The idea of modernism as revealed through character and plot in luigi pirandello's six characters in search of an author

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THE IDEA OF MODERNISM AS REVEALED THROUGH CHARACTER
AND PLOT IN LUIGI PIRANDELLO’S SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF
AN AUTHOR

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters

Presented By
LOUCIANA HAPSARI
Student Number: 094214092

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014

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THE IDEA OF MODERNISM AS REVEALED THROUGH CHARACTER
AND PLOT IN LUIGI PIRANDELLO’S SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF
AN AUTHOR

AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for Degree of Sarjana Sastra

in English Letters

Presented By
LOUCIANA HAPSARI
Student Number: 094214092

ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF ENGLISH LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2014
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STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY

I certify that this undergraduate thesis contains no material which has been previously
submitted for the award of any degree at any university, and that, to the best of my
knowledge, this undergraduate thesis contains no material previously written by any
other person except where due reference is made in the text of the undergraduate
thesis.

Yogyakarta, February 10, 2014

Louciana Hapsari

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Whatever reality today,
Whatever you touch and believe in
And that seems real for you today,
Is going to be
—like the reality of yesterday—
An illusion for tomorrow
-Luigi PirandelloGod-given struggles don’t come to stay, they come to pass.
Just be patient. Wait while God works for you
-Anonymous-

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This undergraduate thesis is dedicated to:

My Beloved Father and Mother
My Beloved Grandmother
My Brother

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LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS

Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Sanata Dharma:
Nama

: Louciana Hapsari

Nomor Mahasiswa

: 094214092

Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
THE IDEA OF MODERNISM AS REVEALD THROUGH CHARACTER AND
PLOT IN LUIGI PIRANDELLO’S SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN
AUTHOR
Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma
hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam
bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di
Internet atau media lain untukkepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari
saya maupun memberikan royalty kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama
saya sebagai penulis

Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 10 Februari 2014

Yang menyatakan

(Louciana Hapsari)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to devote my gratitude to Almighty God whose
blessing, guidance, and mercy have strengthen me along the hard path of my life. I
would also like to thank Him for the precious lessons I gained through the events I
encountered in life.
My deepest gratitude goes to Dra. A.B. Sri Mulyani M.A., Ph.D for being

patient in guiding me completing my thesis. I really appreciate her advice an
especially her encouragement to finish my thesis. I would also express my gratitude
to my co-advisor, Elisa Dwi Wardani, S.S., M.Hum., for her willingness to read and
review this thesis. In addition, I would also thank to all the lecturers in English
Letters Department who have shared their knowledge that are very helpful to finish
my thesis. My thank goes to the Secretariat Staff and the Library Staff for their best
service.
My endless gratitude goes to my parents Vincentius Yatin and Laurentia
Kurnita, whose endless love and support ask nothing in returns. I am sincerely
grateful to them for teaching me how this life is worth living. I also thank to my
brother Mario Dipho Sentono for always cheer me up.
Further, I would like to express my appreciation to all of my friends of class
of 09 especially Yanti, Yuni, Agnes, Lidya, Kress, Intan, Meryl. It was great to
spend the years with them. My special thanks go to Sakha, Dika, and Samuel for
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being a best friend. I thank them for the amazing four years. In addition, I would also
thank to Big Family of JAKSA, Bunga Matahari, and Keluarga Cemara, for the
friendship. I would like to present bunch of thanks to my boarding house friends,
Wulan, Ita, Dian, Tika, Ama, Jelly, Mabit, Puput, Lia, for being my second
family.
My deepest love goes to my beloved partner, Jati Pradipta, for his patience
and support in guiding me to be a better person. I thank him for granting me a space
in his heart and letting me to be the part of his life. I also thank him for being my side
in my ups and downs, and for being there when I needed at most.
There are many people whom I cannot mention here one by one, but surely, I
cannot complete my thesis without their help and support. God bless them all.
Louciana Hapsari

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE ....................................................................................................
APPROVAL PAGE ..........................................................................................
ACCEPTANCE PAGE .....................................................................................
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH .......................
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY ................................................................
MOTTO PAGE .................................................................................................
DEDICATION PAGE .......................................................................................
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..............................................................................
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................
ABSTRAK ...........................................................................................................

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................
A. Background of Study ........................................................................
B. Problem Formulation ........................................................................
C. Objectives of the Study .....................................................................
D. Definition of Terms ...........................................................................

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4
4
5

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................
A. Review of Related Studies ................................................................
B. Review of Related Theories ..............................................................
1. Theories on Character .................................................................
2. Theories on Characterization ......................................................
3. Theories on Plot ..........................................................................
4. Theories on Modernism ..............................................................
C. Theoretical Framework .....................................................................

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CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ................................................................
A. Object of the Study............................................................................
B. Approach of the Study ......................................................................
C. Method of the Study ..........................................................................

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CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS
A. The Description of Main Characters .................................................
1. The Father ...................................................................................
2. The Mother ..................................................................................
3. The Stepdaughter ........................................................................
4. The Son .......................................................................................
5. The Producer ...............................................................................

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B. The Plot of Six Characters In Search of an Author ...........................
1. Introduction .................................................................................
2. Complication ...............................................................................
3. Climax .........................................................................................
4. Falling Action .............................................................................
5. Denouement ................................................................................
C. The Ideas of Modernism Reflected through Character and Plot .......

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CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ........................................................................ 59
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................. 62

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ABSTRACT
Louciana Hapsari. The Idea of Modernism as Revealed through Character and
Plot in Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters In Search of An Author. Yogyakarta:
Department of English Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2014.
Literature is used as the medium of the author to express some phenomena in
the society such as modernism. This undergraduate thesis discusses the work of Luigi
Pirandello, Six Characters in Search of an Author. This drama is worth analyzing
since it depicts the idea of modernism. This undergraduate thesis assumes that
character and plot have significance in revealing the idea of modernism.
There are three objectives of study as the base of analysis. The first objective
is to find out the characteristics of the characters that are significant to reveal the idea
of modernism. The second objective is to find out the plot of the story. The last
objective is to identify the idea of modernism that is revealed through main characters
and plot.
The writing of this undergraduate thesis was conducted by applying library
research. The source of data is collected through books, journal, and web-based
article. The approach used in this research is New Criticism approach. It is used to
reveal the characteristic of characters and the movement of the play that is significant
to get the main idea of modernism.
Based on the analysis, there are five characters analyzed in this research. They
are the Father, the Mother, the Stepdaughter, the Son, and the Producer. The
Characters reject the existence of God because they do believe in their author. The
Characters also bring out tone of despair in the whole story. The plot shows the
fragmented form in which the story jumps from one story to other story. In the plot,
there is confusion between what is real and what is imaginary. From the beginning
until the end of the story, there are some events that seem unreal for the people in the
company, such as the presence of Six Characters, the presence of Madame Pace, and
the death of the young boy. This drama suggests that modernism is marked by some
characteristics, such as tendency towards reflexivity through the concept play within
a play, the confusion between reality and illusion, the fragmented forms, and a
question of the existence of God.

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ABSTRAK
Louciana Hapsari. The Idea of Modernism as Revealed through Character and
Plot in Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters In Search of An Author. Yogyakarta:
Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma. 2014
Sastra digunakan sebagai media oleh pengarang untuk mengeskspresikan
phenomena yang terjadi di masyarakat seperti modernisme. Tesis ini membahas karya
Luigi Pirandello, Six Characters in Search of an Author. Drama ini bermanfaat untuk
dianalisa karena menggambarkan gagasan modernisme. Tesis ini berasumsi bahwa
tokoh dan plot sangat penting dalam mengungkapkan gagasan modernisme.
Berikut adalah tiga tujuan penelitian yang mendasari analisa ini. Pertama
adalah untuk menemukan penggambaran dari tokoh yang penting untuk
mengungkapkan gagasan modernisme. Kedua adalah untuk mengetahui
penggambaran dari plot. Terakhir adalah untuk mengidentifikasi gagasan modernisme
yang terungkap melalui tokoh dan plot.
Penulisan skripsi ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan studi pustaka. Sumber
data yang dikumpulkan adalah dari buku-buku, jurnal, dan artikel-artikel internet.
Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan New Criticism. Pendekatan ini digunakan
untuk mengungkapakan karakteristik tokoh dan pergerakan cerita dari drama untuk
mendapatkan gagasan utama modernisme.
Berdasarkan analisa, ada lima tokoh yang dianalisa dalam penelitian ini.
Mereka adalah Ayah, Ibu, Anak tiri perempuan, Anak laki-laki, dan Produser. Tokoh
menolak keberadaan Tuhan karena mereka percaya pada pengarang. Tokoh juga
membawa nada keputus-asaan disepanjang cerita. Plot menunjukkan pola yang
terpecah-pecah dimana cerita melompat dari satu cerita ke cerita lainnya. Dalam plot,
terdapat kebingungan antara sesuatu yang nyata dan imajinasi. Dari awal cerita
hingga akhir cerita, ada beberapa kejadian yang terlihat tidak nyata seperti kehadiran
enam karakter, kehadiran Madam Pace, dan kematian anak laki-laki termuda. Drama
ini menyatakan bahwa modernisme ditandai dengan adanya kecenderungan terhadap
refleksivitas melalui konsep drama dalam drama, kebingungan antara realita dan
illusi, pola yang terpecah-pecah, dan pertanyaan terhadap keberadaan Tuhan.

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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of Study
A work of literature can portray human life experience as such it is a
reflection of human life. Hudson states that literature is the expression of life and
through the medium of language. It can be regarded as something essential since it
portrays real life, experiences, people, thought, and people's feeling about life
(1958:10). Literature is also used as a medium of the authors to express their feeling
about some phenomenon in the society.
Literature is about human experiences, but the experiences in literature are not
simply the shapeless experiences-the chaotic passing scene-captured by a
mindless, unselective video camera. Poets, dramatics, and storytellers find or
impose a shape on scenes (for instance, the history of two lovers) giving the
readers things to value-written or spoken accounts that are memorable not
only for their content but also for their form-the shape of speeches, of the
scenes, and the plots. (Barnet, 2011: 101)
Literature does not only uncover human experience but also their value and idea.
Moreover, literature gives readers insight into their feelings, thoughts, pasts, futures,
and ultimate values.
In the nineteenth century, modern literature grows rapidly. Modern literature
is viewed as a part of social-cultural and historical development and it can be
considered as a specific way of a depiction of a modern life and culture. “Modernism
is the name given to the movement which dominated the arts and culture in the first

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half of the twentieth century” (Barry, 2009: 78). It concerns a particular set of cultural
or aesthetic style associated with the artistic movement which originated around the
turn of century and have dominated the various arts until recently.
Modern period begins with the Enlightenment when a new faith arose in the
power of reason to improve human society. Modernism is the period in which many
cultures around the world moved from the feudalism system toward capitalism,
highly industrialized, and a rationalized age. In the basic terms, modernism represents
the residual belief in the (self-evident) supremacy of logic and scientific rationalism
that assumes reality as a whole can be rendered and comprehended, that the ideas and
concept are determined. (Winquist, 2001:251)
The idea of Modernism can be found in some literary works in the nineteenth
century such as drama, poetry, and novel. In the nineteenth century, drama is very
popular among other genres of literature. Drama is a special way of imitating human
behavior, human events and circumstances. It is like narrative in that it tells us about
a story but unlike a story telling, it requires enactment. The human events have to be
represented in drama, not only narrate as in epic or poetry. It is both a literary and a
performance text. Drama is unique among literary in that imitates really through
representation rather than narration. It brings life experience realistically to the
audience. Since it is a performance text, the playwright connects the reader with a
common humanity through the progression of the plays events.

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Playwrights stimulate social awareness and put us in touch with our thoughts
and feelings about issues. The aim of great playwrights is to expand our
consciousness on old and new social and personal issues, and to endow us
with new perspectives on our humanity and the human condition. (Barringer,
1994: 8)
Drama comforts us with life’s varieties, conveying the hope, courage, despair,
compassions, violence, love, hate, exploitation, and generosity experienced by all
humankinds.
A drama that is appropriate to study modernism is Six Characters in Search of
an Author. It is a modern drama which is written in 1921 by Luigi Pirandello. The
work is translated into English by Frederick May. Pirandello is an Italian writer
which is known because of his interest in exploring the nature of human life. He is
able to use every aspect of theatre to dramatize the unstable reality, almost unreality,
of life itself. According to him, life is a stage on which each of us out a drama with
him or herself as a hero. Human life would be formless and meaningless unless the
individual can play a part he invents for himself and interpret the actions of others as
supporting parts in the same play.
The story of Six Characters in Search of an Author begins with the rehearsal
of Pirandello’s latest play, The Games As He Played It. The rehearsal is interrupted
by the arrival of six characters. The leader of the characters, the father, informs the
producer that they are looking for an author. He explains that the author who created
them did not finish their story, and that they try to find other author to present the
story. The producer is chosen as the author but he brings a new story in their story so

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that the characters reject it. The story ends with the unreasonable dead of young boy.
Then, the producer calls for the end of rehearsal and all of the characters are gone.
Six Characters in Search of an Author is an interesting literary work since it
does not only show the reality of human life but also the value of life. It can be
categorized as a modern literature. From the intrinsic elements of the drama such as
characters and plot, the idea of modernism is revealed. This study focuses on the idea
of modernism through character and plot. Then, Six Characters in Search of an
Author is chosen as the object of analysis.
B.

Problem Formulation
In the drama Six Characters in Search of an Author, there are some problems

related to the topic of study. They can be formulated as follows:
1. How are the main characters described?
2. How is the plot described?
3. What are the ideas of modernism reflected through the main characters
and plot?

C.

Objectives of the Study
The objective of the study is to analyze and to find out the idea of modernism

in Six Characters in Search of an Author. Therefore, there are three problems need to
answer in this study. The first is to find out the characteristics of the characters that

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are significant to reveal the idea of modernism. The second is to find out the plot of
the story. The last is to identify the idea of modernism that is revealed through main
characters and plot.

D. Definition of Terms
There are some terms that should be explained so that the title of this
undergraduate thesis becomes clear to the readers.
1. Modernism
According to Barry, Modernism is the name given to the movement which
dominated the arts and culture of the first half of the twentieth century (2009: 78).
According to Winquist, Modernism is the name given to the literary, historic, and
philosophical period from roughly 1890-1950, which was marked by the belief in the
unity of experience, the predominance of universals, and a determinate sense

of

referentiality. (2001:251)
2. Character
In A Glossary Literary Terms, Abrams states that a character is a person
presented in a dramatic or narrative work, which is interpreted by the reader as being
endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what he says, the
dialogue, and what he does, the action. (1981: 20)

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3. Plot
In A Glossary Literary Terms, Abrams states that plot in dramatic or narrative
works is the structure of its own action as these are ordered and rendered toward
achieving particular emotional and artistic. (1981: 127)

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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. Review of Related Studies
Studies and others reviews about Six Characters in Search of an Author are
needed to accomplish this undergraduate thesis. The drama is written by Luigi
Pirandello in 1921 and it becomes the popular work of Pirandello. In the relation to
modernism, Sarup mentions Pirandello as one of modernist figures in the fields of
literature (1993: 131). T.S Elliot as quoted in Six Characters in Search of an Author
says that “Pirandello is a dramatist to whom all serious dramatists, of my generation
and the next must recognize a debt of gratitude.” (Pirandello, 1954: vii)
Six Characters in Search of an Author is known as a golden standard of
Pirandellism works. It is a modern drama which depicts the condition of theater in the
nineteenth century. Carrying on the concept of play within a play, the drama reaches
its popularity. As a modernist, he concerns on reality in nineteenth century. Otto
Reinert in Drama: an Introductory Anthology discusses reality in Pirandello’s play.
He says that
Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921) remains in the memory as the
image of the real-life theater of illusionism invaded by the fantastic reality of
imaginative truth. In a sense, what six characters in Search of an Author do is
to put on trial the reality the nineteenth century had taken for granted: the
reality of positivist science, mater in motion governed by discoverable, stable
laws. (1964: 749-750)

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Later, the concept of reality in Pirandello’s works emerges as the interesting issue.
The drama creates a powerful vision of this fragmented, modern world. It deals with
the bewildering issues of human identity, the search for meaning where there is none
and the confusion between art and life.
The next study is done by Terry R. Nienhuis, a PhD specializing in modern
and contemporary drama. In his essay, he discusses the theme of Pirandello’s play. In
his essay, he says that:
Pirandellian themes like the relativity of truth, the constantly changing nature
of personal identity, or the difficulty of distinguishing between reality and
illusion or between sanity and madness all have a common thread - they all
point to uncertainty as a significant part of human experience. (Nienhuis,

http://www.pirandelloweb.com/english/1921_six_characters_in_search_of_an_aut
hor/six_characters_cover.htm#char)

From the statement, it is found that Pirandello’s play has uncertain reality. Sometimes
it is hard to distinguish between reality and illusion. Pirandello is quite bright in
making the audience or reader aware of the reality. Through the play, he wants to
bring us back to the reality of life.
On the other hand, Altman reviews Six Characters in Search of an Author as
meta-theatre. In the thesis entitled Six Characters in Search of an Author: Adapting
and Directing a Modern Drama for a Contemporary Audience. He states:
The genre of this play is, quite famously and undoubtedly, meta-theatre.
Given this, the play must assert itself as a play. The revelation of the rehearsal
process achieves this, but Pirandello embraces this meta-theatricality more
prevalently throughout the play. The goal was not to trick the audience into

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believing the Characters are “real,” but rather, to create circumstances in
which the truth of the Characters’ reality is undeniable. (2009:14)
From the quotation above, Altman explains the theme of the play is meta-theatre.
Pirandello tricks the audience that characters are real but the truth is that Pirandello
creates a circumstance in which the truth of character’s reality is undeniable. The
characters itself are created from the aspect of all our lives, rearranged and amplified
to create an independent reality.
Six Characters in Search of an Author is a complex drama because it uses
play within play’s concept. The characters and the plot become the significant
element in this drama because they have contributions in revealing the idea of
modernism. The actions and reactions of the characters influence the movement of
the story. Then, plot in the story shows the movement events that are done by the
characters. The combination of characters and plot helps us get the main idea of the
story.
In addition, Inatyas in her thesis, A Study of Character and Plot to Convey the
Theme as Seen in Amy Tan’s the Kitchen God’s Wife, discusses the combination of
character and plot. She states that
The action of the characters can be found in the plot. They unify the story to
show the theme of the story. The plot is used to perform the arrangement of
the events. As it is found in the plot, the character tries to survive and
continue her life although she has many problems that she has to solve. The
theme as the central idea of the story The Kitchen God’s Wife that can be
conveyed, as it is reinforced by the analysis of character and plot, is patience
and persistence will bring someone into happiness. (2010: 52)

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According to Inatyas, characters and plot unify to show the theme of the story. The
central idea of the story is reinforced by the analysis of character and plot.
From thus critics and reviews, the issue discussed is the concept of reality in
Pirandello’s works. Although the object of study is similar, the topic of study is
different. The previous study concerns the reality and meta-theatre in drama while
this undergraduate thesis concerns on the idea of modernism. Moreover, this
undergraduate study is different from Inatyas’s study. The topic is similar but the
work is different. Inatyas used novel The Kitchen God’s Wife as the object of study
while this undergraduate thesis used drama Six Characters in Search of an Author.
As the conclusion, this undergraduate study concerns on the idea of
modernism that revealed from main characters and plot. In this case, this
undergraduate tries to discover something new in Pirandello’s work. Thus, it is
different from the previous study that has been done.

B. Review of Related Theories
This undergraduate thesis has three problems that need to be solved;
characters, plot, and the idea of modernism. There are some relevant theories that are
used in order to answer the three problem formulation as follows

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1. Theory on Character
A play is the representation of man in action. Then, character is the most
important element of the play since it portrays human in action. Abrams states
“characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work who are later on
interpreted by the readers from their say and actions. What they say and do is show
their “moral, dispositional, and emotional qualities” (1933:23). It may remain stable
from the beginning the end of the story, or may have some changes either through a
gradual process or in a shocking way.
According to Brockett, “Character is the principal source of plot, for incidents
can be developed mainly through the speech and behavior of dramatic personages.
Furthermore, action usually arises out of the conflicting desires of these characters”
(1964: 29) In other words, character does not only present the characteristic of
character but also the movement of the story through their speech and behavior.
Sometimes the quality of characters can also depend on the subgenre to which a play
belongs because genres traditionally follow certain conventions even as far as the
dramatis personae. Dramatis personae can be defined as the sum of all the figures that
appear in the play.
2. Theory on Characterization
The final touchstone, perhaps the most important of all, in evaluating any play
as a work of art-and the most certainly in evaluating today’s theatre- is
characterization. Just as a play will come to life with little more than a single fully
realized character, a play without a single vital person is no play at all. In presenting

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the character, the dramatist usually uses characterization in order to reveal the
characteristic of character. According to Brockett, “Characterization is the means of
differentiating one dramatic personage from another. Since a dramatist may endow
his agents with few or many traits, characterization varies markedly in complexity”
(1964: 29).
Furthermore he explained about how the playwright revealed the character.
Brockett said that
A character is revealed through a number of devices: through description in
stage directions, prefaces, or other explanatory material not part of the
dialogue or action; through what he himself says; through what others say
about him; and, perhaps most important, through what he does (1964: 30).
Actually, there are several ways which enable a playwright to present the character in
the story understandable and lively for the readers. According to Goldstone, a
character in a play established through dialogue spoken by the character, dialogue
spoken about the character, action taken by the character, the personality and
interpretation of the actor playing the role. Playwrights have often composed a role
with specific actor or actress in mind (1960: 6).
In order to get deeper analysis about the character, there are some techniques
of characterization derived by Pfister. According to Pfister (2000: 184-195),
characterization is divided into four classes of characterization techniques; explicitfigural, implicit-figural, explicit-authorial, and implicit-authorial.

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All explicit-figural characterization techniques are verbal. They may be
divided into two categories; the self-commentary and commentary by others. In selfcommentary, the figure explicitly articulate the way it sees itself while in commentary
by others, one figure is characterized explicitly by another. Self-commentary and
commentary by others are done by dialogue and soliloquy.
Implicit-figural characterization techniques are only partially verbal because a
dramatic figure is presented implicitly not only through what it says and how it says,
but also through its appearance, its behavior and the context within which it operates
(clothing, properties, interior, etc). It is established through physical appearance,
gesture and facial expression, masks and costumes, stage props, setting, behavior,
voice and language (dialect).
Explicit-authorial characterization techniques are the descriptions of
characters in author commentary or stage directions; telling names. Names such as
Mr. Pinchwife, Lady Wishfort, Mrs. Loveit serve to define a figure even before his or
her first appearance on the stage.
Explicit-figural

characterization

techniques

are

the

emphasis

on

correspondence and contrast that exist between one figure and the others; indirectly
telling names. Thus, these correspondences and contrasts can be perceived and
articulated by the figure themselves, so as to stimulate the receiver into making
contrastive comparisons for him or herself.

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3. Theory on Plot
A drama is a patterning of language, character and event. The events give the
movement of the story, plot. Plot is the structure of the actions which is ordered and
presented in order to achieve particular emotional and artistic effects in a drama. The
plot of a drama, like that of a novel, a short story, or even a narrative poem, is the
actual story. According to Reinert, “Plot is the way the playwright has chosen to tell
his story, the details arrangement of incidents for maximum meaning of beauty or
suspense” (1964: 23). In short, plot is the over-all structure of a play, and maybe
examined in terms of its beginning, middle and ending.
Another model frequently used to describe the overall structure of drama is
called Freytag’s Pyramid. Freytag described a classical five-act structure of plays in
the shape of pyramid, and he attributed a particular function to each of the five-acts
(Lethbridge, 2008: 99). The Freytag’s Pyramid can be schematized as follows
Act I Introduction (Exposition) contains all introductory and thus serve as exposition:
the main characters are introduced and, by presenting a conflict, the play prepares the
audience for the action in subsequent acts. The play starts at the beginning of story
and provides all the necessary information concerning the characters, their
circumstances, conflict, etc. Another aspect of beginning is the point attack which is
the moment at which the main story starts as a potential conflict is identified.

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Act II Complicating Action usually propels the plot by introducing further
circumstances or problems related to the main issue. The main conflict starts to
develop and characters are presented in greater details.
Act III the plot reaches its climax. A crisis occurs where the deed is committed that
will lead to the catastrophe, and this brings about a turn in a plot.
Act IV Falling Action creates new tension in that it delays the final catastrophe by
further events.
Act V Catastrophe finally offers a solution to a conflict presented in the play. While
tragedies end in catastrophe usually the death of the protagonist, comedies are simply
resolved. A term that is applicable for both thus ending is denouement which means
the ‘unknotting’ of the plot.
Thus, plot is just a summary of play’s incident that refers to the organization of all the
incidents into a meaningful pattern that has beginning, middle, and ending.
4. Theory on Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, and
practice. It describes a series of reforming cultural movements in art, architecture,
music, literature, and applied arts which emerged in nineteenth century. In general,
the term modernism encompasses the activities and output of those who felt
‘traditional’ forms of art, architecture, religious faith, social organization, and daily

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life becoming outdated in the new economic, social, and political conditions of an
emerging fully industrialized world. Modernism often deals with term ‘modernity’.
According to Sarup, “Modernity is generally held to have come into being with the
Renaissance. Modernity implies the progressive economic and administrative
rationalization and differentiation of the social world.” (1993:130) In other word,
modernism is the culture of modernity and the figure of this movement usually called
modernist.
Modernism as a literary movement reached its height in Europe between 1900
and the middle 1920’s. Barry explained some characteristics of the literary
modernism as follows
1. A new emphasis on impressionism and subjectivity, that is, on how we see
rather than what we see (a preoccupation evident in the use of the streamof-consciousness technique).
2. A movement away (in novels) from the apparent objectivity provided by
such features as: omniscient external narration, fixed narrative points of
view and clear-cut moral positions.
3. A blurring of the distinction between genres, so that novels tends to
become more lyrical and poetic, for instance, and poems more
documentary and prose-like.
4. A new liking for fragmented forms, discontinuous narrative, and randomseeming collages of disparate materials.
5. A tendency towards ‘reflexivity’, so that poems, plays, and novels raise
issues concerning their own nature, status and role. (2009: 79)
From those characteristics, it can be said that modernism emphasizes experimentation
and the aim of finding inner truth behind surface appearance. Then, the spirit of
modernism is the power of reason. However, the fragmentation is a tone of lament,
pessimism, and despair about the world which finds its appropriate representation in
these fractured art forms. They register a deep nostalgia for an earlier age when faith

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was full and authority intact. The tendency towards reflexivity is clearly found in the
forms of literature. They raise the issue concerning their own nature, status, and role.
For instance, a play about a play or we called it a play within a play.
In addition, the basic features of modernism can be summarized as: an
aesthetic self-consciousness and reflexiveness; a rejection of narrative structure in
favour of simultanelty and montage, open-ended nature of reality; and the rejection of
the notion of an integrated personality in favour of an emphasis upon the Freudian
‘split’ subject (Sarup, 1993: 131).

C. Theoretical Framework
The theories stated in this chapter are very helpful in analyzing Six Characters
in Search of an Author. The theory on characters, characterization and plot are used
to provide the basic analysis. Then, the theory on modernity will be used in finding
the value of modernism that is found in characters and plot of the play.
This present study examines the description of main character in the play. The
theory of character by Abrams and Brockett is used to find out the characteristic of
main character in the play. In order to find out main character’s characteristic, the
writer also uses theory of characterization by Brockett and Pfister. Theory of
characterization is used to help the writer find out the character. By applying theory
character and characterization, the writer had solved the first problem formulation
that is to find out the description of main characters.

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The theory on plot by Reinert and Pfister is also used to find out the
movement of the story. By applying theory of plot, the writer had solved the second
formulation. This present study also examines the idea of modernism that is revealed
through characters and plot. This analysis will be mainly based on theory of
modernism by Barry and Sarup. This theory is used to describe the idea of
modernism that is found in the play through characters and plot.

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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of Study
The drama analyzed in this undergraduate thesis is Six Characters in Search
of an Author. It is a modern drama which is written in 1921 by Luigi Pirandello. The
original work titled Sei Personaggi in Cerca D’autore but later it is translated into
English. There were a lot of English versions but this undergraduate thesis used a
version that is translated by Frederick May. It was published by William Heinemann
Ltd. in 1954. It consists of 70 pages and divided into three acts. The first performance
of the play held in 1921 and had its American Premiere in 1922 on Broadway at the
Princess Theatre. Then, it was performed for over a year off-Broadway at the
Martinique Theatre beginning in 1963.
Six Characters in Search of an Author is a play about six characters who tried
to find their author. The story begins with the rehearsal of Pirandello’s latest play,
The Games As He Played It. The rehearsal is interrupted by the arrival of six
characters. The leader of the characters, the Father, informs the Producer that they are
looking for an author. He explains that the author who created them did not finish
their story, and that they try to find other author to present the story. The Producer
refuses their request and tries to throw them out of theatre. However, the Father and
Stepdaughter start to describe their story. In the end, the Producer agrees to become

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the author for them. He soon stops the actors and allows the Father and the Stepdaughter to finish the scene. In the process, he spots the step-son with a revolver. The
story ends with the unreasonable dead of young boy who shoots himself. Then, the
Producer calls for the end of rehearsal and all of the characters are gone.

B. Approach of Study
In analyzing the works of literature, some critics may have different ways and
approach. The use of approach is different to some works of literature although they
have the same topic. It happens because some critics may have different views in
learning and understanding.
This undergraduate thesis focuses on three parts and those are characters, plot
and modernism. In order to explore them, the appropriate approach that is used is
New Criticism. Guerin states that
The New Critics sought precision and structural tightness in the literary work;
they favored style and tone that tended towards irony; they insisted on the
presence within the work of everything necessary for its analysis; and they
called for an end to a concern by critics and teachers of English with matters
outside the work itself-the life of the author, the history of his time, or the
social and economic implication of the literary work (1882:81)
Since New Criticism focuses on the intrinsic elements of literary work, it puts away
the extrinsic elements such as the social-historical background, the psychological
condition of the author, etc. The process of reading only the main source is also called
close-reading. In close-reading, the critic has to master the work in details in order to
make deeper analysis.

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In this study, New Criticism approach is used to analyze the intrinsic element
of drama such as characters and plot. It is used to reveal the characteristic of
characters and the movement of the play that has significance to get the main idea of
modernism. Since this study focuses on the intrinsic element, the New Criticism
approach is suitable to analyze the drama.
C. Method of Study
This study was conducted by applying library research. Library research is the
most relevant method since it based on studying documents. The main procedure is
reading the drama and taking important notes which gave great benefits in analyzing
the drama. In this thesis, two kinds of sources are used, primary source and secondary
source. The primary source was taken from the drama itself, Six Characters in Search
of an Author written by Luigi Pirandello. The secondary sources are online journal,
essay, article, and some books about modernism.
There were some steps taken in analyzing the drama. Firstly, the primary
source was read. As the drama read, a worth-studying element of works emerged and
raised the intention to study the works further. Then, list of interesting elements were
made such as characters, plot, and modernism. Next, the secondary sources were read
to support the analysis of drama. Due to reading the secondary source, the outline of
analysis was made to narrow the topic of study. Then, this study became more
specific by focusing on some problem formulations. Problem formulation was made
as the guidance for the analysis. First, this study discussed the description of the main

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characters. Second, it closely looked into the movement of the story or plot. Third, it
observed the significance of characters and plot in revealing modernism value. Then,
primary source was critically analyzed based on New Criticism approach and theory
to answer the problem formulation. By using some theories from the secondary
source, the analysis would be more reasonable and defensible. Finally, the conclusion
was drawn based on the result of analysis.

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CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
A. The Description of Main Characters
Six Characters in Search of an Author is a play within a play which means
that one play is present during the action of another play. Therefore, the character in
this drama is divided into two groups; actors and characters. The actor in the
company that present The Game As He Played It are the Producer, the Actresses and
Actors, the Stage-manager, the Prompter, the Property man, the Foreman of the stage
crew, the Producer’s secretary and the Commissionaire. The characters in the play
refer to the Father, the Mother, the Stepdaughter, the Son, the Boy, the Little Girl,
and Madame Pace.
The main characters of this drama are the Father, the Mother, the
Stepdaughter, the Son and the Producer. They are considered as the main characters
because they have important role for the plot. “A good indicator as to whether a
character is major or minor is the amount of time and speech as well as the presence
on the stage he or she is allocated” (Lethbridge, 2008:113). The main character is the
center of the story. S/he becomes the focus of the story and their existence is very
important to establish the context and situation of the story.
In Six Characters in Search of an Author, Pirandello uses a mask as a
distinction between the actors and the characters. In the stage direction, Pirandello
says that “(In any production of this play it is imperative that the producer should use

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every means possible to avoid any confusion between the SIX CHARACTERS and
the ACTORS)” (Pirandello, 1954: 6). Then, six characters use mask as the most
effective and suitable method to distinguish them. In this way the deep significance of
the drama can be brought out. The masks are designed to give the impression of
figures constructed by art, each one fixed forever in its own fundamental emotion;
that is Remorse for the Father, Revenge for the Stepdaughter, Contempt for the Son,
and Sorrow for the Mother. The mask is meant to show the characteristics that the
characters have to posses, while the face is the truth behind the mask.
The characteristic of character is different from the actors. The characters are
the real character because they were born as the character. The actors are the
imitation of the character. Here, by using some theories on character and
characterization, the main character’s description is explained as follows
1. Father
Father is a character that belongs to SIX CHARACTERS. The description of
Father can be seen through the description in stage direction. Pirandello clearly
explains all the SIX CHARACTERS in their first appearance includes the Father as
follows
PRODUCER: … (The Father is a man of about fifty. He is not bald but his
reddish hair is thin at the temples. His moustache is thick and coils over his
still rather youthful-looking mouth, which all too often falls open in the
purposeless, uncertain smile. His complexion is pale and this is especially
noticeable when one has occasion to look at his forehead, which is
particularly broad. His blue, oval-