Revealing theme through the analysis of main characters and plot in Steinbeck`s Cannery Row - USD Repository

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

REVEALING THEME THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF MAIN
CHARACTERS AND PLOT IN STEINBECK’S CANNERY ROW

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
In English Letters

By
KARUNIA ADI PERMANA
Student Number: 094214011

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

REVEALING THEME THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF MAIN
CHARACTERS AND PLOT IN STEINBECK’S CANNERY ROW

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Sarjana Sastra

In English Letters

By
KARUNIA ADI PERMANA
Student Number: 094214011

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014

i

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI

TERPUJI

ii

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

iii

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama

: Karunia Adi Permana

Nomor Mahasiswa

: 094214011

Demi pengembangan ilmu pegetahuan, saya memberikan kepada perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
REVEALING

THEME

THROUGH

THE

ANALYSIS

OF

MAIN

CHARACTERS AND PLOT IN STEINBECK’S CANNERY ROW
Berserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya
memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk
menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya di internet atau
media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya
maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencatumkan nama saya
sebagai penulis.

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal: 28 Oktober 2014
Yang menyatakan

Karunia Adi Permana

iv

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I declare that this thesis which I have written does not contain the works of part of
the works of other people, except those cited in quotations and bibliography, as a
scientific paper should.

Yogyakarta, October 28, 2014

Karunia Adi Permana

v

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

THERE IS NOTHING EITHER GOOD OR BAD, BUT THINKING
MAKES IT SO
William Shakespeare

vi

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN

TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

THIS UNDERGRADUATE THESIS IS DEDICATED TO:
MY BELOVED PARENTS AND SISTER

vii

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Most of all, I would like to thank the God of the Universe, Jesus Christ
who is always there for me in every single moment in my life. I thank Him for

blessing me with health and energy so that I can use them to finish this thesis.
My deepest gratitude is addressed to my advisor, A. B. Sri Mulyani for her
help, time and guidance. I believe without her help I cannot finish my thesis. I
would also like to thank Elisa Dwi Wardani. S.S., M. Hum, my co- advisor who
has kindly given correction and advices for my imperfect thesis.
My lovely gratitude goes to my beloved parents who always love and
support me all the time, also for my sister who always encourages me to finish my
study as soon as possible.
My thankfulness goes to all lecturers of English Letters for sharing their
knowledge during my study in Sanata Dharma University. I also thank the
secretary of English Letters for their help and service during the creation of this
thesis.
My appreciation goes to all my friends in the English Letters. I thank them
for the togetherness that they give in the five years of my study. Lastly, I give my
special thanks to Paul, Rian, John, Catherine, Mella, Vivi, Rendy, Adit and Ina for
the help, support, happiness and every minute that we have been through.

Karunia Adi Permana

viii

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE...…………………………………………………………………...i
APPROVAL PAGE...…..………………………………………………………..ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE...………………………………………….……………iii
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PUBLIKASI……………………………………...iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY…………………………………………….v
MOTTO PAGE...…………………………………………………………….....vi
DEDICATION PAGE……………………………………………………......vii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………… viii
TABLE OF CONTENTS...……………………………………………….........ix
ABSTRACT...…………………………………………………………….…….xi

ABSTRAK......……………………………………………………………..........xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION……………………………………….............1
A. Background of the Study.......………………………………………..1
B. Problem Formulation……………………………………………..........4
C. Objectives of the Study...……………………………………………...4
D. Definition of Terms…………………………………………………...4
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW...………………………………….6
A. Review of Related Studies.……………………………………………6
B. Review of Related Theories..………………………………………....9
1. Theory on Character and Characterization...……………………...9
2. Theory on Plot...…………………………………………….........11
3. Theory on Theme...…………………………………………........12
4. Theory on New Criticism………………………………………..14
C. Theoretical Framework..……………………………………..............15
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY...…………………………………………16
A. Object of the Study……………………………………................16
B. Approach of the Study………………………………………………..17
C. Method of the Study...………………………………………………..18
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS...………………………………………………….19
A. The Analysis of the Main Characters………………………………...19
1. The Character of Mack…………………………………………….19
2. The Character of Doc……………………………………………...24
B. The Analysis of the Plot……………………………………………...26
C. The Contribution of Main Characters and Plot Analyses
in Determining the Theme……………………………………............38
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION...………………………………………………46

ix

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

BIBLIOGRAPHY...…………………………………………………………….49
APPENDIX……………………………………………………………………...51

x

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

ABSTRACT
KARUNIA ADI PERMANA. Revealing Theme through the Analysis of Main
Characters and Plot in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Yogyakarta: Department of
English Letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
This thesis focuses to reveal theme in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row through
analyzing the main characters and the plot. The researcher is interested to study
theme because theme is an important aspect in the novel. Theme can make the
story become meaningful and has the value of human experiences in it.
This thesis has three objectives. The first is to find out the description of the
characters, which are Mack and Doc. The second is to know how the plot
described in the story. The last is to know the contribution of the characters and
the plot to convey the theme of the story.
New Criticism approach is applied in this thesis since those objectives mainly
focus on the intrinsic elements of the story such as character, plot, and theme.
Thus, some theories are used in order to help the researcher analyzing the thesis.
The theories that are used are the theory on character and characterization, the
theory on plot, and the theory on theme. Those theories are used as secondary
sources.
The primary source of this thesis is the Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row. The
novel is about life of people who live in a small town called Cannery Row. In that
town, there are residents named Mack and Doc. Both of them become the
limelight because of their acts in the society. The analysis of the characters finds
that Mack is infamous as a bad person while Doc is well known as a good person.
However, the plot of the novel reveals that Mack and Doc are not like what the
people think. Mack is much more than just a bad person and Doc, who appears
having many friends, is not actually what he seems to be. The plot explains that
Mack has good side that many people do not realize. It can be seen when Mack
wants to make a party for Doc. Mack wants to work hard for the party and he
cares with the plan to make doc happy. He also takes more attention on the Doc’s
life than his own life. Many people know Doc as a good and friendly person, but
only Mack who understands that Doc is actually a lonely person. People do not
aware of the Doc’s loneliness until Doc reveals his loneliness to them through the
poem that he reads. Thus, the theme that can be concluded from those findings is
sometimes people are not what they seem to be and sometimes people are so
much more than we originally thought.

xi

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

ABSTRAK
KARUNIA ADI PERMANA. Revealing Theme through the Analysis of Main
Characters and Plot in Steinbeck’s Cannery Row. Yogyakarta: Program Studi
Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2014.
Skripsi ini bertujuan untuk menemukan tema dalam novel Cannery Row karya
Steinbeck melalui analisis terhadap karakter dan alur ceritanya. Peneliti tertarik
untuk mempelajari tema karena tema merupakan aspek yang penting di dalam
sebuah novel. Tema dapat membuat cerita menjadi penuh arti dan memiliki nilai
pengalaman manusia di dalamnya.
Skripsi ini memiliki tiga tujuan. Pertama adalah untuk menemukan penggambaran
dari kedua tokoh utama, yaitu Mack dan Doc. Yang kedua adalah untuk
mengetahui bagaimana alur cerita digambarkan. Terakhir adalah untuk
mengetahui bagaimana karakter dan alur cerita menyampaikan tema.
Pendekatan Kritik Baru diterapkan di dalam skripsi ini karena tujuan skripsi ini
banyak terfokus pada unsur intrinsik dalam cerita seperti tokoh, alur cerita, dan
tema. Oleh karena itu, peneliti menggunakan beberapa teori untuk membantu
menganalisa skripsi. Teori yang digunakan antara lain teori karakter dan
karakterisasi, teori alur cerita, dan teori tema. Teori teori tersebut dijadikan
sebagai sumber sekunder.
Sumber utama dari skripsi ini adalah novel Cannery Row yang ditulis oleh
Steinbeck. Novel ini bercerita mengenai kehidupan masyarakat yang tinggal di
sebuah kota kecil bernama Cannery Row. Di kota itu, ada dua orang penduduk
yang bernama Mack dan Doc. Keduanya menjadi pusat perhatian karena sikap
mereka di masyarakat. Analisa tokoh mendapati bahwa Mack terkenal sebagai
orang yang jahat sedangkan Doc dikenal sebagai orang yang baik. Akan tetapi,
alur cerita dalam novel akan menjelaskan bahwa Mack dan Doc bukanlah orang
yang seperti mereka pikirkan. Mack lebih dari sekedar orang jahat dan Doc, orang
yang memiliki banyak teman, ternyata tidak seperti yang terlihat selama ini. Alur
cerita menjelaskan bahwa Mack memiliki sisi baik yang tidak disadari oleh
banyak orang. Hal ini dapat dilihat saat Mack akan membuatkan pesta untuk Doc.
Mack mau bekerja keras demi pesta tersebut dan dia sangat peduli dengan rencana
untuk membuat Doc bahagia. Dia juga menaruh perhatian lebih terhadap
kehidupan Doc daripada kehidupannya. Banyak orang yang tahu bahwa Doc
adalah seorang yang baik dan bersahabat. Tetapi hanya Mack yang mengerti
bahwa Doc sesungguhnya adalah seorang yang kesepian. Orang tidak menyadari
akan hal tersebut hingga Doc mengungkapkan kepada mereka tentang
kesendirianya melalui puisi yang dia baca. Jadi, tema yang dapat disimpulkan dari
beberapa penemuan di atas adalah kadang kadang orang tidak seperti apa yang
terlihat, dan terkadang orang lebih dari sekedar apa yang kita pikirkan.

xii

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature is an object that has many benefits to be studied. Reader will find
enjoyment when he reads an interesting story in the novel or beautiful rhymes in
the poetry. Besides for pleasure, studying literature also gives the reader some
understandings of complexity in human life. Literature is considered as an
imitation of life because what is written in literature is usually a reflection of the
author‟s point of view towards the real world. As Hudson (1963: 10) in An
Introduction to the Study of Literature states
Literature is a vital record of what men have seen in life, what they have
experienced of it. What they have thought and felt about those aspects of it
which have the most immediate and enduring interest for all of us. It is thus
fundamentally an expression of life through the medium of language. It is
important to understand to begin with, that literature lives by virtue of the
life which it embodies.
Therefore, studying literature can also be said as the study of human life as
literature illustrates the human experiences in diverse situation. It gives
knowledge of the way people deal with a problem in their life. Furthermore,
Roberts and Jacobs (1987: 3) in Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing
state that literature enables the reader, both in everyday activities and in the
decisions he is responsible for making as citizens, to develop a perspective on the
events that occur in the world. Hence, after reading a literature the reader can
apply that knowledge to assist him in reality.

1

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Moreover, literature has different kinds of types such as poetry, short story,
play, and novel. According to Murphy (1972: 127) in Understanding Unseen,
novel is the most widely practiced and most widely read form of literature in the
world. Novel is a work of fiction written in narrative style and contains human
experience in its story. The story of novel commonly deals with themes like
friendship, social conflict, personal conflict, and love. The intrinsic elements such
as plot, setting, and character play an important role in shaping a theme of the
novel.
There are many famous novelists in the world and one of them is John
Steinbeck. Steinbeck is an American writer who is well known for his writing
style that gives detailed description of the character and the environment in his
story. Novel like Of Mice and Men (1937), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and East
of Eden (1952) are some of his notable works. While Cannery Row, which is
chosen by the researcher for his thesis, is Steinbeck‟s 14thnovel first published in
1945. The title of the novel was taken from the name of a small American town
near to Salinas, a place where Steinbeck lived.
Similar to others Steinbeck‟s works, the story in Cannery Row is
straightforward and concerns with conflict and social interaction. Although
Cannery Row has a simple plot, the novel is capable of giving a clear picture of
the human‟s lives that complex and full of problems. The story of Cannery Row
takes place in a small town near cannery. People of different race, profession, and
character live in that town. One day, Mack and the boys, a group of unemployed
men, want to make a surprise party for Doc, an old man who owns and operates

2

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

the Western Biological Laboratory. Because of some reasons, the party becomes
disaster and it makes Doc angry. After the situation returns to normal, Mack and
the boys decide to make up for the party with a little help from the residents of
Cannery Row. The story continues with Mack and the residents of Cannery Row
work together to make a memorable party for Doc.
The focus of this thesis is to reveal a theme in Cannery Row. The
understanding of the plot and the character are used to determine the theme of the
novel. Since plot, character, and theme are intrinsic elements of a literature, the
close reading method is used to analyze them.
The researcher chooses Cannery Row as a material for his thesis because the
story in Cannery Row is realistic. It means that the story deals with the relation
between human and their neighborhood. Besides, the characteristic of character
that exists in the novel is similar to the characteristic of people in reality. For
example, one usually meets a rude person like Mack, Chinese who always
thoughtful like Lee Chong, or someone who is old and intellectual like Doc.
Therefore, like the meaning of literature, the researcher believes that this novel
can represent the reality of human relation in a society which consists of people
with different characteristics. By studying theme of this novel, the researcher
hopes to understand the complexity of human‟s character from Steinbeck's point
of view that reflected through the plot and the characters within the novel.

3

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

B. Problem Formulation
In the Cannery Row there are some problems related to the character and
plot to define the theme of the story, therefore three questions are formulated as
follows
1. How are the main characters described in the novel?
2. How is the plot described in the novel?
3. How do the main characters and the plot convey the theme of the novel?
C. Objective of the Study
The objective of the study is to reveal a theme in Cannery Row through
analyzing the main characters and plot. In the first part of the analysis, the
researcher analyses the characteristics of the two main characters to see their traits
and their action towards the other characters. In the second part, the researcher
studies the plot to understand the pattern of the story and to find the role of the
main characters in the story. For the last part, the researcher relates the findings of
the previous parts to reveal the theme of the studied novel.
D. Definition of Terms
The researcher gives definition of some important words that occur in this
thesis to help the reader understand the meaning of the words. The terms close
reading and tension are terms that often mentioned in this thesis.

4

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

1. Close Reading
According to Abrams (1993: 247) in A Glossary of Literary Terms, Close
reading is the detailed and subtle analysis of the complex interrelations and
ambiguities (multiple meanings) of the components within a work.
2. Tension
Tyson (2011: 41) in Using Critical Theory: How to Read and Write About
Literature explains that tension in New Criticism refers to the interplay between
two opposing concepts, such as conformity and rebellion, belonging and
alienation, or harmony and conflict. The central or most important tension in
literary text is generated by the two opposing concepts that most reflect the
meaning of the text as a whole. A text‟s central tension is thus the clearest
signpost to its theme.

5

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A. Review of Related Studies
Steinbeck‟s Cannery Row is considered as a good novel. The novel has a
simple plot, colorful character, and interesting story. Although it is a good novel,
not many students are interested to study Cannery Row. So far, the researcher only
found two students that use Cannery Row as their thesis. First is Naomi Elizabeth
who studied the characteristics of Doc and the second is Subagyo Agung Wibowo
who studied about setting in Cannery Row.
In the former, the researcher concludes that the characteristic of Doc in
Cannery Row has the essence of the moral values of friendship and love. As
Elizabeth (2010:62, 64) in her thesis The Moral Values Reflected In Doc’s
Characteristics In John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row states that Doc is the character
who cares not only to his friends but also to all inhabitants in Cannery Row. He is
a person that respects the others and responsible to his job. Moreover, to reveal
the characteristic of Doc, Elizabeth pays attention to the Doc‟s attitude and his
reaction to the other characters‟ behavior.
In the latter, Wibowo (2006: 60) in his thesis The Life of American Society
in the Post World War I as Depicted in John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row implies
that the setting in Cannery Row is the representation of life of American society in
Post World War I. He explains that the description of the town Monterey in
Cannery Row can represent the industrial society of American civilization, and the

6

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

description of the seaside district can represent a slum area and the life of its
people in the 1940s of American Civilization. In addition, Wibowo uses the
sociological approach to examine the sociology and the social history in Cannery
Row.
Furthermore, the author of Cannery Row John Steinbeck is known for his
simplicity in writing story. His simplicity can be found in Cannery Row which has
simple plot and natural characterization. Yardley (2008) in his article In 'Cannery
Row,' a Preserved Simplicity states that people still read Steinbeck today because
his books shine with conviction that comes from the heart. In Cannery Row, the
character of Doc speaks for Steinbeck‟s innocence and selflessness when he said
that Mack and the Boys can do anything if they want but they just know the nature
of things too well to be caught in that wanting. Mack and the Boys are just like
Steinbeck who is a complex, difficult and ambitious man but never lost his
connection

to

the

simpler

life

and

values

of

his

native

region

(http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-05-08/opinions/36871103_1_steinbeckcollection-john-steinbeck-s-cannery-row/2).
Related to Steinbeck‟s writing style, Shilinglaw in her article Why Read
John Steinbeck states that Steinbeck is famous for his writing style that embraces
the fullness of life. Steinbeck invites the reader to pay attention to external
landscape and humans relation to the land and internal landscape that often shaped
by the places where they lived. For John Steinbeck, nature is not a commodity and
animal is not for slaughter. He sees human as simply another species bound
intimately

to

the

places

where

they

7

live,

drink,

love,

and

suffer

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

(http://as.sjsu.edu/sits/content.jsp?val=teacher_why-read-john-steinbeck_whyread-john-steinbeck).
The Steinbeck‟s Cannery Row is not merely a novel about people who live
near cannery. According to May in her article The True Message of Cannery Row,
in essence, Cannery Row is John Steinbeck's personal philosophy on human
importance, his take on what humans should be like, and his criticism of society.
In Cannery Row, Steinbeck admires people who live naturally. Whatever the
cause, people who behave naturally can accept things without bitterness and they
can be who they are as humans should be, like the character of Mack and the boys
and Dora. Mack and the boys are group of people who live according to their own
full freedom without intentionally offending against morality. In the same way,
Dora is a great lady who has true human qualities because she does various things
without considering virtue or vice. Through this novel, Steinbeck reminds the
reader about the importance of natural beauty and the quality of humanity
(http://www.mpcfaculty.net/molly_may/CR%20student%20essay.htm).
From several statements that already mentioned above, the researcher
concludes that Cannery Row is a novel that is able to present an interesting and
inspiring story to the reader. The reader can learn moral lesson from the character
in Cannery Row and the setting in the novel can give a view of life of American
society in Post World War I. Moreover, the author John Steinbeck is a naturalist
who his detailed writing style can arouse the reader‟s emotion and interest when
reads his story. John Steinbeck also a person who cares with social issues and his

8

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

concern for social issues can be seen from the characterization of character that
appears in his story.
In this thesis, the researcher explores further about the story in Cannery
Row. The researcher reveals a theme of Cannery Row by studying the characters
and plot in the novel. After seeing the previous study, the researcher realizes that
Steinbeck‟s works often deal with social issues. Hence, the researcher considers
the findings on the previous study when formulating a theme in Cannery Row.
B. Review of Related Theories
To answer the problem formulation, some theories are used to support the
analysis. Those theories are theory on character and characterization, theory on
plot, theory on theme, and theory on New Criticism.
1. Theory on Character and Characterization
In A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams (1993: 23) defines characters as
the person presented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by
reader as being endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities that
are expressed in their action and dialogue.
Moreover, Robert (1987: 120-121) divides character in fiction into two,
which E.M. Forster in Aspects of the Novel calls round and flat. Round characters
are usually the major figures in a story and they are relatively fully developed by
the author. They considered as dynamic because they posses many individual and
unpredictable human trait.
As contrast with round characters, flat characters are essentially
undistinguishable from their group or class. They are usually minor characters and

9

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

mostly useful and structural in the stories. Round characters are static because
they stay same from the beginning until the end of the story.
Next, Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 20) in Reading and Writing about
Literature explain that characterization is the process of author to create a
character. According to them, there are two methods of characterization, direct
method and dramatic method. Direct method is used for describes character‟s
appearance while dramatic method is used for describes character‟s behavior.
In addition, Abrams (1993: 24) gives two ways for characterizing a person
in narrative, which are showing and telling. In showing, the author presents the
characters talking and acting and leaves the reader to infer what motives and
dispositions lies behind what they say and do. In telling, the author intervenes
authoritatively to describe and to evaluate the motives and dispositional qualities
of the characters.
Another method of characterization is described by Murphy (1972: 161173). He gives several ways to see the characterization of character in literary
work, which are Personal description, Character as seen by another, Speech,
Conversation of others, Reactions, Direct comment, Thoughts, and Mannerisms.
All in all, understanding about character in work of literature can help the
reader to understand the whole story. Harvey (1968: 23) in Character and the
Novel states
I shall concentrate on character since most great novels exist to reveal and
explore character. It may be objected that to treat character as an isolable
element within the total pattern of the novel is misleading and ridiculous. Of
course it is, in any particular case I shall be led on from character to
consider other structural features of the work.

10

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Thus, character is an important element in order to understand the work of
literature. Character is created to play an important role in the story and to give
the essence of human experience to the story. Through analyzing a character, the
reader will be easier to fathom the other elements of literature such as theme, plot,
and message.
2. Theory on Plot
Mario Klarer (1999: 15) in An Introduction to Literary Studies states that
plot is the logical interaction of the various thematic elements of a text that lead to
a change of the original situation that presented in the beginning of the story.
There are several elements in a novel including character and plot. According to
Abrams (1993: 159) character and plot influence each other
The plot in a dramatic or narrative work is constituted by its events and
action, as these are rendered and ordered toward achieving particular
emotional and artistic effects. This description is deceptively simple,
because the actions (including verbal discourse as well as physical actions)
are performed by particular characters in a work, and are the means by
which they exhibit their moral and dispositional qualities. Plot and character
are therefore interdependent critical concepts as Henry James has said,
“What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but
the illustration of character?‟
Moreover, the plot requires a set of events that may be laid out in
chronological order or usually called major structure of the story (1987: 89). In
this thesis, the researcher divides the structure into 5 parts:
1. Exposition
It is the laying out of the materials in the story: the main characters, their
backgrounds, their characteristics, goals, limitations, and potentials. It
presents everything that important for the story (1987: 89-90).

11

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

2. Rising Action
Rising action is a part when the story builds and leads to the climax.
3. Climax
Climax is the high point in the action. In this point the conflict and the
consequent tension are brought out to the fullest extent. In other words,
climax is the event in a story in which all the rest of the action becomes
inevitable. This inevitability happens as a result of the fact that once the
high point is reached, there must be an action or development that brings
the climax to a conclusion (1987: 90).
4. Falling Action
It is event when conflict is in the process of being solved.
5. Resolution
The resolution is the set of actions which bring the story to the
conclusion (1987: 90).
3. Theory on Theme
Theme is the major idea of a story. “In a story, most things happen only as
they have a bearing on the idea. Thus, actions, characters, statements, symbols,
and dialogue may be judged in terms of how closely they relate to the idea or
theme. In this sense, a theme runs throughout a story and ties things together
much like a continuous thread.” (1987: 319)
Furthermore, Holman (1986: 52) in A Handbook to Literature states that
theme in fiction is the abstract concept that made to concrete through its
representation in person, action, and image in the work. Nonetheless, Arp,

12

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Thomas R and Johnson, Greg in Perrine’s Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense
argue that not all stories have a significant theme. Theme exists in almost all
literary fiction but only in some commercial fiction. Theme exists only when an
author has attempted to record life accurately or to reveal some truth about it or
when an author has intentionally introduced as a unifying element some concept
or theory of life that the story illuminates (2009:191-192).
In addition, Thomas (2009: 195-197) suggests the reader who would like to
formulate a theme to consider the following principles:
1. Theme should be defined in the form of statement with a subject and
predicate. It is possible to express the theme in phrase but the phrase
must be convertible to sentence form.
2. Theme should be stated in general. Avoid using the name of the
characters or refer to a place or event.
3. The generalization of the theme should not be larger than is justified by
the terms of the story. It is better not to use the terms like every, all,
always. The terms like some, sometimes, may are often more accurate.
4. Theme is the central and unifying concept of the story. Thus, (a) it
accounts for all the major details of the story. (b) The theme is not
contradicted with the story. (c) The theme cannot rely upon supposed
facts.

13

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

5. There is no one way of stating the theme of a story. A story merely
presents a view of life, as long as the above condition are fulfilled, that
view can be stated in more than one way.
6. The theme should not be stated in familiar expression like “you can not
judge a book by its cover” because it will reduce the essential meaning of
the story.
4. Theory on New Criticism
Abrams (1993: 81) describes New Criticism as a study that concerns with
detailed consideration of the work itself. New criticism ignores the extrinsic
elements of a work such as the biography of the author, the social condition when
a work is created, reader‟s intention, and so on. The New Criticism points out the
need for close reading in analysing a poem. In New Criticism poem means work
of art.
Moreover, Bressler (1999: 44 - 45) in Literary Criticism: An Introduction
to Theory and Practice states that a method that is usually apllied in New
Criticism is searching for a meaning within the structure of the text by finding the
tensions and conflicts that must eventually be resolved into a harmonious lead to
the creation of the poem‟s chief effect. Because conflict and tension control the
poem‟s structure, the meaning of the poem can be discovered only by analysing
contextually the poetic elements.

14

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

C. Theoretical Framework
The object of this study is to reveal a theme in John Steinbeck‟s Cannery
Row through analyzing the character and the plot in the novel. Thus, the
researcher uses some theories that can be used to analyze the novel. Those
theories are the theories on character and characterization, theories on plot,
theories on theme, and theories on new critisism.
The theories on character and characterization are used to analyze the
characteristic of the main characters in the novel. When analyzing their traits, the
researcher observes the characters‟ behavior and reaction to some events. The use
of these theories is important to make the reader get the detailed information of
the characters in order to answer the first problem formulation.
The theories on plot are used to understand the structure of the story.
Understanding the plot can help the researcher to understand the detail of the story
and the role of the main characters. Thus, the use of these theories can help the
researcher to answer the second problem formulation.
The next theories, the theories on theme and the theories on new criticism
are used to support the researcher to find the theme in the novel. The findings on
the analysis of the characters and the plot are used together with these theories as
a reference to create an appropriate sentence that is used as the theme of the novel.

15

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is the Steinbeck‟s novel Cannery Row. The story of
Cannery Row is taken from a book entitled Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row
which is published by Penguin Books in 1945. Cannery Row consists of 135
pages and divides into 32 chapters.
Cannery Row is considered as the simplest novel that is ever created by
Steinbeck. The novel was written for a group of American soldiers who request
Steinbeck to write a novel which does not talk about war, Thus, the story in
Cannery Row was made simple and natural so that it will be easy to read and can
entertain the soldier during the war. Although the story is simple, the depiction of
realistic settings and characters created by Steinbeck in Cannery Row are able to
give a deep impression to the reader. In 1982, Cannery Row was adapted into a
movie with the same name, but the movie was less successful than the novel
because it was considered too deviated from the original story.
The original story of Cannery Row is about a society who lives in small
town near cannery. This society consists of people with different background like
scientist, unemployed, prostitute, carpenter, shopkeeper, and many more. Inside
the society, there is a person who is disliked by others and his name is Mack. One
day he has a plan to give apart for Doc. Somehow the party is failed and the
visitors ruin the Doc‟s laboratory. Without knowing the truth, people blame Mack

16

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

for what happens in the Doc‟s laboratory. Although Mack knows that the people
hate him, he does not give up with his plan. In the second attempt, the party is
successful and he finally can make memorable party for Doc.
B. Approach of the Study
The focus of the study is to reveal a theme in the novel. “To find ideas in
fiction, one must read the work carefully, considering the main characters and
actions and evaluating such variables as tone, setting, and symbolism.” (1993:
321). Therefore, the researcher needs to analyze the plot and the characters of the
story in order to find a theme in Cannery Row. Thus, the New Criticism is chosen
as it is the best method to study the intrinsic element of the novel.
New criticism has some procedures when it uses for analyzing a literature.
New Criticism warns the reader when analyzing and evaluating a particular work
that they should avoid reference of the extrinsic elements like, biography of the
author, social conditions at the time of its productions, or its psychological and
moral effects to the reader. In addition, the specific procedure of New Criticism is
close reading.
From the explanation above, it can be concluded that New Criticism ignores
the extrinsic elements of literature and emphasizes the close reading to analyze a
literature. Since this thesis focuses on studying intrinsic elements in Cannery
Row, the researcher decides using New Criticism for the approach. This approach
can help the researcher to analyze the plot and character in order to reveal the
theme.

17

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

C. Method of the Study
The researcher used library research as the method of the study. To answer
the problem formulation in the chapter I, the researcher used two kinds of data:
the primary data and the secondary data. For the primary data, the researcher used
Steinbeck‟s novel Of Mice and Men and Cannery Row.
For the secondary data, the researcher used some books as the references,
like Abrams‟s Glossary of Literary Terms (1993), Understanding Unseens
(Murphy, 1972).Fiction: An Introduction to Reading and Writing (Roberts and
Jacobs, 1987),Reading and Writing about Literature (Rohrberger, 1971), A
Handbook to Literature (Holman and Harmon, 1986).
In the first step, the researcher read the novel Cannery Row several times to
understand the story. The next step, the researcher decided to find the theme of the
story using its main characters and plot. Therefore, the researcher formulated three
problems and choosed new criticism as the approach. Then, the researcher
analyzed every characters that occur in the story including their characteristic.
Next, the researcher took some characters that considered as major or important
characters and re-analyzed them to find the tension of the story. After analyzing
the main characters, the researcher analyzed the plot and divided the structure of
the plot into five parts. In the last step, the researcher related the finding on the
analysis of the main characters with the finding on the analysis of the plot to find
the theme.

18

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
This chapter is divided into three parts based on the problem formulation in
the previous chapter. The first part is the analysis of the main characters. The
second part is the description of the plot, and the last part is the analysis of theme
in the story.
A. The Analysis of the Main Characters
The researcher uses some theories from the previous chapter to analyze the
main characters, which are Mack and Doc. One of the theories that are chosen to
analyze them is the theory of characterization from Murphy.
The researcher starts to analyze the main characters by paying attention to
the Murphy‟s statement. Murphy (1972: 161-173) in Understanding Unseen states
that there are several ways that can be employed to characterize a character in
literature. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech,
conversation of other, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism.
The Cannery Row presents Mack and Doc as its main characters. These
characters appear in almost every chapter and have important role in the story.
The researcher analyses the character of Mack first because he appears in the story
before Doc.
1. The Character of Mack
Mack was the elder, leader, mentor, and to small extent the exploiter of little
group of men who had in common no families, no money, and no ambitions
beyond, food, drink, and contentment (p. 96).
19

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Mack‟s character is described early in the story as a leader of a group of
men that known as the boys. The novel never describes Mack‟s appearance.
Instead, it describes Mack‟s trait through his behavior and other characters‟
perception.
a. Tricky
Mack is portrayed as a tricky person. His ability to make up story causes
people become more careful when dealing with him. He deceives people for his
own benefit, although sometimes he does it for a good purpose. In this story, Doc
is a person that often deceived by Mack because he usually deals with him in
collecting specimens.
He remembered ruefully the time Mack sold him fifteen tom-cats and by
night the owners came and got every one, ‟Mac,‟ he had asked, „why all
tom-cats?‟ Mac said: ‟Doc, it‟s my own invention, but I‟ll tell you because
you‟re a good friend. You make a big wire trap and then you don‟t use bait.
You use-well- you use a lady cat. Catch every God-damn tom-cat in the
country that way.‟ (p.126)
It can be seen that Mack successfully deceives Doc by selling him stolen
cats. This incident makes Doc lose his money and the cats. However, Mac‟s
deception is not always successful because sometimes Doc already figured out the
Mack‟s mindset.
Mack got out and gave his paper to Red. He said: „Doc was a little short of
change. So if you‟ll put five gallons in and just give us a buck instead of the
other five gallons, why, that‟s what Doc‟s wants. He had to go south, you
know. Had a big deal down there.‟
Red smiled good-naturedly. „You know, Mack,‟ he said.‟ Doc got to
figuring if there was some kind of loop-hole, and he put his finger on the
same one you did. Doc‟s a pretty bright fellow. So he phoned me last night.‟
(p. 134)
The quotation above shows that Mack tries to deceive Red to get some
money, but Doc already predicted the Mack‟s behavior and told Red not to give
20

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Mack the money. It is a nature of Mack to take advantage of the situation when he
has a chance. Because the first attempt failed, he tries to deceive Red again using
different approaches.
„Put in the whole ten gallons,‟ said Mack. „No – wait. It‟ll slop around and
spill. Put in five and give us five in a can – one of them sealed cans.‟
Red smiled happily. „Doc kind of figured that one too,‟ he said.
„Put in ten gallons,‟ said Mack. „And don‟t go leaving none in the hose.‟ (p.
134)
The same as the first attempt, Mack fails to deceive Red because of Doc‟s
information. Realizing that he cannot deceive Red anymore, Mack gives up to
take advantage and follows the Doc‟s order.
Mack does not always deceive people for his own benefit. Sometimes, he
deceives people for a good purpose or, precisely, to help him from a situation that
can preclude him to help a person.
„I don‟t allow fires on my place,‟ he said.
„Well, we‟re sorry,‟ said Mack. „We‟ll get right out, Captain. You see, we‟re
workin‟ for some scientists. We‟re tryin‟ to get some frogs. They‟re workin‟
on cancer and we‟re helpin‟ out getting some frogs.‟
The man hesitated for a moment. „What do they do with the frogs?‟ he
asked. ‟Well, sir,‟ said Mack, „they give cancer to the frogs and then they
can study and experiment and they got it nearly licked if they can just get
some frogs. But if you don‟t want us on your land, Captain, we‟ll get right
out. Never would of come in if we knew.‟ (p. 146)
The conversation shows that Mack makes an excuse when a person known
as Captain catches him set fire in the restricted area. Mack knows that the Captain
is angry and tries to throw him out. He also knows that he cannot help Codify the
Captain prohibits him to stay in the area. Therefore, Mack makes up a story and
tells the Captain that they are assisting scientists with an important experiment. As
a result, his story makes the Captain hesitate to expel him from the area.

21

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

Because of his tricky character, sometimes people in Cannery Row feel
uneasy when they encounter Mack. One of the people who ever experienced the
feeling is Lee Chong, a grocery owner. One day Mack and the boys visit Lee‟s
grocery to talk about his new building.
„I and my friends thought we‟d ast you if we could move in there. We‟ll
keep up on the property.‟ He added quickly. ‟Wouldn‟t let anybody break in
or hurt anything. Kids might knock out the windows, you know…‟ Mack
suggested. ‟Place might burn down if somebody don‟t keep an eye on it.‟
Lee tilted his head back and looked into Mack‟s eyes through the halfglasses and Lee‟s tapping finger slowed its tempo as he thought deeply. In
Mack‟s eyes there was good will and good fellowship and a desire to make
everyone happy. Why then did lee Chong feel slightly surrounded? (p. 97)
The conversation above illustrates how cunning Mack is. Mack tries to take
over one of the Lee Chong‟s buildings by threatening him. On the surface what
Mack offers is actually a good thing, but when the sentences are looked closely
the real meaning of what Mack says is, if he and the boys cannot live in the
building, the building will be damaged by them.
Mack is good at influencing people to follow what he wants. Again, Lee
Chong is the person that his mind is successfully influenced by Mack.
„So what we thought is this. We don‟t want to see you lose nothing, so we‟ll
make over to you twenty-five frogs for a buck. You got a five frog profit
there and nobody loses his shirt.‟
„No.‟ said Lee. „No money.‟
„Well, hell, Lee, all we need is a little groceries. I‟ll tell you what – we want
to give Doc a little party when he gets back. We got plenty of liquor, but
we‟d like to get maybe some steaks, and stuff like that. He‟s such a nice
guy. Hell, when your wife had that bad tooth who give her the laudanum?‟
Mack had him. Lee was indebted to Doc – deeply indebted (p. 169).
Mack wants to get the money soon from selling the frog, but Doc is away at
the time. Mack comes up with an idea to trade the frogs with Lee‟s groceries.
Knowing that Lee owes much from Doc, Mack convinces Lee by saying that all

22

PLAGIAT
PLAGIATMERUPAKAN
MERUPAKANTINDAKAN
TINDAKANTIDAK
TIDAKTERPUJI
TERPUJI

what he does is for Doc. Lee, who is always thoughtful in making decision, finally
agrees to trade the frogs with his groceries, although he is not sure that doing a
favor for Mack is the same as helping Doc.
b. Rude
The rudeness of Mack can be seen from his talks. Mack sometimes uses
abusive words when he speaks to the people in Cannery Row. The words like
whore, pimp, and damn are the words that often used when he speaks.
After a while William went back to the Bear Flag and he watched them
through the window, and he heard Mack raise his voice saying: „But God
damn it, I hate pimp!‟ Now this was obviously untrue, although William
didn‟t know that. Mack and the boys just didn‟t like William. Now
William‟s heart broke (p. 102).
The above quotation explains that Mack seems does not care with other
people‟s feeling when he talks. He is not aware that William can hear his voice
and it saddens him. Mack likes using bad words and it seems a normal thing for
him. M