Paton himself stated in his note of this novel, that Cry, the Beloved Country is a compound of truth and fiction. The story is not true, but the social condition is a
record of the plain and simple truth. It is not only a portrait of social condition of South Africa, but it also conveys Paton’s feelings and opinions about racism. It seems
that through this novel, Paton tries to fight against the practice of racism, especially racism in South Africa 1974: 5.
In this study, I focus on the main character’s conflicts and the author’s criticism toward the South African society in the novel. As I stated above, there are
some opinions and critic about the novel. Most of them are to show social condition of the South African society at that time. Using the fact that the author was live in
South Africa at that time, I compare the society with the society of South Africa where the author lives at that time. Although the novel is not real, the fact of social
condition in South Africa at that time is real. The conflicts of the main character show the criticism of the author toward the South African society.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theory of Character
According to Abrams 1981: 20 in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, characters, the basic of the word characterization, are “the persons presented in a
dramatic or a narrative work, who are interpreted by the readers as being endowed with moral or disposition qualities that are express in what they say-the dialogue-by
what they do-action.” The ground in the character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and action constitute his ‘motivation’. A character may remain
essentially ‘stable’ or unchanged in his outlook and disposition from beginning to the end of work, or he may undergo a radical change, either through a gradual
development or as the result of an extreme crisis. According to Holman and Harmon 1986: 81, character is a complicated term
that includes the idea of the moral constitution of the human personality, the presence of the moral uprightness, and the simpler notion of the presence of creatures in art
that seem to be human beings of one sort or another. I conclude that within a character we can see moral constitution that usually exits in society, the moral
constitution express the human personality. A main character can be either static or dynamic. A static character is one
who changes little if at all. Things happened to such character without things happening within. The pattern of action reveals the character rather than showing the
changing in respond to do the actions. A dynamic character is one who is modified by actions and experience. One objective of the work in which the character appears is to
reveal the consequences of these actions Holman and Harmon, 1986: 83. According to Forster, characters can be divided into two terms. First, a flat
character. It is build around ‘a single idea or quality’ and is presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single
phrase or sentence. Second, a round character, it is complex in temperament and PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
motivation and is presented with subtle particularly. Thus, he is as difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and like most people, he is
capable of surprising the reader 1974: 46-48.
2. Theory of Characterization
Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms states that characterization must have three principles, they are as follows: 1981: 6.
a. The characters must be consistent in their behavior. In other words, the characters’ way remains essentially stable or unchanged in their outlook and disposition from the
beginning to the end of the work b. The characters must clearly be motivated in whatever they do, especially when
there is a change in their behavior. c. The characters must be plausible or lifelike, credible, realistic, and probable.
Abrams states in his book, A Glossary of Literary Terms, there are two methods of characterization namely showing and telling. In Showing method called
`dramatic method, the author only presents his characters to talk and act and leaves the readers to infer what motives and dispositions lie behind what they say and do.
While in Telling method called `direct method, the author himself becomes a kind of narrator in order to describe and evaluate the motives and disposition qualities of
the characters. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
According to Barnet, Berman and Burto in their book Literature for Composition there are some important factors that must be considered when we want
to see the character involved in a story. Those are: 1988: 2 1. What the character says
What the character says can give a clue how the author describes him, for example whether he is a kind or bad person, educated or uneducated person.
2. What the character does We are to know whether he is from upper or lower class, and he is a kind bad
person from what the character does. 3. What other characters say about the character
It is needed to get additional information and clear description about some characters that will be described in the story.
4. What others do The action of others may help indicate what the character could do but he
does not do. It is very important to know his characteristics such as lazy, or careless.
I also used M.J. Murphy, Understanding Unseen: An Introduction to English Poetry and the English Novel for Overseas Students. Murphy mentions nine ways in
which an author attempts to make his characters understandable and come alive for his readers. The following ways are as follows: 1977: 23
