AN ANALYSIS OF FRANK’S STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AS SEEN IN MCCOURT’S ANGELA’S ASHES: A MEMOIR OF A CHILDHOOD A Thesis
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AN ANALYSIS OF FRANK’S STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AS SEEN IN
MCCOURT’S ANGELA’S ASHES: A MEMOIR OF A CHILDHOOD
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree of English Language Education
By:
Sunny Eclipsia Leatemia
Student Number: 011214095
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
2007
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STATEMENT OF WORKS’ ORGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or part of the works of other people except those cited in the quotations and bibliography, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, 30 June 2007 The writer
Sunny Eclipsia Leatemia
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Be Thou M y V ision Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best Thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight; Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight; Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower: Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
(Eleanor H. Hull, 1912 an Ancient Irish Folklore)
I DEDICATED THIS THESIS TO: My beloved Papa Anis, Mutti Metty, My brothers Eci, Ray,
My sister Dina & her husband Bung Peter
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Above all and beyond everything that I have in this world, I would like to give my deepest gratitude to the only saviour of my life JESUS CHRIST for all
His blessing, guidance and never ending love.
I also would like to give my gratitude to my major sponsor Drs. L.
Bambang Hendarto Y., M.Hum, for all his wisdom, kindness, patient and support
to guide me and willing to spent his precious time to help me to finish my thesis. I also would like to thank Sr. Margaret O’Donohue FCJ who has been very kind to correct my grammar. I appreciate the time that she has spent for me.
My next gratitude is for all lecturers of English Education Study Program for guiding and sharing their knowledge during my study in Sanata Dharma University, for all English Education Study Program secretariat staff and Sanata Dharma library staff for their assistance, friendliness and best services.
My grateful dedication is conveyed to my beloved family Papa Anis and
Mutti Metty for the support, never ending prayers and unconditional love. For my
dear brothers Bung Eci, and Bung Ray and my dear sister Zus Dina and her husband Bung Peter, I thank them for their love, support and understanding. For my God Parents, Pa’ani Agus and Ma’ani Tiny, thank you for everything that you have taught and given me. Love and lesson that really worth for my life and thank you for being my God Parents since everyone envy me to have both of you in my life. For my niece Alvie, my nephews Nuel, and Rinto, I love you all and I’m blessed to have the most loving family in this world.
I would like to thank my best friends, Lia, Nana, “Rabbit”, Ita, Santi,
Ale, Henry, Catur, Herp, Piet, Nucee, Ukhe, Michael for the love, support,
happiness, beautiful moments, crazy things that you have spent and shared with me.
My sincere and special thanks go to my colleagues in German Red Cross (Mbak Arlin and Marc), Japanese Red Cross and in International Federation of
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Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in PMI Chapter Jogjakarta for the
precious moments, experiences, many beneficial lessons of life and have allowed me to help all of you in your duty and be part of it. Thank you for teaching me with the knowledge of Red Cross and make me fall in love with the world of Red Cross.
For all the people whom I love, may God bless them all and keep them all with His Almighty Hands.
Sunny Eclipsia Leatemia
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PageTITLE PAGE ......................................................................................……......... i APPROVAL PAGE ............................................................................……......... ii PAGE OF ACCEPTANCE .................................................................……........ iii STATEMENT OF WORK ORIGINALITY ......................................……........ iv PAGE OF DEDICATION ..................................................................…….....… v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................….......…. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................…...…. viii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................…......… xi
ABSTRAK ............................................................................................…......… xii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study ...........................................……........
1 B. Problem Formulation .................................................……........
3 C. Objectives of the Study .............................................……........
3 D. Benefits of the Study .................................................……........
4 E. Definition of Terms ..................................................…….........
4 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories ......................................……........
6 1. Critical Approaches .............................................……........
6
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2. Character ..............................................................……........
7 a. Meaning ............................................................……........
7 b. Kinds ................................................................…….........
8 3. Characterization ...................................................…….........
9 a. Meaning .............................................................…...........
9
b. Ways of Characterization .................................……........ 10
4. Motivation .............................................................……....…. 12
a. Meaning ............................................................…….....… 12
5. Human Basic Needs .............................................…….....… 14
6. Struggle for Life ..................................................……......… 16
B. Criticism ....................................................................…….....… 18
C. Theoretical Framework .............................................…….....… 19
CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY A. Subject Matter .........................................................……....... 21 B. Approach .................................................................……....... 22 C. Procedures ..............................................................……........ 23 CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS A. The Description of Frank McCourt ...........................…….....… 25
1. Odd ......................................................................…….....… 26
2. Kind-hearted ........................................................……......... 28
3. Honest .................................................................…….....…. 31
4. Caring ..................................................................……....…. 34
c. Going to America ...........................................……......…. 61
D. Material .................................................................................... 78
C. Lesson Plan for Teaching Speaking .......................................... 77
B. Biography of the author ............................................................. 75
A. Summary of the novel ................................................................ 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 69
APPENDICES ................................................................................................... 72
2. Suggestion for teaching- learning activities ........................... 66
1. Suggestion for future researchers .......................……....... 66
CHAPTER V CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions ..............................................................……..... 64 B. Suggestions ...............................................................……...... 66
b. Giving a better life to his family ....................……......…. 57
5. Hard Working .....................................................……......… 39
a. Finding good jobs ...........................................……......…. 54
2. Frank’s Struggle ..................................................……......…. 53
c. The Society’s Treatment toward Frank’s Family ….....…. 51
b. The Family’s Economic Condition ................... ….......…. 47
a. His Father Drinking Habit ...............................……... 44
1. The Causes of Frank Struggle for Life ................……....… 44
B. Frank’s Struggle for a Better Life……………………….. 43
6. Smart ...................................................................……… 41
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ABSTRACT
Leatemia, Sunny Eclipsia. 2007. An Analysis of Frank’s Struggle for Life as Seen in McCourt’ Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of A Childhood. Yogyakarta: English Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teacher Trainings and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
Every person lives with problems that emerge in their life. Some of the problems are easy to solve but some others are not. People cannot avoid the problems and therefore they need to struggle for life, in order to solve the problems. In the novel by Frank McCourt entitled Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a
Childhood that talks about life; Frank the main character has to struggle for life
because of the problems that emerge in his life. He has to live under poor and miserable conditions in a slum area in Limerick Ireland.
There are two problems to be discussed in this study related to the main character: (1) How is Frank, the main character, portrayed in the novel? (2) How does Frank manage to survive in his struggles for life?
The library research is the method that is used in this study where I use the novel as the primary data, books of literature and psychology and other sources from Internet. The approach used in this study is psychological approach since the study aims to analyse the main character.
Based on the analysis of the main character, there are two points that can be concluded. First, is the description of Frank. Frank is portrayed as kind-hearted, caring, honest, hard working and smart though he has the odd manner like his father that comes from Northern Ireland. The second deals with Frank’s struggle for life. He struggles for life because of his father’s drinking habit that grows serious, the family’s economic condition that is miserable and the society’s treatment toward Frank’s family. Frank manages to survive because of three reasons that motivate him. The first is finding good jobs, the second is giving a better life for his family and the last one is going to America. Finally, Frank is able to solve all the problems that made him struggle for life.
This thesis also provides some suggestions for the future researchers related to other possible studies on Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood. Future researchers may analyse minor character that influence Frank to struggle for life and the social historical background of the novel. In addition, the thesis also provides lesson plan using some parts of the novel on teaching English, especially in speaking class.
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ABSTRAK
Leatemia, Sunny Eclipsia.2007. An Analysis of Frank’s Struggle for Life as Seen in McCourt’ Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of A Childhood. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Setiap orang hidup dengan masalah yang muncul dalam kehidupan mereka. Beberapa masalah dapat dengan mudah diselesaikan akan tetapi ada masalah- masalah lain yang sukar untuk diselesaikan. Mereka tidak bisa menghindar dari masalah- masalah tersebut, maka dari itu mereka harus berjuang untuk hidup dalam rangka untuk menyelesaikan masalah-masalah yang ada. Dalam sebuah novel karya Frank McCourt yaitu Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood yang menceritakan tentang kehidupan, Frank, tokoh utama dalam novel ini harus berjuang untuk bertahan hidup karena masalah- masalah yang timbul dalam kehidupannya. Ia harus hidup dibawah tekanan kemiskinan dan kehidupan menyedihkan yang ia alami di daerah kumuh di Limerick, Irlandia.
Ada dua masalah yang dibahas dalam studi ini yang berhubungan dengan tokoh utama: (1) Bagaimana Frank, karakter utama dalam novel ini digambarkan? (2) Bagaimana Frank berusaha untuk bertahan dalam berjuang untuk hidup?
Metode yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah penelitian perpustakaan meliputi novel sebagai data utama, buku-buku mengenai literatur dan psikologi dan juga data dari internet. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam studi ini adalah pendekatan psikologi karena studi ini mengenai karakter utama dalam novel.
Berdasarkan analisis terhadap tokoh utama, terdapat dua hal yang bisa disimpulkan. Pertama adalah penggambaran tokoh Frank. Frank digambarkan sebagai seorang yang baik hati, penyayang, jujur, pekerja keras, dan pintar walaupun ia memiliki tingkah laku yang aneh seperti ayahnya yang berasal dari Irlandia Utara. Kedua adalah penyebab Frank berjuang untuk hidup. Ia harus berjuang untuk hidup karena sifat ayahnya yang suka minum yang bertambah parah, keadaan ekonomi keluarganya yang miskin dan menyedihkan dan perlakuan masyarakat terhadap keluarganya. Frank berusaha untuk bertahan hidup karena ia termotivasi oleh tiga hal. Pertama, Frank berusaha untuk mendapatkan pekerjaan yang bagus, yang kedua adalah berusaha memberikan kehidupan yang lebih baik untuk keluarganya dan yang terakhir adalah pergi ke Amerika. Pada akhirnya, Frank mampu menyelesaikan semua permasalahan yang membuatnya harus berjuang untuk hidup.
Skripsi ini juga memberikan beberapa saran untuk peneliti-peneliti yang akan datang mengenai kemungkinan penelitian lainnya terhadap Angela’s Ashes: A
Memoir of a Childhood . Peneliti yang akan datang dapat menganalisis karakter
pembantu yang mempengaruhi Frank dalam berjuang untuk hidup dan latar belakang sosial budaya dalam novel ini. Sebagai tambahan, skripsi ini juga menyediakan rencana pembelajaran menggunakan novel dalam mengajar bahasa Inggris, terutama pada kelas berbicara.
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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter presents background of the study, problem formulation,
objectives of the study, benefits of the study and the definition of terms. The background of the study provides the information of the topic and the reason that become the basis of writing this thesis. The problem formulation states the problem or questions of the study. The objectives of the study aim to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation. The benefits of the study explain the advantages and importance of the study. Finally, the definition of terms provides an explanation of some important terms used in the study.
A. Background of the Study
All human beings in this world live their own life differently. Some of them may have a beautiful life and some of them may not have it. Though they live their life normally, problems may come everyday. Moreover, they cannot avoid the problems and therefore they will try hard to face and overcome them until they win the battle of struggle for life and achieve a better life in the future.
The problems that emerge are many. Some of the problems concern family, health, economical and others. These problems cause most people have to struggle for life. They can also be reflected in works of literature because they portray human life experiences. An author of literary works reflects what he experiences in
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own experience with his readers through his works.
Since a work of literature is about reflection of life experiences, an author uses one of the media in literature called novel. Novel is the most common media that is used to reflect human life experience since the novel presents life itself. Van De Laar and Schoenderwoend say, “a novel as a work of art so far it introduces as into a living world; in some respect resembling the world we live in, but with an individuality of its own” (63). Through novels, many authors present stories about life because they can give support, strengt h, and reflection of struggle for life for the readers.
One of the authors who presents his life experiences in his works is Frank McCourt. He has had experiences of human struggle and he applies his experiences in his novel. His novel entitled Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood talks about life and how a man struggles for life and survives. Besides, it also describes human experiences that can happen to everyone in this world.
Frank, the main character in the Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood has to survive since he is three years old. He also has to face the death of his little sister that is barely one-year-old named Margaret. The death of Margaret causes his mother to grieve too much and because of it, she gives little attention to Frank and his brothers. Since then, Frank learns that his family’s condition grows worse and so does his father’s drinking habit. However, when his family moves to Ireland, he finds that his parents are still unable to support them and it makes him aware that he has to work so that his family will have a better life. Working as a newspaper seller, he can earn some money for his mother and his brothers. Sadly, another
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for three months and he has to loose his job. He, then, has to start to find another job and must be more determined than ever so that he can help his mother and his brothers though it means that he has to start from the bottom line.
In this story, Frank faces many problems. First, his father drinking habit that grows serious even after the family moves to Ireland. Second, his family’s economic condition that is poor and miserable. Third, the society’s treatment toward his family that is rude. Frank has to struggle for life because many conflicts appear continuously in his life.
The novel is interesting to discuss because it shows how a person has to struggle for life in order to achieve a better one. We can also learn many lessons for life from this novel.
B. Problem Formulation
Based on the background of the study, there are two problems that can be formulated as follows:
1. How is Frank, the main character, portrayed in the novel?
2. How does Frank manage to survive in his struggle for life? C.
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of the study are to answer the questions stated in the problem formulation. First is to find out how Frank is portrayed in the novel.
Second is to find out the things that causes Frank to struggle for life and to find out how Frank manages to survive.
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D. Benefits of the Study
There are some benefits of this study. Firstly, I hope that this study will be useful for readers in broadening their knowledge about life as well as about literature, especially the knowledge of Irish-American writers and their works.
Secondly, for future researchers who intend to conduct the study of the same novel, I hope that this study can provide information on Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood and also offer some beneficial information about the main character, the causes of the struggle for life and how he manages to survive. Hopefully, this thesis can be a start for further studies on Frank McCourt and his works. Finally, for myself, by studying this novel I learn about life and how each person has to survive for life in every condition.
E. Definition of Study
This part clarifies some important terms in order to avoid misunderstanding about the content of the thesis.
1. Struggle In Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary struggle means to proceed with difficulty of with great effort (1167).
2. Life Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners defines life as a state of being alive, especially, when there is a risk or danger (893). On the other hand, Google.com defines life as an account of human events and activities that making up someone’s life where it becomes the experience of being alive. Thus, in my
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live where it becomes the experience of being alive.
3. Motivation Morris defines that motives are “an inner direct force of a need or want that arouses the organism and directs behaviour toward a goal” (408). So it means that a motive is a power that enables someone to fulfil or reach his goal.
4. Character Abrams states that character means “the person in a dramatic or narrative work, who is interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say and by what they do” (20). Thus, in my opinion character is an individual that has qualities and moral values that are expressed in his dialogue and his action.
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CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter discusses theories that support the analysis of the thesis. In
order to understand theories underlying this thesis, I divide this chapter into three parts. The first part is review of related theories. The second part of this chapter states criticisms that will cover the critics on McCourt’s work, while the last part of the chapter is theoretical framework.
A. Review of Related Theories
The content of this part concerns all the theories relating to the study. The theories that I use are critical approaches, character, characterization, motivation, human basic needs and struggle for life.
1. Critical Approaches
Rorhberger and Woods Jr. (6-15) propose five approaches that can be used to analyse the novel, namely the formalist approach, the biography approach, the sociocultural approach, the mythopoeic approach and the psychological approach.
a. The Formalist Approach
The focus of this approach is on the literary object and the esthetic value of the novel. The approach itself makes no attempt to focus on the author’s life and the sociocultural background in which the literary takes place.
b. The Biography Approach
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that become the major element in the author’s work.
c. The Sociocultural Approach
The focus of this approach is to analyse the no vel reference to the civilization that produces the novel. The civilization is defined as the attitudes and actions of a specific group of people. Meanwhile, a novel takes those attitudes and action as it subject matter. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the social milieu, the cultural and historical background in which a novel is created.
d. The Mythopoeic Approach
The focus of this approach is to discover certain universally recurrent pattern of human thought. These patterns are considered to have shared the universally common belief toward certain community mind.
e. The Psychological Approach
The main concern of this approach is to identify any aspects of psychology that underlie a certain element of literary works. The element particularly points up the character in the story. In this case, theory of psychology is meant to explain the character’s personality, where it comes from, the idea that each character’s behaviour could be referred to the psychology of human being. Thus this approach can be used to understand the character’s behaviour and thought.
2. Character
There are several ways to know about characters by defining the character from the meaning and the kinds of characters.
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Since there are many interpretations of the word “character”, Stanton (17) defines two meanings of character. The first is that characters are the “individuals” who appear in the story. Meanwhile, the second definition is “a mixture of interests, desires, emotions and moral principles that makes up each of the individuals.” Thus, character can be defined as the individual who appears in the story that has the mixture of interest, desires, emotion and moral principles.
However, Abrams (20-21) defines the word “character” based on the performance of the character. The first definition of character is a short and usually witty, sketch in prose of a distinctive type of person. The second definition of character that Abrams proposes is that characters are the persons presented in a dramatic narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in the dialogue and action. So, from both definitions of character proposed by Abrams, character is a distinctive type of person that is presented in a dramatic narrative work and interpreted with moral and dispositional qualities.
b. Kinds Forster as quoted by Abrams (20) categorizes characters into two kinds, flat and round characters based on internal complexity. A flat character also called as two-dimensional type is presented without much individualizing detail and it is also built around “a single idea or quality”. In other words, a flat character is a character that never changes. Meanwhile, a round character is a character that is complex, both in temperament and motivation, which is difficult to describe.
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Furthermore, Holman and Harmon divide character into two namely static and dynamic. A static character is one who changes little or does not change at all, because there is nothing happening within. It means that a character begins as the same kind of character as in the end. A dynamic character is one who is modified by actions and experiences that influence the character to change. That is why a dynamic character is one who often changes (83).
Based on the aspect of importance, Henkle (88-97) categorizes character into major and minor character. A major character is the centre of the story. A major character is the most important and complex character in the story. Usually he/she can be identified through the complexity of his/her characterization and the attention given to them by the other character. Thus, a major character deserves the fullest attention since she or he performs a key structural function where upon he/she builds expectations and desires, which in modification establish our values. Whereas, minor characters are the characters that perform a more limited function. They just appear in a certain setting, less sophisticated and drawn in shallower relief and usually they jus t become the background of the major character.
3. Characterization
This part will discuss the theory of characterization, which is used in order to analyse the character in the novel. This part also divided into two, the first is the meaning of characterization while the second is concern on ways of characterization. In order to analyse the character in the novel, we can use Murphy’s theory on nine ways of characterization.
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Holman and Harmon (81) define characterization as the creation of an imaginary person. The aim that lies beneath the creation is to make the imaginary person exist for the readers or audiences as lifelike or seen as real. In addition, Rohrberger and Woods Jr. (20) say that characterization is a process applied by an author to create a character. Thus, characterization can be defined as the process to create an imaginary person as lifelike so that the readers are able to accept him as real person.
b. Ways characterization Related to characterizatio n of character, Murphy (161-173) mentions nine elements that can be used to determine the characteristics of a character. The description of each element is as follows: 1) Personal description The author can describe a person from his appearance and clothes.
2) Character as seen by another Instead of describing a character directly, the author can describe a character through the eyes and opinions of another.
3) Speech The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what that person says.
4) Past life By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life, the author can give us a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character.
5) Conversation of others
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The author can also give us clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him.
6) Reactions The author can also give us a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
7) Direct comment The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly.
8) Thoughts The author can give us direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about.
9) Mannerisms The author can describe a person’s mannerisms, habits or idiosyncrasies, which may also tell us something about his character.
As it is stated before that characterization is the creation of imaginary person that has to exist for the reader as lifelike, there are other methods of characterization that is proposed by Holman and Harmon theory (81). The first method is the explicit presentation by the author of the character through direct explanation either in an introductory block or illustrated by action. The second is the presentation of the character in action with the expectation that the reader will be able to conclude the attributes of the actor from the actions. The last is the presentation from within character, without comment on the character by the author, with the expectation that the reader will come to a clear understanding of the attributes of the character.
Another theory of characterization that can be used to determine character is
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character can be seen. The first is what the character (the figure) says. It means that the words that the character expresses through his opinion and dialogue which can be a clue for the reader in order to know his/her characteristics. The second is what the character does. This refers to the action (movement, body language, gestures) of the character that can be used to analyse the characteristics of the character. The third is what the other characters (including the narrator of the story) say about him. It also includes the comments and opinions of other characters through a dialogue that can be used to analyse the character. The last one is what other characters do and the description of the actions of other people toward a character whether they like the character or not and how they behave toward him.
4. Motivation
This section concerns the theory of motivation where it explains the definition of motivation given by the psychologists. The motivation theory is also used to investigate the main character through the psychological aspects.
a. Meaning There are many definitions of motivation given by psychologists. Motivation is reviewed in this study since the aim of this study is to analyse how someone manages to struggle for life and to survive. Besides, it makes me curious about the main character’s motivation to struggle for life and the ways he chooses to do it.
Bootzin, Loftus, Zajonc, Blake, Lo Piccolo and Holahan (367) say that a “motive” is a force power of behaviour that organizes the behaviour in which it is conducted by some purposes that lead to a goal or the satisfaction of needs. The process of the
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the temporary determinants of choice (direction), persistence, and vigour of goal- directed behaviour (Beck 24). In other words, Beck tries to explain that motivation is a determinant that causes a person to do something continually based on the aim to achieve.
Another definition of motivation is given by Morris. Morris (408) states that motivation is “a specific need, desire, or want such as hunger, thirst, or achievement, that energizes and direct goal-oriented behaviour”. It means that motivation makes human beings continually do their specific need and desire in order to achieve their goal.
Furthermore, some of the psychologists explain motivation as a determinant of choices, whereas others convey it as a specific desire, while Jung (4) claims that, “When we speak motives we are referring to the causes or reasons that underlie a given behaviour”. For example a man is motivated to save his money so that he can buy a car. Therefore, we cannot concentrate on motivation only when we discuss it, because we also need to know what causes someone to do the action.
Kalish (29-30) explains that motivated behaviour is a behaviour set into motion by a need. A need indicates that some satisfaction is lacking and implies that the organism is activated to reduce dissatisfaction. Thus, a need for food signifies that a person feels a lack of food, and it sets into motion hunger-motivated behaviour. Motivation is strong enough to activate goal-seeking behaviour, which begins with agitated feelings and ended with behaviour that satisfied the needs.
Motivation and needs are concepts, not things. They cannot be seen or heard or touched: the y must be inferred or assumed. Many psychologists believe that all
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human behaviour is motivated, even if the person is not necessarily aware of his motives at the time of behaviour.
To sum up, motivation is a forcing power of a specific desire, need, or want that is conducted by some purposes and becomes the reason for a person to do the action that leads to a goal. Besides, through motivation a person is able to achieve his goal with satisfactory feelings.
5. Human Basic Needs
When people do some actions, they are motivated by the need to fulfil those actions. Maslow (47) says that “man is initially motivated by a series of basic needs; as those are satisfied, he moves toward the level of the higher needs and become motivated by them”. It means that human motivations are based on human needs. Maslow also proposes seven basic needs but only five needs are reviewed in the study.
The needs are the physiological needs, the safety needs, the belongingness and love needs, the esteem needs, and the self-actualization needs (Maslow 38-42).
These five basic needs are also known as the hierarchy of human needs. He argues that usually the lowest need of the hierarchy has to be satisfied first before the higher needs on the hierarchy are satisfied. The explanation of each need is as follows: 1) The Physiological Needs
The physiological needs are the most basic needs in our life. They are the need for food, liquid, shelter, sex, sleep and oxygen. When someone is lacking
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the other needs until the need for food is fulfilled. In order to survive in life, of course, the needs that we should fulfil first are the physiological needs (Maslow 38). 2) The Safety Needs
After the physiological needs are sufficiently satisfied, the safety needs emerge. They emerge because of the needs to feel secure, stable, independent, protected, free from fear, anxiety and chaos. Someone will feel that other higher needs become unimportant when his life is in danger. A man needs the security and protection from anything that is considered as being harmful. He also needs a peaceful society, familiar surrounding, secure jobs and some of the evidence of the needs for safety (Maslow 39). 3) The Belongingness and Love Needs
When the two needs of physiological and safety are satisfied there will emerge the belonging and love needs. After a person fulfils the physiological and safety needs, now he will find the absence of friends, a sweetheart, a wife, or children. He will seek for affectionate relations with people in general, for a place in his group or family or a feeling that one “belongs” and he will strive with great intensity to achieve his goal. The love needs require both the receiving and giving of love- love from another and someone to love (Maslow 40). 4) The Esteem Needs
When the first three classes of needs are satisfied, the needs for esteem can become dominant. These involve needs for both self-esteem and for the esteem a person gets from others. A person has a need for a stable, firmly based, high level
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feels self confident and valuable as a person in the world. Unfortunately, if these needs are frustrated, the person feels inferior, weak, helpless and worthless (Maslow 42). 5) The Self-actualization Needs
The self-actualization needs emerge after all of the foregoing needs are satisfied. Self-actualization is a person’s need to be and do that which the person was “born to do”. It is also the identification of the psychological need for growth, development and utilization of always know what are he desire but when it comes to the self-actualization it is not always clear what a person wants in his life (Maslow 42).
All the basic needs mentioned above are important but it depends on each person on how he or she is able to fulfil it. Each person will experience a different process in fulfilling their needs and those needs may appear not as described. Maslow states that the process of needs may not work based on the theory since most people have been able to fulfil most of their basic needs. For example, nowadays a lot of people choose to find a secure job first in order to fulfil their basic needs such as food and shelter. It can be assumed that we cannot guaranty that the physiological needs will appear first. On the contrary the safety needs may appear first and then proceeds to the physiological needs or other needs (qtd. in Huitt 2001).
6. Struggle for Life
Problems always emerge in our daily life. People always live with problems in
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solve. In order to overcome the problem, people need to struggle. In Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary (1167) struggle means to proceed with difficulty or with great effort. People need to struggle because of events that happen in their life, when these events change their life and become their problem that they need to solve them. Braun, Linder, and Asimov (478-80), state that there are many life events that cause people to struggle for life. These life events can be the death of a close family member, personal injury or illness, fired from work, gain of new family member, etc. People will react differently toward the life events in their life if they are unable to cope with it. When people cannot cope with these life events that happen in their life, they will become stressed. Stress is one of the reactions that emerge if people are unable to overcome their problems. Because of stress, people then need to adjust.
Morris (490) defines adjustment as any effort to cope with stress. Every adjustment is an attempt to balance our desire against the demands of the environment, to weigh our needs, and to cope as well as we can within the limits of the situation. According to Braun, Linder, and Asimov (478-80), there are three categories in adjustment that people can do in order to cope with difficulties. The first category is problem solving. Problem solving is what people think as coping.
The development of problem-solving skills to meet a wide variety of situations is a very useful aid in adjustment. The second category is acceptance of the situation.
The acceptance of the situation can also be an effective tool in the process of adjustment. The last category is the use of defense mechanisms. This last category is a tool to cope with stress and anxiety but if it is overused it can lead to severe
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B. Criticism
Abrams (35) states that criticism is the study that concerns defining, classifying, analysing and evaluating works of literature. In order to have a better understanding about what the literary works talk about, we absolutely need criticism from critics. Through the critics, the readers are not only able to have a better understanding inside the literary works as a reading material but also able to appreciate both the novel and the author.
Gordon, in the book review of Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes: A Memoir of a Childhood says “ Frank McCourt story is a story of a survival and growth beyond all odds; it moves the readers to read and enjoy it because this book is written in a beautiful language” (McCourt 1997).
Alix Madrigal for San Francisco Chronicle states “Frank McCourt’s memoir is a joy to read because it serves his Irish childhood that poor and miserable where he combines it with funny moments and written in beautiful language” (Madrigal, sec.18).
Felice Aull, an annotator from New York University School of Medicine says that one important factor in McCourt’s memoir is the love with which he shows and give for his family. Though his father is an alcoholic that always make his mother suffers and never able to give them a proper and decent life still Frank never hates him. On the other hand, McCourt Senior never abuses his children and that is also one of the reasons that makes Frank never wants to hate his father. “I think my father is like the Holy Trinity with three people in Him, the one in the morning with the paper, the one at night with the stories and prayers, and then the
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love for his mother and brothers even hilarious that he is willing to sacrifice his childhood times to help his mother and work hard in order to gain some shillings to his mother so that they can buy some food to eat and clothes to wear on (Aull, sec.3).