Theory of Character and Characterization

C. Theoretical Framework

There are some theories to help the writer answer the two problem formulations. The first theory that is theory of character and characterization which is used to answer the first problem formulation and to help the writer analyze the main character’s characteristics in the novel who is Katniss Everdeen. Then, the second and third theory those are theory of existence and theory of struggle are used to answer the second problem formulation. At first the writer tried to find Katniss’s problems in her life, then her struggle against her problems. After that, to find out the existence of Katniss Everdeen, the writer tried to relate how Katniss’s characteristics influence her in showing her existence. 14

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

A. Object of the Study

The object of this study is a novel of Suzanne Collins, an American writer, entitled The Hunger Games. This book was first published in 2009 by Grolier International Inc. In this study, the writer uses the edition for Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia only which published by Scholastic Singapore in December 2009 and it has 374 pages. In March 2009, Lions Gate Entertainment entered into co-production agreement with Color Force created a movie based on the novel. The Hunger Games is an American science fiction adventure film directed by Gary Ross. It was released in March 21 2012, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth. The filming took place in North Carolina, USA. In 2012 this movie won many awards, several of them are Virgin Media Movie Awards for Most Wanted Movie 2012, and nominated as Next Big Thing of 2012. In the same year, Josh Hutcherson won in Cinemalon Awards as Breakthrough Performer of the Year and NewNowNext Awards as Next Mega Star. Liam Hemsworth won Australians in Film Award 2012 of Breakthrough category, and Jennifer Lawrence won Best Female Performance in Golden Trailer Awards 2012. The story in this novel is about a sixteen year old young woman named Katniss Everdeen who lives in a poor district with her mother and her younger sister. Since her father’s death when she was eleven, her family lives in poverty. She has been accustomed to hunt in the woods. She also makes money for her family and decides to lead the family because her mother cannot handle it. In the Seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, she took her sister’s place in the games because she knows her ability to hunt and survive are better from her sister. She proves that she can survive in the Game although she faced a lot of obstacle and finally she won the Hunger Games.

B. Approach of the Study

Since this study is about the influence of main character’s characteristics in struggling for her existence that is reflected by Katniss Everdeen, the main character in the novel, the writer uses new criticism approach because the writer interprets the novel from the elements in the novel itself and in assisting the writer to analyze the topic. New criticism is an approach which concerns and focuses upon literary texts as formal works of art or on the work itself. According to Edgar V. Roberts, new criticism focuses upon literary texts as formal works of art and the aim of the formalist study of literature is also to evaluating the artistic quality of individual works and writers, as it stated that The New Criticism is therefore as its most brilliant in the analysis of smaller units and also utilizes a number of techniques for the analysis of larger structures. For example discussions of “point of view,” “tone,” “plot,” “character,” and “structure,” are ways of looking at literature derived from the New Criticism 1995:267. Bressler also stated that “known as new criticism, this approach to literary analysis provides the reader with a formula for arriving at the correct interpretation of a text using only the text itself. New criticism does not represent a coherent body of critical theory and methodology espoused by all its followers. New Criticism and its adherents called New Critics are an eclectic group, each challenging, borrowing, and changing terminology, theory, and practices from one another while asserting a common core of basic ideas 1999:37-38”.

C. Method of the Study

This study is a library research because all the data that are collected and needed are available in library. There are also the sources the writer used in the study. The sources are divided into two; those are primary source and secondary sources. The primary source is the novel itself, Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, and the secondary sources are some books of theories and some articles from the internet which are needed to answer the two problem formulations. There are some steps that are taken to doing this study. They are arranged as follows: the first step was reading the novel and trying to understand the story of the novel. This first step is important because Suzanne Collin’s The Hunger Games is the object of the study, by reading this novel the writer could understand the whole story. The second step was trying to decide the questions about the understanding of the novel. Deciding the questions about the understanding of the novel is important to pick the right issue that writer wanted to highlight. The third step was collected some data and theories to help the writer answering the