plot, character, and setting. In this paper the writer would like to explain about these elements in the novel entitled Man on Fire by Brian Helgeland.
1.2 The Objective of Study
The writer has purposes when the writer decided to write this paper. The writer wants to explain about the elements of literature that consist of: theme, plot,
character, and setting.
1.3 The Scope of Study
To avoid the readers getting confused in writing this paper, the writer would like to limit the study only in description of the elements of literature in Man on
Fire novel that contain of theme, plot, character, and setting.
1.4 The Significance of Study
Obviously, the significance of the study in this paper is to improve the research in literary works, especially in novel. The writer also expects that this
paper will be significant to understand of the element of literature of the novel Man on Fire. There are theme, plot, character, and setting.
1.5 The Method of Study
In writing this paper, the writer read the novel Man on Fire for several times. Having understood the story of novel, she focused on description of the
elements of literature the novel. The writer also read some literary books and
Universitas Sumatera Utara
selects some quotations to complete her explanation in this paper. The quotations are treated as data to support the ideas. Thus, the data are interrupted and then data
are interpreted for proper description.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
II UNDERSTANDING OF THE ELEMENTS
OF LITERATURE
2.1 Theme
William Kenney 1966:88 was stated that to put the matter simply, theme is the meaning of the story. But any experienced reader of fiction will realize that
this is not a very informative definition, and even less experienced readers, upon thinking it over, may begin to wonder in what sense a story can mean anything.
Our definition, then, is only a first step towards understanding what theme is. According to Burton Goodman 1968:12, theme is the main idea or the main
point in a story. A theme must represent the whole part of the story, because theme is a basic development of a whole story. Actually it is not easy to find out
the theme in a novel. The reader has to read the novel and understand what the story tells about.
Staton 2007:7 was stated that theme gives a strong explained about the unity of what is happening in the story, and tells about the story of life in a
common context. The purpose of theme is to give a shape and effect in our mind, so make the story easy to remember. A good theme has to represent the entire
story in the novel. Sometimes the theme shapes in to the fact that comes from the human experience. It is explored by the story and then gives impression for each
of event in life. The theme of the novel is more than its subject matter, because an author’s technique can play as strong a rule in developing a theme as the action of
Universitas Sumatera Utara
the characters do. Sometimes because of the length of novels and the various characters, conflicts, and scenes, found within them, reader can look at different
aspects of the work to uncover different interpretations of the meaning of the tale.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
2.2 PLOT
