CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter consists of three important parts. They are review of related studies, review of related theories, and theoretical framework. Review of related
studies presents the previous works using The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Reviews of related theories consist of theories which are used in conducting the
study. Meanwhile, theoretical framework contents the explanation how the theories presented are applied in the study.
A. Review of Related Studies
There have been several studies related to The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. Siess 2010 in her article Literary and Essays: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
discusses the conflicts faced by David Henry who is the main character in the novel. She states that David has to face a conflict due to his decision in giving
away Phoebe. He has to pretend as if nothing happened and takes care of his family. On the other hand, he has another obligation which is to look after
Phoebe. In the end, he has to choose between his family’s happiness and Phoebe’s happiness.
The other study is conducted by Poston n.d.. She reveals how the characters in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter seem so real and alive. She especially
discusses David and Norah’s character changing. She states that David becomes a hard and distant man after he decides to get rid of Phoebe. David carries out a
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burden because he is the only person who knows the truth behind the big secret. She adds how David tries to redeem his mistake by sending Caroline’s money.
“He sends money to Caroline for Phoebe, to still his own guilt and fear about the past” as for Norah, she portrays her as a mother ripped from one child. She studies
how Norah suffered from lost. “We watch her struggle with addictions, from alcohol to sex to work, constantly filling the hole left by a daughter she never got
to know”. In the end, she can find her happiness again. “Eventually, Norah finds love again, but the journey is long and full of loss”.
Morisset 2006 in her study Literary Analysis Essay: “The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” discusses the setting of time of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which
is in 1964. In that year, it would not be a problem if parents with disability children such as Down syndrome, send their children to an institution rather than
raise them at home. The reasons are because the conventional thinking that the child would be better care and the rest family members will not feel sad with a
child who has special needs. Morisset also adds the theme of The Memory Keeper’s Daughter which is about family relationship. “Edwards’ debut novel
spans a quarter century from 1964 to 1989, exploring the life of a nuclear family in which one member harbors an unthinkable secret against the backdrop of
rapidly evolving societal roles and expectations”. Besides talking about the setting of time and theme, Morisset slightly discusses the characters.
“Edwards has created characters who reside in the shadows of good and evil, black and white, right and wrong. Each is flawed in hisher own way and it is
the characters’ shortcomings that make them fascinating while compelling the story forward. Edwards skillfully pulls readers into the characters’ emotional
states”2006.
However, this study is different from those previous studies. This study focuses on David’s motivation in getting rid of his Down syndrome’s daughter and the
discussion of David’s character. Eventhough some of the previous works also discuss the character, but in this study, David’s character is deeply explored not
only in general view. The study on David’s motivation to get rid of his daughter is a new study.
B. Review of Related Theories
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