Theory of Critical Approaches Theory of Character

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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter consists of two parts. Those are review of related theories and theoretical framework. In the review of related theories, I discuss The Theory of Critical Approaches, Theory of Character, Theory of Characterization, Theory of Psychology, Theory of Motivation, and Reviews on Literature Marriage Motivation in Japan. The last part is theoretical framework which explains the theories used to analyze the novel.

2.1 Review of Related Theories

In review of related theories, I discuss the theory of critical approaches, theory of character and characterization.

2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approaches

Novel is one of literary works that give us a lot of knowledge and values that it implies. We have to broaden our knowledge so that we understand the novel deeper. To understand the values of the novel, the readers must know critical approaches. According to Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods, the purpose of a critical approach is “to put you in a position to receive some of the positive esthetic values, to provide the means whereby you can understand how literature is shaped and something of what it means” 3. They also state there are five critical approaches. They are formalist approach, biographical approach, sociocultural-historical approach, mythopoeic approach, and psychological 6 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI approach 6-15. In this study, I use the psychological approach. The Psychological Approach uses the theory of human psychology to understand characters in the story 14. Human psychology field is motivation, personality, behavior, emotion, and thought. Through the psychological approach, the character’s personality, motivation, behavior, emotion, and thought can be analyzed.

2.1.2 Theory of Character

Character has an important role in the novel. By understanding the characters in the novel, the readers also understand the story, feeling, and events. In The Junichiro Tanizaki’s The Makika Sisters, I am interested in one of four characters as the main character to be analyzed in this study. In the novel, Junichiro Tanizaki describes Yukiko Makioka’s life clearly. By analyzing Yukiko Makioka’s character, I also get to analyze the motivations of Yukiko Makioka’s family in finding a husband for Yukiko. Therefore, some theories of character are used to give more understandings about what the character is. According to Abrams, “character is the person presented in dramatic or narrative works who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed by moral dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say-the dialogue and what they do-the actions” 21. In the same way, Abrams says characters are the representative of human beings. Characters are presented not only from the narration of the author in his work but also from their and actions which the author shows. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI While Blair says “character is a description of figures in the story. The description includes the description of professions, statements, dialogues, and thoughts. The purpose is to describe what the character is to the readers, such as his behavior and how he lies” 52-54. Milligan states that character can be determined into two terms. There is major and minor character. Major character is the most important character in the literary work because he or she plays the important role. He or she plays from the beginning until the end of the story. He or she often appears more than the other characters. In other word, a major character is the centre of the story. While minor characters are characters who plays less important role in the story. They just appear in certain setting and support the major character to develop the story 155. Another expert, such as Foster, defines two kinds of characters. The first type is a “flat” character. This character is formed in “a single idea or quantity”. The readers usually recognize this character without any difficulty. It is because a flat character does not have a complexity in the sense. The author also usually describes the flat character in a short explanation. The description of this character is not presented in details. It can be in a short sentence 21. The second type is a “round” character. This character is more complex in temperament and motivation. The readers do not easily recognize a round character because this character can change his or her personality. This character is unpredictable. Therefore, he or she is always surprising the readers. The round character is more or less the same as a person in real life 21. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Kenny also says that there are traits that influence the building the whole character. They are physical traits, psychological traits, and social traits. Physical traits are related to the physical appearance of the character, such as handsome, beautiful, thin, fat, tall, short, straight hair, etc. Psychological traits concern with the emotion, intellectuality, feeling, and motivation of the character. Social traits are related to the character’s role in society e.g. the relationship with groups or institutions that are recognized by society 32-34. Therefore, characters in this study are persons who are presented in the story.

2.1.3 Theory of Characterization