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2. What are Florens‟s bad experiences revealed in the novel?
3. What are the moral values revealed through Florens‟s bad experiences?
C. Objectives of the Study
This thesis focuses on a black slave girl as the major character in the novel A Mercy. The characteristics of the character are very important to interpret the
author‟s perspective to the readers. This is important to know how the character is created as one of the significant elements in the novel. From a certain character,
the readers know the situation from the story toward the character. The readers get sense of the character
‟s behavior or treatment by other character. Toni Morrison creates Florens as an African young girl slave reveals the character of a silent that
is oppressed by white people around 17
th
century in America. From several bad experiences of the major character, the moral value is seen.
Firstly, the writer finds out how the main character ‟s characteristics
described in the novel. Therefore, the writer flattens several characteristics of the major character. From others characteristics that the author creates, the writer
explains more clearly to identify personal quality based on the theory of character and the theory of characterization such as speech, act, reaction and behavior.
Secondly, the writer explains about the theory of moral value. This theory has several types of theory moral values that can be used to find out the major
character‟s action, attitude and behavior. Message and moral values in literature is used to teach the readers to get the message about moral values in such literary
works.
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From all aspects that are explained above, the aim of the study is written to look for the moral values of the major character. It is revealed through several bad
experiences that those are experienced by the major character in the novel.
D. Definition of Term
To avoid the confusion in understanding some words, defining certain terms which those are used in this study is very important. This definition of term
also makes some words clear because each person may has his or her own interpretation, therefore, some terms in this study is explained in the following.
According to Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, “moral is concerning or based on principles of right or wrong behavior and the
difference between good and evil ” 1992: 862. The meaning of value from
Collins Cobuild: English Dictionary for Advanced Learners is “the value of
something such as a quality, attitude, or method is its importance or usefulness ”
2001: 1733. While according to Longman dictionary of English language and culture
, “values are value standards or principles or idea about worth or importance of certain qualities especially those generally accepted by a particular
group such as moral value ” 1992: 1452. Thus, moral values define as the right or
wrong principle based on human behavior, quality or attitude that can be accepted in a certain particular group or community.
According to Random House Webster’s College Dictionary, “message is
communication delivered in writing, speech, by means of signals” 2003: 832. Message is important thing to convey writing and speech by particular signals.
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Schuller states that “by „something bad‟ we mean : 1 moral evil; 2 non-
moral evil, an evil, therefore, such as sickness, pain, poverty, and error ” 1992:
2052. While in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 3
rd
.ed, experience defining as “an apprehension to through the mind, senses, or
emotions ” 1996: 252. Human being often gets anxiety from bad experiences, the
anxiety comes through hisher mind.
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CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
There are some other researchers and studies with different topic by using A Mercy to be analyzed. Toni Morrison, the writer of the novel, wants to
emphasize interracial adoption, African American girls, and racism. In a single word, A Mercy tells about different race in America around 17
th
century which brings out several bad treatments by white people toward black people especially
for girl, woman and child. Thereby, for the entire story of A Mercy, the writer wants to discuss the intrinsic values. It is the moral values revealed through
F lorens’s bad experiences. There are some other researchers who take novel A
Mercy as an object of a research with different topic and different approach. Leila Baradaran Jamili and Sara Faryam Rad from the Islamic Azad
University, Bojoujerd Branch, Iran, with their essay entitled Unhomeliness: Desconstructing Western Narratives in Toni Morrison’ A Mercy, explain about
the reconstruction of Florens’s Identity in such patriarchal system. They use Homi Bhaha’s idea of unhomeliness, in-between space and hybrid identity. Jamili and
Rad want to set their critical analysis based on Bhabha’s socio-political definition
of colonial studies. The limitation and marginalism toward particular double colonized black woman. They state,
“Morrison’s use of stream of consciousness, as the narrative mode in A Mercy, she wants to use this mode of narration as a
performative act of resistance that challenges the time or causal sequencing of the book of authorial plentitude and completeness” http:omgntng.com, July 1,
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