44 16.
“She never changed, always combing her handsome hair. The change was just the color of her hair. Brownish.”
Personification 17.
“Day by day we got closer. Finally, we pledged to sail together in the ocean of love, aiming to reach the promised
land.” Hyperbole
18. “All of the sudden, the sunlight entered the room through the
open window, touching my mother’s hair. Her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond, my eyes not blinking.”
Simile
B. Analysis of Data
In this part, the writer uses the data from the underlined sentences in the quoted paragraphs. The first analysis, the writer writes the sentence and he explains the
meaning using stylistic ways. The last, the writer explains the message contained in the sentences of the short story Mother’s Hair.
1. “She seldom talked anyone, including me. She merely spoke as she needed. But when she talked, her words sounded very cool and tranquil.”
a. Meaning Her words
= sound sounded = make produce sound very cool and tranquil = calm and quite. The sentence above explains that the mother’s sound is
very soft and calm. Thereby, her words can make the hot situation into calm situation.
b. Type of Figurative Language The sentence “Her words sounded very cool and tranquil” is categorized as
Hyperbole.
45 c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘her words sounded very cool and tranquil’
is a hyperbole form. Because Hyperbole
is a rhetorical term for exaggeration or overstatement, usually deliberate and not meant to be taken too literary. How the sound is able to be
cool and tranquil? Usually, we can find the terms ‘cool’ and ‘tranquil’ in the mountains area.
2. “There was a feeling gently caressing my heart, such that I was not capable of questioning her abrupt change of behavior.”
a. Meaning There was a feeling gently caressing
= the sense of touch showing love my heart
= center of the emotions. The sentence means that his feeling about his mother is always approved by him. Because his mother is always making her
son calm and comfortable, her son always loves his mother. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “There was a feeling gently caressing my heart” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘a
feeling gently caressing my heart’ means that the sentence above is
personification form. Personification gives the attributes of a human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The verb ‘caressing’ shows the attributes
46 of the human being and usually used by human being to express his emotion
to someone. The word ‘feeling’ at the sentence ‘a feeling gently caressing my heart’
as if is a living one that like a human is able to caress or huge someone. 3. “To begin with, her change did not thoroughly tease my heart because I was still
a small kid. I was busy as a bee, fling kites with friends after school, finding eels in the paddy fields that then we baked together, and sometime chasing the white
herons until reaching the neighboring village.”
a. Meaning I was busy
= having much to do as a bee = stinging insect that produces wax and honey after gathering nectar from the flowers. The sentence is
describing that the child plays with his friends and is always busy every day to waste his time on playing together with his friends like flying kites, chasing
each other, etc. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “I was busy as a bee” is categorized as Simile. c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is a Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘I was busy as a bee’ is a simile form. Simile is the comparison expressed by
using of some words or phrases, such as like, as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems. The word ‘as’ is explaining that the sentence is a simile, because
simile is expressed by the use of some words or phrases, such as like, as, similar to, or seems. It is explaining that he was busy playing with friends as a
bee searching flowers to make a honey.
47 4. “Tunggal, my son, goes to the guava tree beside our house. The tree has borne
fruit. Suddenly my mother told me upon my arrival at home after chasing kites. She was by the window, combing her long hair.”
a. Meaning The tree
= perennial plant with a single self-supporting trunk of wood with no branches for some distance above the ground has borne = coming into
the world fruit = part of tree that contains the seed and is used as food. The sentence means that the tree always produces the fruit every year. Those fruits
can be eaten by everyone. So, it is very useful for human being. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “The tree has borne fruit” is categorized as Personification. c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘the tree has borne fruit’
is personification form. Personification gives the attributes of a human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The verb
‘borne’ is usually used to express human being attribute. The words ‘the tree’
at the sentence ‘the tree has borne the fruit’ are found human attributes like the tree uses the lifestyle as human characteristics. The author wants to tell the
tree can produce the fruit like a human can produces a baby.
48 5. “To begin with, her change did not thoroughly tease my heart because I was still
a small kid…” a. Meaning
Her change = changed or different condition did not thoroughly tease =
annoy my heart = center of emotion. The sentence above explains that the mother and her behavior are usual thing for her son.
b. Type of Figurative Language The sentence “Her change did not thoroughly tease my heart” is categorized
as Personification. c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘her change did not thoroughly tease my heart’
is personification form. Because Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of human being
to an animal, an object, or a concept. The words ‘her change’ is described as mother’s condition. This time, however,mother’s change as if is a living thing
that able to annoy or tease someone’s heart as a human being. 6. “I headed directly toward the tree. Soon I climbed its sturdy trunk. My tiny body
did not make it away, the tree steadily standing erect.” a. Meaning
The tree = perennial plant with a single self-supporting trunk of wood with
no branches for some distance above the ground steadily standing erect = an upright position standing on end. The big tree is a big thing with strong trunk
and many branches and leaves, so, it can stand erect.
49 b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “The tree steadily standing erect” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence
‘the tree steadily standing erect’ is personification form. Personification gives
the attributes of a human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The verb ‘standing’
is usually used by human being. The words ‘the tree’ at the sentence ‘the tree steadily standing erect’ explain that ‘the tree’ has the
attributes of human things. The tree seems as if it were a person that can stand strongly.
7. “In its boughs, I saw the fruit with light yellow skin. I imagined their pink edible flesh. Quickly, the fruit filled my hungry stomach.”
a. Meaning The fruit
= part of tree that contains the seed and is used as food filled = occupy all the space in my hungry stomach = hunger bag-like part of
alimentary canal into which food passes to be digested. The fruit is like a usual meal. It can be eaten. The fruits exist on the tree having many vitamins
and having many advantages for humans who want to be health. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “The fruit filled my hungry stomach” is categorized as Personification.
50 c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘the fruit filled my hungry stomach’
is personification form. Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of human being to an animal, an object, or a
concept. The verb ‘filled’ is usually done by human being. The word ‘fruit’ at the sentence ‘the fruit filled my hungry stomach’ is imputing human quality.
The word ‘fruit’ can fill a meal to someone and make them satisfied like a human can serve to someone else and make them satisfied.
8. “From the tree I saw the woman walking hastily, looking morose. She seemed to burn with anger. I kept watching her, and it turned out that she headed toward my
house.”
a. Meaning She seemed to burn
= she could be destroy by fire with anger = the feeling that makes people want to quarrel. This sentence explains about the woman
who is very angry to someone. She cannot control her anger and emotion by herself.
b. Type of Figurative Language The sentence “She seemed to burn with anger” is categorized as Hyperbole.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence
‘she seemed to burn with anger’ is hyperbole form. Hyperbole is a rhetorical
term for exaggeration or overstatement, usually deliberate and not meant to be taken too literary. The verb ‘burn’ is usually used by fire. The words “burn
51 with anger”
at the sentence ‘she seemed to burn with anger’ is out of our mind. How can she burn with anger? It is possible for people to believe. The
word ‘anger’ as if is a fire which able to burn anything. 9. “In front of the door she called out to my mother with filthy words. Then she
pounded at the door. It flew open and hit the wall. Again, the woman yelled and she looked as though she were possessed by an evil spirit.”
a. Meaning It flew open
= the door moves through the air as a bird does and hit the wall = give a blow or stroke to the wall. The door is opened by a rude woman
hardly until it seems flying and hitting something with hard noise. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “It flew open and hit the wall” is categorized as Personification. c. Reasons
The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘it flew open and hit the wall’
is analogy form. Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The
verbs ‘flew’ and ‘hit’ are usually used by life things. In this sentence the author uses the Personification, because at the sentence ‘it flew open and hit
the wall’, he conceived the word ’it’ refers to ‘the door’ that have the
attributes of life things, especially human and bird. The First, the door is descibed like a bird because it can fly on the sky. The Second, it is like a
human, because it can hit the wall, just like a humans being that they can hit something.
52 10. “When finally the women found her, my heart beat hard. What should she do to
my mother? Then I saw a black shadow pulling at mother’s hair, accompanied by a howl, like a wolf.”
a. Meaning The above sentence, accomplished by a howl = perform by long cry of a
person in pain, like a wolf = flesh-eating animal of the dog family. The sentence explains that the woman is screaming hardly until make someone
around afraid of her screaming. She makes her scream as if a wolf groaning in the jungle on the midnight.
b. Type of Figurative Language The sentence “Accomplished by a howl, like a wolf” is categorized as Simile.
c. Reasons The underlined sentence simile form. Simile is the comparison expressed by
using of some words or phrases, such as like, as, than, similar to, resembles, or seems. We can see from the word ‘like’ at the words ‘like a wolf’ is a simile
form. It explains about two women quarrelsome each other. One of them is pulling out the rude words and her voice is screaming like a wolf. The word
‘like’ is explaining the comparison expressed by the use of some words. It
compares between a howl of woman and wolf.
53 11. “I was so scared that I shut my eyes and ears. But my fingers managed to open
the eyelashes that were trying to unite. I could see what was happening.” a. Meaning
My fingers = the five member at the end of the hand managed to open the
eyelashes = control to make open row of hairs that were trying to unite = do
something to become one. The truly meaning is the son who doesn’t want to see the quarrel to his mother with his steep mother. He has not courage to see
that. He finally decides to see what is happening about his mother. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “My fingers managed to open the eyelashes that were trying too unit” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence
‘But my fingers managed to open the eyelashes that were trying to unite’ is
personification form. Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The word ‘open’ is usually
human activity. The words ‘my finger’ at the sentence ‘But my fingers managed to open the eyelashes that were trying to unite’ is a part of human,
but in this word ‘finger’ as if a whole person that can manage to open eyelashes.
54 12. “My mother’s hair was being repeatedly dragged. But it seemed that she didn’t
fell anything. She played it cool. There was an urge to assist her, but it was as though a tree hugged me tightly.”
a. Meaning It was as though a tree hugged me tightly
= part of tree that contains the seed and is used as food that put the arms round tightly. The sentence above
means that a son seeing his mother is repeatedly dragged. He wants to assist her because he doesn’t have any heart to see his mother being pain. He so
scared and keep his body on the tree to see the event. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “It was as though a tree hugged me tightly” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘it
was as though a tree hugged me tightly’ is a personification form.
Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of a human being to an
animal, an object, or a concept. The verb ‘hugged’ is imputing human activity. In this time, the word ‘tree’ at the sentence ‘a tree hugged me tightly’ is
showing human activity. Human being is usually able to huge somebody, this time, non-human is as if it were able to huge somebody tightly.
55 13. “Besides, the tree, suddenly flapping backwards and forwards in the wind, made
me afraid.” a. Meaning
The tree = part of tree that contains the seed and is used as food, suddenly
flapping backwards and forwards in the wind = move up and down or from
side to side in the air. The sentence explains about the wind, moving around the branches of tree backwards and forwards, makes the tree as though it lived
and the son is being afraid about it. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “The tree suddenly flapping backwards and forwards in the wind” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is Figurative Language form. The sentence
‘the tree, suddenly flapping backwards and forwards in the wind, made me afraid’
is a personification form. Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of a human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The verb
‘flapping’ is usually human activity. In the word ‘tree’ here at the sentence ‘the tree, suddenly flapping backwards and forwards in the wind, made me
afraid’ has the attributes of human being. It can flap someone as if it is a life.
It can do activity like human being.
56 14. “I heard mother’s voice, singing a song whose meaning I did not understand. Her
voice was very gentle and heaved in a slow rhythm as though it followed a breath of wind moving around the leaves of a guava tree.”
a. Meaning Her voice was very gentle and heaved
= sounds made when speaking quite and weight in a slow rhythm = regular succession of weak stresses as
though it followed a breath of wind moving around the leaves of guava tree =
as if the sounds go single act of taking in and sending out in air among the leaves of the tree. The sentence means that the voice is like melody of music.
It can make the soul calm and silent. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “It followed a breath of wind moving around the leaves of guava tree”
is categorized as Personification. c. Reasons
The underlined sentence above is Figurative Language form. The sentence ‘it followed a breath of wind moving around the leaves of a guava tree’
is personification form. Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of
human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The word ‘it’ which has a beautiful sound refers to ‘mother voice’ that has attributes of human being.
Thus, the word ‘it’ as if is a life and able to walk to follow the breath current of wind moving.
57 15. “Mother didn’t say a word. She kept combing her hair, reciting the song that
sounded softer. Her eyes gazed at the sun, whose light was becoming dimmer. Dusk was falling. Before long, her eyes would stare at the moon. Then, the
moonlight would move to mother’s eyes.”
a. Meaning The moonlight would move to mother’s eyes
= light of the moon will change position to mother’s eyes. The sentence means that the moonlight is beautiful
thing, so, the mother wants to see the moonlight as same as her beautiful eyes. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “Then, the moonlight would move to mother’ eyes” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The underlined above sentence is a Figurative Language form. The sentence
‘then, the moonlight would move to mother’ eyes’ is personification form.
Personification is consisting in giving the attributes of a human being to an
animal, an object, or a concept. The verb ‘move’ at the sentence ‘then, the moonlight would move to mother’ eyes’
is usually for human being. This time, the word ‘moonlight’ has the attribute of human being. It can move
somewhere as same as humans. The God gives only to human being who is able to move somewhere as they like.
58 16. “She never changed, always combing her handsome hair. The change was just
the color of her hair. Brownish.” a. Meaning
She never changed = she never become different, always combing her
handsome hair = keep use a comb on her good hair. The writer defines that
the sentence wants to show a good hair or beautiful mother’s hair. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “She never changed, always combing her handsome hair” is categorized as Personification.
c. Reasons The writer thinks that the underlined above sentence is Figurative Language
form. The sentence ‘she never changed, always combing her handsome hair’ is an personification form. Personification is consisting in giving the
attributes of human being to an animal, an object, or a concept. The short story Mother’s Hair explained about beautiful mother’s hair that seemed as a
person. Thus, the personification is handsome hair like handsome person. Just as handsome person is a charming or beautiful person, so handsome hair is a
beautiful long hair. 17. “Day by day we got closer. Finally, we pledged to sail together in the ocean of
love, aiming to reach the Promised Land.” a. Meaning
We pledge to sail together = they promise each other to move forward across
the sea in company in ocean of love = in the great body of water full of
59 fondness. The words ‘ocean of love is symbolizing two people loving each
other, so, they will live together forever. Those words are not only symbolizing it, but, it means that they will face any problems and solve them
together. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “We pledge to sail together in ocean of love” is categorized as Hyperbole.
c. Reasons The underlined sentence above is Figurative Language form. The words ‘the
ocean of love’ is the hyperbole form. Hyperbole is a rhetorical term for
exaggeration or overstatement, usually deliberate and not meant to be taken too literary. The author symbolizes the words ‘the ocean of love’ as the people
who are falling in love. Actually, the ocean is a preserve of a large region of seawater. This time, however, the ocean is not containing of seawater, instead
of full love. 18. “All of the sudden, the sunlight entered the room through the open window,
touching my mother’s hair. Her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond, my eyes not blinking.”
a. Meaning Her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond
= her light hairs that similar to brilliant precious stone of pure carbon in crystallized form flow as a
current air. The sentence means that mother’s hair is very shiny and
60 beautiful. The beauty of her hair is admired by her son and her hair as though
the diamond in which many people loves it. b. Type of Figurative Language
The sentence “Her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond” is categorized as Simile.
c. Reasons The writer finds that the underlined sentence is Figurative Language form.
The sentence ‘her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond’ is a simile form. Simile is expressed by using of some words or phrases, such as like, as,
than, similar to, resembles, or seems. The word ‘like’ at the sentence ‘her wind-blown hair shone like a polished diamond’
is pointing a simile. It explains about mother’s beautiful hair is shining as same as diamond, so, the
word ‘like’ is showing the comparison between beautiful hair and polished diamond.
C. Messages
