Objective of the Study
8 two main elements of a novel that should be employed in a story; they
are the story or the plot and the people or the characters.” Almost the same with others, Little in his book Approach to Literature: An Introduction to
Critical Study of Content and Method in Writing 1981: 91 states that “a novel is greatly concerned with a character so that a novel is expected to
present one or a few characters in considerable depth”. A novel is expected to present the development of characters and explore deeply in
personal relationship of the characters. According to Kenney in his book How to Analyze Fiction 1968: 28-
29, there are two kinds of character, namely: a.
Simple flat characters It is easy to recognize simple or flat characters because the readers see
only one side of the characters and these characters are familiar types to the readers.
b. Complex round characters
The complex or round characters cannot be described only in one phrase. They have some capability in surprising the readers because of
the changes in their character. A little bit different from Kenney, Eastman in Guide to Novel 1965:
18-19 says that “flatness is the natural tool of satire, which simplifies and exaggerates a character’s follies in order to expose them”; while de Laar
and Schonderwoerd in Approach to English Literature 1963: 171 argue
9 that “flat characters are often quite serviceable, especially as comic
characters.” In literary works, characters need to be portrayed by the writer. A
narrative writer has to develop hisher characters of the novel to bring about attractions for readers; this phase is called characterization.
According to Ellen on http:www.tnellen.com, characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes 1
showing the characters appearance, 2 displaying the characters actions, 3 revealing the characters thoughts, 4 letting the character speak, and
5 getting the reactions of others. Rohrberger and Woods in their book Reading and Writing about
Literature 1971: 20 define the word “characterization” as “the process by which an author creates character, the devices by which he makes us
believe a character is the particular type of person he is.” Murphy in his book Understanding Unseens 1972: 161, points out nine ways in which
an author attempts to make his characters understandable to and come alive for his readers, namely:
a. Personal description
The author describes a person’s appearance and clothing. In describing his character, the author uses some adjectives to tell the readers the
details of the character’s appearance such as his face, skin, eyes, and his body. It is important because each character has an individual
aspect so that the reader can have a better imagination.