20
learning about human’s character. Related to the novel that the writer wants to analyze, it is portrayed that the issues that Jonas faces, eventually influence
Jonas’s personality. To build the character in the novel, the author has to create the imagination of how the character is described and how they become. In other
words, the representation of a character in literary works cannot be apart from the author’s creation of mind. Like what is stated that “In the narrative writer, we
think of his creation of characters and his ‘invention’ of stories” Wellek Warren, 1956:89.
D. Theoretical Frameworks
To support the analysis, the writer applies several theories in this undergraduate thesis. There are theory of character, theory of characterization,
and theory of personality development. First, the writer uses theory of character by Abrams and Henkle to find out how the main character, Jonas and other
characters are described in the novel. Abrams states that there are two types of characters: flat and round characters, while Henkle states there are two kinds of
character based on the importance: major and minor character. These theories are applied to answer how the character of Jonas is described. Theory of
characterization is also applied to analyze how the characters are presented and characterized by the author. The writer uses Holman and Harmon and Murphy
theories. From characterization, the reader can also get the theme of the novel. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
21
Second, theory of society is applied to analyze the society where Jonas lives and what is the issue in that society. The writer uses theory of society by Young to
find out what is the main issue in the society. Last, the writer uses theory of personality development to reveal Jonas’s
character development. The writer wants to analyze how the character of Jonas develops, the factor of Jonas to leave the community, and the impact in Jonas’ life
and society. Therefore theory of personality development is applied to answer the questions.
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY
In this chapter, the writer discusses the methodology that is used in this study. This chapter consists of three parts, namely Object of the Study, Approach of the
22
Study, and Method of the Study. The first part, object of the study, describes a brief description of the novel. The second part is approach of the study, the writer
explains the approach that is applied in the study. The third is in the method of the study, the researcher explains some steps of analyzing the data.
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study in this analysis is The Giver by Lois Lowry. It is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Boston in 1993. The novel consists of
225 pages, and divided into 23 chapters. The Giver achieved the Newbery Medal and the William Allen White Award, and it is assigned reading in thousands of
schools. The Giver is not the only book written by Lowry. She has written more than 40 books for kids and young adults, ranging from a historical novel about the
Holocaust Number the Stars to a rollicking series about a suburban preteen and her family the Anastasia Krupnik books to a fictionalized account of her sisters
passing A Summer to Die. Many have been wildly popular, but The Giver has been Lowrys greatest success. It is sold more than 12 million copies and has been
adapted into
a play,
a musical
and an
opera http:www.npr.org20140816340170478lois-lowry-says-the-giver-was-
inspired-by-her-fathers-memory-loss
.
The Giver is an interesting novel about a young boy called Jonas who lives in almost perfect society utopian society which are free of crime and sadness. At
the age of 12, children are assigned their jobs, which they will be trained for and do for the rest of their lives. Everything is chosen; from parents to partners. Jonas
23
stands apart from the community when he is chosen to become the new Receiver of Memory.
The society lives without memories of past life. The memories and experiences cause pain and terrible discomfort for the community. Since Jonas has
been transmitted the memories from the giver, Jonas realized that lives needs memories. Since he knew the meaning of a ‘release’ for children and elders, Jonas
plans to escape from the community forever with his brother, Gabriel. In the end of the novel, he saw the first memory on the top of the hill and the ending is not
clear whether Jonas and Gabriel died or found a new place. The ending of the novel is up to the reader’s interpretation.
B. Approach of the Study
The writer uses the psychoanalytic approach in analyzing the character development of Jonas. According to Lois Tyson in Using Critical Theory: How to
Read and Write About Literature, Life is filled with emotional ups and downs, and our hard times as well as our happy times play an important role in our
personal growth. As psychoanalytic theory tells us, we all encounter life-events, as we grow up, that shape our psychological development, and these early
experiences tend to play out in our adult lives Tyson, 2011:81. This statement has certain relation with the character of Jonas in the end of the
story, when he finally decided to escape from the family. Even though he realizes that he does something risky, but he has such psychological motives behind it.
