Thornton Wilder’s play The Matchmaker is a farce in the old- fashioned sense. It uses such time-honored conventions as characters hidden
under tables and in closets, men disguised as women, a complex conspiracy to bring young lovers together, and a happy ending in which three couples are united
with plans to marry. The traditional aspects of the play should come as no surprise: Wilder was the first to acknowledge the sources that it was based upon.
In all of these permutations, the basic plot has been the same as it is in The Matchmaker
. In Wilder’s version, an irascible, penny-pinching store owner, Horace Vandergelder, refuses to let his niece marry the poor artist she loves,
although he himself plans to remarry. Dolly Levi, the matchmaker of the title, pretends that she is helping Vandergelder find a suitable bride, but she actually
schemes to marry him herself, and she works to help the young lovers gain his approval. Vandergelder’s beleaguered clerk, who is longing for excitement, also
meets the woman of his dreams, although she happens to be the one Vandergelder intends to marry. In the end, everyone is happy and just a little smarter.
B. Approach of the Study
The focus of my study is on the motive of Mrs. Levi for doing courtship towards Mr. Vandergelder and also Cornelius Hackl for doing courtship
towards Mrs. Molloy.
The writer uses Wilfred L. Guerin theory stated in his book A Handbook of Critical Approaches
, which explains that psychological approach is PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
an approach in which the writer can be found more explanation about characters. The use of psychological approach is an excellent tool for reading beneath the
lines.
In turn, the crucial limitation of the psychological approaches is its aesthetic inadequacy: psychological interpretation can afford many
profound clues toward solving a work’s thematic and symbolic mysteries, but it can seldom account for the beautiful symmetry of a
well wrought poem or of a fictional masterpiece. The psychological approach concerns with the motives that underlying human behavior. It
is close to biological science Guerin, 1979: 126
In this study, the writer uses the theory of psychology that is proposed Abraham Maslow in Goble’s The Third Force 1970 as the major approach with
the considerations that this approach could apply certain psychological theories in analyzing the content of the story in a work of literature. The writer uses this
approach because it explains human motives, personality, and behavior patterns written in literary objects. Through the psychological approach we could see a
deeper understanding of both Mrs. Levi’s and Cornelius’ actions in the play. This approach was to analyze Mrs. Levi’s and Cornelius’ motives for doing courtship
towards someone that they love.
By applying the psychological theory, we can see the human motive in showing their love to other. The psychological theory is chosen to see how the
character’s behavior and way of thinking is influenced also by the environment and the situation at their surround. By using psychological approach, the analysis
of Mrs. Levi’s and Cornelius’ motives for doing courtship can be done effectively. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
C. Method of the Study
