Feminism ideas as reflected through the major character`s reaction toward patriarchal society in Escape by Carolyn Jessop - USD Repository
FEMINISM IDEAS AS REFLECTED THROUGH THE MAJOR
CHARACTER’S REACTION TOWARD PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
IN ESCAPE BY CAROLYN JESSOP
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESISPresented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DHESTI FITRI SETYANINGRUM
Student Number: 044214141
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
FEMINISM IDEAS AS REFLECTED THROUGH THE MAJOR
CHARACTER’S REACTION TOWARD PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
IN ESCAPE BY CAROLYN JESSOP
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESISPresented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra in English Letters
By
DHESTI FITRI SETYANINGRUM
Student Number: 044214141
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2010
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all I dedicate my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ for his love, protection, forgiveness and blessing in my whole life, and also for his guidance, so that I could accomplish my thesis. I also thank mother Mary for her encouragement when I felt hopeless and desperate.
I believe that I would never accomplish my thesis without the help from others. In this occasion, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mrs. Adventina Putranti S.S, M.Hum For all of the attention, patience, advice, guidance throughout the process of this thesis writing. I also thank Miss M. Luluk A.W, S.S as my co-advisor for the suggestions toward this thesis. Then I would also thank my beloved father and my beloved brother, for being my best supporter in finishing my thesis. To Bu Agustine, Mbak ana, Ines, Clara, thank you for being spirits in my life. I also dedicate my special gratitude for my mother and my brother, Abi Narmodo, who has been in heaven, for every support, unforgettable and beautiful memory with you in my life. I love you.
I also thank my beloved family in Giyanti: Ibu and Bapak Bambang, Mbah kakung and Mbah putri Prayit, Yoga Sengkuni, Mas Anton, Luluk, Astri, Iyus Durna for all supports and prayers. Then I am thankful to my best friend Iin for the whole time of our share and togetherness. To my friends in Kamboja 1: Ari, Nico, Isus , Tiyok, Wiki, Felix, Peter, thank you for everything since we lived together.
Finally, the last gratitude is for all whose names are not listed here, it does not mean that I forget, my grateful thank is for you all. Thank you Dhesti Fitri Setyaningrum
TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE PAGE …………………………………………………………………………. i
APPROVAL PAGE …………………………………………………………………... ii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ………………………………………………………………. iii
MOTTO PAGE ……………………………………………………………………….. iv
DEDICATION PAGE ………………………………………………………………... v
LEMBAR PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI ………………………………………….. vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ………………………………………………………..... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………………………………………………………. viii
ABSTRACT ………………………………………………………….......................... x
ABSTRAK ……………………………………………………………………………. xi
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………. 1
A. Background of the Study ………………………………………………………. 1 B. Problem Formulation…………………………………………………………… 4 C. Objectives of the Study ……………………………………………………….... 4 D. Definition of Terms …………………………………………………………….. 5CHAPTER II: THEORICAL REVIEW ……………………………………………. 9
A. Review of Related Studies ……………………………………………………... 9 B. Review of Related Theories ……………………………………………………. 12 C. Theoretical Framework ………………………………………………………… 40 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………41 A. Object of the Study ……………………………………….................................. 41 B.
Approach of the Study …………………………………………………………. 42 C. Method of the Study …………………………………………………………… 42 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ………………………………………………………….
44 A. Character and Characterization of Carolyn Jessop …………………………….. 44 1.
Carolyn’s Character Seen by Another ………………………………………. 48 2. Carolyn’s Character Seen by Speeches ……………………………………... 50 3. Carolyn’s Character Seen by her Past Life ………………………………….. 53 4. Carolyn’s Character Seen by her Reaction toward FLDS Rules…………….. 55 B. Description of Patriarchal Society in Escape ………………………………….. 56 1.
The Setting and Society in Escape ………………………………………….. 57 2. Patriarchal Society (FLDS community) ……………….................................. 59 a.
Ideology ………………………………………………………………... 60 b.
Biology vs Culture ……………………………………………………... 63 c. Sociology ………………………………………………………………. 66 d.
Economy and Education ……………………………………………….. 74 e.
77 Anthropology …………………………………………………………...
f.
79 Psychology……………………………………………………………...
C.
The Reflection of Feminism Ideas through Carolyn Jessop’s Reactions toward Patriarchal Society (FLDS) …………………………………………..................
81 1. Carolyn’s Reactions toward Male Domination ……………………………... 82 2. Carolyn’s Reaction toward Women’s Oppression ………………………….. 90 3. Carolyn’s Reaction toward Polygamy ………………………………………. 101
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………… 103 BIBLIOGRAPHY ……………………………………………………………………. 104
ABSTRACT
DHESTI FITRI SETYANINGRUM. Feminism Ideas as Reflected through the Major Character’s Reactions toward Patriarchal Society in Escape by Carolyn Jessop. Yogyakarta: Department of English letters, Faculty of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2010 The novel “Escape” by Carolyn Jessop, a true story written in 2007, is worth studying because the center of the story is the major character’s experiences as a woman who lives in patriarchal community. Her experiences give insight description of the existence of feminism idea.
There are three objectives of this research that has been formulated. The first objective is to see the characteristics of the major character. The second objective is to show the patriarchal society in which the major character lives in. The last objective is to show the feminism ideas through major character’s reactions toward patriarchal society.
This study is library research. The writer uses most of the main references from the library and also other supporting references from the internet. This research shows the impacts of patriarchal society and its rules toward the development of the major character’s personality and also the major character’s reactions toward patriarchy system in her community. Feminism theories are applied in the research, in order to see the feminism ideas through major character’s reaction against patriarchal society.
This research result some conclusions. The first conclusion is about the characteristic of Carolyn Jessop as the major character. Carolyn Jessop is a dynamic round character. At first, she is an obedient believer but then because of the oppression in the community, she changes into a person who has courage to refuse the rules and fight for her rights. From the analysis of the characterization of Carolyn, she is described as a smart, wise, and sympathetic with others women in the community, and also she is a critical person toward life in her surrounding and an optimistic person. The second result of the analysis is about the society in the novel. Carolyn lives in a community which has patriarchy system. It has some characteristics that have been found in FLDS community, those characteristics are: the ideology of FLDS that shows men position in the community which is higher than women, economically women are dependent to men, women has no right to have higher education than men, sociologically: those characteristics are socialized in family, school and its community. The characteristics of Patriarchal Society are showed in their rules and those rules are strict doctrines of the religion of FLDS. The last analysis is about Carolyn’s reaction toward the problems that can be concluded in patriarchal society such as women’s oppression, male domination and polygamy. Carolyn’s reaction shows feminism ideas because there is refusal thought toward patriarchy system in FLDS. The final refusal and the real struggles from Carolyn is her action to escape from FLDS community. She tries to get her rights as human being and also the action to escape from FLDS is her struggle to get freedom as a woman.
ABSTRAK
DHESTI FITRI SETYANINGRUM. Feminism Ideas as Reflected through the Major Character’s Reactions toward Patriarchal Society in Escape by Carolyn Jessop. Yogyakarta: Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma
Novel berjudul “Escape” oleh Carolyn Jessop, sebuah kisah nyata, 2007, sesuai untuk dianalisis dengan menggunakan feminisme perspektif karena cerita dari novel tersebut berpusat pada pengalaman hidup tokoh utama yang menyiratkan keberadaan ide- ide feminisme.
Dalam penelitian ini terdapat tiga tujuan yang telah dirumuskan. Tujuan yang pertama adalah untuk mengetahui karakter dari tokoh utama. Kedua, menunjukan pengaruh masyarakat terhadap karakter tokoh utama. Tujuan yang terakhir adalah untuk memperlihatkan ide feminisme yang tersirat dari reaksi-reaksi tokoh utama terhadap masyarakat patriarkal dan peraturan-peraturannya.
Penulisan skripsi ini adalah sebuah penelitian pustaka. Penulis menggunakan sebagian besar referensi-referensi dari perpustakaan dan beberapa referensi yang didapatkan dari internet. Penelitian ini menunjukkan pengaruh masyarakat patriarkal dan peraturannya terhadap perkembangan karakter tokoh utama yang menghasilkan reaksi- reaksi terhadap system patriarki. Teori–teori feminisme digunakan untuk melihat ide-ide feminisme yang terdapat pada reaksi-reaksi yang ditunjukkan oleh tokoh utama dalam perjuangannya melawan masyarakat patriarkal.
Penelitian ini telah menghasilkan beberapa kesimpulan. Kesimpulan pertama adalah mengenai karakter Carolyn Jessop sebagai tokoh utama. Ia merupakan dynamic round character. Awalnya Carolyn adalah pengikut FLDS yang setia namun karena tekanan yang ia alami dalam komunitas, dia menjadi seseorang yang menolak peraturan- peraturan dalam komunitas dan berjuang untuk haknya sebagai perempuan. Ia digambarkan sebagai seseorang yang cerdas, bijaksana,memiliki rasa simpati terhadap perempuan-perempuan lain disekitarnya, dan memiliki rasa optimist dalam hidupnya. Kesimpulan yang kedua adalah mengenai masyarakat dimana Carolyn tinggal digambarkan sebagai masyarakat patriarkal. Masyarakat patriarkal memiliki beberapa karakteristik; hal tersebut juga ada dalam komunitas FLDS. Karakteristik-karakteristik tersebut adalah; ideology FLDS menunjukkan bahwa posisi laki-laki lebih tinggi dari pada perempuan; wanita tidak memiliki hak untuk mendapatkan pendidikan yang tinggi; sociologically: karakteristik-karakteristik tersebut ada dan disosialisasikan dalam keluarga, sekolah dan komunitas FLDS itu sendiri; Karakteristik-karakteristik tersebut ditunjukkan dalam peraturan-peraturan yang ada di komunitas dan peraturan-peraturan tersebut merupakan doktin kolot dari agama FLDS. Analisis yang terakhir adalah mengenai reaksi-reaksi Carolyn terhadap masalah-masalah yang dapat disimpulkan dalam masyarakat patriakal seperti perendahan perempuan, dominasi laki-laki dan poligami.Reaksi-reaksi Carolyn menunjukkan ide-ide feminis karena terdapat pemikiran- pemikirannya yang menolak system patriarki dalam komunitas FLDS. Reaksi penolakan Carolyn yang terakhir adalah keputusannya untuk keluar dari FLDS. Ia berusaha untuk mendapatkan haknya sebagai manusia dan keluarnya Carolyn dari FLDS adalah perjuangannya untuk mendapatkan kebebasannya sebagai perempuan.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Escape is a novel which is based on true story of a woman who experiences
polygamist marriage. It happened in FLDS society, FLDS stands for The Fundamentalist church of Jesus Christ of Letter-Day Saint. The FLDS emerged in the 1930s as a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon Church, it believes that God suggested polygamy and more clearly, they believe that it is a requirement for anyone who wishes to get the highest level of heaven. Most men eventually have at least three wives. Some of the leaders are believed to have fifty, sixty, or even one hundred wives. Carolyn Jessop is one of the women in the community who live in the strict rules of FLDS. She is one of the whole women in the community who fight for her freedom as a woman and as human being; finally she decided to escape from the community as the last effort to get freedom.
The basic interest of the writer to choose the novel as the study is because the story is centered on Carolyn’s character, the novel is her writing about her experiences in polygamist culture. In 2007, she co-authored her book Escape with Laura Palmer and chronicled her life in the FLDS organization, her adulthood and disillusionment, and her eventual flight. It was published by the Broadway division of Random House.
(http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/escape-by-carolyn-jessop.php).
At the end page of the novel the author wrote that she dedicated this book for her children and also for all woman and children who live in polygamy. She thinks that they deserve freedom and safety. In Escape, Carolyn Jessop tries to tell what she felt as a woman in radical polygamist culture. How hard it is to escape from FLDS, with this novel, she gives spirit to other who is in polygamist culture to struggle for their life. That statement gives the writer insight description of the existence of the feminism point of view, it also includes the story of the novel which shows about women’s life in the patriarchal society. The story describes some feminism ideas through the major character’s reaction toward her society.
The rise of American feminist literary theory has great influence to the study of feminism; there is a clear aim of the feminism movement in literary theory as stated by Deborah L. Madsen:
Feminist literary theory had three aims: to expose the workings of the ubiquitous patriarchal power structure; to promote the rediscovery of women’s historical achievements (including literary history; and to establish a feminine perspective on critical, literary, political, scientific, philosophical (and other) theories of the cultural forces that shapes our lives. The intended aim was to change the sexist bias of traditional educational and social practices (Madsen, 2000: 14)
The feminism goal is to change the stereotyped in the society about the bias of traditional education and social aspect toward one sex, in this case is male, that achievement can be included in the literary study. Considering the feminism achieve and started with the purpose of the author that is written in the last page, the writer tries to get deeper analysis about feminism perspective seeing major character’s reactions toward the rules in the community through the novel.
The reason of choosing feminism approach to analyze the novel is because this novel is based on the story which told about experiences of a woman in polygamist culture and also the fact that male domination did not only happen in the past. The fact that even there were many struggles from the feminists in the past toward male domination and polygamist culture but still nowadays, unequal treatment to women happens. Most of feminist theories are about woman’s life related with the society. The novel also talks about women’s life facing her role in the society so that the writer chooses feminism perspective to analyze the novel.
The controversial topic of polygamy is the popular issues until now; polygamy is one of the problems that happened in patriarchal society. The writer tries to show the effect of polygamy to women’s life, as well as the family’s life as seen in the Escape. Not only the problem of polygamy but generally the writer will shows some other problems that happened in patriarchal society such as male domination, women’s oppression, etc. The purpose of this research is to analyze women’s life in a sect which believes polygamy as the doctrine to rule their way of life, seeing through the eyes of feminism. The main decision to use feminism is because the story in the novel is the experiences of a woman who is under pressure by men in a religious community. In the story, there are some reactions of the major character toward her society which show feminism ideas. It can be said that it is not only Carolyn Jessop experiences but also perhaps many women’s experiences that live in polygamist culture. With this study, the writer hopes to get a deeper analysis of feminism ideas in the major character’s reaction toward polygamy, male domination, women’s oppression and other problems in patriarchal society.
B. Problem Formulation 1.
How is the character of Carolyn Jessop described in Escape by Carolyn Jessop? 2. What kind of patriarchal society does Carolyn live in? 3. How do the reactions of Carolyn Jessop toward patriarchal system in
FLDS reflect feminism ideas?
C. Objectives of the Study The aim of the study is to answer the questions in the problem formulation.
Firstly, in order to lead the research to the reactions of the major character. The writer starts to question the characteristics of the major character in order to analyze the character and the characterization of the main character in the story.
Then the second problem formulation is to know the setting and the society condition. Setting and the society in the story is the starting point to find out the culture background and the religious life in that society. Another reason is to see how the rules of FLDS are applied in the community. Then, it is also to find the application of patriarchy system in FLDS. When it is found it also will help to understand the influence of the setting and the society toward the characteristics of the major character especially her reactions toward the society.
Next problem formulation is to analyze the reactions of the major character toward FLDS community in the story. It is to see how the major character reacts toward patriarchal society and also to have detail explanation about the thoughts and the reactions of Carolyn Jessop, as the major character, toward the rules and the social aspects in the community. Then, the research will continue to answer the third problem formulation. It is to find out how the reactions of Carolyn Jessop toward the rules in FLDS community show feminism ideas. The writer will try to show if the aspects of the characteristics of the major character and her reactions toward the society reflect feminism idea.
D. Definition of Terms
There are some terms that have to be explained in order to have clear understanding of the terms, as mention bellow:
1. Character According to M. H Abrams in his book A Glossary of literature Terms. He defines two meanings of character: a)
The character is a literary genre: a short and usually witty, sketch in prose of distinctive type of person b)
Character are the persons in a dramatic or narrative work, who are presented by the author as being endowed with moral and disposition qualities that are expressed in what they say, the dialogue and what they do, the action. The grounds in the characters’ temperament, desires and moral nature for their speech and actions are called their motivation. A character may remains essentially “stable” or unchanged in outlook and disposition, from beginning to end of a work, or may undergo a radical change, either through a gradual process of motivation and development or as the result of a crisis.(Abrams, 1981: 23)
2. Setting and society According to Richard Abcarian, Marvin Klotz and Peter Richardson in Seventh edition literature reading and writing the human experience. Any consideration of setting should include the time, when a story takes place, and the social situation set in the story as well as the physical location of the events. Another definition of setting is from M.J Murphy, he said that the setting of the novel is the background against which the characters live out their lives. In some novels, the setting is important, whilst in others it is too less so. The setting can be concerned with the place in which the characters live and also the time in which they live. These have a great effect upon the personalities, actions and way of thinking of the characters. (Murphy, 1988: 141) According Richard Gill a word is necessary on just how broad a term ‘setting’ is.
It can be used to cover:
- The places in which characters appear
- The social context of characters, such as their families, friends and class
- The customs, beliefs and rules of behavior that give identity to a society
- The particular location of events
- The atmosphere, mood and feel that all the above elements create. (Gill, 1995:
148-149)
3. Feminism According Andrew Edgar and peter Sedgwick in cultural theory, the key
concepts, and the core of feminism is the belief that women are subordinated to men in
western culture. Feminism seeks to liberate women from this subordination and to reconstruct society in such a way that patriarchy is eliminated and a culture created that is fully inclusive of women’s desires and purposes. There are many different kinds of feminism theories but they all have these goals in common. Where they differ is in the particular visions of what such a reconstructed society would look like and in the strategies they employ to achieve it (Edgar, 1999:143). The point is that feminism is a belief that in the patriarchal society women becomes the inferior side and men is classified as the superior. The feminists’ achieve is to break that stereotyped and the effort to break it is in various way.
Some kinds of feminism theories, however, share some assumption and concepts that constitute a common ground for the diverse ways that individual critics explore the factor of sexual difference and privilege in the production, the form and content, the reception, and the critical analysis and evaluation of works of literature (Abrams, 1981:234-235): 1.
The basic view is that western civilization is pervasively patriarchal (ruled by the father)-that is, it is male-centered and controlled, and is organized and conducted in such a way as to subordinate women to men in all cultural domains: familial, religious, political, economic, social, legal, and artistic. Women themselves are taught, in the process of their being socialized to internalize the reigning patriarchal ideology (that is the conscious and unconscious presuppositions about male superiority), and so are conditioned to derogate their own sex and to cooperate in their own subordination
2. It is widely held that while one’s sex is determines by anatomy, the prevailing concepts of gender-of the traits that constitute what is masculine and what is feminine- are largely, if not entirely, cultural constructs that were generated by the omnipresent patriarchal biases of our civilization. In his way, the masculine in our culture has come to be identified as active, dominating, adventurous, rational, creative; the feminine, by systematic opposition to such traits, has come to be identified as passive, acquiescent, timid, emotional, and conventional
3. The further claim is that this patriarchal (or “masculine” or “andocentric” ideology pervades those writings which have been considered great literature, and which until recently have been written almost entirely by men for men.
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL REVIEW A. Review of Related Studies Escape is a novel which comes in the modern era of 21 century. Carolyn Jessop,
the author, told about her life in the novel. The writer tries to analyze the novel with feminism point of view. In order to know more about this research, the writer tries to see some people’s studies about patriarchal society and also other studies that has similar field with this research. There are some quotations about some studies as the references of this research.
One of the studies about patriarchal society is written by Michael Bosco Kellen titled Inge’s revolts Against Patriarchal Society in Angelika Fremd’s Heartland what inge does on the heartland is very interesting since her struggle is not only against men but against women. Inge in Angelika fremd’s heartland demonstrates not only the struggle of woman against men with their domination that has bring them into gender discrimination from time to time, and but also demonstrates the struggle of a woman against their womenfolk who has becomes the victim of the oppression in patriarchal society, the unliberated women which is produced by patriarchal society. (Kellen, 2005: 3-4)
The study that is written by Michael Bosco Kellen is about Inge as the major character who against the domination of men, she also against women because she refuses the term of womenfolk. She tries to against the patriarchal system which oppresses women. The discrimination as the result of it has made the major character in Heartland, Inge, to do something which defends herself but, finally, she also against her femininity.
Another study about feminism is from Hana Surya Dewi, the title of her study is a feminist study of the major character in Margaret Landon’s Anna and the King of Siam: Anna’s protest against gender injustice in patriarchal society.
Since the novel discuses about the portrait of an English woman’s life in 1860’s, the writer concerns to explore the idea of feminism described in the major character, Anna, through her character, the writer would like to explicate how the different cultures affect her attitude as a woman which then will give reasons why she is worthy to be considered as feminist in that era. (Dewi, 2005: 11)
The research is focused on major character’s protest against gender injustice in the patriarchal society. The focus is on the major character’s characteristic which is built by the culture. Anna, as the major character in the story is the center to be analyzed and classified as a feminist from that era, she is against gender injustice in her society in the novel.
The study from Deesis Edith Mesiani also talked about patriarchal society as seen in her study; the struggle of an independent woman against a conservative patriarchal society in Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind (gender study).
Women emancipation which was lead by R.A Kartini tried to break this tradition. As the result, women in this modern era have the chances to study high and to work. However, the opinion that women’s job is in the house still remains, especially in villages. There are many women who marry in their young age. The other forms of gender in equalities that I want to study in this thesis are stereotypes of men and women as the impact of gender differences between men and women. These stereotypes often give negative impacts to women. (Mesiani, 2001: 2) Mesiani’s research uses gender perspective as the basic to study the work of literature.
She said that even like in Indonesia there is R.A Kartini who struggles for equality with men, but still there are many inequality cases that occur in women’s life. The stereotype that appears in the research is the different roles of men and women in the society and most of the stereotypes have negative impacts toward women. The research analyzes the independent woman over the patriarchal society. The independent woman is the center character who against the stereotypes Different from previous studies, this research tries to develop and richer them. There will be more detail discussion about the male dominated-society which appeared in the polygamist culture, especially about the society of FLDS and the reactions of the major character toward her society, then, it will also analyze how the reactions of the major character reflects feminism idea. One of some problems in patriarchal society is polygamy, this research will also show the natural problem that occur on woman’s life who is in the polygamy life, the problems that are naturally happened and it can not be avoided. Those become the first point to show more the problems of women who live in patriarchal society which based on the religion, in the novel, it is the sect of FLDS.
Related with the previous study from Kellen, this research has similar topic, it talks about patriarchal society and women’s struggle but the different is on the analysis of the major character. In Kellen’s research, the major character also struggles over men and women itself, the major character against for her role as a woman meanwhile this research will analysis the struggle over male domination without forgetting the major character’s role as a woman. Different from Dewi’s, research this research will include the setting and society aspect, the condition of the society will become the important discussion in order to analyze the reactions of the major character toward patriarchal society. Similar to the third previous research from Mesiani, this research also will find out the struggle of the major character toward the patriarchal society, but this research will use feminism point of view to see the reactions of the major character to the stereotyped in her society in the novel which is built by the belief.
B. Review of Related Theories
1. Theories of Character and Characterization
Roger B. Henkle stated a theory of character; he said that Characters are categorized into two ways, major character and minor character. Major characters can be the center of the story. Usually the acts of the story are focused on this character from the beginning to the ending part. The core of the story is highlighted to this character’s experiences. Roger B. Henkle wrote that the major characters are the most complex characters in a story. They can be described as such characters through the complexity of their characterization (Henkle, 1977:87), Meanwhile Henkle stated that Minor characters appear in a certain setting just necessarily to become the background for the major characters. Their roles are less important than the major character (Henkle, 1977:97)
Another theory that is developed from the previous theory by Henkle about character is a theory from E. M Foster in his book Aspects of Novel (1927). Foster’s theory completed Henkle’s theory, because it analyzed a character, deeply. According to Foster, there are two popular new terms for an old distinction by discriminating between flat and round characters (Forster, 1927: 46-48)
1. A flat character (also called a type, or “two-dimensional”), Foster says, is built around “a single idea or quality” and it is presented without much individualizing detail, and therefore can be fairly adequately described in a single phrase or sentence.
2. A round character is complex in temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularity.
After we knew the definition of the character, we can continue the analysis with the relation of the character and other aspects in the novel. Foster also gives explanation about the relation of character to the other aspect of the novel, the last point- the relation of characters to the other aspects of the novel- will form the subject of a future inquiry.
At present we are occupied with their relation to actual life. There is bound to be a difference. If a character in a novel is exactly like queen Victoria – not rather like but exactly like, then it actually is Queen Victoria, and the novel, or all of it that the character touches, becomes a memoir. A memoir is history, it is based on evidence. A novel is based on evidence + or – x, the unknown quantity being the temperament of the novelist; and the unknown quantity always modifies the effect of the evidence, and sometimes transforms it entirely. (Forster, 1927: 31)
The way to recognize the character is called characterization. After we knew some types of character, the characterization will become the next discussion. To have a clear explanation, there are some theories about characterization. One of those theories is from Abrams, he stated that a broad distinction is frequently made between alternative methods for characterizing (i.e, establishing the distinctive characters of) the persons in a narrative: showing and telling. In showing ( also called “ the dramatic method”), the author presents characters talking and acting and leaves the reader to infer what motives and dispositions lie behind what they say and do. In telling, the author intervenes authoritatively in order to describe, and often to evaluate, the motives and dispositional qualities of the characters. (M.H Abrams, 1981: 23-24)
Another theory about characterization which supports Abrams’ theory is from M. J Murphy in Understanding Unseen. He stated some ways how the characters are presented in the novel in which the author attempts to make his or her characters understandable to, and come alive for, his reader.
1. Character as seen by another.
Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him trough the eyes and opinions of another. The reader gets, as it were, a reflected image.
2. Speech The author can gives us an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what that person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clue to his character.
3. Past Life By letting the reader learn something about a person’s past life, the author can gives a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character. This can be done by direct comment by the author, though the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person.
4. Reactions The author can also give us a clue to a person’s character by letting us know how that person reacts to various situations and events.
(Murphy, 1972: 161-173)
2. Theories of Setting and Society
The second discussion that will be explained is about the setting and background society of the novel. The first intrinsic element in the novel which becomes the starting point to the analysis of the society is setting. The analysis of the setting at least will give us explanation about the time and place. The condition of the society itself also includes in the analysis of setting, so that the knowledge about the setting will give us some information of the society. The theories of setting and the society are the tools to analyze the social background of the society in the novel.
A theory of setting that stated by M.J Murphy in his book Understanding Unseen can becomes the basic tools to have deep analysis about the society. Murphy said that there are three points to consider as far as setting is concerned: time, place and atmosphere (Murphy, 1972: 143-146).
1. Time a.
Present Time A writer may choose to write a book about his own time, about the things that are happening around him.
b.
Past Time.
A writer may choose to go backwards in time, to write about historical events, to attempt to illuminate the past to his readers.
c.
Future Time A writer may in his imagination take his readers into the future. d.
No specific time.
A writer may choose to give his readers no indication of the time in which his story takes place. It takes place, as it were, in no time or anytime.
2. Place a.
Familiar place A writer may choose to set his story in a place which he considers is familiar to most of his readers, either from experience or by close acquaintance.
b.
Unfamiliar Place A writer may choose to set his novel in a place that is likely to be fairly unfamiliar to many of the readers of his own nation.
3. Atmosphere Thus we can talk of the atmosphere of a novel or of part of it as being: gloomy, somber, terrifying, evil, cheerful, happy, sordid, pessimistic, optimistic and so on. Other theory about setting that supporting the previous theory was stated by
Richard Gill, he said that Settings can reflect the mood of a character in that they can become mental landscapes. They can also reveal the situation of a character and by working symbolically; they can express personality (Gill, 1985: 149). Gill added that there are some novelists who create settings for the purpose of giving their views about the world, such novelists who creates landscapes, townscapes, interiors of houses and the weather in order to convey his or her particular feelings and views about life. (Gill, 1995: 153)
Stanton supported the theory of setting and society with touching the society itself in her theory. It stated that in a novel the world is a compound values, laws, forces, possibilities, and problems just large enough to contain, to give meaning to, the specific characters and events and scenes that the novel describes (Stanton, 1965: 48). Stanton tries to come to the deep analysis of the setting; the setting is not more less talk about the place and time but also the condition of the society. The world in the novel consists of the values, laws etc which shows the complete situation of the society surrounding the characters.
Supporting Stanton’s theory, Elizabeth Longland also has a theory about setting which can becomes the tool to analyze the setting in the novel. According to Longland in her book Society in the Novel, the analysis of the setting have to uses society in a wider sense, comprehending not merely peoples and their classes but also their customs, convetions, beliefs and values, their institutions-legal,religious,and cultural-and their physical environment. That movement maybe caracrterized-thematically from innocent to experience,formarly from instability into stability – but basic to its shape is the individual’s encounter with society (Longland, 1984: 6-7). Longland’s theory gives complete explanation about the component of the society which can be analyzed in the novel. Longland also has other explanation about subtitle Society’s formal Roles in his book society in the novel, which completing her theory about the society aspect in the novel. She said that Society can be depicted as inevitably destructive of human possibilities. The sociological / naturalistic novels weight the conflict between individuals and society in such a way that the most admirable characters are most subject to destruction since their best qualities, rather than setting them apart from society’s inimical values, leave them more vulnerable. (Longland, 1984: 12)