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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter’s points are to explain some theories that are related to this study. It is divided into three parts. The first one is the theoretical review used
to support the analysis, including theory of literature and theory of psychology. In the theory of literature, there are theory of character, characterization, and critical
approaches, while theory of personality, motivation, adolescent development, self-esteem, and social pressure are presented in the theory of psychology. The
second part states criticism which conveys some criticism about the novel of this study. Those theories function are thus covered in the theoretical framework.
A. Theoretical Review 1. Theory of Literature
a. Theory of Character
A character is an important factor in fiction. It is needed as the introduction given by the author for the readers. Furthermore, character is placed
in human situation. Thus, it makes them behave like actual human being. It means that each character in the literary work is the reflection of people in life. People’s
thought, speech and behavior are described verbally in the literary work in the form of dialogue and action by the author De Laar and Schoonderwoerd 170,
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Roberts and Jacobs 119. Abrams has two definitions of character. First, it is the name of a
literary genre which is usually a short and humorous prose of a distinctive type of person. Second, it refers to the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work.
This person is usually interpreted by the reader as being provided with moral, dispositional and emotional qualities that are expressed in what they say the
dialogue and by what they do the action 23. The second definition of character is the most appropriate in discussing the definition of character in this
study. To make it simpler, Kennedy and Gioia define character as an imagined person who inhabits a story 60.
A character also has its classification. E.M. Forster classifies character into two types. First, the flat character that is built around a single idea and
quality and is represented in outline and without much individuality detail, and so they can be fairly described in a single phrase or sentence. The flat characters are
characterized by one or two traits. The last type of character is the round character; characters which are complex in temperament and motivation and are
represented with subtle peculiarity. Therefore, those characters are difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life and like most people, they are
capable of surprising us. While another classification of character can be static or developing. The static character is the same sort of person at the end of the story
as he or she was at the beginning. The developing or dynamic character
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undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of his or her character, personality or outlook Forster 18.
Kenney describes characters into two categories; they are simple and complex characters. “Simple character is less the representation of a human
personality than the embodiment of a single attitude or obsession a character” 30. It is called simple because we only see one side of the character. On the
other hand, complex character is not seeing a single side of the character only. In life, there are many aspects to be considered. Life can be different from many
aspects and many characters. “Complex character is obviously more lifelike than the simple one, because in life people are not simply embodiments of a single
attitude” 29. Another case classifies characters in a novel into major and minor
characters. Major character is the most important character, the central character, the one to whom all the events in the story have relevance Rohrberger and
Woods 20. Usually the events in the story cause some changes either in the central character or in the reader’s attitude toward the major character Stanton
17. Major character is often called the protagonist or the hero Van de Laar and Schoonderwoerd 164. Minor character or the secondary character is the other
character in a story. Although minor character performs more limited functions, their attitude toward the major character is important. The similarities and or the
differences between the major and minor characters help to define the major character’s significant traits commonly Stanton 18.