CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter discusses theories that support the analysis of the thesis. In order to understand theories underlying this thesis, I divide this chapter into three
parts. The first part is review of related theories. The second part of this chapter states criticisms that will cover the critics on McCourt’s work, while the last part of
the chapter is theoretical framework.
A. Review of Related Theories
The content of this part concerns all the theories relating to the study. The theories that I use are critical approaches, character, characterization, motivation,
human basic needs and struggle for life.
1. Critical Approaches
Rorhberger and Woods Jr. 6-15 propose five approaches that can be used to analyse the novel, namely the formalist approach, the biography approach, the
sociocultural approach, the mythopoeic approach and the psychological approach. a. The Formalist Approach
The focus of this approach is on the literary object and the esthetic value of the novel. The approach itself makes no attempt to focus on the author’s life and
the sociocultural background in which the literary takes place. b. The Biography Approach
This approach aims to consider the author’s life, the personality, and the ideas 6
that become the major element in the author’s work.
c. The Sociocultural Approach The focus of this approach is to analyse the no vel reference to the civilization
that produces the novel. The civilization is defined as the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people. Meanwhile, a novel takes those attitudes and
action as it subject matter. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the social milieu, the cultural and historical background in which a novel is created.
d. The Mythopoeic Approach The focus of this approach is to discover certain universally recurrent pattern of
human thought. These patterns are considered to have shared the universally common belief toward certain community mind.
e. The Psychological Approach The main concern of this approach is to identify any aspects of psychology that
underlie a certain element of literary works. The element particularly points up the character in the story. In this case, theory of psychology is meant to explain
the character’s personality, where it comes from, the idea that each character’s behaviour could be referred to the psychology of human being. Thus this
approach can be used to understand the character’s behaviour and thought.
2. Character
There are several ways to know about characters by defining the character from the meaning and the kinds of characters.
a. Meaning
Since there are many interpretations of the word “character”, Stanton 17 defines two meanings of character. The first is that characters are the “individuals”
who appear in the story. Meanwhile, the second definition is “a mixture of interests, desires, emotions and moral principles that makes up each of the
individuals.” Thus, character can be defined as the individual who appears in the story that has the mixture of interest, desires, emotion and moral principles.
However, Abrams 20-21 defines the word “character” based on the performance of the character. The first definition of character is a short and usually
witty, sketch in prose of a distinctive type of person. The second definition of character that Abrams proposes is that characters are the persons presented in a
dramatic narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in the dialogue and action. So,
from both definitions of character proposed by Abrams, character is a distinctive type of person that is presented in a dramatic narrative work and interpreted with
moral and dispositional qualities. b. Kinds
Forster as quoted by Abrams 20 categorizes characters into two kinds, flat and round characters based on internal complexity. A flat character also called as
two-dimensional type is presented without much individualizing detail and it is also built around “a single idea or quality”. In other words, a flat character is a character
that never changes. Meanwhile, a round character is a character that is complex, both in temperament and motivation, which is difficult to describe.
Furthermore, Holman and Harmon divide character into two namely static and dynamic. A static character is one who changes little or does not change at
all, because there is nothing happening within. It means that a character begins as the same kind of character as in the end. A dynamic character is one who is
modified by actions and experiences that influence the character to change. That is why a dynamic character is one who often changes 83.
Based on the aspect of importance, Henkle 88-97 categorizes character into major and minor character. A major character is the centre of the story. A
major character is the most important and complex character in the story. Usually heshe can be identified through the complexity of hisher characterization and the
attention given to them by the other character. Thus, a major character deserves the fullest attention since she or he performs a key structural function where upon
heshe builds expectations and desires, which in modification establish our values. Whereas, minor characters are the characters that perform a more limited function.
They just appear in a certain setting, less sophisticated and drawn in shallower relief and usually they jus t become the background of the major character.
3. Characterization
Kategori