ways are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation by others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism.
After analyzing Hiccup using the ways of characterization, the writer found several characteristics
which show Hiccup’s dominant and less dominant personalities according to the findings which were found in the novel. The
personalities are considered as dominants when the characteristics of each personality type had at least three clues in each characteristic. The less dominant
personality found in Hiccup is sanguine. Sanguine’s characteristic found in Hiccup
is forgiving towards other. Sanguine’s characteristic, forgiving, only found less than
three times in the story. Therefore, it made the sanguine personality is less dominant personality found in Hiccup. In the other hand, the dominant personalities found in
Hiccup are explained as follows:
1. Phlegmatic
Phlegmatic is a relaxed and quiet personality. Phlegmatic is called as the
watcher. Phlegmatic has several positive and negative characteristics. According to Ekstrand 2012, the
phlegmatic’s positive characteristics are such as kind,
sympathetic, easy going, calm, warm, charitable, and observant. On the other hand, their negative characteristics are such as fearful, indecisive, reluctant, worrier, stay
uninvolved, resist change, and dampen enthusiasm p. 4. Hiccup’s characterization
result shows that his most dominant personality is phlegmatic. The writer found some phlegmatic
’s characteristics in Hiccup. The characteristics are fearful and worried, uninvolved, kind, and unenthusiastic.
1.1 Fearful and Worried
From phlegmatic characteristics that have been found, fearful and worried are on the first place. It is
because there are 10 of 48 clues that are found from chapter one up to ten. The characterizations which show
Hiccup ’s fearful and
worried characteristics are from Hiccup’s thoughts, speeches, direct comments and
reactions. The writer only took three clues to be analyzed in this part. For other clues, see Appendix 5 Table 1.
Hiccup and his friends join
the initiation as the basic rule to be accepted in their tribe. They have to catch their own dragons and train them for the final exam.
The first clue takes place when Hiccup and other boys are in the Wild Dragon Cliff with their teacher namely Gobber. They are going to climb the cliff and enter
the dragon
’s cave where the dragons are sleeping due to hibernation. Every boy has to catch a dragon and put it in the basket without waking them up.
[Excerpt 1] In the unlikely event that you DO wake the dragons -- and you would have
to be IDIOTICALLY STUPID to do so -- run like thunder for the entrance to the cave. Dragons do not like cold weather and the snow will probably
stop them in their tracks. Said Gobber. Probably? thought Hiccup. Oh, well, thats reassuring. p.9 10
In that scene, Hiccup feels uneasy to enter the dragon ’s cave which is
occupied with dragons. He has to join the initiation because if he does not pass the initiation he will be exiled from Berk forever. The punishment feels harder for
Hiccup because he has to pass the initiation for the sake of his father’s name as the chief. Hiccup who is considered useless by almost all of his friends feels worrier to
do the test. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
According to Murphy 1972, characterization can be done by character’s
thought or by giving direct clues to readers about what the character is thinking
about. From Hiccup’s thought we can see that he is not sure that he can come back
alive from the dragon ’s cave. He starts thinking and criticizing about the test even
before the test really starts. Viking is described as a tough and brave tribe so even
though with lack of proper instructions, trainings, and tools to protect them, they will do just fine in the test, except Hiccup.
Hiccup is described as a weak boy who cannot do anything and the opposite of a Viking boy should be. Therefore, when he faces this test, his thought
exaggerates the word “probably” by repeating what Gobber said which is “cold probably can stop the dragons from chasing and hunting them if the boys wake
them up ”. From the exaggeration and repetition of word “probably”, it shows that
Hiccup is worried about the safety of this initiation and himself. Moreover, the meaning of Hiccup’s sarcasm, “Oh, well, thats reassuring”, is that it is just fine
and nothing can go wrong. On the other hand, what Hiccup means is showing the opposite of the real meaning of that phrase which becomes
“this is not reassuring at all and it is not safe
”. From Hiccup’s sarcasm phrase, it shows that he is afraid if
the cold does not stop the dragons from chasing them. The second clue is when the boys are ready to climb the cliff. They have
been tied up into one rope. The first boy is the braver. He is also a good climber. Then, he is
followed by the other boys. Hiccup and Fishlegs are the last to be tied up behind Dogsbreath.
[Excerpt 2] Hiccup and Fishlegs were the last to be tied on, just behind a flushed and
triumphant Dogsbreath. Oh, brilliant, muttered Fishlegs. Im about to enter a cave full of man-eating reptiles tied up to eight complete maniacs.
If we. get to the cave ... said Hiccup nervously, looking up at the sheer black cliff.
It was a perilous climb. The rocks were slippery with snow and the other boys were thoroughly overexcited, making the ascent far too quickly. p.18
Based on Murphy 1972, understanding a character can be seen from his or her speech. From the clue it shows that Hiccup feels nervous when they climb the
cliff. Hiccup responds to Fishlegs with a pessimist answer. He thinks that it is a small chance that they can get to the cave by adding
the word “If” in the beginning of the sentence.
The word “If” which is followed by “if we, get to the cave” shows that he worries about this climbing. He thinks that there is another possibility that
they cannot get to the cliff. The cliff is very steep and dark and makes the climbing is very dangerous. Again, the cliff already makes him scared only by looking at the
end of it. Hiccup’s reaction is different from the other boys who excited about this
climbing. The third clue is when the initiation day. This is the very end of the initiation
test. The boys only have to pass the final test which is catching fishes as many as the dragons can do. Hiccup does not seem
very excited compared to the previous year when he only becomes the supporter not the contestant.
[Excerpt 3] The Young Heroes Final Initiation Test would not start until 2 P.M. that
afternoon, so Hiccup spent the morning listening round-eyed to storytellers telling tall tales of Dirty Danes and pirate princesses. He was sick with
nerves, so he found it difficult to enjoy the occasion as much as he had in previous years. p.106
