Subject Matter Approach Method of the Study

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CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the writer will discuss three parts namely subject matter, approach and method of the study. The subject matter deals with the major subject of the study. The approach concerns with the literary approach that the writer used to analyze the novel. Method of the study deals with the sources that the writer used in analyzing the study and the procedures concern with the steps used in completing the study.

A. Subject Matter

The thesis studies the novel, Sula, written by Toni Morrison. The novel tells about the frie ndship between two black women, Sula Peace and Nel Wright. They have different personalities because of the ir different pattern of upbringings. Sula lives with her mother, her one-legged-grandmother, and some outsiders in her grandmother’s big house. She grows up as a wild and defiant woman later on because of some experiences in her life. When she is an adult, she imitates the way of her mother’s life. When her best friend, Nel Wright decides to marry a man named Jude Greene, Sula moves to the big city to continue her study. After having many affairs, she becomes bored by the people of the big city who are all the same and she goes back to Bottom. Sula is regarded as the personification of Evil by the society because she has many affairs with Whites and also w ith her best friend’s husband, Jude Greene. Since her affair with Nel Wright’s husband, 16 Sula is alone because Nel breaks off the friendship with Sula. Finally, Sula dies in a painful death, never feels loved, knowing that Nel and the entire town think poorly of her and judge herself of no value.

B. Approach

This study focuses on the influences of family on Sula Peace’s personality. The writer used psychological approach which involves the theory of psychology to understand literary works Rohrberger, 1997: 6-15. The reason why the writer chose this approach is because the influence s of family on one’s personality can be revealed by psychological theories. That is why psychological approach is the most appropriate approach in discussing the problem in this study. By using psychological approach the analysis of the influences of family on Sula Peace’s personality could be done effectively.

C. Method of the Study

In order to complete the study, the writer uses method of the study in analyzing the influences of family on Sula Peace’s personality. It includes library research, primary and secondary data, and the procedures. The primary source is the source that becomes the basis of the writer’s study about Sula. The primary source that is used in the study is the novel, Sula, written by Toni Morrison. It is published by Penguin Group in1973. It has 174 pages. 17 The secondary sources are sources that become the supporting source in giving information in the writer’s study. Firstly, Understanding Psychology written by Kasschau, Human DevelopmentAn Emergent Science written by Pikunas, Child Development written by Hurlock, and The Adolescent written by Rice. Those books are used by the writer to find out the theories of personality. Secondly, the writer used some literary books, such as Understanding The Unseens written by Murphy, A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature written by Guerin, et al., Modern Literary Theory written by R ice and Waugh, A Course Glossary of Contemporary-Literary Theory written by Hawthorn. The literary books are used to get the theory of character and characterization and also the approaches. Besides those books above, there are many other psychology books, literary, and internet sources that support the writer’s analysis. The complete information about all of the books that are used can be found in the bibliography of this study. The research that was conducted in gathering data was a library study. It means that the writer found the books from library and some other places, and borrowed from some friends. The main procedures that the writer used to gain data are reading and taking important notes that helped the writer analyze the novel. Besides that, there were other steps that the writer took during the process of the study. The first one was searching the novel in the library. Second was reading the novel frequently and marking the main points of the content to make it easier to analyze. Third was reading the short summary and character list from the 18 internet which were taken from various websites. Fourth was determining the subject to discuss in this study. It was the influences of family, on Sula Peace’s personality. Fifth was formulating the problems of the study. Sixth was making the analysis by using psychological approach. Seventh, gathering the data from various sources. The last was drawing the conclusion of the study based on the result of the analysis. Then, the analysis of the influences of family could be done effectively. 19

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS