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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter examines some theories to discuss the topic of the study. There are three parts in this chapter. The first part is theoretical review, which discusses
about some related theories that help the writer to analyze Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. Since the objectives of the study are to describe the narrator’s character traits and the
character traits of the narrator’s wife, and also to find out the narrator’s motivation in bringing his wife back, the theories in this part are related to those topics. The second
part deals with theoretical framework, which explains the reasons for choosing the theories and the functions of each theory.
2.1 Theoretical Review
To analyze this study, the writer uses some theories. They are theory of critical approaches that are usually used in literary study, theory of character and
characterization, and theory of psychology which focuses on motivation.
2.1.1 Theory of Critical Approaches
Appreciating literary works can be in different ways for every reader. One way to do it is by giving evaluative judgments. Therefore, readers need some
appropriate approaches known as critical approach to literature. It helps the readers gain better understanding in the nature, function, and positive values of literary
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works. Rohrberger and Wood Jr. introduce five approaches as the means for the readers to evaluate a literary work 6-15. Those approaches are the formalist
approach, the biographical approach, the sociocultural-historical approach, the mythopoeic approach, and the psychological approach.
The first is the formalist approach. It is concerned with demonstrating the harmonious involvement of all the parts to the whole and with pointing out how
meaning is derived from structure and how matters and technique determine structure 6-7. The second approach is the biographical approach. This approach provides
useful facts about the author which helps the readers to have a better understanding and appreciation towards the literary object 8-9. The third approach is the
sociocultural-historical approach. This approach is concerned with the social background in which work of literary was created. In short, before one can
understand well a work of literature, he or she has to know the social, cultural, and historical aspects of the literary work because these aspects are inseparable from the
literary object 9-11. The forth approach is the mythopoeic approach. This approach emphasizes the universal recurrent patterns of human thought. It is believed that these
patterns are found in ancient myths and folk rites which are so basic to human thought and have meaning for all humans 11-13. The fifth approach is the
psychological approach. This approach believes that one’s imagination, capacity for creation, and complexity of thoughts and behaviors are expressed through symbolic
words, thoughts and action. These symbols are common to all humans in which can
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be interpreted in light of the individual’s experience. This approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent pattern 13-15.
In this study, the writer uses the psychological approach to analyze Paulo Coelho’s The Zahir. By using this approach, the analysis of the narrator’s motivation
in the novel can be done profoundly. The psychological approach uses psychological theories to explain human motivation, personality, and behavior patterns written in
literary objects. Moreover, this approach believes that characters’ thought, personality, and behavior may reflect their psychological order.
2.1.2 Theory of Characters and Characterization
Characters play essential roles in a literary work. They are the first point to build a story. Most stories contain a central character, which is relevant to every event
in the story; usually the events cause some changes in himher or in our attitude toward himher. Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work,
who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue – and by what they do –
the action Abram 23. Stanton clarifies that the term character is generally used in two ways 17.
The first, character marks out the persons in the story, the persons who appear in the story. The second, character refers to the mixture of interests, desires, emotions, and
moral principles that make up each of the persons. Thus, the meaning of character can