second research question related to the psychology aspect, the researcher used the Psychological Approach to discuss it.
After deciding the approach, the approach is used as a base to choose the theories based on the approaches. The first question is related with the way how
Winnie Louie as a Chinese-American preserves Chinese Beliefs. The researcher uses the portrait of Chinese-American life in America and the Chinese Beliefs
principles which are obeyed by Chinese-American. Based on the portrait of Chinese-American and their Chinese Beliefs, the researcher uses it as a reference
and base to analyze the problems in the novel. Having finished in analyzing the first research question, the researcher
goes to discuss the second research question. The researcher wants to get the answer what motivates Winnie Louie as a Chinese American to preserve Chinese
Beliefs. Since the second research questions are related to the human motivation, the researcher applies the psychological approach. The psychological approach
used in the literary work will sharpen the analysis in correlation between literature and psychology aspects. The researcher applies Welleck’s theory in the relation
between literature and psychology. Theory of motivation proposed by Maslow is highly used to discuss and
analyze the second research question related to Winnie Louie’s motivation to preserve the Chinese-Culture in United States. Based on the theory of motivation,
there are seventh stages of needs. Needs are the reason which motivates someone to do something. When someone has achieved the basic needs, he or she will go to
the higher needs’ stage. Self-actualization is the highest stage that motivates 26
someone to preserve hisher principles, values, and culture. Since beliefs are included in culture, the researcher uses self- actualization as main base to analyze
the second research question. Based on the theoretical framework provided above, the study will be
guided to uncover the research questions in the problem formulation. 27
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
This part contains three parts, namely the subject matter, approaches and research procedures. The subject matter explains the novel briefly and reviews of
the object of the study. Approaches discuss the Psychological approach and Sociocultural-historical approach applied in analyzing the study. Research
procedures describe the milestones of method which are applied to accomplish the analysis of the study.
3.1 Subject Matter
The primary subject of this study is Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife. The novel used in this study was published by Ballatine Books in 1991. The novel
is divided into 26 chapters. It contains 244 pages. It is a novel which is written by Chinese-American writer, Amy Tan.
Amy Tan presented the tension that Asian-American women experience in best-selling novels like The Kitchen Gods Wife, which won the National Book
Award in 1989. On the 9 July 1991, The Kitchen Gods Wife crowned The New York Times best- seller list. The novel won enthusiastic reviews and spent eight
months on the New York Times best-seller list. Basically the main theme of the novel is the relationship between mother
and daughter. The relationship is represented by Winnie Louie and Pearl’s life experiences. Winnie Louie is a mother who ever felt the Chinese civilization in
28 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
China and then immigrated to America as a Chinese-American. Pearl is a daughter who was born and grew up as Chinese-American in America. They have a
different background of life but they also have a similarity that is a Chinese- American who lives in America.
However, the novel is not only about the relationship of mother and daughter. The novel can reflect the portrait of social life as Chinese-American in
America. They live together in certain place called Chinatown. They do their business in the form of family business. Although they have lived in America,
they still preserve their Chinese Culture. One of the culture dimensions they preserve is Chinese Beliefs. Generally, there are three main aspects of Chinese
Spiritualism. They are Chinese Beliefs, Chinese Customs and Chinese Religions. The writer would focus on the Chinese Beliefs which are reflected in the novel
obviously. Chinese beliefs contains of three aspects, namely Cosmology, Divination
and Ancestor Worship. Those three aspects are mainly applied by Winnie Louie in the novel. Winnie Louie as a Chinese American always bring along Chinese
Beliefs in her daily life. She also tried to introduce the Chinese Beliefs to her descendants. She has a great motivation to preserve the Chinese Beliefs as a
Chinese American in America. 29
