Tom’s Personality Traits When He was Raised in a Complete Family

31

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS

Four main parts in this chapter are related to the study. They are Tom’s personality traits when he was raised in a complete family, Tom’s life in the matriarchal family, Tom’s character development under the influences of the matriarchal family, and Tom’s final character development. The first part presents the analysis of Tom as the character when he was raised in the complete family. The second part presents the analyses of Tom’s life in the matriarchal family. This part begins the analysis by firstly explaining the background setting of the matriarchal family. The fourth part determines the analyses of Tom’s character development under the influences of the matriarchal family. Finally, the final part concludes Tom’s final character development from the various changes he has experienced.

4.1 Tom’s Personality Traits When He was Raised in a Complete Family

Psychological criticism from Lillie 1961: 21 is employed here to know the character’s way of thinking. Explicitly, it will give valuable reference to do analysis. This study also uses some of nine ways of understanding character from Murphy 1972: 161-173 to gain Tom’s personality traits. From the viewpoint of characters in the play interact to one another, I judge Tom’s personality traits based on the analysis of the dialogues. Here, the nine ways of understanding character from Murphy 1972: 161-171 function as the guideline in the analysis. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI

4.1.1 Tom is Affectionate

Tom’s affectionate feeling mainly refers to Laura. This can be observed through what he says Williams 1718. Tom: Laura seems all those things to you and me because she’s ours and we love her. We don’t even see she’s crippled anymore. He does not consider Laura’s defect. From Tom’s saying, it also justifies what Murphy 1972: 164 says that author can give clue to the person’ character through speech. Tom’s saying indicates that he has affectionate feeling toward his sister. Tom actually possesses an affectionate feeling to his mother as well. He feels that he wants to take care of his mother Williams 1710. TOM [hoarsely]: Mother. - I apologize, Mother. [AMANDA draws a quick, shuddering breath. Her face works grotesquely. She breaks into childlike tears .] Im sorry for what I said, for everything that I said; I didnt mean it. AMANDA [sobbingly]: My devotion has made me a witch and so I make myself hateful to my children TOM: NO, you dont. AMANDA: I worry so much, dont sleep, it makes me nervous TOM [gently]: I understand that. AMANDA: Ive had to put up a solitary battle all these years. But youre my right- hand bower Dont fall down, dont fail TOM [gently]: I try, Mother. From the above dialogues, I consider how the response Tom gives to his mother is the representative of his affectionate feeling to his mother. Amanda feels guilty because she is devoted to his son but it makes him uncomfortable. Then, Tom tries to make his mother feels comfortable. He ensures his mother that she does not make him hateful to her. Furthermore, he tries to make his mother relieved by letting her know that he will struggle for her.

4.1.2 Tom is Patient

According to Murphy 1972: 171, an author can give clue about the character through mannerism. Tom’s being patient is shown clearly when he talks to his mother. Although he has just conflicted with her Williams 1698, he keeps on listening to her Williams 1699. AMANDA: Sometimes they come when they are least expected Why, I remember one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain. TOM: I know whats coming LAURA: Yes. But let her tell it. TOM: Again? LAURA: She loves to tell it. AMANDA: One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain, your mother received seventeen gentlemen callers … TOM: How did you entertain those gentleman callers? Tom’s patient is also showed by his willingness to respond to Amanda’s story about the gentlemen callers. Tom’s patience to listen and respond to his mother, although he has just conflicted with her, indicates that when he was raised in the complete family he is patient.

4.1.3 Tom is Honest

A person’s character can be shown through the responses he gives. This detail is inline with Murphy 1972: 171. He says about one of the ways to understand a person’s character—speech. Moreover, Lillie 1996: 21 confirms the similar thing to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI that. He confirms that by explaining the action someone is doing, her or his mental process can be understood. Tom is advised to eat properly by his mother, but the way to do so is unacceptable according to him Williams 1698. He is furious about that. Tom’s response to his mother shows his honesty Williams 1698. TOM: I havent enjoyed one bite of this dinner because of your constant directions on how to eat it. Its you that makes me rush through meals with your hawk- like attention to every bite I take. Sickening - spoils my appetite - all this discussion of - animals secretion - salivary glands – mastication Tom’s frank response to the unacceptable manner of advising shows his honesty. He used to be honest so that he says frankly what is in his mind. This fact will change if Tom used to be a liar. It is very possible he will say with higher tones, “I enjoy every bite of this dinner because of your constant direction on how to eat it. With your hawk-like attention to every bite I take, you spoil my appetite”. Although he responds with his uncomfortable feeling but he shows his honesty. Additionally, Tom’s response explains his mental process that he is honest. He does not hide anything.

4.1.4 Tom is Introverted

Murphy 1972: 167 says that an author can give clue to a person’s character through the conversation of other character statements about someone else. In detail, the conversation of the characters will indicate the person’s character. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Laura says that Jim is a very popular boy when he was in the senior high school and everybody liked him Williams 1733. LAURA: You were always surrounded by your own friends so much that I never had a chance to. JIM: You should have just LAURA: Well, I - thought you might think I was -- JIM: Thought I might think you was - what? LAURA: Oh JIM [with reflective relish]: I was beleaguered by females In those days. LAURA: You were terribly popular Jim’s being popular is also admitted by Tom as well Williams 1719. He knows various things about Jim when he was in the senior high school. For example, Tom knows about Jim’s being a leader in debate club, basketball captain, president of the senior class and the like Williams 1719. TOM: ... In high school Jim was a hero. He had tremendous Irish good nature and vitality with the scrubbed and polished look of white chinaware. He seemed to move in a continual spotlight. He was a star in basket-ball, captain of the debating club, president of the senior class and the glee club and he sang the male lead in the annual light operas. He was always running or bounding, never just walking. He seemed always at the point of defeating the law of gravity. He was shooting with such velocity through his adolescence that you would logically expect him to arrive at nothing short of the White House by the time he was thirty. … On the contrary, Tom does not know Jim as a close frie nd, but he knows him as a common one. Instead of knowing Jim as a close friend, he knows him as a popular boy. He can get a lot of information from his friends in the senior high school or from the hearsay. Here, Tom’s being introverted can be deduced from what Jim says. He says that he does not know Tom possesses a sister Williams 1724. This fact PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI indicates that Tom is an introverted person at that time. He does not share things with friend. JIM: Shy, huh? Its unusual to meet a shy girl nowadays. I dont believe you ever mentioned you had a sister. TOM: Well, now you know. I have one. Here is the Post Dispatch. You want a piece of it?

4.2 Tom’s life in the Matriarchal Family