Those important findings, then, were compiled to build the topic of the study and after that, I formulated them into some problem formulation. In the next
step, I looked for and read many books that were related to the literary research. After collecting the data, I began to analyze the topic. At the first time, I
analyzed Paulo Coelho’s description of Maria’s character. After that, I analyzed Maria’s struggle for better life in relation with her needs. Then, I searched for the
power of attraction in this novel that made it so interesting. Finally, I could discover Maria’s struggle for better life and find out what Paulo Coelho wanted to
say to the readers through his work. 25
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS
This chapter describes the answers of two problems formulated in chapter one. The first analysis deals with the characterization of Maria. The second
analysis is the struggle of Maria for a better life. In answering the question, I will use the theories presented in chapter two.
A. The Description of Maria
Character is one of the important things that should exist in the novel. It is a character that makes the novel interesting from the beginning until the end.
There are various types of character. According to Henkle 92-93, there are two kinds of characters namely major and secondary character. A major character is a
character that becomes the focus of the novel. He or she plays an important role in the novel. A secondary character is a character that less appears in the novel and
helps to support the major character. According to Henkle’s theory, Maria is categorized as a major character because she plays an important role in the novel.
She is the focus of the novel. Forster proposes another theory. He divides character into two, namely flat
characters and round characters 46-51. Referring to the theory, Maria is considered as a character who has round character. She has complex and
dominating traits. She also undergoes some changes after she experiences many things during her journey of life.
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In order to find out how to characterize a character, Murphy proposes nine ways to characterize 161-173. There are personal description, character as seen
by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, direct comment, thought and mannerism. However, in analyzing the character of Maria, I only use
some of them. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, reaction and thought.
1. Beautiful
In the novel, Maria is considered as a beautiful girl in her adolescent age. She has a good physical appearance. Her beauty attracts people and obtains other
girls’ envy. It can be seen from the personal description given by the author. And so Maria’s adolescent years passed. She grew prettier and prettier,
and her sad, mysterious air brought her many suitors Coelho 15.
Maria’s beauty is also seen by the minor characters. One of them is Roger. He is a Swiss man whom Maria meets during her vacation in Rio de Janeiro. He
describes Maria as a beautiful woman. For some time, they kept up this comfortable, meaningless conversation-a
smile here, a smile there-until the man took a small red dictionary out of his pocket and said, in a strange accent: “Bonita” – “pretty” Coelho 20.
Roger also comments on Maria’s physical appearance. He describes Maria as a potential Brazilian girl who will create a great income for his club in Swiss.
On the eve on their departure for Europe, they went to a nightclub, and when Roger saw her dance, he felt pleased with his choice; he was clearly
in the presence of a future great star of Cabaret Cologny, this lovely dark girl with her pale eyes and hair as black as the wing of the grauna the
Brazilian bird often evoked by local author to describe black hair Coelho 34.
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