Loyalty of bhisma in Cakravanthi V. Narasimhan`s Mahabharata - USD Repository

LOYALTY OF BHISMA

  

IN CAKRAVANTHI V. NARASIMHAN’S MAHABHARATA

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

  By: Kusmahardika T. Student Number: 014214118 ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2008

LOYALTY OF BHISMA

  

i

  

IN CAKRAVANTHI V. NARASIMHAN’S MAHABHARATA

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

  By: Kusmahardika T. Student Number: 014214118

ENGLISH LETTER STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FACULTY OF LETTERS

SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA

  

2008 ii

iii

  Be a brave man And believe in the spirit inside your heart

   (Tiga) Dreams always shine brightly Though you fail and fall Do not give up and run into that light Surely someday you will reach that light When you reach that light You will become the light itself (Gekikou Sentai Carranger) There is but one path to travel.

  It is the path of our lives.

   (Yume Tsukaima)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many obstacles occurred during this study, but because of the supports and

helps from many sides, finally I could finish this study. For their help, I want to

express my deepest gratitude to Dra. Th. Enny Anggraini, M.A. as my major advisor

and Ni Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M. Hum. as my co-advisor, for sparing their time

to guide me and for sharing their knowledge with me.

  I am also grateful to all my lecturers at Sanata Dharma University who have

patiently taught and enriched me with invaluable knowledge and advice. My gratitude

also goes to mbak Nik who has patiently served all of the students’ needs, mas Paryo

and mbak Elis, thank you for sharing laugh and jokes. And also for all the Sanata

Dharma University’s staff who have done their best in serving the university students.

  My special thanks go to my friends for their support and suggestions, I have

shared unforgettable moment that will always be useful for my future life. Thanks to

Maria, Roy, Elika and Alice who have helped me much during this study with their

support and lent me books that I needed. To my best friends, Lucky and Thomas who

have support and encourage me. Special thanks also go to all members of YTFC,

especially Danu. Thank you, this is the happiest moment in my life that I will keep in my heart forever.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  

TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………………... i

APPROVAL PAGE ……………………………………………………............. ii

ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………………… iii

MOTTO PAGE ……………………………………………………………….... iv

AGREEMENT PAGE …………………………………………………………. v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………….... vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………….... viii

ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………………. x

ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………… xi

  CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………... 1 A. Background of the Study ……………………………………………. 1 B. Problem Formulation ………………………………………………... 5 C. Objectives of the Study ……………………………………………… 6

CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW ..…………………………. 7

A. Review of Related Studies …………………………………………... 7 B. Review of Related Theories …………………………………………. 8

  1. Theories of Characters ……………………………………………. 8

  2. Theories of Characterization ……………………………………… 10

  3. Theories of Loyalty ……………………………………………….. 14

  4. Theories of Morals and Morality …………………………………... 18

  5. The Relation Between Literature and Morality …………………… 20

  C. Theoretical Framework ……………………………………………… 22

  

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY …………………………………….. 24

A. Object of the Study ………………………………………………….. 24 B. Approach of the Study ………………………………………………. 25 C. Method of the Study ………………………………………………… 26

CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ……………………………………………… 28

A. The Characteristic of Bhisma ………………………………………… 28

  1. Skilful and Clever ………………………………………………… 28

  2. Brave, Heroic and Great Warrior ………………………………… 31

  3. Wise ………………………………………………………………. 33

  4. Bhisma’s love for and care of his family and country ……………. 35

  5. Responsible ……………………………………………………….. 39

6. Religious …………………………………………………………. 41

  7. Noble and Holy …………………………………………………... 42

B. The Loyalty Shown in Bhisma ……………………………………….. 43

  

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ………………………………………… 58

BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………… 63

APPENDICES …………………………………………………………………. 65

Appendix 1 …………………………………………………………….... 65 Appendix 2 ……………………………………………………………… 68 Appendix 3 ……………………………………………………………… 69

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ABSTRACT

Kusmahardika T (2008). The Loyalty of Bhisma Seen in Cakravanthi V.

  

Narasimhan’s The Mahabharata. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters,

Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.

  This study analyzes novel The Mahabharata by C. V. Narasimhan’s. The

story of Mahabharata is the great epic saga of Kuru’s dynasty, the Pandavas and the

Kauravas. In Kauravas army, there is a great warrior named Bhisma. He leads

Kauravas’ army against Pandavas’ army to protect his beloved country, Hastinapura.

I am interested in this novel because of Bhisma’s dedication, sacrifices, and loyalty

toward the kingdom of Hastina and its people.

  This study consists of two problems. The first problem how Bhisma is

characterized in The Mahabharata Story. The second problem how does Bhisma’s

loyalty is shown. Based on these problems, this study has two purposes. The first is to

analyze Bhisma’s character, and the second to find out how loyalty is shown in

Bhisma.

  To fulfil the purposes of this study, the approach applied in this study is the

moral-philosophical approach. The main source is taken from The Mahabharata novel

and some books that have a relation to Mahabharata are used as the second source. To

analyze Bhisma’s loyalty, the writer uses several theories namely the theories of

character, characterization, loyalty, morals and morality, and the theory of

relationship between literature and morality.

  After analyzing the story the writer concluded that Bhisma’s character are

skillful and clever, brave, heroic and great warrior, wise, love for and caring of his

family and country, responsible, religious, noble and holy. His loyalty are shown

when he said vow of celibacy for his father’s sake and when he kept his vow through

many obstacles and war. He is keeping his vow until his last breath. Bhisma gives

himself totally to bring prosperity to Hastinapura. Because of his total dedication, he

gains admiration and honours not only by his family members and his friends but also

by his enemy. Bhisma’s character and actions are worth to follow by us especially for

countries leader. His dedication and his self-sacrifice and his loyalty for his country

set a good example for us to follow. The character of Bhisma makes Mahabharata

story, not only a story of goodness and evil but also a story of responsibility, loyalty,

morality and prudent.

  Bhisma also teaches us that good things will enlighten the world. It means

that, from morality’s point of view, a good heart can bring us safety, luck and

guidance for eternity. Life is not about what we can get but about what we can do for

our nation and country.

x

  

ABSTRAK

Kusmahardika T (2008). The Loyalty of Bhisma Seen in Cakrevanthi V.

  

Narasimhan’s The Mahabharata. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Sastra Inggris,

Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma.

  Skripsi ini membahas novel The Mahabharata, karya C. V. Narasimhan. The

Mahabharata yang menceritakan tentang perang besar keluarga Bharata, antara

Pandavas dan Kauravas. Dalam pasukan Kauravas, terdapat prajurit besar bernama

Bhisma. Ia memimpin pasukan Kauravas melawan pasukan Pandavas, untuk

melindungi tanah kelahirannya Hastinapura. Saya tertarik dengan karya ini karena

dedikasi, pengorbanan, dan kesetiaan Bhisma terhadap kerajaan Hastinapura dan

rakyatnya.

  Skripsi ini memuat dua permasalahan. Permasalahan yang pertama adalah

“Bagaimana karakter Bhisma terbentuk dalam kisah Mahabharata?” Dan

permasalahan yang kedua adalah “Kapan dan bagaimana loyalitas ditunjukkan dalam

diri Bhisma?” Berdasarkan dua permasalahan ini, skripsi ini memiliki dua tujuan.

Yang pertama adalah menganalisis karakter Bhisma, dan yang kedua adalah

menemukan kapan dan juga cara yang digunakan Bhisma untuk menunjukkan

loyalitasnya.

  Untuk mencapai tujuan dari skripsi ini, metode yang digunakan dalam skripsi

ini adalah metode moral-philosophical. Sumber utama didapat dari novel The

Mahabharata dan beberapa buku yang berhubungan dengan kisah Mahabharata

digunakan sebagai sumber data sekunder. Untuk menganalisa loyalitas Bhisma

digunakan beberapa teori yang digunakan yaitu teori karater, karakterisasi, loyalitas,

moral dan moralitas, dan hubungan antara literature dan moralitas.

  Berdasarkan analisis dapat disimpulkan bahwa Bhisma karakter meliputi

cerdas dan ahli, berani, heroik dan seorang prajurit besar, bijaksana, mencintai dan

peduli pada keluarga dan negaranya, bertanggungjawab, religius, terhormat dan suci.

Loyalitasnya diperlihatkan saat ia mengucapkan sumpah untuk membujang dan saat

ia memegang teguh sumpahnya itu melalui berbagai rintangan dan perang. Ia

mempertahankan sumpahnya hingga hembusan nafas terakhirnya. Bhisma di dalam

Mahabaratha memiliki pengabdian yang tulus dalam mencintai dan membaktikan

dirinya untuk negara. Ia sangat dihormati dan dikagumi oleh keluarga, teman dan

bahkan musuhnya. Karena totalitas pengabdiannya itu, karakter dan tindakannya

pantas diteladani oleh kita dan para pemimpin negara. Dedikasinya, pengorbanannya

dan kesetiaan kepada negerinya dapat dijadikan contoh untuk tegaknya sebuah

negara Dengan adanya Bhisma kisah Mahabharata tidak hanya menjadi kisah

.

peperangan antara yang baik dan jahat, tapi menjadi kisah tentang tanggung jawab,

loyalitas, moral dan budi pekerti. xi

  Bhisma juga mengajarkan kita bahwa kebaikan akan menerangi dunia.

Artinya hati yang baik dipandang dari sisi positif nilai moral, dapat menghantar kita

pada keberuntungan, keselamatan dan tuntunan hidup di dunia yang dipenuhi

kejahatan. Hidup bukanlah tentang apa yang dapat kita raih, tapi hidup adalah tentang

apa yang bisa kita perbuat dan berikan kepada sesama, bangsa dan negara.

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Literature can be represented as human being’s manifestation of life. It

  usually describes human being’s experiences of life. It can give readers pleasure, enjoyment, or fantasy when they are reading a piece of literary work. Literature can also give a kind of lesson of life by understanding and learning the content of literary works the readers are reading. It can be a means to express human’s feelings, problems, social relationships, or even the reality of daily life. It was stated by Moody in the following quotation:

  And all of us who read literary work will find our knowledge broadened and deepened, whether in the individual, the social, the racial. Or in the internal sphere; we shall understand the possibilities of human life, both for good and evil; we shall understand how we come to live at particular time and place, with all its pleasure and vexations and problems we shall understand the ways onwards which are open to us, and we shall perhaps be able to make right rather than wrong choices. (1968: 2-3).

  It is obvious that the readers can realize their problems of life by reading a piece of literary work such as poems, novels, or plays. The readers can also get a lot of experiences from the activity of reading a piece of literary work. Literary works also enriches their knowledge and give them a kind of guidance to endure their life in a better way. It can make the readers wiser to decide something related to their choices. And helps them to face the world with its problems realistically.

  2 Therefore, the readers can learn many things from literature which may give a very good lesson for human’s life.

  A piece of literature is considered to be great, rich, and highly valuable if it has the capability of exploiting and expressing the elements that making up life, for example: life, suffering, struggles, strength, goodness, virtue, love, patience, wisdom, hope, and joy. Literature may have the power to change human life, or at least influence it (Harvey, 1968: 14). Laurance Perrine says that “it is understandable because literature provides the authentic insights of life. It can broaden and deepen and sharpen our awareness of life.” (Perrine, 1978:3)

  Since literature presents us the authentic insights of life, it helps us understand better of the human problems, sadness, disappointments and difficulties. By reading literature, we are becoming aware of our world and lives, which are so deep and various. Therefore, we will be more confident in facing our lives in our real world.

  Wellek and Warren stated that literature, can be an imitation of life and of social life endured by man (1956: 95). Moreover, literature can contain of social aspects such as, social relationship or social values in which particular social circumstances rules the way of life of certain group of people. Literature can also be regarded as a means of communication with certain society. The author is able to establish a communication with certain society or even a nation by composing a particular piece of literary work. In some way, literature can also contain some aspects of life such as moral, history, psychology, or social. Thus, the author can

  3 describe social condition, a history of certain reign in certain era, or social values of certain society or of certain places.

  Moral is a kind of judgment about what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong in human life. Moral value is used in the society to measure the goodness of a person as a human being. Longman says, “Moral, first, concerning or based on principles of right and wrong behaviour and the difference between good and evil” (1992: 862).

  The writer choose The Mahabharata as the object of study because

  

Mahabharata is an epic full of philosophical teaching and contains many moral

  values. It tells the readers about human attitudes and behaviour that might build morals in real life. In truth, the story of The Mahabharata is a very long one. It is the longest epic poem in the world that could be a very good example in human life. The Mahabharata includes the aspect of religions and ethnics, politics and governments, philosophies, moral values and the pursuit of salvation. The shortest recession of the Sanskrit version of The Mahabharata consists 88.000 verses. The main story, however, is the story of the rivalry between the cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, which culminates in the great battle of Kurukshetra.

  As Guerin says (1979: 18), those ideas and issues come from human attitudes and behaviour in which the wishes or dreams, most sensitive minds bring all experiences, information and human feeling to consider. Sri Mulyono also says that the characters and the stories are the orders of morals. “They are exemplary tales, and they teach the audience to judge the right and wrong, presenting models

  4 of good and bad deeds, to be imitated or to be avoided, as the case maybe” (1977: 152).

  Chakravanti V. Narasimhan introduces the story with its central theme of the universal destruction and evil of war. He translates the Mahabharata Hindi poem into a prose. His prose translation approximately 4000 verses and supplied by glossaries, genealogies, table, and indexes that correlate with the verses of the original Sanskrit texts.

  After reading Cakravanthi V. Narasimhan’s The Mahabharata, the writer is interested with its moral value, especially the loyality value. Loyalty is the evidence of love which is not easily changed by life’s hardship (Darmawijaya, 1986: 46). Such loyalty becomes the proof of an individual service to others.

  Therefore, loyalty also has the inestimable role in the living process.

  This Cakravanthi V. Narasimhan’s Mahabharata version becomes the main source to analyze Bhisma’s loyalty and his heroic figure. Because the story is in the form of prose, it is easier to understand and it has the same story line and content with the original form. Besides that, there are various dilemma of life that Bhisma had to face which make it interesting to be analyzed, how he takes the right action according to maintain his vow and his loyalty toward his country.

  Those are morality examples that rarely happen in the present life.

  If one country does not have its hero, who is loyal to protect other’s interest, the country will be easily destroyed by the enemy. If a father or a mother in a family does not have such loyalty to his or her wedding vow, not only the children will suffer a lot in their life, but also the society, will inherits the bad

  5 people who only know how to entertain themselves and who are reluctant to sacrifice for others. If someone is not loyal to his inner feeling anymore, his life is a false; it looks beautiful outside but rotten inside. Loyalty certainly becomes the base of living together. It plays an important role for building a life. The stronger his or her loyalty is, the more beautiful the building of life will be, because it has a strong base to build many kinds of various life.

  Because of the writer’s interest above, the writer is interested in examining Bhisma, one of the characters in The Mahabharata story. The writer finds out that Bhisma plays an important role to Hastinapura Kingdom since his young age until his last time. Even after he loses his right as a Hastinapura’s heir, he becomes an advisor of the king of Hastinapura for three generations. He has a deep feeling for Hastinapura. He dedicates all of his life to Hastinapura Kingdom and Hastina’s people. His dedications, sacrifices and loyalty toward his country make people admire him. Therefore the writer tends to analyze the character of Bhisma and tries to find out how loyalty is shown in Bhisma in The Mahabharata story.

B. Problem Formulation

  Loyalty or obedience is one of the main keys to reach prosperous life. If every one is loyal to their environment, society, religion, and country, surely happiness, prosperity, and peace can be obtained. Therefore the loyalty is worth to discuss with its relation to Bhisma. Based on the background of the this study, there are two problems, which are formulated as follows:

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  1. How Bhisma is characterized in The Mahabharata Story.

  2. How is loyalty shown in Bhisma?

C. Objectives of the Study

  The analysis is done to answer all the questions stated in problem formulation, which mainly deal with Bhisma’s characters and his loyalty. The writer would like to focus on describing how Bhisma is characterised in The

  

Mahabharata Story. As for the second question, the writer tries to find out how

  loyalty is shown in Bhisma in The Mahabharata Story, relates with the conception of Moral and the values of dignity.

  7

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies A good novel attracts responses from other writers, comment or criticism

  toward intrinsic aspects of a novel such as plot, theme, characters and extrinsic aspect of the novel. The problems in the novel sometimes attract other writer’s criticism. Cakravanthi V. Narasimhan’s novel also attracts other writers and literary critics to give comment or criticism.

  Prasad Gokhale says in his article that The Mahabharata is one of India’s noblest heritages, and it is has been a elevated influence for thousands of years. Its strengthens the soul and drives home, as nothing else does, the vanity if ambition and evil and the futility of of anger and hatred. The Mahabharata is not merely an "epic"; it is a romance, telling the tale of heroic men and women and some who were divine. It is a whole literature in itself, containing code of life; philosophy of social and ethical relations, a speculative thought of human problems that is hard to rival. The "epic" has been an unfailing and perenial source of spiritual strength.

  (www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/ancient/mahabharat/mahab_interp.html) Mangalagiri also says that The Mahabharata is a story over five hundred years old, or even more. It is about human nature at its best and worst, deception in various shades and the way out of this cycle of life and death. (www.shvoong.com/books/classic-literature/1689589-mahabharata)

  7

  8 According to Anirudhgulur, the Indian Epic The Mahabharata contains scenes of war, faith, love, duty, loyalty, adventure. One of the reasons why it is a great book is that there are a large number of characters in the book having different natures. Even the good natured characters do wrong things at times and vice-versa. It is clearly a delight to read about how the characters have to deal with their personalities at different stages of the book. Secondly the 18 day war almost at the end of the book is supposedly its greatest plus point as one can learn so many lessons from it.

  (www.shvoong.com/books/mythology/1665046-mahabharata) This study focuses on the loyalty which is shown by Bhisma through his characters and acts. This study also discusses the loyalty of the main character toward his country and family.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theories of Characters

  To understand how a character is described in literature, we need to understand the theory of character. Through this theory we can understand how a character is created in a piece of literature.

  In Glossary of Literary Terms (1981: 20-21) Abrams defines character as “the persons in dramatic narrative work, who are presented by the author as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that can be evaluated from the dialogue and the action among the person."

  9 When we think of the function or role of characters for the whole novel, characters according to Harvey can be divided into major characters and secondary characters. The most important from the perspective of the range from the minor to the major, is the major characters. Their motivation and history are most fully established. They face conflicts and changes as the story of the novel progresses. They engage our responses more sully and steadily. If we understand them, we presumably understand the core of the novel (Harvey 1968: 56).

  There are three factors that determine the importance of a character in a novel. The first is the amount of attention given to him/her (Henkle, 1977: 90). If people in a novel continually talk about a character, we can assume that he is prominent in the novel. He is also assumed as the major character, if he attracts us to observe him closely and if he often appears in the novel. The second is the intensity that a character seems to transmit (Henkle, 1977: 91). What Henkle means by intensity is mystery. Mysterious people usually fascinate us. We tend to note people better if they have an enigmatic personality than those who reveal too much of themselves.

  The last factor that determines the importance of a character in a novel is the complexity, Richard M. Eastman explains that a complex character bears individual traits which set him off his type (Richard M., 1965: 18). His desires and values are likely to pill in different directions. He is also dynamic, meaning he is capable of new kinds of behaviour under new strings. However, Henkle further explains that intensity as a character trait attracts our attention so effectively; as

  10 the result, it can replace those two other factors: attention and complexity, in the creation of major character (Henkle, 1977: 91).

  Holman and Harmon (1986) define character` as the idea of the moral constitution of human personality, the precense of moral value and the precense of the creature in art in the form of human being. The character is also a brief description of a person, which has some definite quality. The person is not described as an individualized personality or physical appearance but as an example of person’s characteristic on virtue or habit or disposition or event status such as a grumbler or complainer, a glutton, a blabbermouth or big mouth, a fop or unmarried person, etc. In this study, the writer will focus on the character of Bhisma.

2. Theories of Characterization

  Talking about character and characterization both have a close relationship and define on each other. But even though they seem almost the same, character is different from characterization.

  According to Baldick, “character is a person in a narrative or dramatic work. It is different from characterization in that character is the result, while characterization is the process” (1990: 83). Rohrberger and Woods in their book

  

Reading and Writing about Literature say, “Characterization is the representation

  of persons in narrative and dramatic works” (1971: 20). Characterization is a way to portray the characters in the story.

  11 Characterization is the way of creating an imaginary person so that he/she exist for the readers as life like (Holman and Harmon, 1986: 81). To Rohrberger and Woods, it is “the process by which an author creates character, the devices by which she makes us believe a character is the particular type of person is” (1971: 81).

  Stated in Webster’s Encyclopaedia Unabridged Dictionary of the English

  

Language, that characterization is “The delineation of character or creation of

  character in a play, story, or novel, especially by imitating or dissembling actions, utterances, and gestures” (1989: 248). It means that characterization is the result of characterizing of human beings. According to Holman and Halmon (1986: 81), the author always reveals the character of imaginary persons in the story. It is called characterization. There are three fundamental methods of characterization: First, the explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct exposition, either in an introductory block or move often a piecemeal, throughout the work, illustrated by action. Second, the presentation of the character in action, with little or no explicit comment by the author, in the expectation that the reader will be able to deduce the attributive of the actor from the action. And third, the representation from within a character without comment on the character by the author, of the impact of actions and emotions on the character’s inner self, with the expectation that the reader will come to a clear understanding of the attributes.

  Therefore, M.J. Murphy in Understanding Unseen (1972: 161-173) provides nine ways on how the author presents the characters, as follows:

  12 a. Personal description

  The author describes the characters through the details of his appearance, which are shown in the physical appearance, it is shown that the character is strong or weak, tall or small, fat or thin, with curly hair or blonde, of white or black skin, and handsome or beautiful. Personal description helps the readers both to visualize the person and to understand his characteristics.

  b. Character as seen by another The author describes the character through the eyes and opinions of other characters. The other characters will give an explanation about what a character is like. The readers can also use their point of view to describe certain character.

  c. Speech The author gives the readers an insight into the character in the work through what a person says. It can be seen whenever a person speaks, wherever he/she is in conversation with other character, wherever he /she puts forward an opinion, we can see his/her character.

  d. Past life The readers learn to know the character’s personality by learning something about a person’s past life. The author gives the readers a clue to events that helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author and through the person’s thoughts, his conversation or the medium of another person life. Whenever the author provides picture of the character’s past life, it can be traced and learn to help us figure out his motives of recent actions.

  13 e. Conversation of others

  The author gives the readers clues to a person’s character through the conversation of other people and things they say about him. We need to pay attention to conversation of other character in order to help us get more information to support our judgement on the character. It is useful to go through speech by speech, to determine exactly what is meant or implied by each of them. They can show how a character is described.

  f. Reaction The author can also give us a clue to a person’s character by letting us to know how that person reacts to various situations and events. The character shows his or her personality from his or her actions. The actions are related to his or her motives and thoughts.

  g. Direct comment The author describes or gives comment on a person’s character directly.

  Direct comment gives the reader a straightforward description about the character.

  h. Thoughts The author gives us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about whenever the author gives a direct description of the character’s mind, what is he thinking about, we are led to a more profound analysis on the mental process of a character. We are facilitated to disclose the thought inside the character’s mind. i. Mannerism

  The author describes a person’s mannerism, habit or idiosyncrasies, which may also tell us something about his/her characteristics.

  14 Those theories of character and characterization will help the writer present Bhisma character, as well as the readers will also understand the message.

  Nevertheless, writers do not always apply all of those methods in the writing process.

3. Theories of Loyalty

  Loyalty is a complicated concept, which can be interpreted in various point of views and related to many other terms such as love, friendships, family relationships and many others. Loyalty is usually the basis of these other concepts. Without the presence of loyalty, a strong relationship can never be built. Loyalty can surmise, begin with fellow feeling for one’s family, group and friends.

  Loyalty comes most naturally among small groups or tribes where the prospect of the whole casting out of an individual seems like the ultimate, unthinkable rejection.

  According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, loyalty, as a general term, signifies a person’s devotion or sentiment of attachment to a particular object, which may be another person or group, an ideal, or a cause. It expresses itself in both thought and action and strives for the identification of the interest of the loyal person with those of the object. Loyalty turns into fanaticism when it becomes wild and unreasoning and into resignation when it displays the characteristics of reluctant acceptance. A man without loyalty can not exist. It stirs and arouses him, brings meaning, direction and purpose into his life and unifies his activities.

  (www.EncyclopediaBritanica.com).

  15 Donald De Marco states that loyalty and obedience are very close each other. Loyalty requires a strong allegiance, if not obedience to a group. A loyal person must often make sacrifices on an individual level for the good of the group to which he/she belongs.

  (www.catholiceducation.org/article/religion/reo412.html) In this modern time, many cases assumed to be an old tradition are revealed in life development. The measurement to evaluate is often superimposed based on the use of individual or collective life. It is not rare that something in the past life that once became the life guideline, for example unggah-ungguh in Javanese (or etiquette) is no longer assumed to be important. (Darmawijaya, 1989: 45). In this present time, who still uses the unggah-ungguh (or etiquette) language as a speaking pattern? In this life, behaviour that was once assumed to be appropriate is no longer considered relevant by people now. What is the use of maintaining that behaviour? Usefulness is the measure nowdays. It can be a significant measurement. But life is not only determined by usefulness.

  Some people may ask, “What is the purpose to be a loyal wife if the husband behaves as a “woman chaser”? Once again, usefulness becomes the determination of attitude that seems significance for life development. We can imagine, if a mother is not loyal to her baby what will the innocent, weak baby become? What is the use of the struggling for a baby who still does not know his future? Loyalty is a name for man’s attitude to face the complicated life.

  Therefore, it has a questionable meaning, role, and significance in life development process and purpose in developing this life. Being loyal is just a

  16 name, showing the uneasy fact. Loyalty involves affection, mercy, and grant which are offered in this life. It demands stable and continuous responsibility. In addition, it is important to know that Loyalty is the evidence of love which is not easily changed by life’s hardships (Darmawijaya, 1989: 46). Such loyalty has important portion in living together or in living as individual. If one country does not have its hero, who is loyal to protect others’ interest, the country will be destroyed by the enemy. If a father or a mother in the family does not have loyalty to his or her wedding vow, not only the children will suffer a lot in their life, but the society will also inherit the degenerate people who only know how to entertain themselves and who are reluctant to sacrifice for others’ interest. If someone is not loyal to his inner feeling anymore, his life becomes false; it looks beautiful from outside but it is rotten inside. Loyalty certainly becomes the base of living together. It lays an important role for building a life. The stronger his or her loyalty is, the more beautiful the building of life will be, because it has a strong base to build many kinds of living type.

  St. Darmawijaya defines “loyalty”, as follows: “Loyalty means maintaining the relationship which has been pioneered ideally or in reality. The personal relation becomes a part of other relations to decide the quality of loyalty” (Darmawijaya, 1989: 24).

  Furthermore, loyalty should be understood in relation to the human hope. A hope in the future which promises individual development is connected with other individuals as the base and guarantee of fulfilling the hope. From human

  17 living experience, loyalty is a part of human hope to fill this life, based on the relation with others.

  In his book, Kesetiaan Suatu Tantangan, St. Darmawijaya says that loyalty has four aspects. The first aspect is: “Loyalty describes a human attitude which has strength and firmness”. (Darmawijaya, 1989: 41). A loyal man is a strong man who defends his decision and faith he has taken rationally or emotionally. The strength and the firmness of the decision are formulated in the form of a stubborn effort. It never surrenders until the demand of the fact appears strongly and clearly in life. So we can say that loyalty is an unsurrendering attitude to the decision taken, individually or together.

  According to St. Darmawijaya, the second aspect of loyalty is: “Being loyal is also being firm in the principle” (Darmawijaya, 1989: 41).This second principle can be very individual. It is decided by the human inner individual feeling, the right principle which is confided and the justice principle as a guidance of living together.

  Loyalty is the firmness in keeping those principles in the struggle of living anytime. A loyal man, then, will maintain his confident principle firmly as “true” and that principle is also “meaningful” for his life together with others.

  The third aspect that explains loyalty is that “Loyalty provides loyal elements in the human relation” (Darmawijaya, 1989: 41). The character can be very individual or very social. Being loyal to live together --- maybe the individual close relation as in marriage or the individual relation in the working cooperation--- is shaped in the continuous effort that never stops and never feels

  18 tired. Failures and obstacles will never calm down to loyal attitude. Moreover, they will strengthen loyalty, because of the continuous effort. Then, loyalty shows the long effort. It has to be done calmly, understandably, and firmly.

  Finally, St. Darmawijaya defines the last aspect of loyalty, that is: (“A mutual giving and taking”) (Darmawijaya, 1989: 41). It does not mean that loyalty is only one time giving and one time taking. Loyalty becomes real in our attitude because the effort of giving and taking takes place for a long period of time, even it does not stop at all. Loyalty is an unlimited grace and is an unlimited effort.

  St. Darmawijaya theories will mostly used to analyze the loyalty that presented in Bhisma attitude when he is taking his vow, and moments when he must defend his vow.