Revealing message through the development on the three major characters in Colleen McCullough`s the thom birds - USD Repository

REVEALING MESSAGES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREE MAJOR CHARACTERS

  IN COLLEEN McCULLOUGH’S THE THORN BIRDS AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

  Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters

  By

RETNO PURWANTININGSIH

  Student Number: 984214083 Student Registration Number: 980051120106120082

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2007

  i

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study A novel is one kind of literary works besides drama and poetry. It can be

  considered as a literary work since it can give us pleasure as well as knowledge of human affairs. Murphy in his book says that the greatest novels reflect life and are compounded similarity of many elements, just as life is a mixture of joy, disappointment, hope, sorrow, humor, suffering, and success (1972:133).

  By reading a literary work such as novel, the readers expect that they can get something from it. Analyzing the novel helps to discover what the novel would like to tell.

  One of aspects that contribute the story that makes the story flows lively is character. Character is the doer of the story. The story becomes nothing when there is no character. In this writing, I intend to discuss the three major characters of the novel The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. I want to analyze three major characters: Fee, Meggie and Justine. They are three generations of the Cleary.

  A person’s character develops over the time. It could be by parents, family, environment, society, time, age, etc. The closest environment of a child is his family, especially his parents. From being born, a baby depends on his parents. Every parent wants to guide their child to be a “good person” but sometimes parents forget that they are just human beings who have limitations. They are not angels for their children. No one can be perfect parent but at least they try. It is hard to tell the difference. And children become like their parents. They have a close relationship, a blood relationship. One of the reasons that two people decide to get married is having a baby.

  Those characters deal with marriage. For Fee and Meggie, they got marriage because of wrong reasons. Pierce Dufoyer in his book, The Choice of A

  

Husband gives definition of a marriage as the following, “A marriage is the

  complete and harmonious communion of two human being of different sex” (1964:21).

  His opinion clearly says that marriage is a serious problem. The complete and harmonious communion of two human beings of different sex needs consequently a serious preparation dealing with a long process in advance to understand each other well. Prior to the final, it might be said that marriage is the last step of human relationship.

  According to Bowman, marriage on the other hand, is not something that “comes naturally”. It is not the product of inborn behavior pattern; it is a institution. It is a cluster of customs and group habits, of attitudes, ideas, and ideals, of social definitions and legal restrictions (1954:28).

  Marriage is hoped to be last for forever. It means that marriage is not something that we can play with. It is hoped to happen just once during a life time. A marriage should be based on love. It is a very important aspect, and it might lead to destruction if the couple does not have it.

  What will happen if in a marriage there is no love? Love is the basic element in a marriage. If a family does not have a strong basic foundation how can they build up a house? The parents who are maladjusted in marriage find it difficult or impossible to be a good parent.

  When someone is still single he does not study in school how to be a good parent. There is no formal institution which teaches a person to be a good parent.

  But someone can learn to be a good parent by reading book, asking expert, or learning from our parents, etc. There is a relation between maladjusted parents and maladjusted children, who in turn tend to become maladjusted parents themselves. This is a vicious circle that tends to repeat itself.

  A child needs love and acceptance by others, at least his parents, he must feel free to establish himself to be different from others and grow; make changes which develop oneself, learn to solve problems, and explore his talent/ potential.

  Acceptance is like a fertile ground that possibly a small seed can grow to be a beautiful flower. Acceptance needs to be shown; for example by touching, smiling, etc. Children need encouragement to determine themselves and children get self-respect. There is nothing more important than a child feeling that he is loved and accepted. Because accepting what he is, is an act of love.

  After love and acceptance, the greatest need of a child is room to grow. He needs respect for his individuality and an area in which he can make his own decisions. Children need also training, guidance and supervision. If a child does not get what he needs, he may become rebellions or sink into becoming a mere appendage of his parents. Unhappiness in the home and the failure of effective parental guidance makes a child turn away from home and look in other directions to satisfy his desire/wants/needs.

  I would say that a child should be respected especially for his individuality. If parents respect a child’s individuality, parents have built up his or her self-respect, without it he or she is nothing. By respecting him or her as a person parents put a value on him or her, which brings out all that is best in him or her. There is a power in every child for good or evil. By treating him or her with respect parents release the power for good. If this is combined with parental love and good examples from adults around him, a child can be guided toward maturity ).

  From this novel, I learn that these three major characters have the similarity of what happened in their lives, especially to repeat the same mistakes of the previous generation. Experience is a good teacher. A good teacher should warn us to take the benefit of what happened toward our parents. It gives us signal to avoid the repeating mistakes.

  This novel tells us that parents, especially mother has a great influence towards her children. How a mother threats her children from infant to adultness gives influences in shaping the children’s characters development. If Fee respects Meggie as a worth child, it gives influences toward Meggie to raise her own daughter with respect too. But the first generation gives a wrong influence to the next generation; it drives the repetition of the mistake to the next generation.

  B. Problem Formulation

  From the background of the research stated above, the problem in which the writer would like to analyze further can be summarized into some questions as follows:

  1. How are the three major characters described?

  2. From their character development, what are the possible messages of the novel?

  C. Objectives of the Study

  This objective of this study is to obtain satisfying answer for the questions raised in the problem formulation. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis is to discuss the character and the characterization of the three major characters in this novel. The characterization will be analyzed by using Murphy’s theory of characterization, it is a method to describe the three major characters in the novel either through direct description by the author or indirect description by other characters. The three major characters are Fee, Meggie and Justine. The last aim is to reveal the possible messages expressed by the three major characters.

  D. Definition of Terms

  There are some terms that are used in this writing that I want to define to make the reader easier in understanding this discussion because each term may have its own meaning and interpretation. Those terms are character development and message.

  Perrin in Literature: Structure, sound, and Sense describes that all fictional characters can be classified as static or developing. The developing or dynamic character undergoes a permanent change in some aspects of his or her character, personality or outlook. The change may be for a large or a small one, it may be better or worse; but it is something important or basis (1974:71).

  Thus, when we combine this term and character, character development means the growth or the changing of a figure’s, thought, feeling, behavior, the mental or moral qualities in literary work through the environment and successive period as the result of his action to fulfill some motives regardless of the influence of other characters or his past.

  In New World of Literature, the word message is defined as the real meaning or some easy conclusion that can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art (Beaty and Hunter.1989:899). The term leads to simplification and gives the illusion that a work of literature exists for its statement that tempts the readers with sweetness of the story to get the real meaning. Meanwhile John Sinclair in Collins Co build Essential Dictionary defines message as an idea that someone tries to communicate to people, for example in a play or a speech or the meaning (1988:490)

CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW In this chapter, the discussion is divided into three sections. The first is the

  review of the related studies. Here, this study will provide some comments about Colleen McCollough’s The Thorn Birds. The second is review of related theories, which consists of the theories that will be used to support the analysis. The last part will be the theoretical framework, which tells the readers how the theories will be used in the analysis.

A. Review of Related Studies

  In this section, I provide some comments and reviews about the novel, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough.

  According to Langley’s The Pea Pickers, this novel in which the family legend of the father’s wanderlust was so enticing that his daughter actually attempted to turn herself into imitation males o read Colleen McCulough).

  The Thorn Birds was written by Colleen McCullough. It became the best

  selling novel. It was also broadcast on ABC for 10 hours between 27 and 30 March 1983. While winning the 1983 Golden Glode award for Best Miniseries,

  

The Thorn Birds was not without its controversy. The subject matter-a priest

  breaking his vow of celibacy- was contestable enough, but the fact that ABC chose to broadcast the program beginning on Palm Sunday and running through Holy Week, raised the ire of The United States Catholic Conference.

  Some newspapers gave comment about this novel. Boston Globe said that

  

The Thorn Birds is the kind of book the word-blocking buster was made for. It

  keeps you hanging till the last paragraph o read Colleen McCullough).

  Publishers Weekly said that The Thorn Birds is the interweaving of love stories from one generation to the next, the dramatic plotting, the sense of steadily mounting tension; the believable characterizations are well nigh irresistible o read Colleen McCullough).

  London Times said that The Thorn Birds is a story, which is superbly told. Miss McCullough deals with the vast canvas of characters with assurance o read Colleen McCullough).

  I agree with those comments. McCullough is a genius for combining three generations of the Cleary family into one novel. This novel is a complex story of the Clearys. They face experiences many tragedies and hardships including fires, foods, droughts, and devastating deaths of loved ones. I truly enjoy how the author used a lot of description and detail in the novel. This description enables me to paint vivid pictures of the beautiful, Australian land in my mind, as well as clear pictures of the many different characters’ inner and outer appearances. This novel is worth reading to anyone who enjoys drama and romance, as well as suspence, action and sadness.

B. Review of Related Theories

1. Theories on Character and Characterization

  Character is one of the important elements of a story. It can be considered as a person who has a role in a story. Abrams in his theory says that the persons presented in a story are called the characters. The readers interpret the characters a having certain characteristics in the way they play their roles that are expressed by what they ay or their dialogue and what they do or their action (191:20). In other word Abrams wants to say hat a character might be an actor in a story.

  Harvey in Character and The Novel states that an author has a right to create and present his or her fictional characters in the novel, whatever they look like, their personality, and what the problem they might face. He adds that the relationship between the author and the characters is like the relation between God and his creation. The author must be both omnipotent and omniscient; we can see the fictional character in the novelist private self, secret and entirely solitary (1968:32).

  There are some characters, which appear in this novel. To understand the novel it is important to understand the character. We cannot separate between story and character. There is no story, which does not have character in it. There is not a character, which appears without a story. So the writer thinks to explain more about the theory of character.

  Character is defined by Abram in A Glossary of Literary Term (1981:23- 24) as The person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say (the dialogue) and by what they do (the action).

  There are some definitions about character. There are two kinds of character according to Mary Rorhberger and Samuel H.Wood in Reading Writing

  

About Literature. They are flat character and round character. The flat character is

  built round a single idea or quality. It is presented without much individualizing detail and therefore can be adequately described in single phrase or sentence. And the last is round character. Round character is complex in temperament and motivation. This character is represented with subtle particularity.

  Perrine says that the change of an actor or a character is something important. The change of character must follow three criteria. The first criterion is that the change must be within the possibilities of the character that makes it. Secondly, the change would happen when the character finds the influence of his environment toward himself. And the last is that the change must be allowed enough time for a change of its magnitude believably to take place (1974:71).

  Classification of the characters based on the criterion of the character development is presented by Perrine in his book Structure, Sound, and Sense. He classifies the character into a static character and a developing or dynamic character. A static character is the same sort of person at the end of the story as he was at the beginning (1974:71). This character does not have any changes in role from the beginning of the story until the end, although there is a change in plot.

  On the other hand, developing or dynamic character undergoes a permanent change in some aspects of his character, personality, or outlook (1974:71). It means that a dynamic character will have a change and development of events and the plot in the story.

  A character can be expressed by two ways. The first is by direct presentation. The author describes directly about what a character is like. The author describes the character by the physical condition in exposition or analysis. And the last is by indirect presentation. The author describes a character by the action. We can understand the character by paying attention to the speech, mind or action. Characters should be dramatized their meaning, showing, speaking and acting (Perrine: 1974).

  Another way to understand a character in a novel is paying attention how the author expresses his or her characters through (Murphy, 1972, 161-1673).

  There are nine ways to understand a character. First is by personal description. This way says that the writer explains to the reader about the physical appearance of the character. Second is by other characters. Through the eyes of other character, the author mentions his or her characters. The reader through the other characters’ eyes would catch a reflected image of certain character. Third is by speech. The personality of a character can be notified through his or her speech. The speech can be the clues to interpret the character. Fourth is by past life. The past life can give a hint to guess the character. The character is often influenced by his or her past experience. Reader may depend upon the direct comment that is given by the author, the character’s thought, conversation, or the medium of another person. Fifth is by conversation of others. In a novel, there are dialogues that are spoken by some characters about the character in the story. A reader may refer to this conversation to know about the character in the story. Sixth is by reactions. The author may also mention the personality of the character by letting the readers know how the character reacts to various events or situation. Seventh is by thoughts. When the readers read the description of what a character is thinking about, they will get knowledge of the character. In this aspect, the character is able to do what we cannot do in real life. It is impossible to know what a person is thinking. But in literary work the author is like “god” who knows everything about the character even his or mind. Eighth is by mannerism. The author may describe a person’s mannerism on his or her character that may also tell the reader something about the character. And the last is by direct comment. When the author uses a direct comment to describe his or her characters, he or she will tend to judge them. The author will state directly whether a character is kind or bad, beautiful or ugly, etc.

  A character also can be seen by his or her performance. Ian Milligan says that there are two characters based on his or her performance. The first is major character (1983:115). The major character appears more often than others. The major character performs an important role in clarifying the theme of the novel, so the readers’ expectation depends on his or her idea. The second is secondary character. The secondary character appears in certain setting, only necessarily to become the background of the major character.

  Rohrberger and Woods believe that characters have particular personalities and physical attributes that distinguish them from the other character, therefore an author needs to do what is called characterization. What is meant by characterization is the processes by which an author creates characters, the devices by which he makes us believe a character is the particular type of person he is (1971:2021). The same definition is presented by Trimmer by saying that characterization is the way the author creates, reveals, and develops the characters in a story (1992:235).

  Rohrberger (1971:20) supported by Timmer (1992:335) presents two principal ways in the process characterization. The first principal is the direct way in which the author tells the readers the physical appearance of the character directly. The writer describes the character’s performance in order to make the readers to be able to grasp character’s characterization. The second principal is dramatic or indirectly way. It presents the character’s behavior, personality, and values, when he or she is giving opinion about the situation he or she faces.

2. Theory of Message

  According to Beaty and Hunter in New World Literature, message is the real meaning or some easy conclusions that can be simply stated or summarized inside a work of art (1989:899). The term leads to simplification and gives the illusion that a work of literature exists for its statement that tempts the readers with sweetness of the story to get the real meaning. Meanwhile John Sinclair in Collins Cobuild Essential Dictionary defines message as an idea that someone tries to communicate to people, for example in a play or a speech or the meaning (1988:490)

  Roman Jacobson as quoted by Jeremy Hawthorn in A Concise Glossary of

  

Contemporary Literary Theory says that sending the message is the general

  function of language. He adds, in order to be operative, message needs several requirements. There are six factors determining the effectiveness of message itself, addressee who receives the message, context in which the message referred to, code being used for the meaning of a particular word, and contact both physical or psychological connection between addresser and addressee to stay in communication (1992:73-74).

  Sometimes, message is considered identical with theme although in fact they do not always refer to the same meaning. Both message and theme can be viewed as two elements that have a kind of similarity or own the looking like. Nevertheless, theme is more complex than message. Message has no direct value as suggestion addressed to the reader. Message, thereby, can be viewed as one of the elements that form a theme in simple form. But not all of themes are considered as message (Kenney, 1966:89).

  Meanwhile, Beaty and hunter also discuss the term “theme” and “message”. They say that the difference between theme and message is while message seeks to inform or convince, theme seeks to have the reader comprehend and emphasize so that the ideas are more broadly accessible (1989:899).

  When we are talking about message, we are also discussing moral. It can be said briefly that generally morals means a teaching of good and bad (Kenny, 1966:89). According to Burhan Nurgiyantoro in Teori Pengkajian Sastra, moral in a work of literature is called as message. This element actually is the background of the work of literature; it is the idea that forms the background of creating the work of literature (1995:322).

  Every work of literature consists of and offers moral message. Of course there are many types of moral lesson conveyed. The type of message occurs in a literary work depends on the author’s belief, wish and interest. The type of the moral lesson itself, we may say, includes unlimited problem. It involves all problems in life, especially those that are related to human right and dignity. In general, problem of human life is divided into three problems; they are the problem of the relationship between a man and himself, the problem of relationship between a man and his fellowman including his relationship with his surrounding and the problem of relationship between a man and his God (Nurgiyantoro, 1995:324).

  Fiction, especially novels often has more than one moral message. A novel, of course, may consist of and offer one, two, or three of them at once with their details forms. Besides that, a work of literature may contain several moral messages that can be classified into major and minor messages (Nurgiyantoro, 1995:325).

3. The Relation between Parents’ Behavior and Children’s Personality

  As the smallest unit of society, family has a contribution is shaping children personality. Robinson in his theory said that personality development is ruled largely by the attributes at the family, especially the way the parents behave towards their children (in Sue, 1986:93). In that statement, it can be clearly understood that parents take the biggest pat in shaping their children’s personality.

  Sullivan said that if parents behave towards the children as though they are worthwhile, the children are likely to develop a positive self-image and sense of self-worth (in Sue, 1986:93-93). On the contrary, if the parents do not see their children as worthwhile persons, and be little and antagonize the children, they cause the negative self-image development of the children (in Sue, 1986:93-94).

  There is a real need to develop methods for evaluating behavior that include the total impact of the relationship between the uniqueness of the individual and his environment. Some of the earliest knowledge of human behavior was gained through diary records of infant behavior, usually recorded by one or both parents who were the experimenters. Relation between people especially parent and children are not static. They grow and mature as the individuals gain insight and understanding of each other. Experiences in successful and unsuccessful interaction with others tend to alter behavior, particularly the behavior of the growing child. Becoming a socialized person is a sow and lengthy process our society. Frequently the early stages of social development are forgotten by the individual, and while he may honestly try to recall his thoughts, feelings and attitudes, it becomes virtually impossible for him to do.

  Guidance is an important aspect of family responsibility, and knowledge of how parents pass on family and cultural values could give insight into the developmental pattern of the socialization of the child. Many child development specialists have assumed that there must be a satisfying dependency relationship with adults especially parents before a child can be secure enough to achieve a good relationship with others.

  Robinson in his theory said that personality development is ruled largely by the attributes at the family, especially the way the parents behave toward their children (Sue, 1986:93).

  Parke and O’Neil formulate the parent’s role into six roles. First is a parent as instructor. It means that parents give the order and information to the children.

  Parents create and give some rules for the children to obey and to do something for their own good. Second is a parent as educator. It means that parents give knowledge of him things happening around them, not only intellect teaching but also the moral teaching. Third is a parent as the advisor. It means that parents give some advises on what happens and what will happen in order for him to be able to come to the appropriate way that leads him to find the best solution for his problem. Fourth is a parent as supervisor. It means that parents keep an eye on the children. Therefore, the children are under controlled and keep away from destructive and irresponsible behavior. Fifth is a parent as facilitator. It means that parents provide some facilities to support the children’s development. And the last is parents as role model. It means that parents give themselves to the children to be the model they always look at. By doing so, the children have someone to rely on in his life. He will sure that he will not get lost (1997:32-39).

  Becker sees parents’ behavior as having three key dimensions: restrictiveness, permissiveness, warm-hostility, and anxious emotional involvement-calm detachment (in Craig, 1980:323). Some researches said that restrictive parents tend to have dependent, submissive, and compliant children.

  Although permissiveness is the opposite of restrictiveness, it does not necessary produce independent children. Permissiveness is related to active, outgoing, creative, and constructively aggressive behavior in children. Permissiveness in a climate of warmth detachment seems to produce positive characteristics. In the other hand, when permissiveness is accompanied by high hostility, it is more likely to result in noncompliance and aggressiveness. A research on maternal overprotection tries to look at the effect of both restrictiveness and permissiveness when they are combined with great warmth and anxious emotional involvement (Levy, in Craig, 1980:325).

  Hurlock says that family can influence an individual’s personality pattern (1974:351). Further she says that directly, the family influences comes from identification, from unconscious imitation of attitudes, behavior patterns, and from the mirror image of one self one develops by viewing oneself through the eyes of family members (p.352).

4. The Role of Parents

  Family is the smallest unit of society. It contains a father, a mother, and children. Each member of a family has his or her role. What is meant by parents’ role is the dynamic aspect of the status as parents (English, 1970:13).

  Parke and O’Neil formulate the parent’s role into some roles. Parents are instructor, educator, advisor, supervisor, facilitator, and role-model. As an instructor, parents give the order and information to the children. Parents create and give some rules for the children to obey and to do something for their own good. As the educator, parents give knowledge of the things happening around hem. Parents do not only focus on the intellect teaching but also the moral teaching, in order to bring the children into a deep understanding of the environment. As the advisor, parents gives some advises on what happens and what will happen in order for him to be able to come to the appropriate way that leads him to find the best solution. As the supervisor, parents keep an eye on the children. Therefore, the children are under controlled. Parents keep their children away from some destructive and irresponsible behavior. As the facilitator, parents provide some facilities to support the children’s development. They can facilitate the children by giving him education in school, giving them facilities to do some sports, and providing them with toys to play. As the role model, parents give themselves to the children to be model they always look at. By doing so, the children have someone to rely on in his life. He will be sure that he will not get lost (1997:32-39).

  Lidz, states that mother is the primary and major nurturing figure to the child, particularly the small child. She is an expert in child-rearing techniques (1968:56). In giving love and attention to the children, the mother also needs the support from whom she can gain such a physical and emotional sustenance. What a mother needs can be fulfilled by her husband. Mother’s behavior in conducting her role affects the children so much. As the role advisor, when the mother gives the children some advices but she does not try to solve the problem for them, the outcomes were positive. The children will feel that their mother is a good friend to share their problems.

  The quilt and nature of the parental nurturance which the children receive, will influence their emotional development, frustration, and his or her aggression, anxiety, hopelessness, helplessness, and anger which he or she experiences under various conditions (Indriyani, 1999:2). Parents have a big contribution to the children development. The positive or negative development of children depends on what the parents do to them. Parents must play role in a proportional manner, to gain the best result of their child’s development.

C. Theoretical Framework.

  This theoretical framework contains some theories which support this writing. The theories are the theory of character, the theory of message and the theory of the relationship between parents’ behavior and children personality.

  The three major characters that will be analyzed are Fee, Meggie, and Justine. To understand those characters I use the theory of character. It helps me to discover that the characters of Fee, Meggie, and Justine cannot be seen only by their actions but by other ways which support to understand their characters.

  The three major characters in this story are influenced by their parents. So I use the theory of the relationship between parents’ behavior and children personality. By using this theory, I find that Fee’s parents, Meggie’s parents, and Justine’s parents have a great influence toward their daughter.

  To find the message of this story, I use the theory of message. It is not as easy as reading this book but I have to analyze also other intrinsic element of this story to find out what might be the possible message.

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study Colleen McCullough was born on June 1, 1937 in Wellington, western New South Wales. Colleen was educated at the holy Cross College, Sydney;

  the University of Sydney and the Institute of Child Health Care, London. She established the Department of Neurophysiology at Royal North Shore hospital in Sydney, where she remained for five years. After working in England and United States of America for number of years in her chosen field, Colleen retired to Norfolk Island in search safety and solitude. It was here she met her future husband, Ric Robinson (www.acurrentaffair.com.au/stories/115.asp).

  Colleen’s first novel Tim which was published in 1974, was followed up with more best selling novels including The Thorn Birds, An Incedecent

  

Obsession and The ladies of Missalongi. Many Colleen’s works have been

  made into films, and interestingly, The Thorn Birds and Tim have been made into musicals

  The Thorn Birds was published by Avon publishers of Bard, Camelot,

  Discuss and Flare Books. It was distributed for first time on June 1979. The

  

Thorn Birds has seven chapters. Every chapter used the name of the characters

  on this novel. Not only the name but it used also the periodic of time. First

  chapter is Meggie 1915-1917, second chapter is Raph 1921-1928, third is Paddy 1929-1932, fourth is Luke 1933-1938, fifth is Fee 1938-1953, sixth is

  Dane 1954-1965 and the last is Justine 1965-1969. The function of using the name of character is to show that every chapter has one character as the focus.

B. Approach

  I want to centralize the study so I use psychological approach. In a story there is a relation between character as a part of literary work and psychology.

  According to Rohrberger and Woods both literature and psychology discuss people and human lives. The difference is that literature discusses man and his life which the writer expresses through language in the work of literature and based on psychology point of view, psychology is a study of man’s life together with his mind and behavior(1971:6-15). They summarize that this approach brings us to analyze the novel from the psychological point of view of human being (1971:13).

  Rohrberger says that most authors employed Freud’s psychology on human personality (p.6-15). Guerin says that psychological approach is an excelelent tool for “reading beneath the Lines” (1979:121). He explains that the psychological theory is most commonly used as an interpretive tool by modern critics and to show by examples how the reader may apply this mode of interpretation to enlarge his understanding and appreciation of literature (1979:120).

  C. Method of the Study This writing uses the method of library research. All the sources, which support this writing, were taken from books read in the library.

  In analyzing this writing, I read and reread the novel as the first step taken. While reading the novel, I tried to find out the character development of Colleen McCullough since she was still teenager until she is mature. To support the finding, I took some books as the guidance. The books are A

  

Glossary of Literacy Terms by M.H Abrams, Understanding Unseen by M.J

Murphy, and other related book.

  The second, I determined the three major female characters and their characteristics in the novel by their personal descriptions, actions, speeches and their conversations with other characters. To analyze this point, I used some theories related to the character.

  After analyzing both the three major female characters, I defined the message of the novel by relating between three major female characters based on the analysis done previously. The last step was drawing conclusion of the whole analysis.

CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS This chapter deals with the analysis of the problem formulated in Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. It is divided into two parts. The first is how McCullough are describing three major female characters. Colleen McCullough The Thorn Birds contains numerous characters all of which are female. The most important characters in the novel are analyzed in details below.

1. The characterization of three major female characters

a. Fiona Cleary

  Fiona or Fee was a very beautiful woman. She spoke little and never share an opinion. Fee was one of those people whose feeling was so intense that became unbearable and unlivable. She was also described as a woman who was always so feeling less.

  She was a silent woman, not given to spontaneous conversation. What she thought, no one ever knew, even he husband; she left the disciplining of the children to him, and did whatever he commanded without comment or complaint unless the circumstances were most unusual (p.12).

  She was from the rich family so when she married she did not know anything about housework’s. Paddy, her husband, thought her to work house, to sweep the floor, wash and iron clothes.

  Her feeling was empty or dead when her father asked her to marry a man who she was no love. After her married, the days were long and bitter with a sense of failure. For almost 25 years she had been crushing emotion out of existence, and she was persuaded to marry a man, Paddy, who could accept her pregnancy. It seemed the best way to safe her family from humiliates. Finally Fee obeyed. She married with the chosen man. Fee had no feeling with her husband. As the reaction she had never complained, or even laughed.

  Paddy had always known that Fee loved her baby, Frank, was like her soul than other children, especially her daughter. In her opinion, a daughter was a younger version of oneself who will do all the things she has done, cried the same tears. She believed that what happened with her would happen to her daughter.

  Fee realized that what happened with her was no good. She got pregnant when she was no husband. Fee ever broke her parents’ heart, humiliated her parents’ pride.

  Fee saw that her life was unworthy enough. When Fee delivered Meggie, Fee saw Meggie as a reflection her mistake in the future. Fee was not the sort of person one could approach nor would Fee do the approaching to Meggie, her daughter.

  Fee cast her no more than a passing glance before leaving; there was no mystery to Meggie, she was female. Fees knew what her lot would be, and did not envy her or pity her. The boys were different; they were miracles…(p.22).

  As a parent, Fee was supposed to be able to become an educator, an advisor and a role model especially for her daughter, Meggie. Fee also can not have a nice conversation with her daughter.

  For Fee, she supposed that mothers were always a little blind about their daughters until they were too old to be jealous of youth. Fee was jealous that Meggie had a time not to repeat Fee’s mistake in the past. Meggie had time to be more than Fee. Fee could not turn back the time to fix her mistake.

  Fee was a very unhappy woman. For one reason or another she had been unhappy since the day she met Pakeha, a man she loved. Pakeha was Frank’s father. Fee still loved Pakeha although she got married Paddy. Fee always looked at her past, her memories with Pakeha. It still remained in her heart although Fee had a new life and got children.

  When Fee was delivered of twins, James and Patrick, they became common property immediately they were born, for beyond giving them milk Fee took no interest in them. Jims and Patsy, short names for James and Patsy, were favorites with women up the house, maids and the widowed childless housekeeper.

  It was made easy for Fee to forget her twin’s sons because they had three “mothers” (p.146).

  After Paddy died, Fee discovered how much she loved Paddy, but it was too late, too late for Fee and too late for Paddy.

  If you knew how I wanted the chance to take him in my arms, tell him I loved him! Oh, God, I hope no other human being ever has to feel my pain! (p.275)

  Time brought Fee open her mind and her heart to Meggie, although she just didn’t know how to show it (p.428). She gave Meggie advices based what with happened herself.

  “You’re going to pay, Meggie. Believe me, you’re going to pay. You won’t get away with it any more than I dud. I lost frank in the worst way a mother could; I can’t even see him and I long to…You wait! You’ll lose Dane too” (p.489).

  Fee used to think having a daughter wasn’t nearby as important as having sons, but Fee was wrong. Fee enjoyed Meggie, in a way Fee can never enjoy her sons.

  Fee was the only one who knew that Dane was not Luke’s son, but Ralph’s.

  “I’m getting old at last, Meggie. And things don’t hurt as much anymore. What a blessing old age can be...I feel better within myself because of it. For the first time in years I feel like talking” (p.485).

b. Meghan Cleary’s character.

  On December 8, 1915 Meghan Cleary, Meggie, had her fourth birthday. She was the only daughter of the Cleary family; but her parents or even her brothers did not spoil her. It was a forbidden for the Clearys to cry, even for Meggie.

  They took no notice of Meggie as she stood crying; it did not occur to her to seek help, for in the Cleary family those who could not fight their own battles got scant aid or sympathy, and that went for girls, too (p.5). She lived in poverty as the impact, the society especially in School, they underestimated her. Her teachers did not give her right to excuse or even time for explaining her situation. The nuns always hated poor pupils. Meggie got punishment and the punishment was physical abuse.

  “What happened then?” “Sister Ag caned her good and proper, and sent her home in disgrace” (p.38).

  Meggie was left-handed. Sister Agatha, her teacher, tied Meggie’s left arm so she used her right hand to write. On Sister Agatha’s opinion, God’s children were all right-handed; left-handed children were the spawn of the devil. Meggie learnt that her teacher judged people by looking at wealth. Meggie was worthless because her teachers did not respect her equal with her friends.

  Meggie was loneliness. She had no friends of her own age to contribute to her education. Her life was absolutely harnessed to the needs of the house.

  Meggie lived in a family, which was son-oriented. All Meggie’s life she would obey move with in the boundaries of her female fate, nursing or house keeping. Meggie was stuck in her destiny. What she could do was just keep silent, obey and never complain as her mother did. It was a straight distinction duty between female and male in the house. The house was woman’s work. No male in the house was to put his hand to a female task.

  Agnes, the only name she knew elegant enough for such a peerless creature…Meggie didn’t own a doll and had no idea little girls and dolls belonged together. She played happily with the whistle and slingshots and battered soldiers…it never occurred to her that Agnes was to play with (p.3-4). No one thought, even her mother, of Meggie as important. Because in

  Fee’s mind, a daughter was a younger version of she who will do all the things even mistakes Fee has done, cry the same tears.

  After Paddy’s aunt, Mary Carson, asked Paddy to move in Australia, their status raised. Paddy’s aunt was the richest woman in South Wales.

  Meggie was described as sensitive; weeps and cries were her way to express her depression and her feeling. She could not share her feeling with her mother. They never had a nice conversation. Meggie knew that her mother only could share with her beloved son, Frank. Meggie was never prepared by her mother to be a young girl. How to dress up, talking about sex even talking about menstruation were never discussed among Meggie and her mother.