Review of Related Studies
E.M Forster divides character into two terms, flat character and round character. Flat character is build around ‘single idea or quality’ and is presented
without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase or sentence. Round character is complex in temperament and
motivation and is presented with subtle particularity Abrams, 1981: 20. Koesnosoebroto divided character into two kinds, major or main character and
minor character. Main character is the most important character in the story. Minor character is character of less important than those the main. The main character needs
other character to make the story more convincing an lifelike Koesnosoebroto, 1988: 67
Characterization is the process by which an author or a playwright creates a character. Characterization in literature is the presentation of the attitudes and
behaviors of imaginary persons in order to make them credible to the author’s audience. According to Encyclopedia Americana: International Edition, Vol: 6,
characterization is a unique feature of such fictional forms as the short story, novel, drama, and narrative poetry Library of Congress Cataloging Data, 1995: 291.
Oscar Bracket states that characterization can be found in four levels: physical, social, psychological, and moral. Physical is concerned with such basic
facts as sex, age, size, and color. Social is included the character’s economic status, profession or trade, religion, family relationship. All those factors are that place him
in his environment. Psychological reveals the character’s habitual responses, attitudes, desire, motivations, like and dislikes, the inner working of mind, both
emotional and intellectual, which precede action. Moral decision differentiates characters because the choices they make when facing moral crises show whether
they are selfish, hypocritical, or person of integrity Bracket, 1974: 39-40 Hugh Holman and William Harmon in A Handbook to Literature state that
characterization is divided into three fundamental ways. The first is the explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct exposition, either in an
introduction or more often throughout the development of the story that is illustrated by actions. The second is the presentation of the character in action with little or no
explicit comment by the author, in the expectation that the reader will be able to reduce the attributes of the actor from action. The third is the presentation from
within a character, without comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on the character’s inner self, with the expectations that the
reader will come to a clear understanding of the attributes of the characters. The three fundamental methods are the basic terms for the author to give characterization
toward the characters in the story to be understood by the reader Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81-83.
According to Yelland, Jones, and Easton, characterization is the creation of imaginary persons. The writer can reveal certain qualities of its own nature and the
writer also can try to keep himself in the background and presents the characters of real people or of imaginary people. Through characterization, the readers will
understand why the character does the thing and can be emotionally involved in the story Yelland, Jones, and Easton, 1950: 30.
Characterization will always be a part of character. Characterization as the part of character is the way an author characterize his or her work. From the theories
on character and characterization the writer could conclude that character is a person presented in literary works that has his or her own personalities.