past life, speech, thoughts, mannerism, and reactions to the situation arround him. Pi manages to survive through several ways: by recognising and using his
strength, which is made possible by his intelligence; by being realistic about the situation which is facilitated by his spirituality and strong determination. The
messages that are revealed through Pi’s ways to survive are that the mind is human’s greatest strength that it is essential to adapt to the current situation and
that one must not give up easily. Since this second study tries to examine the messages that are revealed
through the main characters, the writer used this study to help him to develop and enrich his study. If Yoewono examined only the characterization of the main
character of the story, the writer will be further explain about the conflicts of the main characters of the play in order to find the message revealed through them.
The characterization and message issues and some detail significances of formalistic approach appeared in Yoewono’s study that is why this study is very
related with the current study.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character and Characterization
Character and characterization are related and cannot be separated from each other. In the real life, human sense of character varies with their ability of
preception and understanding. Character is one of the important elements of a story. It can be considered as a person who has a role in a story. The reader
interpret the characters as having certain characteristic in the way they play in
their roles that are expressed by what they say or their dialogue and what they do or their action Abrams, 1981: 20.
According to A Handbook to Literature by Holman and Harmon 1986: 81, character means a complicated term that includes the idea of the novel
constitution of the human personality, the presence of moral uprightness and the simpler notion of the presence of creatures in art that seem to be human beings of
sort or another. Sylvan Barnet in his book Literature for Composition: Essay, Fiction,
Poetry and Drama 1988: 712 explains that there are some ways to understand the characteristic of a character, it is through:
a. What the characterfigure says How the character says will help the readers interpret herhis
characteristics. b. What the character doesacts
The readers can learn the attitudes or behaviors of a character and they may guess how actually the author creates the character.
c. What other characters say about the character A character interacts with other characters. They share their opinion and
gives comments about that character. Such opinion and comment may reflect the characteristics of the character drawn.
In Reading and Writing about Literature by Mary Rohberger and Samuel Woods, when a protagonist is involved in a conflict with other character, the other
character is called antagonist. Whereas, conflict is not confined to a struggle
between people. The protagonist maybe in conflict with fate or the environment, or his struggle may be an inner one whereby he battles with a part of himself or
with conflicting value system or desires, or his inner conflict may be objectified in a conflict with someone or something outside himself 1971: 20-21.
There are two methods of characterization, they are showing and telling. In showing method, the author only presents his character’s conversation and
action and leaves the reader to infer what motives and dispositions lay behind what they say and do. In telling method, the author himself becomes a land of
narrator in order to describe and evaluate the motives and dispositional qualities of the character Abrams, 1981: 21. Perrine in his book Literature: Structure,
Sound and Sense says: “Characterization must follow three principles in order to be convincing.
Firstly, the characters in the story must have consistency in the way they behave. This consistency might be broken if only there is a sufficient
reason to explain this change of behavior. Secondly, whatever the characters do, they must have clear motivation especially when they break
the consistency of their behaviors. Finally, the characters must appear life like or plausible” 1974: 69.
2. Theory of Conflict
Rohrberger and Woods in Reading and Writing about Literature, explain that conflict is the struggle that occurs between the protagonist and antagonist,
fate or environment, or within the protagonist or with the conflicting value system. It is also called complication. The existence of difficult choices within an
individual’s mind may also be presented as conflict 1971: 180. Conflict does not only show the struggle of protagonist against someone
or something, but also shows some motivations and aim that wants to be achieved
Holman and Harmon, 1986: 108. Moreover, this conflict also implies a theme that the author wants to convey. Conflict may also help the readers to know the
central idea or the theme of the story. To analyze the conflict, certain basic human relationship which is
important in the playwright is needed to explore as stated in the book How to Analyze Drama, some of the common themes are the man and nature, man and
society, universal theme of an abstract nature, and family relationship. Internal conflict refers to a struggle that happens inside the heart and
mind of the protagonist Redman, 1962: 363. This conflict usually does not show any physical struggle.
According to Redman in his book A Second Book of Plays, conflict has an important role in literary work because it always deals with the plot. Conflict
appears from central character’s action in dealing with other forces. Central character or protagonist has a responsibility to bring the conflict to the end.
Conflict is resolved when protagonist succeeds or fails in overcoming the other forces. Sometimes the protagonist gives up when the struggle is too difficult or
worthless 1964: 363. Abrams also mentions that many plots deal with conflict. In addition to
the conflict between individual, there may be the conflict of a protagonist against fate, or against the circumstances that stand between him and a goal he has set
himself, and in some works, the conflict is between opposing desires or values in a character’s of own mind 1981: 128.
