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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
This chapter consists of five parts, they are background of the study, problem formulation, objectives of the study, benefits of the study, and definition
of terms. The first is background of the study. It presents the description of the topic and the reason of choosing this topic. The second is the problem
formulation. This part formulates problems to discuss and analyze. There are two problems discussed in this study. Next is the objective of the study. This part
focuses on the purposes of the study which have relation with the problems formulated in the study. The fourth is benefits of the study. Here, the writer
identifies the parties who can get the benefits from this study. The last is definition of terms. To avoid misunderstanding and misconception of this study,
the specific terms in this study are defined.
1.1 Background of the Study
Education is one of the important aspects for people to develop and to actualize themselves. Moreover, by getting education, people can express
themselves as a free and educated individual. According to Spencer, in Philosophy of Education
compiled by Moore 1982, the educated person means someone who has good knowledge, can help and sust
ain their family‟s life, can play a significant role in the society, and can use their time wisely p. 12.
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2 According to Rosseau, a philosopher, as cited by Noddings 2003,
education is established to produce an individual who can do something for herself or himself. An individual existence is not for their country only but also
for fostering themselves p. 83. Further, in Happiness and Education, Noddings 2003 says that the aim of education is to educate someone to be responsible to
their lives toward themselves and others. Education enables someone to think locally and globally. Education achievement is not just shown by a given
certificate or good marks of the student but how they apply the received education into the real world pp. 95 195.
The problem of education today is that not everyone can experience it. This situation might happen to the students in elementary level or in secondary
level such as senior high school and university. Many excuses can be addressed as the cause why some young people, especially women, cannot get education. Some
reasons are stated by Moore 1982, the first is their families cannot afford to pay their school fee because they are poor. The second is they cannot get education
because of the social reason p. 56. These reasons are strengthened by Putri with her statement. In Jakarta Post
April 22, 2012, she wrote an article entitled ‘Neng Koala’ seeks to inspire women.
She stated that “It is unbelievable that more than a century after Kartini, many women are still faced with personal and institutional circumstances that force
them into „sacrificing‟ their dreams”. Sing to the Dawn presents one of those reasons mentioned above as a major issue for women in getting the education.
This situation is stated by Moore 1982 as “justice” and “freedom” in education
field pp. 56-57.
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3 As a Thai girl who did not get proper education, Dawan had a chance to
continue her study after winning the scholarship just through an oral examination. However, it is not easy for her to continue her study because her father and
brother do not agree. Meanwhile, she was personally covered by worry and doubt of her position in society.
At that time, people in Dawan‟s village had to give half of their crops to the landlords. The landlords controlled the villagers with their power and
authority. This situation had happened for years and people did not do anything to find the way out from this situation. What happened in the village became teacher
interest. The teacher gave the question to the students based on their life experience in facing the landlord‟s existence and all the consequences of
landlord‟s influence in their village. The students never expected that it would be teacher‟s question in the examination.
The teacher wanted the students to think harder about the future of the village than just to fill the blank paper and then pass it with the good mark.
Someone, who passed the examination, should be a good student who thought widely. The students should understand why they really want the scholarship.
Someone had to have the obvious purpose to continue his or her study. Dawan did not miss the
opportunity. She was active in answering teacher‟s questions. When the question and answer session was over, the teacher announced that Dawan won
the scholarship. Knowing the result from her teacher, Dawan was very happy because she
had a chance to study in the City and could do something for her village someday. Her dreams to help her family and the villagers could come true. Some students
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success in passing the exam and getting the scholarship was not responded by her family. Her father and her brother, Kwai, could not accept her success. It should
be Kwai‟s chance. It was only her grandmother who supported her to continue her study in City and congratulated her achievement. Getting the obstacles from her
father and brother, Dawan shared the problems to her aunt, a monk, and to a vendor girl to look for a support. Her big problem was to convince herself that she
really wanted to study. She had to have the right motive to continue her study. Meanwhile, she needed her father and brother‟s blessing to let her go to study.
Getting education is still a big problem for many people until now. However, some people do not stop fighting to get education although they face
some conflicts to achieve it. In this study, the writer analyzes the conflicts happened in the novel Sing to the Dawn
on Dawan‟s character. The significance of conflicts in a story is to make the story interesting to read by the readers.
Besides, in a story, a conflict is important to create a character who can reflect human life. By conducting an analysis toward the conflicts faced by the character
in this no vel, the character‟s struggle in obtaining her goal can be revealed.
According to Vaux 2011, “without conflict, there is no story. Moreover, without
conflict, the characters themselves would not grow or change. It helps stories mirror the human condition, by which all of us grow and change as we move
through life”. This thesis intends to find out the conflicts faced by Dawan to get education. Further, the focus of this study is to revea
l Dawan‟s motivation to get education in City after winning the scholarship.
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1.2 Problem Formulation
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