Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: Character Analysis of Gwenda Cataret in May Sinclair’s The Three Sisters: A Psychological Case Study T1 4101013 BAB III
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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
3.1. Object of the study
For the purpose of the study, I uses May Sinclair's novel entitled The Three
Sisters, published by Virago press, London, reprinted edition, 1984. It consists of
66 chapters, 388 pages, with additional pages of a new introduction by Jean
Radford.
The Three Sisters was first published in October, 1914, in Great Britain by
The Macmillan. Co, barely two months after the outbreak of the First World War
and shortly after May Sinclair's visit to an ambulance unit serving in Belgium.
This novel, Sinclair's tenth, influenced by Sigmund Freud psychological theory,
that marks the beginning of her interest in psychology and her attempt to explore
unconscious motivation, particularly of middle class women in a repressive
society at that time (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/wsinclair.htm).
3.2. Approach of the Study
In this study, I use psychoanalytic approach to analyze Gwenda Cataret's
personality through her characteristics, specifically her inner self interaction –
uncovering the conscious and unconscious influences over her mind that
determines her way of life (behavior).
Psychoanalytic approach views works through the lens of psychology. It
looks the psychological side of the character or the author of the novel. It aims to
48
49
uncover the working of human mind, specifically the expression of the
unconscious. In Literary Criticism: An Overview of Approaches prepared by
Skylar Hamilton Burris, there are some possibilities in psychoanalytic approach.
The two mostly used according to Burris are analyzing a text like a dream; it
looking for symbolism and repressed meaning, the other one is developing a
psychological analysis of a character. The second possibility is the one which
suitable in the purpose of this study, analyzing Gwenda Cataret's characteristic
views from psychological side.
One mostly used theory of psychoanalytic in studying a literature work is
one which develops by Sigmund Freud. There are three ideas in the work of
Sigmund Freud that are particularly useful in analyzing a text using psychological
approach such as : the influence of the unconscious mind over the conscious, the
expression of the unconscious mind through symbols that can be seen through a
dream, and sexuality as basic energy in every human activities that motivating
human behavior (http://www.literatureclassics.com/ancientpath/literit.html). This
study develops a psychological analysis of a character. Using Sigmund Freud's
theory of dynamic model of human psyche (conscious and unconscious), the study
focuses on Gwenda Cataret's consciousness influenced by unconscious process as
seen through her personality traits.
3.3. Method of the Study
The study is developed into several steps, answering the two problem
formulation question. The first problem formulation to be answered is about the
50
characterization of the main protagonist studied, Gwenda Cataret, that is finding
out her personality traits through out the plot story. More specifically, Gwenda
Cataret's relationship and interaction with her inner-self and other significant
characters in the novel. From the characterization study, the result of the analysis
became the main data for the second problem formulation to be answered, about
the psychological aspect of the character. How does Gwenda Cataret's
consciousness influenced by her unconscious part of mind, as the main aspect to
be studied in this psychological case study thesis. However, both problem
formulation are necessary to be developed into analysis process, for both elements
support and complement the purpose of the study on psychological analysis of the
character, Gwenda Cataret. The detail steps of the study will be discussed below.
The first step of the study is finding out Gwenda Cataret's personality
traits or characteristics using some characterization theories of Pickering and
Hoeper, and Robert and Jacobs. The characterization theories provide the tool to
make a picture about Gwenda Cataret's description, in literature term it calls
characteristic or trait. Pickering and Hoeper provides theories of characterization
analysis through the character's appearance and through the description by the
narrator's telling, both includes in telling or direct method; using this method,
Gwenda Cataret's characteristics derive from her appearance and the narrator's
description about her. This type of characterization method is applied by searching
in the plot story some part contain the information about Gwenda's appearance
and the narrator's explanation about her. There is also showing or indirect method
as developed by Pickering and Hoeper includes in this method: characterization
51
through dialog and characterization through action. In this
indirect method,
Gwenda's characteristics take from her dialog and her action through her
interaction and relationship with her inner-self and other characters in the novel,
that showing her quality traits. There is also Roberts and Jacobs’s theory of
characterization through what other character said about Gwenda Cataret, it also
reveals her characteristics by studying on what other characters comment about
her.
From the data results of characterization study, each of Gwenda Cataret's
characteristics then analyzed further using Psychodynamic model theory of
Conscious and Unconscious by Sigmund Freud. The next step is answering the
second problem formulation's question, about the psychological study of the
character. Deriving from Gwenda's characteristics, the study further tries to
interpret Gwenda's consciousness influenced by her unconscious part of mind,
this part of the study relates with the defense mechanism analysis. In the process
of interpreting the characteristics data of Gwenda Cataret for defense mechanism
analysis, it shows how unconscious part of mind takes a big part in influences her
consciousness. Therefore, Freud's idea of iceberg as human unconsciousness, and
the consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg is applicable to explain humans
mind existence, how unconscious plays the big roles in influencing consciousness.
CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHOD
3.1. Object of the study
For the purpose of the study, I uses May Sinclair's novel entitled The Three
Sisters, published by Virago press, London, reprinted edition, 1984. It consists of
66 chapters, 388 pages, with additional pages of a new introduction by Jean
Radford.
The Three Sisters was first published in October, 1914, in Great Britain by
The Macmillan. Co, barely two months after the outbreak of the First World War
and shortly after May Sinclair's visit to an ambulance unit serving in Belgium.
This novel, Sinclair's tenth, influenced by Sigmund Freud psychological theory,
that marks the beginning of her interest in psychology and her attempt to explore
unconscious motivation, particularly of middle class women in a repressive
society at that time (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/wsinclair.htm).
3.2. Approach of the Study
In this study, I use psychoanalytic approach to analyze Gwenda Cataret's
personality through her characteristics, specifically her inner self interaction –
uncovering the conscious and unconscious influences over her mind that
determines her way of life (behavior).
Psychoanalytic approach views works through the lens of psychology. It
looks the psychological side of the character or the author of the novel. It aims to
48
49
uncover the working of human mind, specifically the expression of the
unconscious. In Literary Criticism: An Overview of Approaches prepared by
Skylar Hamilton Burris, there are some possibilities in psychoanalytic approach.
The two mostly used according to Burris are analyzing a text like a dream; it
looking for symbolism and repressed meaning, the other one is developing a
psychological analysis of a character. The second possibility is the one which
suitable in the purpose of this study, analyzing Gwenda Cataret's characteristic
views from psychological side.
One mostly used theory of psychoanalytic in studying a literature work is
one which develops by Sigmund Freud. There are three ideas in the work of
Sigmund Freud that are particularly useful in analyzing a text using psychological
approach such as : the influence of the unconscious mind over the conscious, the
expression of the unconscious mind through symbols that can be seen through a
dream, and sexuality as basic energy in every human activities that motivating
human behavior (http://www.literatureclassics.com/ancientpath/literit.html). This
study develops a psychological analysis of a character. Using Sigmund Freud's
theory of dynamic model of human psyche (conscious and unconscious), the study
focuses on Gwenda Cataret's consciousness influenced by unconscious process as
seen through her personality traits.
3.3. Method of the Study
The study is developed into several steps, answering the two problem
formulation question. The first problem formulation to be answered is about the
50
characterization of the main protagonist studied, Gwenda Cataret, that is finding
out her personality traits through out the plot story. More specifically, Gwenda
Cataret's relationship and interaction with her inner-self and other significant
characters in the novel. From the characterization study, the result of the analysis
became the main data for the second problem formulation to be answered, about
the psychological aspect of the character. How does Gwenda Cataret's
consciousness influenced by her unconscious part of mind, as the main aspect to
be studied in this psychological case study thesis. However, both problem
formulation are necessary to be developed into analysis process, for both elements
support and complement the purpose of the study on psychological analysis of the
character, Gwenda Cataret. The detail steps of the study will be discussed below.
The first step of the study is finding out Gwenda Cataret's personality
traits or characteristics using some characterization theories of Pickering and
Hoeper, and Robert and Jacobs. The characterization theories provide the tool to
make a picture about Gwenda Cataret's description, in literature term it calls
characteristic or trait. Pickering and Hoeper provides theories of characterization
analysis through the character's appearance and through the description by the
narrator's telling, both includes in telling or direct method; using this method,
Gwenda Cataret's characteristics derive from her appearance and the narrator's
description about her. This type of characterization method is applied by searching
in the plot story some part contain the information about Gwenda's appearance
and the narrator's explanation about her. There is also showing or indirect method
as developed by Pickering and Hoeper includes in this method: characterization
51
through dialog and characterization through action. In this
indirect method,
Gwenda's characteristics take from her dialog and her action through her
interaction and relationship with her inner-self and other characters in the novel,
that showing her quality traits. There is also Roberts and Jacobs’s theory of
characterization through what other character said about Gwenda Cataret, it also
reveals her characteristics by studying on what other characters comment about
her.
From the data results of characterization study, each of Gwenda Cataret's
characteristics then analyzed further using Psychodynamic model theory of
Conscious and Unconscious by Sigmund Freud. The next step is answering the
second problem formulation's question, about the psychological study of the
character. Deriving from Gwenda's characteristics, the study further tries to
interpret Gwenda's consciousness influenced by her unconscious part of mind,
this part of the study relates with the defense mechanism analysis. In the process
of interpreting the characteristics data of Gwenda Cataret for defense mechanism
analysis, it shows how unconscious part of mind takes a big part in influences her
consciousness. Therefore, Freud's idea of iceberg as human unconsciousness, and
the consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg is applicable to explain humans
mind existence, how unconscious plays the big roles in influencing consciousness.