The Analysis of Social and Inner Conflicts of The Protagonist in 'I Am Not Esther'.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………………………………………… i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………….... ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………..... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ………………………………….………….… 1
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………...… 3
Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………….. 3
Method of Research ………………………………………………...… 4
Organization of the Thesis ……………………………………………. 4
CHAPTER TWO: THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER
CONFLICTS OF THE PROTAGONIST IN I AM NOT ESTHER ………
5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………… 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………...……………… 17
APPENDICES: …………………………………………...………………...... 18
Synopsis of I am not Esther …………………………………………… 18
Biography of the Author ………………………………………...……. 19
ii
Maranatha Christian University
ABSTRACT
Di dalam skripsi ini, penulis membahas konflik dari novel berjudul I am
not Esther yang ditulis oleh Fleur Beale. Penulis memutuskan untuk membahas
konflik karena konflik merupakan aspek yang paling menonjol dalam novel
tersebut. Adapun konflik yang muncul dalam novel tersebut adalah konflik sosial
dan konflik psikologis. Kirby, sebagai tokoh utama terlibat konflik dengan
lingkungan di sekitarnya dan juga dirinya sendiri.
Adanya perbedaan kepercayaan dan pandangan merupakan dasar dari
konflik yang dialami oleh Kirby. Konflik antara Kirby dengan lingkungan-nya
yang sangat fanatik terhadap agama membuat Kirby tidak dapat hidup bebas dan
mandiri sebagaimana Ia biasa menjalani hari-harinya. Konflik sosial Kirby
memicu kepada konflik yang paling menonjol dalam novel ini, konflik antara
Kirby dengan dirinya sendiri kerena Ia dipaksa untuk menjadi orang lain,
sehingga timbul pergumulan dalam dirinya apakah ia ingin hidup sebagai Kirby
atau menjadi Esther, karakter yang dibuat oleh pamannya.
Setelah penulis menganalisis novel ini, penulis menyimpulkan bahwa
karya ini mempunyai konflik yang dominan dan sangat menarik untuk dibahas.
Penulis berpendapat bahwa karya ini adalah kisah yang menyangkut anak remaja
di mana banyak anak remaja yang juga mengalami konflik pencarian jati diri pada
usia mereka yang masih remaja. Sehingga konflik yang ada pun terasa nyata bagi
iii
Maranatha Christian University
para pembaca karena konflik secara umum dapat terjadi pada siapa pun dan di
mana pun. Konflik-konflik ini sangat menarik maka penulis berpendapat bahwa
novel I am not Esther adalah karya yang sangat menarik untuk dibaca dan
dianalisis.
iv
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDICES
Synopsis of I am not Esther
Kirby Greenland is a 14 year-old girl who is abandoned by her mother in a
strict fundamentalist Christian society. Kirby who always lives freely now has to
obey the rules which are set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society. Kirby
is left by her mother with unfamiliar relatives who devote themselves to Bible
study. As Kirby is living in the society they also force Kirby to devote herself to
Bible study. Kirby’s uncle, Caleb, has changed Kirby’s name into Esther without
even asking if she likes it or if she agrees. Not only her name is changed, Kirby
also has to dress just like the other members of the society. However, as time goes
by, Kirby’s old self is weakening. Esther starts to dominate her everyday living.
Kirby tries to struggle to cope with the repression of her surroundings and to
maintain her own identity.
At the end of the book, Kirby decides to leave the strict fundamentalist
Christian society and stay with her mother. She has found her identity as well.
Living as Kirby is her identity and staying with her mother is what she always
wants.
18
Maranatha Christian University
Biography of Fleur Beale
Fleur Beale was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand on February
22, 1945. She is a former teacher who was inspired to write I am not Esther when
a student was beaten up and expelled from his family for going againts their
religious beliefs. She has written several novels that have been published in New
Zealand, where she lives. Since 1993 she started to write for teenagers. Before
writing for teenagers, she was a writer for young children. Now, Fleur Beale is a
New Zealand teenage fiction writer who is best known for her novel I am not
Esther. This novel has been published worldwide.
In 1998 her novel I am not Esther was short listed for the senior fiction
section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children’s Award. Beale’s other famous
works are Ambushed, My story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo,
Pahia, c.1840, Walking Lightyl and many more.
Beale’s achivements were a finalist in the Aim Children’s Book Awards
(Junior Fiction) and the finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New
Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. In 1999 she received an award of
Children’s Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education, and in 2005 she
received Notable Book Award.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_Beale)
19
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Losing identity is a problem that most teenagers face. Bad environment,
pressure from the society and stress may cause one to lose one’s identity.
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, there are two
definitions of identity, “who someone is, somebody’s name,”, and “the qualities
and attitudes you have that make you feel you have your own character and are
different from other people”.
I always have interest in the issue of identity, and in literature, there are
many novels which deal with the issue. That is why I choose to analyse a novel
for my thesis. Moreover, novels are more interesting and enjoyable to read.
Novels also provide more detailed information than other literary genres, and their
narrative form in presenting ideas makes people easy to understand and analyse
them. “A novel is a fictional prose work of substantial length”. (Dictionary of
Literary Terms)
From those novels that talk about identity issue, I am particularly
interested in the life of teenagers because at their age teenagers are usually facing
1
Maranatha Christian University
many things for the first time, especially things related to their identity, such as,
relationship with the opposite sex, beliefs in the greater power, clashes with
people around them and disagreement with others’ opinions. The different way
every teenager faces and solves his/her problems interest me most. There are
many teenage fiction writers who write about teenagers or troubled teenagers,
such as, Joy Cowley, Victoria (Vicky) Mary Jones, and Margaret Mahy, but Fleur
Beale writes in a different approach. She was a former teacher who was always
concerned about her students. Beale writes I am not Esther because she is inspired
by one of her students who was beaten up and expelled from his family for going
against their religious belief. “Beale shows her understanding of teenagers, male
and female, and her ability to motivate even reluctant reader” (Fleur Beale). In I
am not Esther, Fleur Beale brings up the topic of a 14-year-old girl’s struggle to
deal with her new life in a fundamentalist Christian family.
After I read the novel, I found that the most dominant literary element is
conflict. Conflict is “the opposition of persons or forces upon which the action
depends in drama and fiction” (Dictionary of Literary Terms). In a novel, conflict
is categorized as one of the main keys to an interesting and exciting novel. There
are three types of conflicts:
One type of conflict is elemental, … physical: a struggle between man and
the physical world. It represents man versus forces of nature; the
difficulties and dangers, for example faced by explorers, navigators,
astronauts. Rain, cold, heat, wild beasts in the jungle, treacherous tides –
these are constant obstacles to mankind.
………………………………………………………………………
2
Maranatha Christian University
Another type of conflict is social: a struggle between man and man. Much
popular fiction is based on social thought: two men trying to win the love
of a girl: the competition of business men: a girl having difficulties with
her parents over her conduct: racial and prejudices, etc.
A third kind of conflict is internal: or psychological: a struggle between
desires within a person. External forces may be important and other
characters may appear in the narrative, but the focus is always upon the
central figure’s inner turmoil.
(Shaw 91)
I choose to analyse the conflicts of the protagonist, particularly social and
inner conflicts because the social and inner conflicts of this novel are the most
significant elements. The inner and social conflicts of the novel are mostly related
to the protagonist’s identity loss.
Statement of the Problem
1. What are the social and inner conflicts in the novel?
2. What causes the social and inner conflicts?
3. How are the social and inner conflicts resolved?
Purpose of the Study
1. To show what the social and inner conflicts in the novel are.
2. To show what causes the social and inner conflicts.
3. To show how the social and inner conflicts are resolved.
3
Maranatha Christian University
Method of the Research
In composing my thesis, I read Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther as my
primary text and Longman Dictionary of Literary Terms. I also search internet
sites to find the information and the data I need in analyzing I am not Esther.
After that I draw a conclusion from my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is the
Introduction containing the Background of the Study, the Statement of the
Problem, Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research and the Organization of
the Thesis. In the second chapter, I present the analysis of social and inner
conflicts of the major characters in I am not Esther. I conclude the analysis of
social and inner conflicts of the major character in I am not Esther in the last
chapter. The thesis ends with the Bibliography and Appendices that contain the
summary of I am not Esther and also the biography of the author.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
I discover that in every novel there are always conflicts to make the novel
interesting. The conflicts which are likely to occur in most novels are social and
inner conflicts. Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther is one of the novels that has social
and inner conflicts in it.
In everyday living, people have to communicate and interact with others
and may have different opinions with one another which causes conflicts.
Conflicts can occur to anyone in any place, can be very simple or complicated.
Conflicts do not only happen in adults’ life but also in teenagers’ and children’s
life. Conflicts can happen not only because a person is having a different opinion
from others’ but also because of his own dilemmas.
Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther deals with a problem that most teenagers
face, that is identity loss. The social and inner conflicts of the protagonist are the
most dominant aspect in the novel that makes the novel more interesting. The
novel also shows how the protagonist solves her social and inner conflicts.
There are two major conflicts in I am not Esther, social conflict and inner
conflict. The first social conflict occurs between the protagonist, Kirby and her
uncle. I discover that the conflict occur because they have different opinions in
14
Maranatha Christian University
faith. Kirby’s uncle who is a strict fundamentalist Christian man is very faithful to
his belief, that everyone should have a biblical name. Therefore, he changes
Kirby’s name into Esther. While Kirby, who always lives freely with her mother,
feels that changing her name means being forced to be somebody she is not.
Kirby does not want it as it will cause her to lose her identity.
Other social conflict happens between Kirby and her aunt. The conflict
occurs because her aunt who is also a strict fundamentalist woman has forced
Kirby to dress like the other strict fundamentalist Christian members.
I analyse that the social conflicts lead to Kirby’s inner conflict. As time
goes by, the society members nevertheless regard Kirby as Esther and she has to
follow all the rules which are set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society.
Kirby’s old self is weakening as Esther starts to dominate her everyday living.
She is in a dilemma between preserving herself as Kirby or becoming Esther.
Finally, Kirby’s inner conflict is resolved, as she chooses to become her old self.
However, her inner conflict is still continuing. Kirby who is left by her
mother when she is 14 years old psychologically feels abandoned. She wants to
find her mother to get an explanation why she was abandoned. Kirby then finds
her mother and she also gets the clarification of her mother leaving her. The
opposing force in this inner conflict is whether to live with her mother or to leave
her mother. The inner conflict is resolved when Kirby finally decides to live with
her mother.
In Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther, the conflicts that I have analyzed
revolves around social and inner conflicts of the protagonist. I find that the
conflicts revolving around Kirby are caused by the rules set by adults. In addition,
15
Maranatha Christian University
the protagonist’s conflicts are also caused by her search for identity. Kirby loses
her identity when she lives together with her unfamiliar family who hold the rules
set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society. She finds her identity when she
decides to become Kirby instead of Esther.
After analyzing the novel I am not Esther by Fleur Beale, I find that there
are messages from Fleur Beale to her readers that the strong bond between a
mother and her daughter can solve any conflict and that teenagers need support or
reassurance from others to make important decision. In my opinion, teenagers still
need guidance from the elder people as they have more experiences. However, the
guidance that they receive also has to be the priority of their point of view. I find
this novel is good to read not only by teenagers but also by adults.
16
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
References:
•
•
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1976.
Internet / Websites:
•
Dictionary of Literary Terms. Joel Sommer Littauer. 22 September 2007.
•
Fleur Beale. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 22 September 2007.
•
New Zealand Book Council, New Zealand Writer. Fleur Beale. 22
September 2007.
•
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Eric T. Olson. 22 September 2007.
Primary Text:
•
Beale, Fleur. I am not Esther. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 1998.
17
Maranatha Christian University
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT …………………………………………………… i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ………………………………………………….... ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………..... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ………………………………….………….… 1
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………...… 3
Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………….. 3
Method of Research ………………………………………………...… 4
Organization of the Thesis ……………………………………………. 4
CHAPTER TWO: THE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL AND INNER
CONFLICTS OF THE PROTAGONIST IN I AM NOT ESTHER ………
5
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………… 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………...……………… 17
APPENDICES: …………………………………………...………………...... 18
Synopsis of I am not Esther …………………………………………… 18
Biography of the Author ………………………………………...……. 19
ii
Maranatha Christian University
ABSTRACT
Di dalam skripsi ini, penulis membahas konflik dari novel berjudul I am
not Esther yang ditulis oleh Fleur Beale. Penulis memutuskan untuk membahas
konflik karena konflik merupakan aspek yang paling menonjol dalam novel
tersebut. Adapun konflik yang muncul dalam novel tersebut adalah konflik sosial
dan konflik psikologis. Kirby, sebagai tokoh utama terlibat konflik dengan
lingkungan di sekitarnya dan juga dirinya sendiri.
Adanya perbedaan kepercayaan dan pandangan merupakan dasar dari
konflik yang dialami oleh Kirby. Konflik antara Kirby dengan lingkungan-nya
yang sangat fanatik terhadap agama membuat Kirby tidak dapat hidup bebas dan
mandiri sebagaimana Ia biasa menjalani hari-harinya. Konflik sosial Kirby
memicu kepada konflik yang paling menonjol dalam novel ini, konflik antara
Kirby dengan dirinya sendiri kerena Ia dipaksa untuk menjadi orang lain,
sehingga timbul pergumulan dalam dirinya apakah ia ingin hidup sebagai Kirby
atau menjadi Esther, karakter yang dibuat oleh pamannya.
Setelah penulis menganalisis novel ini, penulis menyimpulkan bahwa
karya ini mempunyai konflik yang dominan dan sangat menarik untuk dibahas.
Penulis berpendapat bahwa karya ini adalah kisah yang menyangkut anak remaja
di mana banyak anak remaja yang juga mengalami konflik pencarian jati diri pada
usia mereka yang masih remaja. Sehingga konflik yang ada pun terasa nyata bagi
iii
Maranatha Christian University
para pembaca karena konflik secara umum dapat terjadi pada siapa pun dan di
mana pun. Konflik-konflik ini sangat menarik maka penulis berpendapat bahwa
novel I am not Esther adalah karya yang sangat menarik untuk dibaca dan
dianalisis.
iv
Maranatha Christian University
APPENDICES
Synopsis of I am not Esther
Kirby Greenland is a 14 year-old girl who is abandoned by her mother in a
strict fundamentalist Christian society. Kirby who always lives freely now has to
obey the rules which are set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society. Kirby
is left by her mother with unfamiliar relatives who devote themselves to Bible
study. As Kirby is living in the society they also force Kirby to devote herself to
Bible study. Kirby’s uncle, Caleb, has changed Kirby’s name into Esther without
even asking if she likes it or if she agrees. Not only her name is changed, Kirby
also has to dress just like the other members of the society. However, as time goes
by, Kirby’s old self is weakening. Esther starts to dominate her everyday living.
Kirby tries to struggle to cope with the repression of her surroundings and to
maintain her own identity.
At the end of the book, Kirby decides to leave the strict fundamentalist
Christian society and stay with her mother. She has found her identity as well.
Living as Kirby is her identity and staying with her mother is what she always
wants.
18
Maranatha Christian University
Biography of Fleur Beale
Fleur Beale was born in Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand on February
22, 1945. She is a former teacher who was inspired to write I am not Esther when
a student was beaten up and expelled from his family for going againts their
religious beliefs. She has written several novels that have been published in New
Zealand, where she lives. Since 1993 she started to write for teenagers. Before
writing for teenagers, she was a writer for young children. Now, Fleur Beale is a
New Zealand teenage fiction writer who is best known for her novel I am not
Esther. This novel has been published worldwide.
In 1998 her novel I am not Esther was short listed for the senior fiction
section of the 1999 New Zealand Post Children’s Award. Beale’s other famous
works are Ambushed, My story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo,
Pahia, c.1840, Walking Lightyl and many more.
Beale’s achivements were a finalist in the Aim Children’s Book Awards
(Junior Fiction) and the finalist for the Junior Fiction section of the 2002 New
Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. In 1999 she received an award of
Children’s Writing Fellowship at Dunedin College of Education, and in 2005 she
received Notable Book Award.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_Beale)
19
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Losing identity is a problem that most teenagers face. Bad environment,
pressure from the society and stress may cause one to lose one’s identity.
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, there are two
definitions of identity, “who someone is, somebody’s name,”, and “the qualities
and attitudes you have that make you feel you have your own character and are
different from other people”.
I always have interest in the issue of identity, and in literature, there are
many novels which deal with the issue. That is why I choose to analyse a novel
for my thesis. Moreover, novels are more interesting and enjoyable to read.
Novels also provide more detailed information than other literary genres, and their
narrative form in presenting ideas makes people easy to understand and analyse
them. “A novel is a fictional prose work of substantial length”. (Dictionary of
Literary Terms)
From those novels that talk about identity issue, I am particularly
interested in the life of teenagers because at their age teenagers are usually facing
1
Maranatha Christian University
many things for the first time, especially things related to their identity, such as,
relationship with the opposite sex, beliefs in the greater power, clashes with
people around them and disagreement with others’ opinions. The different way
every teenager faces and solves his/her problems interest me most. There are
many teenage fiction writers who write about teenagers or troubled teenagers,
such as, Joy Cowley, Victoria (Vicky) Mary Jones, and Margaret Mahy, but Fleur
Beale writes in a different approach. She was a former teacher who was always
concerned about her students. Beale writes I am not Esther because she is inspired
by one of her students who was beaten up and expelled from his family for going
against their religious belief. “Beale shows her understanding of teenagers, male
and female, and her ability to motivate even reluctant reader” (Fleur Beale). In I
am not Esther, Fleur Beale brings up the topic of a 14-year-old girl’s struggle to
deal with her new life in a fundamentalist Christian family.
After I read the novel, I found that the most dominant literary element is
conflict. Conflict is “the opposition of persons or forces upon which the action
depends in drama and fiction” (Dictionary of Literary Terms). In a novel, conflict
is categorized as one of the main keys to an interesting and exciting novel. There
are three types of conflicts:
One type of conflict is elemental, … physical: a struggle between man and
the physical world. It represents man versus forces of nature; the
difficulties and dangers, for example faced by explorers, navigators,
astronauts. Rain, cold, heat, wild beasts in the jungle, treacherous tides –
these are constant obstacles to mankind.
………………………………………………………………………
2
Maranatha Christian University
Another type of conflict is social: a struggle between man and man. Much
popular fiction is based on social thought: two men trying to win the love
of a girl: the competition of business men: a girl having difficulties with
her parents over her conduct: racial and prejudices, etc.
A third kind of conflict is internal: or psychological: a struggle between
desires within a person. External forces may be important and other
characters may appear in the narrative, but the focus is always upon the
central figure’s inner turmoil.
(Shaw 91)
I choose to analyse the conflicts of the protagonist, particularly social and
inner conflicts because the social and inner conflicts of this novel are the most
significant elements. The inner and social conflicts of the novel are mostly related
to the protagonist’s identity loss.
Statement of the Problem
1. What are the social and inner conflicts in the novel?
2. What causes the social and inner conflicts?
3. How are the social and inner conflicts resolved?
Purpose of the Study
1. To show what the social and inner conflicts in the novel are.
2. To show what causes the social and inner conflicts.
3. To show how the social and inner conflicts are resolved.
3
Maranatha Christian University
Method of the Research
In composing my thesis, I read Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther as my
primary text and Longman Dictionary of Literary Terms. I also search internet
sites to find the information and the data I need in analyzing I am not Esther.
After that I draw a conclusion from my analysis.
Organization of the Thesis
The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter is the
Introduction containing the Background of the Study, the Statement of the
Problem, Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research and the Organization of
the Thesis. In the second chapter, I present the analysis of social and inner
conflicts of the major characters in I am not Esther. I conclude the analysis of
social and inner conflicts of the major character in I am not Esther in the last
chapter. The thesis ends with the Bibliography and Appendices that contain the
summary of I am not Esther and also the biography of the author.
4
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER THREE
CONCLUSION
I discover that in every novel there are always conflicts to make the novel
interesting. The conflicts which are likely to occur in most novels are social and
inner conflicts. Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther is one of the novels that has social
and inner conflicts in it.
In everyday living, people have to communicate and interact with others
and may have different opinions with one another which causes conflicts.
Conflicts can occur to anyone in any place, can be very simple or complicated.
Conflicts do not only happen in adults’ life but also in teenagers’ and children’s
life. Conflicts can happen not only because a person is having a different opinion
from others’ but also because of his own dilemmas.
Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther deals with a problem that most teenagers
face, that is identity loss. The social and inner conflicts of the protagonist are the
most dominant aspect in the novel that makes the novel more interesting. The
novel also shows how the protagonist solves her social and inner conflicts.
There are two major conflicts in I am not Esther, social conflict and inner
conflict. The first social conflict occurs between the protagonist, Kirby and her
uncle. I discover that the conflict occur because they have different opinions in
14
Maranatha Christian University
faith. Kirby’s uncle who is a strict fundamentalist Christian man is very faithful to
his belief, that everyone should have a biblical name. Therefore, he changes
Kirby’s name into Esther. While Kirby, who always lives freely with her mother,
feels that changing her name means being forced to be somebody she is not.
Kirby does not want it as it will cause her to lose her identity.
Other social conflict happens between Kirby and her aunt. The conflict
occurs because her aunt who is also a strict fundamentalist woman has forced
Kirby to dress like the other strict fundamentalist Christian members.
I analyse that the social conflicts lead to Kirby’s inner conflict. As time
goes by, the society members nevertheless regard Kirby as Esther and she has to
follow all the rules which are set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society.
Kirby’s old self is weakening as Esther starts to dominate her everyday living.
She is in a dilemma between preserving herself as Kirby or becoming Esther.
Finally, Kirby’s inner conflict is resolved, as she chooses to become her old self.
However, her inner conflict is still continuing. Kirby who is left by her
mother when she is 14 years old psychologically feels abandoned. She wants to
find her mother to get an explanation why she was abandoned. Kirby then finds
her mother and she also gets the clarification of her mother leaving her. The
opposing force in this inner conflict is whether to live with her mother or to leave
her mother. The inner conflict is resolved when Kirby finally decides to live with
her mother.
In Fleur Beale’s I am not Esther, the conflicts that I have analyzed
revolves around social and inner conflicts of the protagonist. I find that the
conflicts revolving around Kirby are caused by the rules set by adults. In addition,
15
Maranatha Christian University
the protagonist’s conflicts are also caused by her search for identity. Kirby loses
her identity when she lives together with her unfamiliar family who hold the rules
set by the strict fundamentalist Christian society. She finds her identity when she
decides to become Kirby instead of Esther.
After analyzing the novel I am not Esther by Fleur Beale, I find that there
are messages from Fleur Beale to her readers that the strong bond between a
mother and her daughter can solve any conflict and that teenagers need support or
reassurance from others to make important decision. In my opinion, teenagers still
need guidance from the elder people as they have more experiences. However, the
guidance that they receive also has to be the priority of their point of view. I find
this novel is good to read not only by teenagers but also by adults.
16
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
References:
•
•
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Shaw, Harry. Dictionary of Literary Terms. New York: McGraw-Hill,
1976.
Internet / Websites:
•
Dictionary of Literary Terms. Joel Sommer Littauer. 22 September 2007.
•
Fleur Beale. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc. 22 September 2007.
•
New Zealand Book Council, New Zealand Writer. Fleur Beale. 22
September 2007.
•
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Eric T. Olson. 22 September 2007.
Primary Text:
•
Beale, Fleur. I am not Esther. New York: Hyperion Paperbacks, 1998.
17
Maranatha Christian University