer to analyze the
