11 Forster 1972, p. 18 uses different classification from Perrine’s. He
classifies the term character into flat and round characters. A single idea or quality represents a flat character. It means that a flat character has only a monotonous
event or problem in the story. The representation of flat character does not give too much individuality detail. A flat character can be fairly described in a single
phrase or sentence because in flat character, the personality is not described in details. On the other hand, a round character is complex in temperament and
motivation. A round character is represented with subtle particularly. It is hard for reader to guess such character. Round character usually may change in significant
way when he is facing a conflict. Holman and Harmon use the same terms with Perrine. Holman and
Harmon 1986, p. 81 divide it into static and dynamic character. Similar to Perrine, a static character is a character that has little changes or does not change
at all when a thing happens to herhim. On the other hand, a round character based on Holman and Harmon explanation changes whenever a thing happens as the
result of the action. as cited in Wijaya, 2008, p. 11 In this study, the theory of character is needed to analyze Lynette as the
main character in Some Other Summer.
b. Theory of Characterization
What is the difference between character and characterization? This question usually comes up in reader’s mind when he is trying to get an in-depth
understanding when reading literary works. Richard Gill 1995 a character is a person in literary work, while characterization is the way in which a character is
12 created p. 127. In simpler way, it can be said that characterization is a method
and character is the product. According to Rohrberger and Woods 1971, p. 20, characterization is the
process by which the authors create a character, the devices by which he makes us believe that a character is like particular person he is. as cited in Rianda, 2004, p.
15 Through characterization, the author uses some methods to show what the character looks like in the story.
According to Murphy 1972, there are nine methods or devices that are used to describe how an author conveys to the reader about the characters and the
personalities so that the characters understand them p. 161-173. They are: 1
Personal description The author describes a person’s appearances and clothes. Author can
describe clearly, what the characters are like and tell the reader the details of the character’s appearance: the face, skin, eyes, and clothing 1972,
para. 161. It can be inferred that personality of a character can be reflected from the external appearance. Here is the example taken from The Old
Man and The Sea: The old man was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of
his neck. The brown blotches of the benevolent skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The
blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords. 1953, p.
5
From such description, reader can see the appearance of the person in this story. The man in this story is described as an old man who has blotches on
his cheeks and scars on his hands.
13 2
Characters as seen by others The author describes a character through the eyes and opinions of another.
The appearance and or personalities of a character can be seen from what the other characters in the story tell what they see from that character
1972, para. 162-163. For example: “I see that. Shows how dumb the boy is. You’re twice the girl Debbi is,
twice as pretty, too. ” 1982, p. 60
Based on the quotation above, reader can easily understand the appearance of the person. The girl in this story is described as a pretty girl.
3 Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks,
whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clues to his character 1972, p. 164. The
example that is quoted from Dickens’s Dombey and Son is as follow: “Oh Thank you Sir,” said Walter. “You are very kind. I’m sure I
was not thinking of any reward, Sir.” “You are a boy,” said Dombey suddenly and almost fiercely; “and what you think of, or
affect to think of, is of little consequence….” as cited in Murphy, 1972, p. 164
Based on the example given previously, we can understand the character of Dombey. Dombey had little regard of anyone else’s opinions, least of all
for those of a mere boy 1972, para. 164. 4
Past life By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life the author
can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character.
14 This can be done by direct comment by the author through the person’s
thought, through his conversation or through medium of another person 1972, p. 166. In
E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India, Mr McBryde, is described as follow:
He had read and thought a great deal, and, owing to a somewhat unhappy marriage, had evolved a complete philosophy of life ….
as cited in Murphy, 1972, p. 167
The unhappy marriage led McBryde to a philosophical outlook in the present 1972, para. 167.
5 Conversation of others
The author can give clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him 1972, p. 167. The
following example is taken from Graham Greene’s The Heart of the Matter. In this quotation, a wife in the company of a younger man is
watching her husband, a police-officer, leave for an urgent official journey up country. The quotation is as follow:
Side by side they watch Scobie cross the road to the police van. He had taken more whisky than he was accustomed to, and
perhaps that was what made him stumble, “They should have sent a younger man,” Wilson said.
“They never do. He’s the only one the Commissioner trusts.” They watched him climb laboriously in, and she went sadly on.
“Isn’t he the typical second man? The man who always does the work.” as cited in Murphy, 1972, p. 167
In this story, from the conversation of Scobie’s wife we can gather the character of Scobie. He was a hard-working, trustworthy man. Scobie is
the sort of man who will never get to the top of his profession – he is a
15 ‘second man’ who does the work for those already at the top. 1972, para.
167 6
Reactions The author gives a
clue to a person’s character by letting the reader know how that person reacts to various situations and events. 1972, p. 168 the
quality of a character might be expected to be shown when a character deals with various situations and events that he encounter. The following
example is taken from E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India. In the following
quotation, there is an incident where Aziz, an Indian doctor, is arguing with a servant at the door of a European official’s house when some people
came out. The example is as follow: While they argued, the people came out. Both were ladies. Aziz
lifted his hat. The first, who was in evening dress, glanced at the Indian and turned instinctively away. as cited in Murphy, 1972, p.
168
We can see that the doctor, A ziz, was polite, from the word ‘instinctively’
we learn that she was used to considering Indians, no matter who they were, as unimportant and was prejudiced against them. 1972, p. 168
7 Direct comment
In this method, the author describes or comments on a p erson’s character
directly. 1972, p. 170 It means that author might give comment explicitly on the characters and opinion about the characters in the story. Usually, the
comment from the author is written in the story. Murphy 1972 gives an example on this method. The example that is taken from Dombey and Son
is written in the next page.
16 The following example is:
He had imagined that the proud character of his second wife would have been added to his own
– would have merged into it, and exalted his greatness. He had pictured himself haughtier than ever,
with Edith’s haughtiness subservient to his. He had never entertained the possibility of its arraying itself against him. And
now, when he found it rising in his path at every step and turn of his daily life, fixing its cold, defiant and contemptuous face upon him,
this pride of his, instead of withering, or hanging down its head beneath the shock, put forth new shoots, became more concentrated
and intense, more gloomy, sullen, irksome, and unyielding, than it had ever been before. p. 171
In this quotation, Mr. Dombey’s characters are proud, haughty, unyielding, and sullen, and his nature is clearly drawn for us. 1972, para. 171
8 Thoughts
The author gives reader direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this method, he is able to do what he cannot do in real life. He
can tell reader what different people are thinking 1972, p. 172. There is a quotation from The Heart of the Matter that can be used to help the reader
to understand this method. The following quotation is: … He thought to himself, poor Louise, if I had left it to her, where
should we be now? And he admitted straight away that they wouldn’t be here – somewhere far better, better climate, better pay,
better position. as cited in Murphy, 1972, p. 172 Based on the previous quotation, we know that in Scobie was sorry for his
wife. 9
Mannerism The author describes a person’s mannerism, habits or idiosyncrasies which
may also tell us something about his character. 1972, p. 173 In this method, the author shows character’s habit both positive and negative.
17 Murphy 1972, in his books gives an example on the application on this
method. In Lawrence Sterne’s novel, Tristam Shandy, we meet that
marvelous old character Uncle Toby. Uncle Toby is an old soldier living in retirement. However, his peculiarly is that he cannot forget
the days when he fought in the great battles of the European wars. He has maps and plans of all the battles and behind his house he has
an open space where with the help of his manservant, he refights the campaigns of his young days with model soldiers and toy cannons.
Nearly all his talk and all his references are to these battles. He is a lovable old eccentric living in the past. p. 173
3. Motivation
