Background of the Study

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of five sections: The first is Background of the Study which elaborates some reasons for choosing the topic discussed in this study. The second is Objective of the Study which explicitly states the aim of this study. The third is Problem Formulations which consists of two questions, describes the problems that will be analyzed. The fourth is Benefits of the Study which is dealing with the advantages and benefits of this study. The fifth is Definition of Terms which deals with the meaning of certain words or expressions used in this study.

1.1 Background of the Study

There are many ways to express one’s thoughts and feelings. Literary works are the examples of one’s expression, such as seen by poems, novels and plays. According to Lombardi 2010, “Literature represents a language or people’s culture and tradition. It introduces us to new worlds of experience.” By reading literary work, people can get the author’s ideas and thoughts. Therefore, by analyzing the intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of the literary work, the reader can understand the work deeper. Literature is interesting for learners in learning language because learners could learn about other cultures, easily express their creativity and also enrich their vocabulary. In this study, the writer chooses a novel, entitled The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. This novel enables the writer to imagine the story well while reading it because the author wrote the novel in detail. Shepard says that a novel is considered to be good on having best stories should be a strong theme, a fascinating plot, a fitting structure, unforgettable characters, a well-chosen setting, and an appealing style. There are three interesting things about the novel, The Queen of Attolia. First, through this novel the author can drive the readers to think that Queen Attolia is so cruel. Second, this novel can make the readers wonder why the thief, Eugenides has to steal a man, a queen, and peace. Third, it also brings them into the author’s imagination in how Eugenides faces a wild world and in how Queen Attolia lives a complicated life, and she falls in love with the thief, Eugenides. According to Murphy 1972, “Novel is the ideal practised and read form of literature in the world today.”p.127. Murphy has 15 varieties of novel; The Early Novel, Adventure, Horor and The Macabre, Crime and Detection, Mystery, Spy and Espionage, Historical, Humorous, War, Western, Satirical, Romance, Saga, Science Fiction, and Animal. In this novel, the writer can find two varieties of the novel: adventure and romance. First, Adventure: some central characters usually go through all sorts of unusual and dangerous adventures, they are usually in search of hidden wealth. While involving in some hazardous mission, they are caught up in some mysterious plots p.128. The thief of Eddis, Eugenides, he faces the wild world as a part of his adventure in stealing. He has hidden but he is caught. Then he has to face a ruthless life which is the Queen of Attolia cuts off his right arm. Second, Romance: This type of novel is principally about the course of the love between a man and a woman, and usually it can unite two lovers. p.131. Romance is the topic that the writer chose because it is the most varied that can be found in the story of the novel The Queen of Attolia, which is the love between the thief, Eugenides and Queen Attolia. Love which could make Queen Attolia realize how cruel she is. This study aims to find out the meaning of Queen Attolia’s love, the main character in the novel. According to Duvall 1966, “Love does not simply spring forth some moonlight night without warning” p. 47. Love speaks with many accents, so different as to be foreign one to another and also appears in many ways, which is something that can happen between two people who are in love. Duval 1966 states that “Love is a language that expresses everything from poetry to profanity.” p.25.The objective of the study is to find the meaning of love as experienced by Queen Attolia, the main character of Megan’s The Queen of Attolia.

1.2 Objective of the Study