Portrayal of Protagonist in Paulo Coelho's 'Eleven Minutes'.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………… ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………… iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………..
Background of the Study ……………………………………………..
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………....... …..
Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………….
Methods of Research …………………………………………………
Organization of the Thesis ……………………………………………
1
1
2
2
3
3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF PORTRAYAL OF PROTAGONIST
IN PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES ……………………
4
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………. 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………….. 18
APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………… 19
Synopsis of Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes…………………………. 19
Biography of the Author……………………………………………… 21
ii
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya menganalisis karakteristik tokoh utama dalam
novel Eleven Minutes karya Paulo Coelho. Tokoh utama ini digambarkan hidup
dalam lingkungan masyarakat Brazil pada abad 21.
Maria, tokoh utama novel ini, merupakan seorang wanita dari daerah
pinggiran Brazil. Pada tahap awal kehidupannya, Maria digambarkan sebagai
wanita yang naif dalam hubungannya dengan pria. Hal ini dikarenakan ia
mengimpikan seorang pangeran berkuda putih untuk menjemputnya dan
kemudian menikahinya. Kemudian dia menjadi wanita yang manipulatif karena
mengalami berbagai masalah dalam hubungannya dengan pria,. Selain itu, Maria
juga menemukan hal lain, yaitu mendapatkan kepuasan seksual melalui
masturbasi. Kemudian Maria menjadi seorang pekerja seks komersil demi
mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Semua hal ini menyebabkan Maria
digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang memberontak terhadap nilai- nilai
agama.
Setelah melakukan analisis terhadap karakter Maria, saya menyimpulkan
bahwa pengalaman buruk seseorang dapat mengubah sifat dan pandangan orang
itu terhadap sesuatu. Lebih lanjut saya berpendapat bahwa apapun keputusan yang
kita ambil, kita harus dapat mempertanggungjawabkan keputusan itu, baik
kepada Tuhan maupun kepada sesama.
iii
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES
Maria is a young woman from Brazil who tries her luck in Switzerland. In
her early stage of life, she experiences many things. She knows how to love but
she is disappointed by love. She falls in love with a boy but she does not have the
courage to reveal her feeling, until the boy leaves her and she realizes that she has
made a mistake. Later in her life, Maria falls in love again but in the end, her
boyfriend betrays her. In the same time, she discovers a way of achieving sexual
satisfaction through masturbation. Nevertheless, Maria faces the fact that society
does not accept people exploring sexuality. She gets caught by her father when
she is masturbating and Maria’s father punishes her by slapping her. Once she
discovers masturbation, she abandons the idea of religious life forever.
After Maria’s adolescence years have passed, she still has relationships
with boys. But, her belief in love gradually decreases. She thinks that she will get
married and have children, although without love. Maria then uses men as a way
of learning; she tries to get satisfaction through sex with men. Then she makes up
her mind that masturbation is better than having sex with men.
When Maria is nineteen years old, she goes to Copacabana to have a
holiday. It is where she is offered to work in Switzerland as a Samba dancer, and
then she accepts it. But after few moments, she finds out that she cannot get a
19
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
better life. So she tries to get out of her work as a dancer and begins to work as a
prostitute. She then learns French in order to be able to communicate better than other
prostitutes. She gets a lot of experiences in her life as a prostitute. She also has
relationships with men, but none of them can make her fall in love again.
One day, she meets a man named Ralph Hart. He is the man who will change her
life forever. She not only falls in love with Ralph, but also gets aroused by him,
something that she has never experienced before. She continues her relationship with
Ralph and gradually, she learns to love again. Finally, she gets back her belief in love.
20
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
BIOGRAPHY OF PAULO COELHO
Paulo Coelho was born in August 24, 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before
dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor,
lyricist and journalist. In 1982 Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, and then
in 1985 he contributed to the Practical Manual of Vampirism. In 1986, Paulo Coelho did
the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in
his book The Pilgrimage (1987). In the following year, Coelho published The
Alchemist, which became one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. In October
2008, he entered for the Guinness Book of Records with his book The Alchemist, as the
most translated book in the world. His books are numerous. Of more than 22 books he
has written, some have become best sellers: By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept
(1994), Love Letters from a Prophet (1997), The Manual of the Warrior of Light (1997),
Veronika Decides to Die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), Fathers, Sons and
Grandsons (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), And on the Seventh Day (2004), The Zahir
(2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006), Life: Selected Quotations (2007), The Winner
Stands Alone (2008).
21
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
CHAP TER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist. He has traveled a lot of countries:
South America, North Africa, Mexico and Europe, which broadens his knowledge
of different cultures. This new knowledge encourage him to go back to his
original intention, which is to become a novelist. His first published novel, Hell
Archives, failed to make any kind of impact. Yet, he is now one of world’s
biggest selling authors and even wins Guinness Book World of Record for his
novel, The Alchemist. “…. My dream was, and still is, to be a writer” (Paulo
Coelho). All his works attempt to tackle fundamental questions relating to the
human condition - good versus evil, joy and despair, light and dark.
One of Paulo Coelho’s novels, Eleven Minutes is a fiction novel based on
a real life of a prostitute, named Maria. This novel becomes popular and has been
translated into more than 33 different languages. Eleven Minutes is concerned
with the life of a Brazilian woman named Maria. She works as a prostitute in
Switzerland. Because of her unsuccessful relationship with men, she experiences
changes in her characteristics. Maria’s experiences and changes which can be
1
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
found in one’s daily life, are the reason why I choose this novel. The other reason
why I choose this novel is because it contains an issue about the rebellion in a
society, by showing Maria’s decision which clearly against religious values.
In my thesis, I choose to analyze the portrayal of protagonist in this novel.
According to Story and Structure, characteristic is a description of “what a person
is” (Perrine 67). I intend to analyze the portrayal of protagonist because according
to Perrine, a protagonist is “[t]he central character in the conflict, whether he be a
sympathetic or an unsympathetic person” (67). Therefore, I think it is more
suitable to analyze the portrayal of protagonist from the novel Eleven Minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In analyzing Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes through formalism, the
present writer would like to state the problems as follows:
1. How is the protagonist, Maria, portrayed in the novel?
2. What is the purpose of the author in creating such a character?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the problems stated above, the purposes of the study are
formulated to be the following:
1. To show how the protagonist, Maria, is portrayed in the novel.
2. To show the purpose of the author in creating such a character.
2
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In writing this thesis, I would like to conduct library research. To discuss
the portrayal of the protagonist, I use formalism, “an interpretive approach that
emphasizes literary form and the study of literary devices within the text ”
(Literary Theory). I begin the study by reading the primary text, Paulo Coelho’s
Eleven Minutes, in order to present my thesis statement. Then, to support my
analysis, especially regarding the topic of this study, I search for additional
information. This is done through browsing the Internet and reading reference
books. The information and knowledge from the sources are then used to analyze
the primary text. Finally, I draw some conclusion from the research I have done.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis is presented in three chapters and is preceded by the
Acknowledgements, the Table of Contents, and the Abstract. Chapter One is the
Introduction, which consists of the Background of the Stud y, the Statement of the
Problem, the Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research, and the Organization
of the Thesis. Chapter Two presents the Portrayal of the Protagonist in Paulo
Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. I conclude my analysis in Chapter Three. This thesis
ends with the Bibliography and the Appendices, which present the Synopsis of the
Novel, and the Biography of the Author.
3
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text
Coelho, Paulo. Eleven Minutes. Trans. Margaret J Costa. New York: Harper
Collins Publisher, 2004.
References
Book References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. United States: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
1974
Internet Resources:
Biography. Paulo Coelho Official Site. 15 March 2009
Brewton, Vince. “Literary Theory”. iep. 02 November 2010
eHughes, Donna M. Brazil. Uri. 10 October 2010
Yang, Winnie. Eleven Minutes. Shs. 15 March 2009
18
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………… ii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………………… iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………..
Background of the Study ……………………………………………..
Statement of the Problem ……………………………………....... …..
Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………….
Methods of Research …………………………………………………
Organization of the Thesis ……………………………………………
1
1
2
2
3
3
CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF PORTRAYAL OF PROTAGONIST
IN PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES ……………………
4
CHAPTER THREE: CONCLUSION ……………………………………. 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………….. 18
APPENDICES ……………………………………………………………… 19
Synopsis of Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes…………………………. 19
Biography of the Author……………………………………………… 21
ii
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya menganalisis karakteristik tokoh utama dalam
novel Eleven Minutes karya Paulo Coelho. Tokoh utama ini digambarkan hidup
dalam lingkungan masyarakat Brazil pada abad 21.
Maria, tokoh utama novel ini, merupakan seorang wanita dari daerah
pinggiran Brazil. Pada tahap awal kehidupannya, Maria digambarkan sebagai
wanita yang naif dalam hubungannya dengan pria. Hal ini dikarenakan ia
mengimpikan seorang pangeran berkuda putih untuk menjemputnya dan
kemudian menikahinya. Kemudian dia menjadi wanita yang manipulatif karena
mengalami berbagai masalah dalam hubungannya dengan pria,. Selain itu, Maria
juga menemukan hal lain, yaitu mendapatkan kepuasan seksual melalui
masturbasi. Kemudian Maria menjadi seorang pekerja seks komersil demi
mendapatkan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Semua hal ini menyebabkan Maria
digambarkan sebagai seorang wanita yang memberontak terhadap nilai- nilai
agama.
Setelah melakukan analisis terhadap karakter Maria, saya menyimpulkan
bahwa pengalaman buruk seseorang dapat mengubah sifat dan pandangan orang
itu terhadap sesuatu. Lebih lanjut saya berpendapat bahwa apapun keputusan yang
kita ambil, kita harus dapat mempertanggungjawabkan keputusan itu, baik
kepada Tuhan maupun kepada sesama.
iii
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
APPENDICES
SYNOPSIS OF PAULO COELHO’S ELEVEN MINUTES
Maria is a young woman from Brazil who tries her luck in Switzerland. In
her early stage of life, she experiences many things. She knows how to love but
she is disappointed by love. She falls in love with a boy but she does not have the
courage to reveal her feeling, until the boy leaves her and she realizes that she has
made a mistake. Later in her life, Maria falls in love again but in the end, her
boyfriend betrays her. In the same time, she discovers a way of achieving sexual
satisfaction through masturbation. Nevertheless, Maria faces the fact that society
does not accept people exploring sexuality. She gets caught by her father when
she is masturbating and Maria’s father punishes her by slapping her. Once she
discovers masturbation, she abandons the idea of religious life forever.
After Maria’s adolescence years have passed, she still has relationships
with boys. But, her belief in love gradually decreases. She thinks that she will get
married and have children, although without love. Maria then uses men as a way
of learning; she tries to get satisfaction through sex with men. Then she makes up
her mind that masturbation is better than having sex with men.
When Maria is nineteen years old, she goes to Copacabana to have a
holiday. It is where she is offered to work in Switzerland as a Samba dancer, and
then she accepts it. But after few moments, she finds out that she cannot get a
19
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
better life. So she tries to get out of her work as a dancer and begins to work as a
prostitute. She then learns French in order to be able to communicate better than other
prostitutes. She gets a lot of experiences in her life as a prostitute. She also has
relationships with men, but none of them can make her fall in love again.
One day, she meets a man named Ralph Hart. He is the man who will change her
life forever. She not only falls in love with Ralph, but also gets aroused by him,
something that she has never experienced before. She continues her relationship with
Ralph and gradually, she learns to love again. Finally, she gets back her belief in love.
20
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
BIOGRAPHY OF PAULO COELHO
Paulo Coelho was born in August 24, 1947 in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Before
dedicating his life completely to literature, he worked as theatre director and actor,
lyricist and journalist. In 1982 Coelho published his first book, Hell Archives, and then
in 1985 he contributed to the Practical Manual of Vampirism. In 1986, Paulo Coelho did
the pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella, an experience later to be documented in
his book The Pilgrimage (1987). In the following year, Coelho published The
Alchemist, which became one of the best selling Brazilian books of all time. In October
2008, he entered for the Guinness Book of Records with his book The Alchemist, as the
most translated book in the world. His books are numerous. Of more than 22 books he
has written, some have become best sellers: By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept
(1994), Love Letters from a Prophet (1997), The Manual of the Warrior of Light (1997),
Veronika Decides to Die (1998), The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), Fathers, Sons and
Grandsons (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), And on the Seventh Day (2004), The Zahir
(2005), The Witch of Portobello (2006), Life: Selected Quotations (2007), The Winner
Stands Alone (2008).
21
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
CHAP TER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian novelist. He has traveled a lot of countries:
South America, North Africa, Mexico and Europe, which broadens his knowledge
of different cultures. This new knowledge encourage him to go back to his
original intention, which is to become a novelist. His first published novel, Hell
Archives, failed to make any kind of impact. Yet, he is now one of world’s
biggest selling authors and even wins Guinness Book World of Record for his
novel, The Alchemist. “…. My dream was, and still is, to be a writer” (Paulo
Coelho). All his works attempt to tackle fundamental questions relating to the
human condition - good versus evil, joy and despair, light and dark.
One of Paulo Coelho’s novels, Eleven Minutes is a fiction novel based on
a real life of a prostitute, named Maria. This novel becomes popular and has been
translated into more than 33 different languages. Eleven Minutes is concerned
with the life of a Brazilian woman named Maria. She works as a prostitute in
Switzerland. Because of her unsuccessful relationship with men, she experiences
changes in her characteristics. Maria’s experiences and changes which can be
1
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
found in one’s daily life, are the reason why I choose this novel. The other reason
why I choose this novel is because it contains an issue about the rebellion in a
society, by showing Maria’s decision which clearly against religious values.
In my thesis, I choose to analyze the portrayal of protagonist in this novel.
According to Story and Structure, characteristic is a description of “what a person
is” (Perrine 67). I intend to analyze the portrayal of protagonist because according
to Perrine, a protagonist is “[t]he central character in the conflict, whether he be a
sympathetic or an unsympathetic person” (67). Therefore, I think it is more
suitable to analyze the portrayal of protagonist from the novel Eleven Minutes.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In analyzing Paulo Coelho’s Eleven Minutes through formalism, the
present writer would like to state the problems as follows:
1. How is the protagonist, Maria, portrayed in the novel?
2. What is the purpose of the author in creating such a character?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Based on the problems stated above, the purposes of the study are
formulated to be the following:
1. To show how the protagonist, Maria, is portrayed in the novel.
2. To show the purpose of the author in creating such a character.
2
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
METHOD OF RESEARCH
In writing this thesis, I would like to conduct library research. To discuss
the portrayal of the protagonist, I use formalism, “an interpretive approach that
emphasizes literary form and the study of literary devices within the text ”
(Literary Theory). I begin the study by reading the primary text, Paulo Coelho’s
Eleven Minutes, in order to present my thesis statement. Then, to support my
analysis, especially regarding the topic of this study, I search for additional
information. This is done through browsing the Internet and reading reference
books. The information and knowledge from the sources are then used to analyze
the primary text. Finally, I draw some conclusion from the research I have done.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis is presented in three chapters and is preceded by the
Acknowledgements, the Table of Contents, and the Abstract. Chapter One is the
Introduction, which consists of the Background of the Stud y, the Statement of the
Problem, the Purpose of the Study, the Method of Research, and the Organization
of the Thesis. Chapter Two presents the Portrayal of the Protagonist in Paulo
Coelho’s Eleven Minutes. I conclude my analysis in Chapter Three. This thesis
ends with the Bibliography and the Appendices, which present the Synopsis of the
Novel, and the Biography of the Author.
3
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text
Coelho, Paulo. Eleven Minutes. Trans. Margaret J Costa. New York: Harper
Collins Publisher, 2004.
References
Book References:
Perrine, Laurence. Story and Structure. United States: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,
1974
Internet Resources:
Biography. Paulo Coelho Official Site. 15 March 2009
Brewton, Vince. “Literary Theory”. iep. 02 November 2010
eHughes, Donna M. Brazil. Uri. 10 October 2010
Yang, Winnie. Eleven Minutes. Shs. 15 March 2009
18
Universita s Kri sten Maranatha