a. Definition of Character
Definition of character is proposed by Stanton 17 in An Introduction to Fiction
. According to Stanton, the term ‘character’ is used in two ways: firstly, it gives a particular description about individuals appearing in a story. Secondly, it
refers to the mixture of interests, desires, moral principles which form the individual. Stanton also states that stories usually have a main character which is
significant to all events in the stories and the main character usually causes conv
ersion either in him or readers’ attitude toward him. Another definition of character is proposed by Abrams 20 in A Glossary
of Literature Terms. Abrams explains characters as persons in a dramatic or
narrative work that are interpreted by readers. They are endowed with moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities which stated in dialogues they say and
actions they do. He also adds that the grounds in the characters’ temperament, desire, and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation.
b. Kinds of Character
In Reading the Novel: An introduction to the Techniques of Interpreting fiction
, Henkle 88-97 points out characters can be categorized as major and secondary ones. Major characters or the main characters are the most important
and complex in a literary work or novel. They can be identified from their characterizations, the attention of the author and the readers, the attitudes of other
characters to them, and the transmitting process of their character intensity. The major characters also build opinion that can establish the readers’ virtues. While,
the secondary characters are the characters in which their performances are
limited. They may be less sophisticated. Therefore, their responses to the experiences in the story are also less complex.
Besides, Forster 46-54 in Aspects of the Novel and Related Writings states there are two types of characters in literature. They are flat characters and
round characters. Flat characters are built around a single idea or quality. These kinds of characters are presented without much individualizing detail, and
therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase of sentence. One great advantage of flat character is that they are easily recognized whenever they
come in a story. A second advantage is that they are easily remembered by the readers. They are static and remain stable in a story.
Different from flat characters, round characters are complex in temperament and motivation. These kinds of characters are represented subtle
particularity so that they are difficult to be described with any adequacy as a person in real life. They are capable of surprising the readers. They are dynamic
and posses many individual and unpredictable human traits.
2. Characterization
Understanding the theory of characterization is needed in analyzing the characters that appear in the novel. The analyzing characters are implied by
understanding the definition of characterization and then knowing the methods of characterization.
a. Definition of Characterization
According to Barnet and Berman 77, characterization is defined by what the characters do or what they say, what others say about them, and by what the
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