Hope As Reflected In Yann Martel’s Novel Life Of Pi

HOPE AS REFLECTED IN YANN MARTEL’S NOVEL LIFE OF PI
A THESIS
BY
LAURA. N. CHANDRA
REG. NO. 100705014

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA
MEDAN 2015

Universitas Sumatera Utara

HOPE AS REFLECTED IN YANN MARTEL’S NOVEL LIFE OF PI
A THESIS
BY
LAURA. N. CHANDRA
REG. NO. 100705034

SUPERVISOR


CO-SUPERVISOR

(Dr. Martha Pardede, M. S)

(Drs. Siamir Marulafau, M.Hum)

NIP.

195212291979032001

NIP. 195612141986012001

Submitted to Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara Medan in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from Department of English

Universitas Sumatera Utara

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA

MEDAN 2014

Approved by The Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara (USU) Medan as
Thesis for The Sarjana Sastra Examination.

Universitas Sumatera Utara

Head,

Secretary,

( Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, MS )

(Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A. Ph.D.)

NIP. 19541117 198003 1 002

NIP. 19750209 200812 1 002

Universitas Sumatera Utara


Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Sarjana Sastra from the
Department of English, Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara, Medan.

The examination is held in Department of English Faculty of Cultural Studies University of Sumatera Utara on
June16, 2015
Dean of Faculty Cultural Studies
University of Sumatera Utara

Dr. H. Syahron Lubis, MA
NIP. 19511013 197603 1 001
Board of Examiners

(Signature)

Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, MS

……………………………….

Rahmadsyah Rangkuti, M.A. Ph.D.


……………………………….

Dr. Martha Pardede, MS

……………………………….

Drs. Parlindungan Purba, M.Hum

……………………………….

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AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I, LAURA. N. CHANDRA DECLARES THAT I AM THE SOLE AUTHOR OF THIS THESIS EXCEPT WHERE
REFERENCE IS MADE IN THE TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS CONTAINS NO MATERIAL
PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE OR EXTRACTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FROM A THESIS BY WHICH I HAVE
QUALIFIED FOR, OR AWARDED ANOTHER DEGREE. NO OTHER PERSON’S WORK HAS BEEN USED
WITHOUT DUE ACKNOWLEDGE IN THE MAIN TEXT OF THIS THESIS. THIS THESIS HAS NOT BEEN
SUBMITTED FOR THE AWARD OF ANOTHER DEGREE IN ANY TERTIARY EDUCATION.


Signed :
Date : JUNE 2015

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COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
NAME

: LAURA. N. CHANDRA

TITLE OF THESIS : HOPE AS REFLECTED IN YANN MARTEL’S NOVEL LIFE OF PI

QUALIFICATION : S-1/SARJANA SASTRA
DEPARTMENT

: ENGLISH

I AM WILLING THAT MY THESIS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR REPRODUCTION AT THE DISCRETION
OF THE LIBRARIAN OF DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, FACULTY OF CULTURAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY

OF SUMATERA UTARA ON THE UNDERSTANDING

THAT USERS ARE MADE AWARE OF THEIR

OBLIGATION UNDER THE LAW OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA.
Signed

:

Date

: JUNE 2015

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to thank and praise my Lord Jesus Christ, for His blessing and mercy so I can finished
this thesis as one of the requirements to get Scholar Certificate in English Department, Faculty of Cultural Studies, University
of Sumatera Utara.

A great many thanks are dedicated to Dr. H Syahron Lubis, M.A, The Dean of Studies Cultural Faculty, University of
Sumatera Utara who has authority in my academic years of learning. Thanks to Dr. H. Muhizar Muchtar, MS, The Head of
English Department who has helped me with his leadership to finished my study. I also say thank you to Rahmadsyah
Rangkuti, M.A. Ph.D as the Secretary of English Department who has helped me also in registration and checked my thesis.
I would say thank you so much for my SupervisorDr. Martha Pardede, M.S and my Co-Supervisor Drs.Siamir
Marulafau,M.Hum for their helped and supported through correcting my writing in this thesis and also give me some
suggestion about my content. I am eternally grateful for their generosity with their time, efforts, and support; I would be lost
at tuft without them. Thanks to Dr. Drs. Matius Cikepen A. Sembiring, M.A as my academic supervisor who always support
me from the beginning until I finished my study. I would also like to thank you for all the lecturers of English Department,

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University of Sumatera Utara who are giving me so much knowledge. Thanks to Alm. Bang Am, Bang Mistam and Kak Tika
for so much helped in registration and administration.
I must also thanks to my incredible family, my supermom Rosita Elizabeth Situmorang and my alm dad Canawa
Chandra thank you so much for everything. Thanks for every prayer you send everyday, your support, and every bad
situation you defeat to help me graduate although I’ve been late for about a year. I was crying to type this Mom, but everytime
I write your name I feel so alive. Thank you for tolerating me in my moments of despair when it seemed uncertain that I
would be able to complete all of the projects that I have undertaken. I am so excited to have you both. Be long life and I will
try my best. And also thank you so much to my inspiring siblings, Ricky. J. D. Chandra and Yohanes. F. Chandra and also my

sister in law, Kak Ika who always support me and give me strength from your words and your smile. And I would like to give
my special thanks to My Tulang and Nantulang Ida, Tante Ine, and all my Uncles and aunties.
Thanks to my Bataknese Headbangers Community, Youth GBI Menteng, Gotrilahesamajajoli, and my Solidaritas
Mahasiswa Silindung (SMS), for all the moments we had shared together in discussing about God and our lives. Thank you
for all of my friends in Sastra Inggris 2010 B, I love you so much all. And I also thank my Keluarga Sirkus Hanny, Tami,
Hetty. Those crazy girls help me enduring through my difficult time. You are more than sisters to me. I love you mblo. Thank
you so much for all of my friends who have been helped me so much in finishing my thesis: my bromen Rinaldy Nicko
Silaban, my qaqa Elkana Lumban Tobing and of course my little rempong mom Naniek BJ Matanari. A special thanks is also

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given to my Will: Christian Adiguna Ho. Thank you for loving me and helping me to be better day by day. May God be with
you and your family always. Another friends I would like to thank: Fauzi Iskandar, Fandy, Vista, Dadar wiwin, Iyot, Anna
dkk, Udak Ridho, Cece, Horbowati, Pisang, Clara Patricia/yayak, Manuel Tobing, Andreas, Fadil, Ryan (thanks for donating
your bloods when I was sick during this big project), Pebos, Mak Venny, and kost Marakas 64 (Beijing). Without any helps
and support from all parties, this thesis would not be completed. Finally, I expect this paper would be useful for the readers in
future.

Medan, Juni 2015
The Writer


(LAURA. N. CHANDRA)
REG. No. 100705014

Universitas Sumatera Utara

ABSTRAK

Judul dari skripsi ini adalah Hope as Reflected in Yann Martel’s Novel Life of Pi. Ditulis orang seorang novelis
Kanada yang telah mengunjungi India untuk belajar kebudayaan dan nilai-nilai kehidupan, novel ini diperkaya dengan nilainilai budaya dan moral. Secara keseluruhan, novel ini bercerita tentang harapan yang menuntun orang-orang kepada hidup
yang lebih baik melalui cara ber-inovasi, mempunyai kesiapan diri yang baik, dan rasa percaya akan adanya suatu kekuatan
supernatural (Tuhan). Banyaknya orang-orang yang tidak memiliki harapan, oleh sebab itu skripsi ini secara khusus bertujuan
untuk mengingatkan bahwa harapan adalah sesuatu yang harus diperjuangkan. Melihat maraknya kasus bunuh diri, konsumsi
narkoba, dan gaya hidup buruk yang disebabkan oleh hidup yang tanpa harapan, penulis berupaya menunjukkan bahwa
harapan dibutuhkan oleh orang-orang untuk memperoleh kebahagiaan dan tujuan hidup melalui novel Life of Pi. Metode yang
digunakan dalam penulisan skripsi ini adalah Kualitatif Deskriptif, dan teori yang digunakan adalah pendekatan struktural.

Kata Kunci: harapan, Tuhan, Kehidupan

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ABSTRACT

The title of this thesis is Hope as Reflected in Yann Martel’s Novel Life of Pi. Written by a Canadian novelist who has
visited India to learn about the culture and life values, this novel is enriched with cultural and moral value. Mostly, the novel
talks about hope that leads people to a better life by being innovative, having a good self preparation and believing in
supernatural power (God). Because of many people all around the world are hopeless, this thesis is mainly aimed at remaining
people that hope is something that must be defended. Seeing that there are so many suicidals, drugs consumptions and bad life
styles causing by a hopeless life, the writer tries to show that hope is necessary for people to get happiness and goal in their
life through Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. The method used in writing this thesis is qualitative descriptive and the theory used in
analyzing the novel is structural approach.

Keywords: hope, God, life

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

AUTHOR’S DECLARATION ............................................................................................................................................. v
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION ......................................................................................................................................... vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................vii
ABSTRAK.............................................................................................................................................................................. x
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................................................... xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................................xii
LIST OF FIGURE .............................................................................................................................................................. xiv
APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................................................... xv

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study ............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Problem of the Study .................................................................................................................................. 8
1.3 Objective of the Study ................................................................................................................................ 8
1.4 Scope of the Study ..................................................................................................................................... 9
1.5 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................................... 9

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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1.Structural Approach .................................................................................................................................. 10
2.2. Novel ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
2.2.1. Intrinsic Elements of The Novel ............................................................................................................ 15
2.3. General Description of Hope .................................................................................................................... 23

CHAPTER III METHOD OF THE STUDY
3.1 Data Collecting Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 27
3.2 Data Selecting Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 28
3.3. Data Analyzing Procedure........................................................................................................................ 28
3.4. Conclusion and Suggestion ..................................................................................................................... 30

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS AND FINDING
4.1Hope As Reflected in Yann Martel’s Novel Life of Pi ................................................................................ 31
4.1.1. In India Before the Accident.................................................................................................................. 31
4.1.2. The Accident in the Middle of Pacific Ocean ........................................................................................ 34
4.1.3. In Mexico After The Accident ............................................................................................................... 56
4.2. The Function of Having Hope as Reflected in Life of Pi .......................................................................... 57

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4.2.1. Hope Enables People to be Innovative in Their Worst Situation

........................................ 58

4.2.2. Hope Enables People to Prepare Themselves Ready for the

Worst Situation .............. 59

4.2.3. Hope Leads People to Believe in Supernatural Power ........................................................................... 60
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 69
5.2 Suggestion ................................................................................................................................................ 69
REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................................... 71

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LIST OF FIGURE

3.1. Figure of Research Design .............................................................................................................................................. 29
4.1.Structure of Event in India ............................................................................................................................................... 34
4.2. Structure of Event in Pacific Ocean ................................................................................................................................. 55
4.3. Structure of Event in Mexico ........................................................................................................................................... 57
4.4. Hope As Reflected in Life of Pi ....................................................................................................................................... 66
4.5.Structure of Event in Life of Pi ......................................................................................................................................... 67
4.6. The Function of Having Hope in Life of Pi ...................................................................................................................... 68

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