CI{APTER I INTRODUCTION - The study of character's downfall in Tennessee Williams' play "Summer and Smoke" - Widya Mandala Catholic University Surabaya Repository

CI{APTER I
INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

ITTRODUCTIOT

1.1

Background of tho Study
Literary

subjects

become a part of

Literature.,,

This

the principal

important

to

study

education in humans' rife.

.,Wherever there

states,

are

is

is

education,

because the

er.ement of

its

Llttre

there

is

literature

culture.

rt

the

of

is

of

thoughts,

peoples,
thelr

shire

glve a certain

claim

others

l.lterature

say it

is

klnd of pleasure

Roberts and Jacobs (1999: 1),
(and also
dramatize

spoken) compositions
situations,

and reveal

aLso, more importantly,
and broaden readers,
for

the uriter

llfe,

(1965:1)
study

of

essentiar. to be

thelr

contains the
vaLues,

their

problems and conflicts.

Some nrl,ters
uritten,

whole way of

they

a people is

learned ln schoors and corleges since r.iterature
record

since

to

mind.

1s just

about,anythlng

an imaginative
for

lts

sritings

readers.

Literature

Accorcllng to

refers

to

Lrritten

designed

to

thoughts

and emotions,

tetl

interest,

entertain,

Literature

can also

to pass on his or her ideas.

that

stories,
and

stimulate,
be the

Willlarns

tool

(Bigsby

1992:34) says:
"My interest
in social
problems 1s as great

as
my intere st in the theat re . . . . . I try
io urrte
arl
my plays
so that
they
carry
some soclar.
message along slth
the story,,

Whatever
offer.

AII

in

form

the

drama.
needs

the

readers
of

story,

he

and

should

have the

poet's

sense,

can

give

great

more

details

to

tone

In

advantage

studying

to

analyze
short
plot,

the

poetry,

Therefore,
to

he

each

study.

Iiterary
the

a

and comprehend the

attention

to

analyst

about

and intention.

analyzlng

dn

analyzing

observe

a serious
in

techniques
in

to

llterature

rrorks,

example

abllity

(1966:7)

Schuster

knon

in

much

poems and even

nowels,

the

theme.

them requires
ability

about

has

values

their

the

the

The

rich

analyze

Fo r

should

characters,

of

to

no rks .

Iiterature

stories,

understand

l iterary

a1I

can gain

short

Horrever,
to

f o rrn.

uork

students.

itself

Simon and

say:

you nlIl
develop lnteIlectual
"By analyzLng,
and
emotional
skills,
co-ordination,
and reflexes
to
the point
nhere you si11
be able
to use them
nithout
stopping
to think of nhat you are doing.
You ylll
become aware of many of the things
that
go on in fiction,
in the hope that
eventually
this
auareness wl 1I operate
as you read rather
than is a class-mortem,,.
The
because,
consuming.
unlike

vrlter,

in

in

reading

fact,
White

novel,

and

a play

one-time-spot-method)
without

spending

this

too

study,
drama

be

. Thus it

s11I

not

(1970:25)

Whlting
can

chooses

read

in

one

drama
be

state
sitting

time
that
(a

can be read many times

much time.

Littte

states

that

drama is
this

subject

other

more

literary

probably
than

no

norks

ft

thus

in

other

quality

and

put

en able s

t he

re ader

As it
if

is

the

nork

character

to

UntiI
nhich
poets,
Miller
in

is

novelists,
in

hi s

O'Neill
inc luding

his

g reat
in

play

to

any

manner.

in

the

the

play

ion

and actions

attitude
is

more
nhich

ot

the

c1ear1y.

(1959:80)
may

and

a pl ay has

context

author

that

aIlos

some

prose.
are
sith

many of
high

playwrights
of

Mi ll
Cross

Tennessee trlilliams.

literary
quality

such

a SaIesman,
on
is

the

ds,

Made and

norks
by

the

Arthur

George Eliot

F1os s

a

,,hich

a play

and Gerber

produced

Death

and
A

and

interact

is

popular

novel

Moreover,

dialogues

and

there

shown 1n dlal0gues

used

see

there

Where the

of

more

the

appropriate

drama,

nove I

is

as

have.

speak lifelike

been

more

characterization

language

nouadays

have

are

by BIair

a

that

human characters

the

described

that

different

in , the

through

plots

claims

dramatlc

describe
the

3 hours),

generally

the

a story,

do not

naturaL

characters

also

a

has

since

than

uhich

flctlon
to

action

it

2 or

drama are

Iiterature

characters

action,
often

of

do,

(say

(1966:133).

presents

story

presents

of

selective

form

drama.

short

plots

(1966:112)

Little

in

a time_limit

1s because the

economical,

a

to

or

Eugene

many others

As

one

wilriams

of

rikes

a mysterious

to
and

t he

g re ate st

talk

about

confused

m o d er n

pl aywr ig hts ,

human character
1ife.

Williams

that
(in

has

Francis

Donahue, 7964z?l2l says :
"My chief
aim in playnriting
is the creatlon
of
character.
I aluays had a deep teef:.ng ior
the
mystery of Iife,
and essentially
my pi"y"
have
been an effort
to explore the Ueauty
in the conf usion of 1lving,,.
"-nO-'*.unrng
Most of Willlams,
usually
victim

most of the central
of

reallty

plays are psychologlcat

love.

or

characters

They are frustrated

to

enter

their

tragedies

and

are uomen who become a
and do not

environment.

dare to

face

ca110n and Reirly

(1977: 154) say about most of Williams,
uorks:
ItW11liams.
most
typical
characters
are
atoms
uhlrllng
in avold,
intuiting
the nothingness
of
human life,
and therefore
psychic
mutesl
unabIe
to relate
to other characters.
Many of them long
for love and understanding,
but fen of them tind
either
physlcally
or symbollcally
(or UoJfrl uho
have perceived
their
ull imate defeat,,
Wllllams
ulth

has

entered

great success in hls

A streetcar

Naned Desire,

the

show, yet

in

One of those plays
In
another
daughter

this
tragic
mired

play.

later

world

of

literature

play such as, The Glass Menagerie,

plays that
revival

fail

Roof. Houreve
r,

0n the beginning

become highly

successful.

is Surune
r and Smoke.
Surruner and Smoke, Williams

Southern
j-n

public

and cat on a Hot rin

there are some of williams'
of

the

the

heroine,

Alma Winemiller,

sna11-toun

11fe

of

introduces
a minister

Glorious

Hi1l,

Mississippi.

shy and fretful,

she plnes for

Dr. John Buchanan, Jr.,

pursues a life

for ganbling,

Gassner

(1952t667)

drama of vague longings
self-realizati-on,
rn this
of

play,

tno

orbit

yet

neve r

the boy next door uho
and womanizing.
Surmer and Smoke 1s

rove and ineffective

ironies

of

fate

has ruefurly

AIma and Dr.

frequently
that

drinking
mentions

for

and of

williams

Iives,

people

ni.th a nervous heart condition,

dramaticarly

created

ironic

at

noted.

chronicle

Buchanan, crossi.ng each other, s

somehow never actually

being

attemprs

a

ready

for

touching,

each other

at

of

the

tvo
sane

tlme.
Some experts
vriting

is

also

characters

in

experience,
Although
1ife,

not

a

his

beginning,
of

directly,
The

a

olrn

Menagerie

adapted

by

Tom

is

as

vell

WlIliams

that

fixation

yroEe

into

most
his

of

example,

work

vas

in

Williams

situation
his

from

sometimes

representing

in

rrith

that

uas
For

his

personal

his

mentions

The Southern
a6

11fe

repreaent

Tennessee Williams

L974:378) .

Smoke,

readers.

hls

to

stated.

his

to

and hls

experience

uses
his

testimony

(19?B:156)

his

express

uorks

problems,

whatever

(Unger ,

Summer and
been

are

uork,

Williams

rrishes

sometlmes obllquely

Glass

hlmself

and

Falk

his

Williams,

WiIliams,

family

culture.

record

of

them

in

as means to

ptay

all

that

autobiography.

aspiration

struggles,

the

an

the

many of

Southern

argue

rrork,

since

he

in
has
has

spent
thi s

most of

same p1ay,

expressed
uho

his

his

uas

chlldhood

summer and

experience

preacher

a

the

in

Southern

s m ok e ,

Iiving

during

lrlilliams

with

his

area.
has

his

fn
also

grandfather

childhood

in

Alma, s

characters.
The

fact

that

WiI I iams

c re at ing

hi s

vo rk

by

experiences

in

presenting

complex

creative

1.2

i s

preacher

female

the

hls

of

in

pIay,

is

WlIIlams,

AIma

Mississlppi.

AIma

grorrs

background

family

deeply

uith

the

is

the
toun

up

in

surrounded
In

young

and

Buchanan.

Horrever, her

decline.

the

weII

as

other
h1s

she

character

keep her

a

HiIl,

rellgious

the

stagnant

fal I s

i n

to

mate.

seems to

that
of

Glorious

happens

childhood

main

Smgke,

strong

uith

uho

the

daughter
in

a

pl ay

doctor

lifetime

She used to

1n

analyze

analyze

Summer and

a smalI

neighbor

her

to

pIay,

in

soc ie ty.

mastery

Sunmer and Snoke

intended

Iives

S ou t h e r n

he

from
to

in

thlngs

as

different
rrrlter

way

probler

the

Winemi I le r
vho

hls

characters

lnterest

oun

from

nention

whlch

study

AIma

to

hirn

Et.tcrtnt

character

not

makes

especially

This

life

hi s

adapt 1ng

dlalogue

playrrrlghts
uork

hls

has

be

Dr.

fa11

l ove
her
John

into

manner as a decent

a

lady

but

at

the

having

end

promiscuity

Since
main
to

the

analyze

the

f s loving

-

Do her

Whether

this

1.4

helpful
to

of

interested
in

in

this

by

analyzing

study

occurred

are

the

uould

like

the

main

to

as factors

some questlons

ilohn a cause to

tbe

study

and the

that

leads

ralsed

in

her
this

(21

take

part

of

results

explo re

understanding

aLso take

the

of

students
the
on

trhether
to

part

deep
a

s

her

.rohn is
AIma,s

find

out

the

life

1n

Smoke:

(1)

tragic
and

a cause

to

parents

and

the

to

be

face

downfall.

Study

this
of

to

Summer

torrards

and

vants

WlnemiIler,

pIay,

Alma, s love

for

society

yriter

Alma

Wllliams,

also

Alma, s dounfall?

Study
the

of

Siguificance
The

herself

downfall?

factors

dosnfall

soclety

degrades

stranger.

phenomenon

parents

Objective

Tennessee

her

rrriter

she

are:

-

causing

the

AIma Winemiller,

they

fn

with

the

the

1n her

1.3

play

is

donnfa11.

study,

the

crriter

character.

character,
to

of

study

are

English

l anguage

meaning

character

expected

and

in

a

dep artment

develop
play

shich

their
can

introduce

them

l anguage

1.5

and

to

a

much

9 reater

apprec iat ion

of

literarure.

Scope and Lititetion

There are some more elements of
is limited,

the writer

narrons and limits

basic eLements of drama: characters,
In

this

study

research

on

role

every

in

drama.

If

story.
the

cores

story

of

(1957:221
of

sub j ect

the

arso

content

states

of

that

an

that

including
yill

there

be

characters

lncludlng
characters

a literary

her

important

trorks,

flctions.
says

focuses

has

character

a1I

and setting.

only

Ilterary

(L992:99)

foreground

plots,

Character

no

time

the elements to the

nriter

of

is

Burrouays

Potter

the

characters.

there

drama. Since the

nork

no
are

drama.
are

the

and the

basic

above,

feels

matters.

The
interested
T e n D es s e e

sriter,
in

based
making

W i 1 1 i a m s,
Alma's

feeling

that

loves.

and

characters,

that

h ave influenced

is,
he r.

the

study

of

toward

her
hon

opinion
the

Summer

PIay,

analyzes
she

on

her

relationship
far

the

characters
4nd

life
uith
people

in

Smoke.

She

and the

man

the

other

around

her

1.6

Definition

of

Key

Before coming to
it

awoid

1. A

play

X.J.,
A

is

a

vork

are

Character

of

a

refers

of

used

the thesis,

in this

study

They are:
story_te1ling

in

by

to

his

person

in

his

rrhole

qualltlesr

attributes

(potter.19G7:3)

Plot

is

an ordered

intellectual

whlch

actors

the

(Kennecty

is

to

exposition

the

sork

nature,

such

well

as hls

1ife,

as

uho

his

h1s
moraL

.

chain

of

physical,

that

ties

emotional,
the

actions

and .Jacobs, 19g9:1009) .

setting

the

literary

touard

its

events

(Robert

a

attltude

spirltual

together
4.

some key terms

represented

1s

personallty,

or

discussion

1978:833) .

generally

3.

turther

misinterpretation.

characters

2.

the

is necessary to define

to

T€rrs

time

and the
of

the

prace

and

play

(Knickerbocker,

is

rerated

1960:437).
5.

The

protagonist

part

1n a play

in
6.

the

Tragedy

and the
an

presents

Ulanov,
7.

is

one

nho

takes

and becomes the

conflict

Dialogue
r,hich

1s

action

irnportant

the

ideas

central
(perrine

form
of

the

the

of

princlpal
character

,

!966:59).

conversation

rrriter

(Roby and

1962zxiv).
is

development

a
of

type
a

of

conflict

pI ay

nhich

betueen

describes
the

the

protagonist

8.

and the

superior

society)

and

and Jacobs,

Donnfall

is

causes

Dlctionary

of
key

of

f

the
study.

rr

literature

thc

sorrou

or

pouer,

udy,

death

reputat ion

this

i s

or

ruin

destruction

the

fact

(Webster

of

the

study,

of

the

limitation
and

is

Tbcair
the

the

of

discusses

deats

u1 th

chapter

rv

dears

slth

V 1s the

the

the

the

study,

the
the

10

of

thls

the

definition
the

revien
related

and

of

signifrcance

of

methodology

findings

conclusion

lncludlng

statement

study,

uith

that
IIf

lntroduction

organization

concerning

Chapter

Chapter

from

vith

objective

terms,

chapter

fall

another

deals

background

the

sudden
In

rrith

or

1999:10G4).

someone's

Organlrrtion

problern.

ends

circumstances,

198G) .

Chapter
the

a

happiness.

that

1.7

flnally

(Roberts

or

(destiny,

force

of

thesis.

of

rer.ated

theories.
the

discussion

study.

of

study.
and