5 supports in order to convince her father about her rights to study. The only thing
that she needs is her father’s and brother’s blessings to let her go. To be able to continue the study is the most important thing that Dawan
needs to fight for. Besides she loves learning, she also has a dream to be able to lead her people to their freedom and prosperity. Since getting an education is a big
concern for her, she does not stop fighting for it. Through this study, the researcher analysed Dawan’s characterization and the conflicts that happen while
Dawan struggles for her right to study in Bangkok in the novel Sing to the Dawn. This is an inspirational novel which is worth to be read by everyone. The
significance of the conflicts Dawan faces to get education in the novel makes the story interesting. By analysing Dawan’s character and the conflicts upon
struggling for her right to study, this thesis intends to find out Dawan’s description and the meaning of her struggle for her right to study in the city.
Therefore, the focus of this study is to reveal the meaning of Dawan’s struggles
for her right to study in Bangkok.
1.2 Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to reveal Dawan’s struggles in exercising her right to study in Bangkok as seen in Minfong Ho’s Sing to the Dawn.
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1.3 Problem Formulation
There are two research questions formulated in this study.
1.
How is Dawan depicted in the novel?
2.
What are the meanings of Dawan’s struggles for her right to study in Bangkok?
1.4 Benefits of the Study
The benefits of this research are to provide the information needed by the readers who are interested in literary works. By reading Sing to the Dawn the
readers can develop their knowledge about someone’s struggle and determination in getting better education. Next is for the students of English Education Study
Program to use this novel as a reference for their thesis. The researcher hopes that the conclusions and suggestions in the last chapter could help them to build their
motivation in facing their life in the teaching world. Through this study, the researcher also learn more from Dawan’s character on how to build a motivation
and to keep a strong persistence in achieving dreams and goals of life. It helps the researcher to understand the meaning of being persistent and the importance of
education for someone’s life.
1.5 Definition of Terms
In avoiding misunderstanding, it is important to explain the meaning of some terms used in this study. They are struggle and rights.
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1.5.1 Struggle
Struggle is to try very hard to do something when it is difficult or when there are a lot of problems, to fight against somebody or something in order to
prevent a bad situation or result or a hard fight in which people try to obtain or achieve something, especially something that somebody else does not want them
to have According to McKechnie as cited by Fibrianingsih 2010 in her
clare’s struggle for a Better Life as Seen in Constance Briscoe’s ugly states that struggle
is a task or goal requiring much effort to accomplish or achieve something p.6. In t
his study, struggle refers to Dawan’s effort against unfair rules or problems in order to obtain or achieve better education and freedom.
1.5.2 Rights
According to Locke 1973, a philosopher, as cited by Cranston in What are Human Rights? Rights are the right of life, liberty, and property. A Bill of
Right was adopted by a representative convention in Virginia in June 1776, proclaimed that;
“That all man by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they
cannot, by any compact, deprive and divest their posterity: namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing
property and pursuing and obtaining happiness” p. 1 A right belongs to anyone. We by nature equally free and independent and
have inherent rights for enjoyment of life and liberty. In this study, right is the basic need of a person to be free or to be independent person without being bound
by others or certain rules.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
In this chapter, the researcher depicts the theories related to the study. This chapter is divided into two sections. The first section provides a review of related
theories which discusses theory of character and characterization, theory of psychological approach, theory of motivation, theory of human rights, and
criticism. These theories are used to help the researcher to answer the questions of the study. The second section deals with the theoretical framework which
discusses the theories that are used to analyse Ho’s Sing to the Dawn.
2.1 Review of Related Theories
In this part the researcher provides the theories related to the topic of this study. They are theory of character and characterization, theory of human rights,
theory of motivation, theory of psychological approach, and criticism. These theories are used to help the researcher in answering the research questions
formulated in the previous chapter.
2.1.1 Theory of Character
Character plays an important role in the novel. It means that without character there will be no story. According Staton 1965, the word character
commonly has two meanings. The first is the character which means the person who appears in the novel. It designates the individuals who appear in the story.
9 The second is that character which refers to the mixture of interests, desires,
emotions, and moral principles that make up each of these individuals p. 17. Blair 1948 in Better Reading II: Literature states that a character is:
a description of figures in the story. The description includes the description of profession, statements, dialogues, and thoughts. The purpose is to
describe to the readers what a character is like such as his behaviour and how he lives pp. 52-54
Henkle 1977 states that characters can be categorized as major and minor characters. Major characters are created to carry out ideas or messages in a story
to the readers through the character’s feeling, thoughts, actions, and reactions.
Milligan 1983 in The Novel of English also has the same character categorization as Henkle, states that there are two kinds of character such as,
major characters and secondary characters. Major characters are those who appear more often in the story than the other characters, while the minor characters are
those who appear less often in the story. p. 193.
2.1.2 Theory of Characterization
Character and characterization are related to each other, they cannot be separated. In the real life, human sense of character naturally varies with their
power of perception and understanding. Holman and William 1986 state, the characterization is the creation of imaginary person or character found in fictions
drama, novel, short story, or narrative poem. Therefore, characters exist for the readers as lifelike p. 81. They also define that there are three methods of
characterization afterwards: firstly, by the explicit presentation from the author of the character through direct exposition; secondly, by the presentation of the
