Short story Definition of terms

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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

In conducting this study, I present some theories which are relevant to the analysis of the short stories. This chapter consists of three sections to be discussed: theoretical review, critical biography of Edgar Allan Poe, and theoretical framework. Theoretical review consists of two sub-sections: critical approach and theory of gothic fiction. Critical approach explains the approach that I applied in this study which is biographical approach. Theory of gothic fiction explains the features of gothic fiction. Critical biography of Edgar Allan Poe exemplifies the biography of Edgar Allan Poe. Theoretical framework explains how the theories are applied in the analysis of this study.

A. Theoretical Review

1. Critical Approach

As the imitation of life, literary works are rich of values. This makes people give their response based on their own understanding about the works Guerin vii. In giving their response to literary works, people apply an approach or approaches depending on what they focus on. Rohrberger offers five approaches that can be implemented in the study of literature. They are formalist, biographical, socio-cultural historical, mythopoeic, and psychological approach Rohrberger 3. Since, in conducting this study I applied biographical approach, the following explanation would be only about this approach. 7 Biographical approach is an approach which concerns highly on the appreciation of the author’s idea and personality. Moreover, the work of the author can be said as the reflection of the author’s personality. Using this approach means people have to get as much information and data as possible about the author’s life and development hence they can understand the work of the author better Rohrberger 8. It is believed that a piece of literary work reflects the emotion, feeling, ideas and personality of the author in reference to hisher personal life. According to Wellek and Warren, there are several usages of biographical approach: first, it may explain great many allusions or even words in an author’s work; second, it will help us in understanding the most obvious of all strictly developmental problems in the history of literature – the growth, maturation, and possible decline of the author’s works; third, it accumulates materials for other questions of literary history such as author’s personal association with literary men, author’s travels, the landscape, and cities he lived in Wellek and Warren 79. In addition, the proponents of biographical approach stated that “Biographical materials provide useful facts that could put the reader in a better position to understand and appreciate the literary object” Rohrberger 8. Therefore, biographical approach is very helpful to be applied in this study since there must be relation between author’s life, personality, and hisher work. In addition, author’s life and personality can be employed to enhance the understanding about hisher works.