work The Girl from the Coast. Most of the criticisms are stated by comparing the works with what happen in the real life, and also by considering the
values that revealed through the work. I also include the context of the two novels to provide a clear background about the two novels.
2.1 Theoretical Review
This section presents theory of literature, and the feminist literary criticism. The first is the theory of literature. It is divided into two, namely
theory of character and characterization, and theory of critical approaches. The second is the feminist literary criticism.
2.1.1 Theory of Characte r
In this thesis, I use the theory of character and characterization to help me to understand about women inferiority through the main characters of the
two novels, Lorna and Mas Nganten. Women inferiority deals with society, culture and also historical background of the environment, that is why I
mostly use the sociocultural- historical approach to analyze the novels. The theory of character and characterization itself can be used in the analysis,
especially when I need to examine the subject matter through Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s character. I apply this theory by relating the theory with their
behaviour and actions. According to Abrams 1981: 2, a character is a person presented in
dramatic or narrative works, and interpreted as being encouraged with moral PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
and disposition qualities that are expressed in the dialogues of the novel and the actions. Abrams also adds that characters are like human beings.
Characters have emotion, temperament, moral, and social values that become the basic motivation of his or her speech and actions. Characters can remain
stable or can have some changes during the story. The events or experiences that characters have during the story can affect their thoughts, ideas, or
judgements about life and their environment or society. In the two novels, Lorna and Mas Nganten are also presented in
dramatic and narrative way with dialogs and actions. Those dialogs and actions are means for Lorna and Mas Nganten to express their feeling.
Through their dialogs and actions, we can understand more about their thoughts, idea, feeling, judgements and even social values. Their behaviour,
as presented in the novels, also expresses their emotion and feeling, and even their moral values. Using this theory, I can analyze those behaviour, dialogs
and actions, and get the fact beyond the issue of women inferiority.
2.1.2 Theory of Characterization
In every novel, we will find that characters ‘live and ‘act’ in the stories. Therefore, to make the readers accept those characters as believable
people, those characters must be presented very well. In this case, characterization is important. Characterization is a process in which characters are
portrayed in the novel as real people in real life. In this thesis, I use the theory of characterization to analyze Lorna’s and Mas Nganten’s character deeper. In these
novels, November of The Heart and The Girl from The Coast, Spencer and Toer present their characters in the novel very lively and understandable for the reader
through several ways, like speech, conversation of others, mannerism and direct thoughts. The theory of characterization is able to reveal a character’s description.
Murphy 1972: 161-173 states that there are nine ways which enable an author to present the character in the story understandably and lively for the
readers. The nine ways are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and
mannerism. 1.
Personal description The author can describe one’s appearance and clothes that he or she
wears. A character’s character and personality can be seen through his and her appearance and clothes.
2. Characters as seen by another
The author can describe a character’s character from another characters’ point of view and opinion. Another characters’ opinion on
character can help the reader to understand the character more. 3.
Speech The author can give us an insight into the character of certain person
in the book from what the particular person says. Speech can be whenever this person speaks, has a conversation with other people, or gives an opinion.
Whenever it happens, he or she gives us clues about his or her character. Speech can also show his or her personality implicitly.
4. Past life
The author can invite the reader to know and learn something about a person’s background or past life. The author can provide the reader with
clues about the events that have given some help in shaping the person’s character. The clues can be given through the author’s direct comment,
through the person’s thoughts and feeling, through the person’s conversation, and also through another person in the story. A person’s past life also
influences his or her ways of thinking and behaviour toward other people. 5.
Conversation of others The author can provide the readers with clues about a person’s
character through other people conversation and what they say about him or her. People talk about other people and all the thing they say may give a clue
about the character of the particular person spoken about. 6.
Reactions The author can provide the reader with clues about a person’s
character through his or her way in reacting various situation or events he or she faces. A person’s reactions will show his or her character and
personality. 7.
Direct comment The author can describe a person’s character by giving an opinion or
direct comment on the person directly. The author usually gives the comment or opinion about the person in the story in his point of view and put it in line
within the story. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
8. Thoughts
The author can give the reader direct knowledge about a person’s thoughts. This is what an author cannot do in real life. The author can
provide the reader with special device which plugged into the deepest thought of a person in the story, so that the reader knows what the particular
person is thinking about, and what his or her opinion on certain things. 9.
Mannerism The author sometimes describes a person’s mannerism, habits or
idiosyncrasies. This description will provide the reader with clues about the person’s character. The author usually reveals both the positive and negative
habits of the person to enable the reader to know more about the person’s character.
Character is one of internal aspects in a novel. The term character is used in two ways: 1 it designs the individual who appears in the story and
2 it refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and principles that make up each of these individuals. Through some of these ways, the author
makes the reader aware of the personalities and the characters of certain person he wrote in his books.
2.1.3 The Theory of Critical Approaches
